Media setup advice

harryd2

Hi Guys,

Sorry if this is the wrong place but I'm looking for some setup advice..
I have the following:

Sources - (all networked):
3x HDMI (Xbox, Sony blu-ray, Sky HD)
1x VGA with analogue audio (laptop)

Sinks:
1) Video: TV connected to HDMI & VGA sources
2) Audio: Bose sound system - only has 1 audio input which comes from TV

1 Problem:
The Sound System (Bose Cinemate GS SERIES ll) only has one audio input.
Currently audio output of TV1 is connected to this, which works good, but can't listen to music with TV off (I guess)
Anyone know of any workarounds for this?

Wishlist:
Have 500GB of music which I'd like to hook up to this system, with a decent media player interface..

Ideally I'd like something like the sonos RCU, to work this without having to switch on the TV..

Alternatively maybe a HW media player through the TV.. any recommendations? built in bittorrent client?
Or maybe I can do something with xbox (not 1st gen)- XBMC ?
The current xbox music/movie interface is primitive


Any advice appreciated,
TIA,
HD

stevejazzx

harryd2 wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Sorry if this is the wrong place but I'm looking for some setup advice..
I have the following:

Sources - (all networked):
3x HDMI (Xbox, Sony blu-ray, Sky HD)
1x VGA with analogue audio (laptop)

Sinks:
1) Video: TV connected to HDMI & VGA sources
2) Audio: Bose sound system - only has 1 audio input which comes from TV

1 Problem:
The Sound System (Bose Cinemate GS SERIES ll) only has one audio input.
Currently audio output of TV1 is connected to this, which works good, but can't listen to music with TV off (I guess)
Anyone know of any workarounds for this?

Wishlist:
Have 500GB of music which I'd like to hook up to this system, with a decent media player interface..

Ideally I'd like something like the sonos RCU, to work this without having to switch on the TV..

Alternatively maybe a HW media player through the TV.. any recommendations? built in bittorrent client?
Or maybe I can do something with xbox (not 1st gen)- XBMC ?
The current xbox music/movie interface is primitive


Any advice appreciated,
TIA,
HD

the sonos remote you posted is discontinued btw
You can't use sonos remote without a sonos streamer/zone
The iphone or itouch is without doubt the best sonos remote btw -
i've been installing sonos gfor years!
The audio issue - you shouldn't be using the headphone out for audio, the sepearte hdmi inputs should have a line level out? This would be awkward becasue you'd have to keep switching jacks
ideally you would a hdmi amp with one hdmi goign to tv and the amp handling the audio directly.
as for controlling the large music collection (500gb in mp3???) that's impressive! you could ipeng (essentially it a squeezebox app)if you had an iphone or itouch and then point it at a laptop or pc with the music collection either usb'd or networked. Sonos is much better, but you'd need one sonos zp90 (non amplifier version connected to your amp) and one sonos controller (if you don't have an iphone use an itouch or buy an iphone - as the sonos controller alone is about 350 quid!
For movies mediabrowser configured properly in mce7 is best.

steve

harryd2

Thanks for the reply Steve.
I'm looking at using popcorn hour at the moment but like the sounds of the iphone/itouch remote control idea.
Must look into it. Popcorn hour would handle my movies also, but it's a little expensive, and requires the TV on.

The audio problem: The TV has audio-out phono sockets which are connected to the amp. Not the headphone socket. I guess there's not much difference apart from maybe headphone is amplifable.
I'd prefer to use the optical in of the amp, but I'd need a 5xHDMI -> Optical switch (if such a thing exists).
In this case I could maybe use squeezebox with the iphone app without requiring the TV on..

stevejazzx

harryd2 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Steve.
I'm looking at using popcorn hour at the moment but like the sounds of the iphone/itouch remote control idea.
Must look into it. Popcorn hour would handle my movies also, but it's a little expensive, and requires the TV on.

The audio problem: The TV has audio-out phono sockets which are connected to the amp. Not the headphone socket. I guess there's not much difference apart from maybe headphone is amplifable.
I'd prefer to use the optical in of the amp, but I'd need a 5xHDMI -> Optical switch (if such a thing exists).
In this case I could maybe use squeezebox with the iphone app without requiring the TV on..

If your TV had an optical out you'd be sorted; didn't realise the amp had an optical in.
I would look at changing amp or tv (i.e get a hdmi amp or a tv with optical out)
Re.MoviesI personally hate popcorn; had it for a week...such a step down from mediacenter.
Boxee is okayish...it's free i suppose.
wdtv is decent esp. considering price.
ipeng is a very cool app buy an annoying thingy to set up...you need to run a squeezebox java based server on the pc it's talking to.

harryd2

yeah I'm considering changing TV.. to get one with optical out but need intermediate solution.
WDTV don't got ethernet or a torrent client built in (natively) which I'd like..
I don't really want a PC as a media centre due to long boot time..
Must look into Boxee & mediacenter..

Thx
HD

harryd2

So I picked up a HDX1000 - pretty much same as Popcorn Hour.. using same chipset..etc
Didn't like the media interface at all.
Just folder browsing.. not categorising.. there was jukebox options, but they're all static,
and have to be run from a PC.
Thankfully the seller accepted a return so I sent it back..
Now looking at alternatives... something with decent interface..
Want something with good interface & torrent client..
Apple TV - can it stream from a NAS? hackable torrent on 2nd gen? User friendly RCU
xtreamer/WDTV - hackable torrent? Interface any good?
xbox - long boot time?

kaisersose77

An acer revo with xbmc
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225754

this is the interface i am using for xbmc at the moment:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=76954

Install linux (ubuntu) and just have it booting straight into xbmc and you can install torrent or newsgroup clients to run in the background. Most have web interfaces so you can manage them from there.

And you can have it so its hibernates/suspends when you press the power button, so when you turn it on again it will be on instantly.

harryd2

Yeah was looking at that option. got boxee on my own unbuntu box last night and liked it.
I like the quick boot idea & linux based

Issues: remote control - I like the user-friendly Apple TV RCU.

kaisersose77

windows media center remotes work fine with xbmc and probably boxee aswell. Usually find cheap Chinese clones ones on ebay that work fine.