How do I setup Windows Media Center S Video without Remote?

Not sure what you're asking here -- Media Center is fully functional with a mouse [and, for that matter, with a keyboard with the appropriate shortcuts -- see here:  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/using/productdoc/rmtview/htm/keyboardshortcutsinwindowsremoteview.mspx?mfr=true ].

Sorry I musta been tired when I was writing the question.  I have an avermedia tv card (pcmcia) hooked up on my laptop.  When I have my digital box hooked up into the svideo on the avermedia card and I go through the Media Centre setup it detects video in the svideo however the next step wants me to configure the remote control settings so it can control the digital box.  I don't have a remote control with my avermedia card and all I want is media center is to bypass the remote control setup and just let me watch tv - i'll let my pvr box switch channels.  Stupid microsoft obviously they don't have any logistical people there.  Basically I want to record stuff off my PVR onto my laptop through the tuner card.  If anyone knows how to bypass the remote setup that would be great.

Thanks!

Unfortunately media center isn't designed to operate as a video capture device -- even though most video cards have direct video inputs (such as your avermedia), it requires a tuner device; and if you're not using the tuner on the card, it needs an IR dongle to control the external tuner.   That's what it needs to set up next.

There may be a workaround -- but I haven't found it [I have an 8 tuner HTPC using Hauppauge dual-tuner cards; but still can't capture an independent s-video source with media center].

The simplest way to do what you want is either (a) don't use Media Center (did your avermedia card come with a capture application??); or (b) just connect an inexpensive IR dongle and "set it up" to control the external tuner -- ANY external tuner.   Just cover the dongle's IR emitter so it actually does nothing.   Let Media Center think it's tuned to any channel you want -- and just always record that channel (i.e. just switch your channels manually on the PVR box.   Or you COULD actually program the dongle for the PVR ... and then media center could really change the channels -- that's how it's designed to work.

If your card has an output for an IR blaster, you can get an inexpensive blaster device for ~ $10.   If not, a USB blaster can be fairly pricey ($30 - $50).   If you have a serial port, a serial blaster is available here for $12:  http://www.irblaster.info/

From what I've seen so far Media Center on vista can record programs using the avermedia (it's on a dell) and of course the avermedia program doesn't work because it's a "special card made for dell".  The avermedia is a tuner card - it has coax inputs as well.   There's no output on the card for a dongle or a blaster.  The card works well when I have the coax cable hooked up it's just messed up when I use the svideo inputs.

Why the he** would avermedia card make a "special" card for dell laptops then not allow it to use their application.  I would have to buy a "retail" card in order to use it...  Damn Microsoft and Avermedia.  Their documentation is lacking severely and their customer service sucks.  Dell's support will dial into my computer to solve problems, well sorry I'm an IT guy and I DON'T want dell having willy nilly access to my laptop.  Sorry just had to vent.  PS: I hate windows vista!

I'll award you the points but it looks like i'm SOL.

Can anyone answer me why I have 92 processes running on Vista Home Premium?  Geeze when I was running my own 2003 Server I think at most I had 60!

I even have Nero Live and still nothign is being viewed - it can't find any channels at all.  Arg!