Media centre

Pataman

Hi lads and lassies
I am looking for advise. I am currently wiring my new house. I have 2 cat5 and 1 coax going to each tv point. I want to archive all my dvd's on the pc. I will probably use "my movies" to archive them but I dont have Media Centre, yet. can you run several tv's off MCE? I will only use it for watching dvd's in various rooms.
Thanks

SouperComputer

can you run several tv's off MCE? I will only use it for watching dvd's in various rooms.

Yes, but only by purchasing client machines called extenders. You have three options:

1) Original Xbox with extender kit (pointless, slow and buggy)
2) Xbox 360
3) Extender from linksys or suchlike (Available in NTSC only)

Now if you dont plan Using the PVR functions (watching live tv, changing channels or setting up recordings) on any of the other points in the house, you could use a modded Xbox with XBMC to play recorded TV and DVD backups. This was discussed a couple of days ago, so have a look through the threads for more advice on that.

Howver for any of the client machines that you want access to the PVR function of the MCE computer, you have to use and extender of some description. As I say the kit for the original xbox is poor as it uses software emulation.

On the other hand, if you are willing to use GB-PVR, Media Portal or MythTV (linux backend only) then you could use low-spec or lowprofile PC's to view the content from other points in the network.

8T8

Edit: SouperComputer beat me to it : )

No I don't think that's possible with MCE at least, if we are still within the realms of MCE you could use MCE extenders (Xbox 360) and have an MCE PC act as a central server if you will, the total number allowed of extenders per PC is something like 3-5 conditions permitting.

Other media centre programs (MythTV, GB-PVR) allow client/server relationships as well but you would still need a PC of some sort to run it I would think.

Media streamers might be the easiest solution, these are standalone devices that play back certain content they often have an ethernet connection.

Assuming you are going to be encoding to XviD you wouldn't have any problems playing back but you wont get any of the fancy UI or metadata like in My Movies.

Pataman

I will have a look at MythTV to see if it will do my needs. I dont have MCE, i just thought it would do the trick.

SouperComputer

Pataman wrote:

I will have a look at MythTV to see if it will do my needs. I dont have MCE, i just thought it would do the trick.

MythTV will do the job alright but it will take a lot more to get it up and running, even if you are already well versed with linux, MythTV can be "invloving".

The easiest way to getting running would be to try either mythdora or knoppmyth

aFlabbyPanda

simplest options if its just going to be playing back stored content will be the dlink media player or pinacle showcenter. Out of the box solutions for about 200€.

I have (well did till one died on me the other day) 2 pinnacle units connected wireless to 1 PC. Each TV can watch or listen to seperate things at the same time. The pinnacle (and dlink as its the same hardware) will playback vob, mpeg, divx, mp3, wmv & wma. Its also has HD diplay support.