For you HTPC guys

[kizer]

I saw this and thought it was rather rough, but at the same time rather slick in the end result.

 

http://lifehacker.com/5619746/how-to-build-a-hidden-home-theater-pc-inside-your-entertainment-center

 

I thought the filter was a good idea of course as long as its easy to remove otherwise nothing like a clogged filter making your PC run hot.

[chanders]

A little bit of Plexi can solve that 

 

I sure hope he doesnt have 2yr olds 

[poofyhairguy]

I did something like that a few years ago for my last HTPC. Nowadays with Zboxes as small as Nintendo Wii capable of 1080p, Micro ATX HTPCs are going the way of the dodo.

[Rajahal]

Yeah, that was my thought - a lot of work considering you can buy a Revo or a Zbox for $300 or less.  You could even VESA mount them to the back of the TV or cabinet if you wanted to.

[lionelhutz]

Ya, cool to hide it completely but I have a Intel E6300 mini-ITX system in about a 11" x 12" x 2.75" case and it could be mounted behind the TV or something easily.

 

Peter

[NAS]

Most HTPC guides on the net are pre proper GPU acceleration support

 

The day that VDPAU and similar started working properly was the day DIY HTPC started to become defunct.

 

I spent a fortune on a DIY HTPC that i still use. 99% of what i paid a fortune for can be done better with a super cheap acer revo now.

[BRiT]

I tried to have an HTPC way back in the day, sometime in 1999. It required daily tweaking and constant monitoring and nearly everything took weeks to months to configure and hack, and everything was so damn expensive.

 

Things have absolutely changed for the better. 

[poofyhairguy]

Only thing that still isn't perfect in HTPCland is the use of TVTuners - not quite TiVo level on any platform yet.

 

With that said, work is being done constantly!

[BRiT]

Agreed with the TV Tuners being a pita and not quite there yet either, they're still substantially better than the early 2000's. There's still a lot going on with TV Tuners that all need to come into alignment. Hopefully once the new rule changes from CablesLabs go into effect then OCUR/CableCards can be used for more than just Win7 Media Center systems, and hopefully the Linux-based software realm will be ready. With a little luck, the cable companies won't have everything flagged as 'copy once' but flagged with 'copy freely'.

[nia]

Only thing that still isn't perfect in HTPCland is the use of TVTuners (...)

Used to be like that, I have lost countless hours to fiddleing with installs, drivers, hangs and whatnot in the early 2000's.

 

But I have to say that I have had a very stable environment for years (using aforementioned GB-PVR). And it is a LOT easier to configure cards, channels  and TV-Guides than it used to be. With DVB-x it's become very good indeed! 

[NAS]

Specifically staying away from any specifics or the morality i find that you can download virtually everything that I would ever want to record from from my sat feed.

 

TBH IMHO we are not long away from the death of mainstream PVR requirement.

[prostuff1]

I kind of agree about the PVR going away, but that is only for people like us who know there are other options.  My parents would never get rid of there PVR as they have no idea or clue how or where to download there shows from.  Not to mention once they get it downloaded they have to somehow watch it on there TV.  The PVR is just a one-stop-shop kind of thing for them and is easier to use.

 

 

I have been looking at getting a new nettop type device to replace my XBOX that is running XBMC.  The two that i have come across are:

Jetway HBJC231C63P-330D-B

and

Jetway Mini-TOP HBJC600C99-52W-BW.

[Rajahal]

I kind of agree about the PVR going away, but that is only for people like us who know there are other options.  My parents would never get rid of there PVR as they have no idea or clue how or where to download there shows from.  Not to mention once they get it downloaded they have to somehow watch it on there TV.  The PVR is just a one-stop-shop kind of thing for them and is easier to use.

 

 

I have been looking at getting a new nettop type device to replace my XBOX that is running XBMC.  The two that i have come across are:

Jetway HBJC231C63P-330D-B

and

Jetway Mini-TOP HBJC600C99-52W-BW.

 

Neither of those have HDMI out, which definitely kills it for me.  BRiT found a bunch of refurbished Revo's for sale, see here.  I also like the Zotac ZBOX since it has HDMI and rear-mounted optical audio.

 

Also, torrents + RSS = way better than PVR, as no scheduling is needed.  One button subscribes you to an entire season or show, no matter when it airs.  As soon as this becomes more mainstream (and legal) I could see the standard set-top box being phased out.

[prostuff1]

I kind of agree about the PVR going away, but that is only for people like us who know there are other options.  My parents would never get rid of there PVR as they have no idea or clue how or where to download there shows from.  Not to mention once they get it downloaded they have to somehow watch it on there TV.  The PVR is just a one-stop-shop kind of thing for them and is easier to use.

 

 

I have been looking at getting a new nettop type device to replace my XBOX that is running XBMC.  The two that i have come across are:

Jetway HBJC231C63P-330D-B

and

Jetway Mini-TOP HBJC600C99-52W-BW.

 

Neither of those have HDMI out, which definitely kills it for me.  BRiT found a bunch of refurbished Revo's for sale, see here.  I also like the Zotac ZBOX since it has HDMI and rear-mounted optical audio.

 

Also, torrents + RSS = way better than PVR, as no scheduling is needed.  One button subscribes you to an entire season or show, no matter when it airs.  As soon as this becomes more mainstream (and legal) I could see the standard set-top box being phased out.

 

The Mini-Top does indeed have HDMI on it, plus it comes with a remote so there is a built in IR sensor there somewhere.  I am leaning towards the Mini-Top right now, but i hate to lose the built in DVD drive which i use on my XBOX here-and-there.

[Rajahal]

Ah, right you are.  I shouldn't post this early in the morning

 

The built in IR is definitely nice.

[NAS]

Definitely nice.

 

However Lirc can be a world of pain anyone know if its properly supported?

[kizer]

lirc is supported in xbmc.

[NAS]

no i mean lirc and the zbox

[Rajahal]

What's lirc?  I can test it on my zbox.

[NAS]

its the linux IR command and control essentially.

 

if you are using IR on XBMC linux then it must be working

[Rajahal]

Oh, yes I am.  Through a USB-IR receiver, though (dunno if that matters or not).  Works perfectly, XBMC automagically maps the buttons.

[NAS]

not using the in built IR receiver?

[poofyhairguy]

If you need a receiver for XBMC, the most popular one in the ebay link below is 100% supported in LIRC:

 

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=hp+usb+ir&_sacat=0&_odkw=hp+ir&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

[NAS]

Just to add some info to that. Not all HP MCE remotes are proper Philips MCE clones. Also most MCE clones on ebay (no name brands) are NOT proper MCE remotes and may are just KB emulators

 

General tip is get a bargain, pick Philips, M$ or HP and be prepared to get another one if it doesn,t work.

 

Next tip is not all USB IR receivers work with MCE remotes and some work partially with lots of effort.

 

last tip many many lirc tutorials for edge case problems are very version specific. It is common for whole complex howto guides to become deprecated almost overnight.

 

Its a minefield.

 

Roll on linux PS3 remote sleep

 

Edit: oh i forgot to mention there are alot of fakes as well from HK

[Rajahal]

not using the in built IR receiver?

 

Neither the Zbox or the Revo has built in IR.