[Show Idea] Killer Media PC Setup

[jdawson]

Hi All,

I have an idea for an episode of Systm that would cover the high end custom media PC setups for HD home theaters. While I know you may be thinking this is something that may sound a little dull I for systm trust me if the setup is right it is pretty wild what you can do right now.

Let me explain what I have for example.

I have a Windows Media Center 2005 (you can do it with Vista as well but why use vista when you don’t have to) that has a amazing plug-in called “firewire STB”. This plug-in allows you to control many satellite or cable boxes Set Top Boxes (STB) via the firewire (not IR) ports. It also allows you to record the “digital video” from the device via the MPG stream on the firewire port. Thus allowing you to have a full PVR solution that records the 1080i signal into 1920X1080 resolution no your PC.

Once you have this content into the PC you can then use a number of programs such as MCEbuddy to convert the then recorded firewire HD files to lets say iPhone format. Then if you also run TVersity on your media PC you can then access the iPod video files via your wireless network on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

So now automatically you have recorded from TV HD content that is in 5.1 that has never hit analog and can be viewed on any device you want anyway you want. Your now in control of the content it is on your network in full access of any device you want.

Then to continue with this high level integration you use you iPhone or iPod touch to connect to your Media PC using something called TouchPad Pro. This give you a remote control keyboard and laptop style touch pad with full MULTI touch on your PC. It is all done Wireless through your 802.11 network with VNC server running on the Media PC and TouchPad Pro running on your iPod touch or iPhone. It is one of the best wireless mouse control systems for MOUSE style inputs on a TV you have ever used. And it is FREE! There are still places where if you just doing play, pause, stop and volume where the MCE remote is better but for MOUSE control or browsing the web on a big media PC it is great.

All of the software I am typing about here is free and links and more information can be found here.

Fire STB : http://home.comcast.net/~timmmoore/firewire/readme.htm
TouchPad Pro: http://www.touchpadpro.com/
MCEbuddy: http://mcebuddy.com/
TVersity: http://tversity.com/home

[tehboris]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...25602905109829

[jdawson]

That linux MC is very nice.

I didn't see how you cold use it to record and do full PVR functionality of your DIGITAL HD stuff in full HD.

Can it?

And if it can is it recording via firewire?

Joe

[handya]

try out Mediaportal, open source, media center for windows.
Media-Portal

[shinigami052]

it'd be nice to see some pre-built systems reviewed as well. The popcorn hour (www.popcornhour.com) or the Fiire Engine (www.fiire.com). I'm sick of struggling to get my 360 to work with my PC.

Also what about some reviews on TV tuner cards? What do all the mumbo jumbo specs mean and what should we look for?

Also when building our own MCE what OS has an advantage over others? Linux MCE? Windows XP MCE? Vista? (sorry mac fans...Apple doesn't like you making your own MCE with their OS).

Also what kinda extra things can be incorprated into this MCE system? Zwave lights/controls etc? How do we set them up. What do we look for?

How about a total run through of setting up a home theater from which TV to get to your reciever, MCE PC, speakers, etc. And then walk through how to properly setup and install all of this (wall mounts for the TV or how to wall mount your equipment, installing outlets to hide wires inside the wall etc)?

[melta]

Originally Posted by Shinigami052

Also when building our own MCE what OS has an advantage over others? Linux MCE? Windows XP MCE? Vista? (sorry mac fans...Apple doesn't like you making your own MCE with their OS).
etc)?

I disagree. The common xbox media center is ported to Mac, there is also centerstage and frontrow on the top of my head, im sure there is others.

I built a custom PC you might think is cute around windows. I use it as fileserver webserver and HTPC. But it's more of a mini-itx project. If i had to do it all again i would def go with a reasonable linux distro, most of them already have stable and reliable tools like ssh,apache samba etc. But i made some horrific coded custom software i really wouldn't like to port to another OS. It run's very well and some software i use is win specific(cell phone control)