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[neoanarch]

OTA broadcast? Could you explain that?

And what's MS's DVR software called?

Sorry for the many questions. This whole concept is very exciting.

no problem.

OTA= Over the Air. Any broadcast channel basically. And there are way more now thanks to the digital switchover. In Dallas I have 41 channels. Most of them aren't even carried by the cable company.

Windows Media Center actually has built in DVR software and its by far the best I've used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96BGL3Z2PQ8

 

[ThatObviousUser]

no problem.

OTA= Over the Air. Any broadcast channel basically. And there are way more now thanks to the digital switchover. In Dallas I have 41 channels. Most of them aren't even carried by the cable company.

Windows Media Center actually has built in DVR software and its by far the best I've used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96BGL3Z2PQ8

But you said WMC is analog/not HD? Anything for Linux?

Any how do you get the channels onto the computer? Some kind of subscription service or something?

 

[Marty Chinn]

But you said WMC is analog/not HD? Anything for Linux?

Any how do you get the channels onto the computer? Some kind of subscription service or something?

I think you misunderstood him. Recording from cable, unless you have a cable card, or satellite like DirecTV/Dish Network will be analog. Recording OTA will be digital. That's true no matter what software you use.

Maybe we should back this up a bit, and ask what source will you be getting your TV from? OTA, Cable, DirecTV, or Dish Network?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

I think you misunderstood him. Recording from cable, unless you have a cable card, or satellite like DirecTV/Dish Network will be analog. Recording OTA will be digital. That's true no matter what software you use.

Maybe we should back this up a bit, and ask what source will you be getting your TV from? OTA, Cable, DirecTV, or Dish Network?

DirecTV, although I don't think I understand the OTA concept yet. Where does the TV come from?

 

[Marty Chinn]

DirecTV, although I don't think I understand the OTA concept yet. Where does the TV come from?

Over the air. Maybe I'm old timer these days, but do people not realize you can get TV for free over the airwaves without the need of cable or satellite?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Over the air. Maybe I'm old timer these days, but do people not realize you can get TV for free over the airwaves without the need of cable or satellite?

No. o_0 I thought the gov't ended all the free TV waves a while back. Though I have to admit I didn't pay attention much.

Do you need a hardware attachment to make that work?

 

[Marty Chinn]

No. o_0 I thought the gov't ended all the free TV waves a while back. Though I have to admit I didn't pay attention much.

Do you need a hardware attachment to make that work?

You would need a tuner which can either be a card you put in your PC or something you can connect via USB. They're pretty inexpensive.

 

[neoanarch]

No. o_0 I thought the gov't ended all the free TV waves a while back. Though I have to admit I didn't pay attention much.

Do you need a hardware attachment to make that work?

They ended analog broadcast and moved to digital. If you have an HDTV hook it up to an antenna and check it out.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

You would need a tuner which can either be a card you put in your PC or something you can connect via USB. They're pretty inexpensive.

Good to hear.

New question: What's the benefit to using either the mini square cases or a normal PC case? Does it matter?

They ended analog broadcast and moved to digital. If you have an HDTV hook it up to an antenna and check it out.

So they just give out free TV? What channels are/aren't available?

 

[neoanarch]

Good to hear.

New question: What's the benefit to using either the mini square cases or a normal PC case? Does it matter?



So they just give out free TV? What channels are/aren't available?

man how old are you. Are OTA broacasts really so foreign to you?
It depends on where you live Major cities will have several dozen smaller cities probably less.

 

[Odious Tea]

man how old are you. Are OTA broacasts really so foreign to you?
It depends on where you live Major cities will have several dozen smaller cities probably less.

It's probably weird to someone that pays a bill month-in and month-out. Anecdotally, I've never come across someone who uses OTA solely.

 

[Ovid]

You would need a tuner which can either be a card you put in your PC or something you can connect via USB. They're pretty inexpensive.

Yeah, this man speaks the truth. I had one of those (HD tuner card) in my old HTPC back in 2007. It was a Dvico OTA HD tuner card to be exact.

 

[Ovid]

As I mentioned before, I do not use my HTPC to browse the Web. The only role of the Internet on my HTPC is to auto-download updated WMC channel guide listings. Also, since I have a CableCard, WMC requires an active interweb connection. My question is, do you think it's necessary to install antivirus/antispyware on my HTPC? Windows updates? System Restore points? Is it really necessary?

 

[Neodiablo22]

As I mentioned before, I do not use my HTPC to browse the Web. The only role of the Internet on my HTPC is to auto-download updated WMC channel guide listings. Also, since I have a CableCard, WMC requires an active interweb connection. My question is, do you think it's necessary to install antivirus/antispyware on my HTPC? Windows updates? System Restore points? Is it really necessary?

The short answer is yes for the anti virus; anti spyware is debatable; windows updates yes; system restore prob no.

Anti-virus is important since your computer is connected to a network where other computers can access the network. That means if another computer gets infected then it can send the virus to your htpc where it will basically stay on it and keep sending viruses to your other computers. I would recommend getting the free software Microsoft puts out if you have vista or 7. Windows updates are important in that it can fix bugs in media center potentially and increases your computers security.

 

[Overlee]

Could anyone link me to a nice straight forward guide on setting up Aeon (or one of its variants) on XBMC? I quickly tried to set-up XBMC last night but a lot of my TV shows weren't showing up and I'm having a hard time getting it to look like Marty Chinn's set-up back on page 3.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Could anyone link me to a nice straight forward guide on setting up Aeon (or one of its variants) on XBMC? I quickly tried to set-up XBMC last night but a lot of my TV shows weren't showing up and I'm having a hard time getting it to look like Marty Chinn's set-up back on page 3.

I was about to ask what you were having trouble with but then I realized I had used part of one of the mods to Aeon but I can't remember what it changed from the standard. Maybe I can help if you can point me to what you want to do but are having trouble doing?

 

[Mecha_Infantry]

I had to settle with my MBP and PS3..couldn't afford my set up with a trip to USA coming up

 

[Ovid]

^^Love your avatar.

 

[The Chef]

Got my replacement Zotac Mag today. Lets hope this one goes better.

I was just about to download Ubuntu but what should I get for the Intel Atom 330? 32 or 64 bit?

 

[evlcookie]

Is anyone here using an application for scrapping movie titles and the .tbns and .nfos for each movie? if you are which one is it and how are you finding it.

I really don't want xbmc to store all the data in it's own database, I would prefer to have the required files in each movies directory.

 

[3rdman]

Is anyone here using an application for scrapping movie titles and the .tbns and .nfos for each movie? if you are which one is it and how are you finding it.

I really don't want xbmc to store all the data in it's own database, I would prefer to have the required files in each movies directory.

Yammm is excellent and it's compatible with Windows Media Center as well. The guy who wrote it is also incredibly kind and seems to be willing to answer anyone's questions.

http://mikinho.com/yammm/

 

[evlcookie]

Thanks. Will check that out.

 

[ephemeral garbage]

Where the fuck was this thread last night when I needed it arrrrrrrrrrgh

 

[The Chef]

Well I've thrown in the towel. After weeks of trying to get XBMC to run seamless and running into a new problem every day I've completely given up. I feel like a Ubuntu programmer at this point.

I really dont think the Zotac Mag was meant for this - between the Sleep/Wake issues, the Video Stuttering problems and of course the mount everest of getting mutli-channel audio through HDMI. I mean there are HUNDREDS of forums where people are all trying to figure this crap out.

Im gonna sell my Zotac and look for another XBMC solution.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Well I've thrown in the towel. After weeks of trying to get XBMC to run seamless and running into a new problem every day I've completely given up. I feel like a Ubuntu programmer at this point.

I really dont think the Zotac Mag was meant for this - between the Sleep/Wake issues, the Video Stuttering problems and of course the mount everest of getting mutli-channel audio through HDMI. I mean there are HUNDREDS of forums where people are all trying to figure this crap out.

Im gonna sell my Zotac and look for another XBMC solution.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear your pain. I'm surprised you've had so many problems especially since my HTPC is based on a Zotac board which has been great. You can always look at the Asrock which seems to be popular.

 

[Ettie]

As a graduation present, I got the spare parts from my wife's last gaming rig (lol) to build an HTPC. I've got my movies and tv shows on it, along with my retro stuff emulated and displayed through mediaportal.

It's awesome. I got an Xbox 360 controller and used it to play some Pilotwings and Actraiser, (\m/) along with some Outrun C2C. Glorious.


It's worth it folks, especially if you're basically using all spare parts.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Is there any kind of software that will auto tag movies and TV shows with metadata and thumbnails?

I set up Windows Media Center to display all my rips and it's pretty damn ugly.

I know there's iFlicks for Macs but I'm running Win7.

edit: Duh, Yammm up above.

 

[Gully State]

I'm looking into building and HTPC but I'm kind of confused about what I would need and the kind of budget to put in. The screen is going to be my 1320x768 (720p/1080i) HDTV. Basically, the more I read, the more I get into the trap of wanting some crazy function to be included. I've thought about it a little conceptually and did a bit of browsing and am hoping I could get some direction on how I should approach this and the goal is to get hardware/software specifically catered to the function as much as possible.

What I want from the device
- I primarily want this thing to function as a DVR - A TV tuner is a must. I would like it to record HD broadcasts but from what I've read, HD channels from cable companies are encrypted so there really isn't an elegant way around that, especially if I want to watch TV with my cable box while recording. What are some good TV record scheduling programs? I've never played around with Media Center on Windows so it might be the case that this serves that function.

- The interface has to be as keyboard free as possible. I'll probably go with something like mediaportal as I really like what was done by OP in this thread I thought about shelling out for a gyroscopic remote but I figure a wiimote should be able to do the same task just as effectively.

- I don't plan on turning this device off and if I do, it and any other program it runs need to boot fast. I was thinking about loading the OS and all essential programs onto a small SSD. Would it be worth it?

- It's gotta be unnoticeable - Small unassuming form factor, low power draw, low heat output, and whisper quiet.

What I have so far
-Spare copy of XP business (no media center- Should I upgrade to Windows 7?)
-Spare 4850 + Accelero S2 Rev attached - Probably don't need it unless an HTPC requires a GPU solution?
-2x 1 GB DDR2-667 MHz RAM


Finally, I'm planning on going with AMD for this PC for 1)price and 2)to help me familiarize myself with AMD offerings (I've always been an intel person). Obviously if there's a processor on intel side that's a significantly better fit, I'm open to that. I haven't set a budget for now as I don't know exactly what I'll need but somewhere in the $500 range sounds about right..

All suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Ovid]

I'm looking into building and HTPC but I'm kind of confused about what I would need and the kind of budget to put in. The screen is going to be my 1320x768 (720p/1080i) HDTV. Basically, the more I read, the more I get into the trap of wanting some crazy function to be included. I've thought about it a little conceptually and did a bit of browsing and am hoping I could get some direction on how I should approach this and the goal is to get hardware/software specifically catered to the function as much as possible.

What I want from the device
- I primarily want this thing to function as a DVR - A TV tuner is a must. I would like it to record HD broadcasts but from what I've read, HD channels from cable companies are encrypted so there really isn't an elegant way around that, especially if I want to watch TV with my cable box while recording. What are some good TV record scheduling programs? I've never played around with Media Center on Windows so it might be the case that this serves that function.

- The interface has to be as keyboard free as possible. I'll probably go with something like mediaportal as I really like what was done by OP in this thread I thought about shelling out for a gyroscopic remote but I figure a wiimote should be able to do the same task just as effectively.

- I don't plan on turning this device off and if I do, it and any other program it runs need to boot fast. I was thinking about loading the OS and all essential programs onto a small SSD. Would it be worth it?

- It's gotta be unnoticeable - Small unassuming form factor, low power draw, low heat output, and whisper quiet.

What I have so far
-Spare copy of XP business (no media center- Should I upgrade to Windows 7?)
-Spare 4850 + Accelero S2 Rev attached - Probably don't need it unless an HTPC requires a GPU solution?
-2x 1 GB DDR2-667 MHz RAM


Finally, I'm planning on going with AMD for this PC for 1)price and 2)to help me familiarize myself with AMD offerings (I've always been an intel person). Obviously if there's a processor on intel side that's a significantly better fit, I'm open to that. I haven't set a budget for now as I don't know exactly what I'll need but somewhere in the $500 range sounds about right..

All suggestions are appreciated.

You CAN use a cable card to get around the encryption. SSD would be non-beneficial in a HTPC setup.

 

[Gully State]

You CAN use a cable card to get around the encryption. SSD would be non-beneficial in a HTPC setup.

Thanks, didn't know about cablecards...

 

[Toby]

I am seriously considering picking up this zotac box, along with this ram to round out the package.
The only thing I am a little wary of is the zotac rebate. Other than that, it looks to me to be a great HD media player.
Any thoughts or other suggestions? I'm really trying to keep it below $300.
Another question I have is if its at all possible to add Netflix support to the XBMC Live edition. I know its linux, and that it requires silverlight, but I have been surprised what people have gotten to work on linux.

 

[Vyer]

^^. So something like that Zotac board/barebones would be able to handle all types of video content, no problem? No heat issues, stuttering, nothing like that?

 

[Neckbeard]

Ok gang so I'll throw my scenario out there. I've read through this bit and I can't quite make up my mind so I need someone to point me in the right direction.

I built my own HTPC out of my old gaming rig. It's big, loud and I hate it. That being said, it was free. However, my graphics card recently blew out and I've got to replace it.

I'm faced with two options. Opt for a nettop or simply a new video card. Is it worth it to upgrade? I want a nettop for the size, noise and sexiness of it all, but I want to be sure I can still use streams like Hulu and Netflix through XBMC or XBMC Live. I know it used to work, but it's been a while and now with the Hulu Plus and whatnot I'm not entirely sure.

Any help you can offer is appreciated.

 

[dLMN8R]

Anyone have a recommendation for playing back ripped VOB content hardware-accelerated on a pretty low-powered Revo?

Since the Revo doesn't have a DVD drive, I've ripped a few of my DVDs into the raw VOB files, and am hoping to use some application that allows for the full menu-driven playback experience something like what PowerDVD does. However, PowerDVD doesn't take advantage of the ION, reverting to using only the under-powered Atom CPU.

 

[Cheeto]

Anyone have a recommendation for playing back ripped VOB content hardware-accelerated on a pretty low-powered Revo?

Since the Revo doesn't have a DVD drive, I've ripped a few of my DVDs into the raw VOB files, and am hoping to use some application that allows for the full menu-driven playback experience something like what PowerDVD does. However, PowerDVD doesn't take advantage of the ION, reverting to using only the under-powered Atom CPU.

XBMC's player will play DVD iso's and DVD video_ts folders... I don't know the name of the player off the top of my head but check that out.

 

[Gummifaust]

Anyone here using the ASrock nettops like the Ion 330 HT or the Core 100HT? They look quite promising.

 

[SuicideUZI]

Does anyone have experience building RAID servers? The computer im currently using to store my media just isn't cutting it anymore

I don't really know what all is possible with a RAID server but I basically want a server that is passively cooled so its nearly silent, all the drives are hot swappable and easily accessible from the front, able to easily just pop in another drive if i want to add more storage, or if a drive fails, easy to just pull it out and put a new one in without having to lose data.

Basically I want something like a drobo that can run windows and hold more hard drives than a drobo can. I'm not sure if that is even possible but any help would be appreciated.

 

[ShyGuy]

Does anyone have experience building RAID servers? The computer im currently using to store my media just isn't cutting it anymore

I don't really know what all is possible with a RAID server but I basically want a server that is passively cooled so its nearly silent, all the drives are hot swappable and easily accessible from the front, able to easily just pop in another drive if i want to add more storage, or if a drive fails, easy to just pull it out and put a new one in without having to lose data.

Basically I want something like a drobo that can run windows and hold more hard drives than a drobo can. I'm not sure if that is even possible but any help would be appreciated.

Bear in mind I haven't done this myself, but I have reached the point where my current Synology NAS isn't cutting it anymore!

So, with that said, I am going to build an unRAID server (www.lime-technology.com)

It will do everything I want, and I believe it will do what you want as well (hot-swappable, ability to add more storage, data security, won't lose data, can be made "quiet")

I have already decided I am definitely going this route after reading a LOT of the threads, the wiki, and the FAQs there. I'm pretty sure you'll see it could do exactly what you want too!

 

[SuicideUZI]

Bear in mind I haven't done this myself, but I have reached the point where my current Synology NAS isn't cutting it anymore!

So, with that said, I am going to build an unRAID server (www.lime-technology.com)

It will do everything I want, and I believe it will do what you want as well (hot-swappable, ability to add more storage, data security, won't lose data, can be made "quiet")

I have already decided I am definitely going this route after reading a LOT of the threads, the wiki, and the FAQs there. I'm pretty sure you'll see it could do exactly what you want too!

Thanks for the reply, will definitely look into it

I was considering getting an hp mediasmart server but at the moment I kind of need something with a video output because I do not have a dedicated xbmc device yet, but it's in the plans. Also I would like something that can hold more than 4 drives.

 

[Trojita]

Man what the hell is up with this Ember program? I'm testing out HTPC software for when I make my own HTPC. This program keeps on breaking the second I try and do anything with it.

Edit: Fixed the problem. I needed to set the administrative rights for the folder to all users.

 

[Drek]

I'm looking to set up an HTPC in the near term and am unsure on if I should go with XBMC, Boxee, or Media Portal for my setup.

What I need out of it:
OTA DVR functionality
Run PC games off the front end using a 360 controller
play MKV and M2TS files off a uPNP drive

What I'd like in addition to this (non-essential):
Some form of Steam tie in (probably dreaming here)
Capability to share DVR'ed recordings with a second HTPC over the network
Able to run PS3 Media Server in the background

The initial setup for this will be on a desktop with 1.8 Ghz C2D, Radeon 4650, 3 GB of ram, and I'll outfit it with a DVB tuner card when I start the process.

Anyone have a suggestion? It seems like Media Portal is my best choice for OTA DVR and then sharing said DVR with another HTPC, but it doesn't seem especially friendly with games and I haven't found mention of it being uPNP compatible.

I know XBMC is plug in heaven so maybe there are plug ins that fix all these needs.

 

[MWS Natural]

Some of you might be interested in this as an HTPC solution. Here is my post on it in another thread. They also have a version with a blu-ray drive in it but I have a PS3 so that would be unnecessary for me. Thoughts?

 

[SimleuqiR]

http://mashable.com/2011/01/04/iomega-tv-with-boxee/

Dubbed Iomega TV with Boxee, the new devices are similar to the Boxee Box by D-Link that started shipping back in November. The Iomega TV with Boxee will be with either 1TB or 2TB hard drives or in a model without onboard storage. Like the Boxee Box, the Iomega TV with Boxee runs on the Intel Atom processor and with built-in Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, composite and HDMI outputs and support for additional storage via USB.

CES is going to be good for HTPC lovers

I actually got a Mac Mini Server (1TB) as a gift for the holidays. I'm using XBMC, and it runs much smoother than on my Windows 7 Laptop.

I'm also using Majestic to stream content through out the network.

Is there a reason why Mac OS X is not DNLA capable or UPnP?

Man I do love them Boxee remotes!! I want these to be sold separately, maybe in Blutooth flavor and that they would work with my Apple Mini. I can only hope.

 

[asdad123]

So I just built a PC for gaming and am wondering, whats the best DVR tuner to record hd shows from my cable box?

My specs are
X4 640
4gb memory
GTX 460
Asus M4A68LT-M LE Motherboard

So I should be fine for recording shows right? I only have one PCI slot open since I have a wireless card in the PC. What would be the best way for me to do this? A Usb tuner? or an internal card?

 

[Cheeto]

http://mashable.com/2011/01/04/iomega-tv-with-boxee/



CES is going to be good for HTPC lovers

I actually got a Mac Mini Server (1TB) as a gift for the holidays. I'm using XBMC, and it runs much smoother than on my Windows 7 Laptop.

I'm also using Majestic to stream content through out the network.

Is there a reason why Mac OS X is not DNLA capable or UPnP?

Man I do love them Boxee remotes!! I want these to be sold separately, maybe in Blutooth flavor and that they would work with my Apple Mini. I can only hope.

Are their any details on the open-ness of this box? $220 for a disk-less PC would be amazing

 

[SimleuqiR]

Are their any details on the open-ness of this box? $220 for a disk-less PC would be amazing

Note sure. I would assume any box is hackable, it's all dependent on how popular is in the community.

And it looks like I'm eating crow!! But it taste good man...it taste good.

Boxee Remote: Coming to a Mac and PC near you

Perfect for tapping in web addresses, Wi-Fi passwords and login details, the Boxee Remote is a design triumph, and how homebrew Boxee fans can own it too.

We confirmed the news with Steve Stanzione, D-Link marketing specialist at CES just now. The news is so fresh D-Link’s website, listed on the back of the Boxee Remote packaging, isn’t yet live. He told us that while there’s no confirmed price or release date for the Boxee Remote, but it’ll be on sale in the US and UK.

Since Boxee is a child of XBMC I hope that the XBMC community somehow makes it work (I'm sure they will )

Wonder how long it's going to take Logitech to put something out with the same form factor.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Note sure. I would assume any box is hackable, it's all dependent on how popular is in the community.

And it looks like I'm eating crow!! But it taste good man...it taste good.



Since Boxee is a child of XBMC I hope that the XBMC community somehow makes it work (I'm sure they will )

Wonder how long it's going to take Logitech to put something out with the same form factor.

If Logitech could put a box out that could interface with their Squeezebox, then I'd be all over it without giving it a second thought.

Glad to see this thread is still around. Good timing too since I've finally taken the time to upgrade to XBMC Dharma and giving the Windows version a shot over the Linux version. Kinda disappointed with the Netflix add-on though.

 

[Cheeto]

Since Boxee is a child of XBMC I hope that the XBMC community somehow makes it work (I'm sure they will )

Wonder how long it's going to take Logitech to put something out with the same form factor.

That's what I'm hoping for, I'm not a big fan of boxee, but I need a cheap box for my bedroom

 

[asdad123]

Can you guys recommend a keyboard and mouse combo with the longest range? Hopefully under $ 150

 

[Marty Chinn]

Can you guys recommend a keyboard and mouse combo with the longest range? Hopefully under $ 150

It depends on your needs. Do you need a mouse or will a touchpad do? What kind of typing do you plan to do?