Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Computer multi use and network suggestions

  • 06-04-2005 12:22pm
    #1
    MorningStar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,031 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    This may be way too much for one post but it can always be split up later. Anywho i'll begin. I have a a PC that's a few (3) years old but decent enough anyway I use mostly as a media device. (internet, burning cds and dvds) and the odd document. When I was getting the house rewired I got two cat 5 networks (phone and other) put into the house and coaxial one too for TV. Anyway the wife thought this was a bit of a waste but I swore I would use it all. I bought a phone for each room. and there are enough TVs in the house that that's taken care of. Now she is asking about the other network. I was originally going to by a media machine that connects to the PC and plays all the media files on it. All my cds are to go to the machine and tv recording are also plans. So questions come out like this

    1) What is the best music file type as I plan putting all my cds on to the PC. Mp3 sounds really tinny to me and I think the best is Yorg Orrbis (sp?) as far as I found but any other suggestions?
    2) Is there anything I can use the network for other tahn PC related, like speaker signal?
    3) What's the story with recording TV using hard drive or DVD on PC?

    Sorry if this stuff been posted before serach was a little odd


Comments

  • #2
    Random
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,080 ✭✭✭✭Random


    What spec is the old machine ? If it's very low Ghz (or even Hz) then video capture proberly won't be too smooth on it...

    As for recording TV onto your PC, you need a capture card... they cost about E50 quid, just make sure you get one with coaxial inputs... (Maplin have one for E50 but I'm sure there's more, have a look around)


  • #3
    sceptre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    MorningStar wrote:
    Mp3 sounds really tinny to me
    You're not ripping at the nasty 128kps constant bit rate setting using a crappy old encoder are you? I'd recommend LAME at any of the variable rates - there's a significant difference without a crazy increase in file size.

    And are your speakers slightly crappy (like mine)?

    Having said that ogg is rather good. Went for properly encoded mp3s myself mind.


  • #4
    MrPinK
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,502 ✭✭✭MrPinK


    I'd go with Ogg too.

    And for your TV recording, have a look at http://www.byopvr.com/. Lots of guides and reviews for building a PVR box. There's some really good software out there for this kinda thing. Should all be mentioned somewhere on that site, but off the top of my head:
    http://www.mythtv.org/
    http://www.gbpvr.com/
    http://freevo.sourceforge.net/


  • #5
    stevenmu
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,689 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    To compare different audio formats try signing up for www.allofmp3.com. They give you 10Mb of downloads for free. Find a short track on it, prefferably one you know pretty well, and download it in a few different formats. That'll give you an idea of what sounds best, you can then experiment some more with your own CDs. Personally I find 192Kbps LAME encoded MP3s to be fine


  • #6
    Chalk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,317 ✭✭✭Chalk


    mmmm alt -preset -standard

    cant notice sound quality with my feeble human ears.
    get yourself a cd and an up to date ripper, eg, cdex and set it up with lame,
    youll never go back, no need to give the russians your credit card number for nothing.

    but of course open source ogg is there too....


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    MorningStar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,031 ✭✭✭MorningStar


    sceptre wrote:
    You're not ripping at the nasty 128kps constant bit rate setting using a crappy old encoder are you? I'd recommend LAME at any of the variable rates - there's a significant difference without a crazy increase in file size.

    And are your speakers slightly crappy (like mine)?

    .

    Can't remeber the different settings I tried on MP3 but I tried a lot and generally I find it bad. Could have old software worth checking. thanks. Excellent speakers using full stereo system that plays mp3,SCAD etc...
    MP3 players seemed to have moved the focus to size and away from quality.
    ciaranfo wrote:
    What spec is the old machine ? If it's very low Ghz (or even Hz) then video capture proberly won't be too smooth on it...

    .

    I think it's 2.2Ghz but the memory probaly could do with a boost. I never remember the details of anything I own.

    Still no ideas on network use?


Advertisement