Media Center

[zacburgess]

The HTPC is in the attic running down to the lounge via 15m HDMI Cable


the computer is an Advent T9102 with a few upgrades

Intel Pentium 4 550J (3.4 GHz) with an Arctic Cooling ALPINE 7 PRO Socket 775 to keep everything cool

Motherboard MS 7046
Memory 4GB DDR PC-3200 RAM
Hard Drive 250GB WD2500JD Western Digital 7200RPM SATA / 350GB (unknown mate gave it to me)
CD Drive Pioneer DVR-108DB DVDRW
Video Card 1GB Radeon HD HDMI
Network Card VIA Rhine III VT6105
Tv Card Peak DUAL Tuner DIGITAL DVB-T
Sat Card Compro VideoMate S350 DVB-S Tuner PCI Card
Os Windows 7





WMC7 with
Media Brower for films
Heatwave for weather
Never Miss Tv for internet tv
Sky Player for a bit of sky live/pre-recorded

The tv is ALBA LCD37880F1080P 37IN via 15m HDMI cable
The tv is on the wall with Foehn & Hirsch premium Tilt & Turn Cantilever Wall Mount








I use the media center with a Emprex 3009 URF Remote Control. Via 10m USB 2.0 EXTENSION CABLE active repeater extender



All my cables from HTPC to Tv got through a bit hole behind my tv to my kitchen. Then up the all to my cupboard at the top of the stairs. The cables then come out of the top of the cupboard into the attic.
In the cupboard I also have my internet router and a tv aerial booster for round the house.






I have got my HTPC going off auto with AMP WinOFF

I haven set the HTPC to come on auto yet. So I us my SGS with a app called Wake On Lan Wan
As long as you set it up right its really good.

[northan]

Looks like I'm first to congratulate you for your outstanding setup.
I often wonder if my HTPC would be better off not being in the lounge, 6 hdd's tend to whine a little.

[zacburgess]

(02-16-2011 01:20 AM)northan Wrote:  Looks like I'm first to congratulate you for your outstanding setup.
I often wonder if my HTPC would be better off not being in the lounge, 6 hdd's tend to whine a little.

Sorry about the pics not being the right way. I did change them but it must of not saved.

Cheers Northan

Yeah it’s a bit better having it in the attic. Having all the mess about the way so it keeps the other half happy. But I have got a few problems as well.
Adding something to the HTPC eg Keyboard, unless I get an usb hub behind the tv.
Watching a dvd/blu ray from disk.
Ripping dvds.

I was thinking about ripping my dvds last night. Could I rip them to my laptop then us an usb drive to carry them across?
The laptop it XP
I have tried ripping them across the network (wireless to wired) but it takes ages.

[elootos]

(02-15-2011 11:08 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  All my cables from HTPC to Tv got through a bit hole behind my tv to my kitchen. Then up the all to my cupboard at the top of the stairs. The cables then come out of the top of the cupboard into the attic.
In the cupboard I also have my internet router and a tv aerial booster for round the house.

Nice little route for the cabling

A man after my own heart

I see you mention your other half, how does she get on with it all?

[zacburgess]

(02-16-2011 11:28 PM)elootos Wrote:  

(02-15-2011 11:08 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  All my cables from HTPC to Tv got through a bit hole behind my tv to my kitchen. Then up the all to my cupboard at the top of the stairs. The cables then come out of the top of the cupboard into the attic.
In the cupboard I also have my internet router and a tv aerial booster for round the house.

Nice little route for the cabling

A man after my own heart

I see you mention your other half, how does she get on with it all?

Well at the min she wont use it ("Why do we need a media center") I keep getting. but i will get her using it one way or another.
(Take the aerial cable out the back of the tv)

(02-15-2011 11:08 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  I haven set the HTPC to come on auto yet. So I us my SGS with a app called Wake On Lan Wan

I have been using this app for a few days now and its working like a dream over wifi.
But is there any app that will work over 3g??

[zacburgess]

PROBLEMS

My wmc is running dead slow and laggy.

the picture seams crap on live tv but on recorded tv and video play its great.


I have decided to take out my dvb s card and see what happends.
no lagging at all its dead quick. dont no whats up with that.
any ideas?
dont realy need it as i can only get itv1hd now that bbc has gone to dvb s2.

i dont no what to do with my live tv picture its still crap with my dvb s card out.

any ideas?

[cliffwright]

Out of interest . . . how do you find your RF remote? I bought one of these nearly a year ago when I first started planning our bathroom re-fit and it's just sat in the box ever since (because we never got around to actually getting on with doing the bathroom . . . just lots of debate about design!)

[zacburgess]

(06-13-2011 04:10 PM)cliffwright Wrote:  Out of interest . . . how do you find your RF remote? I bought one of these nearly a year ago when I first started planning our bathroom re-fit and it's just sat in the box ever since (because we never got around to actually getting on with doing the bathroom . . . just lots of debate about design!)

I find the remote sound. I have got a 10m usb cable from my computer in my loft to my tv. Then I have connected a usb hub and put the dongle into that. So my remote works without any problems and i dont even have to point the remote at the dongle.

[cliffwright]

(06-13-2011 05:57 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  I find the remote sound. I have got a 10m usb cable from my computer in my loft to my tv. Then I have connected a usb hub and put the dongle into that. So my remote works without any problems and i dont even have to point the remote at the dongle.

Cool . . .Good to know :)

. . . I've run a 10m active USB extender into the loft and sited the RF receiver just above the ceiling of the bathroom so hoping it'll be as good as you've experienced it to be :)

I have another question though . . . do you know what happens if you have two of these remotes? Could I in theory have two remotes controlling the same PC through one RF receiver or are they 'paired' somehow?

[elootos]

(02-17-2011 06:33 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  

(02-15-2011 11:08 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  I haven set the HTPC to come on auto yet. So I us my SGS with a app called Wake On Lan Wan

I have been using this app for a few days now and its working like a dream over wifi.
But is there any app that will work over 3g??

Just found this myself - didn't see that you'd already mentioned it before!

For outside use, you'll need to fix an IP address of your router and use port forwarding in the router setup on different ports for each PC.

An easier way to fix an IP address is to use a dynamic DNS service. Sign up for free and get a generic.type.domin.com that you also configure in your router, then for each PC in the WoL app, it's IP address would be 'generic.type.domin.com:port number'

(06-13-2011 01:45 PM)zacburgess Wrote:  i dont no what to do with my live tv picture its still crap with my dvb s card out.
any ideas?

Installed any codec packs? Does timeshifted TV play ok still i.e. record something then play it from the RecordedTV section.

Sounds like a screwed up directshow filter to me. You're best bet might to reinstall Win7.

(06-14-2011 09:59 AM)cliffwright Wrote:  I have another question though . . . do you know what happens if you have two of these remotes? Could I in theory have two remotes controlling the same PC through one RF receiver or are they 'paired' somehow?

IR remotes are never paired. If they are the same make/model, then they all work the same.