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Windows Media center edition... I'm impressed


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Windows Media center edition... I'm impressed
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-08-12, 00:05

A friend of mine is a super hardcore windows/PC dude. He has a massive homebuilt computer with all the latest everything(well, it's maybe 4 months old in some parts, but it's mostly cutting edge) He has a very sophisticated TV card and 2.5 Terabytes of space. So, essentially he has all his DVDs ripped AND a massive storage center for TV capture.

He's installed windows media center edition on one of his drives and I must say... that is some neat shit.

He has an HD projector pumping the visual signal out on a big wall(with makeshift screen) Looks great, he has full control over a huge library of DVDs, music and TV shows all with a fucking remote control.

It all works really well, nothing has ever crashed on him or messed up in the middle of playback or anything, granted it took him like 6 hours to get the shit working to start with, once he got it going, it's been relatively smooth sailing.

Shucks... I just thought I'd say, that it's really neat.

I'm sure it has it's problems I haven't seen, but as of now, I wouldn't mind making a PC media center(meager components+shitloads of HD and a TV card) for that.

Okay, am I banned now or something?
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shatteringglass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
 
2005-08-12, 00:10

It would be awesome if I could rip my DVD collection onto my computer and have a cool way to organize it. But then again, it'll take up so much disk space, and honestly, no one really watches movies the way they listen to songs. You can only watch a movie like 6 times before you get completely sick of it...
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sunrain
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Portlandia
 
2005-08-12, 00:23

I mentioned it before when we were chatting Wrao and I'll recommend it to everyone here. This is a seriously polished linux project, with a great install and excellent user interface.

http://www.mythtv.org/

Were I to build a media box, this is what I would do.

"What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
- Steve Jobs
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Kickaha
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-08-12, 00:26

Agreed. I have a couple of friends with MythTV setups. Very nice.

AND... there's a MacOS X front end. You still need a Linux box with a TV input card as an encoder somewhere, but the user-access front end can be a Mac.
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
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2005-08-12, 00:29

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrain
I mentioned it before when we were chatting Wrao and I'll recommend it to everyone here. This is a seriously polished linux project, with a great install and excellent user interface.

http://www.mythtv.org/

Were I to build a media box, this is what I would do.

For sure, and I'm sure it's very capable software, the point is I guess, media center stuff is neat... assuming you have the disk space and media to necessitate it.
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Kickaha
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-08-12, 00:31

Of course, a ReplayTV PVR and a Mac get you most of this... ReplayTV uses standard MPEG-2 for encoding, and supports moving the files to a PC or Mac for long-term storage and playback. iTunes/iPhoto/VLC and you're golden.
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
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2005-08-12, 00:32

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha
Of course, a ReplayTV PVR and a Mac get you most of this... ReplayTV uses standard MPEG-2 for encoding, and supports moving the files to a PC or Mac for long-term storage and playback. iTunes/iPhoto/VLC and you're golden.

With remote control and fancy interfacing that makes you not feel like you're using a computer?
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Kickaha
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-08-12, 00:42

*shrug* I *know* it's a computer. It'd annoy me if I felt like I was hobbled in using it only as an appliance.

An RF Gyromouse would allow you to do just about most things you'd want to do for playback, etc. Thinka bout the iApps - when do you use a keyboard? When you're organizing, more than playback. How often do you organize anything? Once. How often do you playback? A lot more. If it *really* bugged you, a wireless keyboard would do the trick.

Last edited by Kickaha : 2005-08-12 at 00:43.
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sunrain
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Portlandia
 
2005-08-12, 00:50

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
For sure, and I'm sure it's very capable software, the point is I guess, media center stuff is neat... assuming you have the disk space and media to necessitate it.
Definitely, I'm sure the media center stuff is cool. From what I've seen, a lot of it reminds me of how the XBox 360 works and I'm *very* excited about that. (Apparently, the 360 and Media Center PCs are supposed to play quite nicely together.)

The thing is, that when I think of Windows + Media, I think of WMV. I also think of heavy DRM and little freedom. I'm not particularly an open source nut, but I think that the model is particularly useful when dealing with media hubs. It's handy to have a media center which is highly extensible and not locked into any particular format. There are often so many file formats and desired functions for a media center, even to the point where multiple file formats serve the same purpose (mp3 and AAC, mpeg and avi, etc.). Such devices are nimble and better adapted/suited for the definitely uncertain future. I'd likely even prefer a solution like MythTV over something that Apple could come up with (although I'd like them to prove me wrong, please ).

"What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
- Steve Jobs
  quote
shatteringglass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
 
2005-08-12, 00:52

It would be really cool to control the DVR software using this: http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1164
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
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2005-08-12, 01:08

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha
*shrug* I *know* it's a computer. It'd annoy me if I felt like I was hobbled in using it only as an appliance.

An RF Gyromouse would allow you to do just about most things you'd want to do for playback, etc. Thinka bout the iApps - when do you use a keyboard? When you're organizing, more than playback. How often do you organize anything? Once. How often do you playback? A lot more. If it *really* bugged you, a wireless keyboard would do the trick.

I dunno about you, I just hit play on my movie and watch it. But then again, maybe that's why I'm not as well versed in absurd nerd trivia
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
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2005-08-12, 01:10

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrain
Definitely, I'm sure the media center stuff is cool. From what I've seen, a lot of it reminds me of how the XBox 360 works and I'm *very* excited about that. (Apparently, the 360 and Media Center PCs are supposed to play quite nicely together.)
Good point, both PS3 and Xbox360 are touting some level of enhanced media center type capabilities. Assuming a big HD is possible with either(120 GB+) that'd be a pretty nice solution.
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Kickaha
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-08-12, 01:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
I dunno about you, I just hit play on my movie and watch it. But then again, maybe that's why I'm not as well versed in absurd nerd trivia
Well, that's what I do too playing music with iTunes. The current movie playback apps aren't quite up to that level of interface, but some are close.

And really, a nicely organized movie library in the Finder would be a cinch to navigate and trigger with a mouse.
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InactionMan
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-08-12, 09:52

For what Sony is going to charge for the PS3 (I've heard it'll be well above $1000) they'd better stuff that thing with tons of extra features.

I'd love something like WMC for Macs that was dead simple like iTunes. Given how many people buy DVDs of their favourite shows and that DVD sales are pretty much destroying the sales of music CDs, it's obvious that their is a gap that needs to be filled. And that says nothing of the need for a legal download service for movies and tv shows.

Had anyone nerded it up with Apple's Firewire software for capturing video off a cable box? I heard something about that on Ars a while ago.
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Franz Josef
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, Europe
 
2005-08-12, 10:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by InactionMan
I'd love something like WMC for Macs that was dead simple like iTunes.
The market is surely moving in that direction - Job's idea of the Digital Hub™ etc. What is interesting is that M$ does not seem to have aggressively pushed its Media Center - like Tablet PC's, it doesn't appear to have made a big splash in the consumer imagination. Expect Apple if they do it, to do it properly
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2005-08-12, 10:39

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
With remote control and fancy interfacing that makes you not feel like you're using a computer?
I have a programmable IR remote that plays well with OS X. It comes preconfigured to work with iTunes and DVD Player. I've used it in situations where I've wired up my PowerBook to be the DVD player and it works fine.

As far as the fancy interfacing I haven't seen MythTV so I can't comment.

I will say that my Comcast DVR is run on MS software and I just had to powercycle it again yesterday because it kept screwing up. I used to have to powercycle my cable box! every two weeks but I guess they've updated the software because now it takes about 4 weeks for my cable box! to crash.
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
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2005-08-14, 20:01

Quote:
Originally Posted by InactionMan
For what Sony is going to charge for the PS3 (I've heard it'll be well above $1000) they'd better stuff that thing with tons of extra features.
.

Yikes! where'd you hear that? Man, if that's true, good-bye sony dominance in the console market.
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DMBand0026
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
 
2005-08-14, 20:09

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
Yikes! where'd you hear that? Man, if that's true, good-bye sony dominance in the console market.
I hope that's not true! I won't buy one either way because I'm not a gamer, nor do I have any interest in gaming. However, I don't know of one true gamer (even the hardcore ones) that would pay $1000 for a console. Sony would regret that. My guess is that it's not true.

Come waste your time with me
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-08-14, 20:18

I've heard people say it might be ~$500, and even that is way too steep.

I would like one if it is capable of doing cool media center stuff. I don't really play games all that much, but there would be a few games I'd probably check out. But at $500, I dunno... bleh.
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The Return of the 'nut
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I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Berkeley
 
2005-08-14, 20:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by InactionMan
For what Sony is going to charge for the PS3 (I've heard it'll be well above $1000) they'd better stuff that thing with tons of extra features.

I'd love something like WMC for Macs that was dead simple like iTunes. Given how many people buy DVDs of their favourite shows and that DVD sales are pretty much destroying the sales of music CDs, it's obvious that their is a gap that needs to be filled. And that says nothing of the need for a legal download service for movies and tv shows.

Had anyone nerded it up with Apple's Firewire software for capturing video off a cable box? I heard something about that on Ars a while ago.
most rumors say the PS3 will be 400 dollars. Ive never seen anything close to 1000 ever mentioned
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DMBand0026
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
 
2005-08-14, 20:21

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Return of the 'nut
most rumors say the PS3 will be 400 dollars. Ive never seen anything close to 1000 ever mentioned
That seems a lot more like it. That's what a lot of consoles have started around. The XBox is cheap today, but it started closer to $400, same with the PS2. The people who want the first PS3s will pay the $400 and those who can wait will get if for probably closer to $150-$200 US.

Come waste your time with me
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-08-14, 20:25

I thought the PS2 launched at $300?
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DMBand0026
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
 
2005-08-14, 20:31

Wikipedia has the launch price listed at $299 US. My mistake.
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2005-08-15, 11:19

XBox launched at $299 as well.
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InactionMan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-08-15, 12:03

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
Yikes! where'd you hear that? Man, if that's true, good-bye sony dominance in the console market.
A friend that works in the industry. Of course, it is just a industry rumour right now. But the CEO of Sony did say a few weeks back that the PS3 would be more expensive than the previous generations.

Edit: All romoured prices are in Canadian dollars. So more like between $700-850 US.

Last edited by InactionMan : 2005-08-15 at 12:06.
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sunrain
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Portlandia
 
2005-08-15, 12:07

Quote:
Originally Posted by bassplayinMacFiend
XBox launched at $299 as well.
No it did not. Not really.

It launched at $499 (only bundled purchases were available) and the world collectively laughed. Microsoft got their head out of their ass and changed their strategy quickly.

What was funny, (to my recollection) was that the bundles didn't even save you any money. In fact, some of the bundles cost *more* than if you had bought the items separately. Microsoft said that you could pre-order a stand alone console on the release date, but at that point anyone would be looking at a long wait on buying. It was crappy. At least they've learned, the XBox 360 is supposed to be released as a stand alone and a small bundle with hard drive and extra wireless controller.

"What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
- Steve Jobs
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