ZapWizard's Media PC -Project on hold

Zap, great work still
Im very interested to see how the two TV tuners will work, and how the software ties all this together.
Do you have something in mind for the spdif connections, or just becasue you can have them you do? And finally which sb live is it? - 5.1 ?

 

Theres one of those Pioneer 106S drives on ebay for 30bucks with 22hours left.

 

The dual tuners works great, (Pics when I get to the software stage...)
You can run it like traditional PIP on a TV, or two side by side windows. One window runs TV On-demand while the next window is live. Switching between windows is seamless, with the software automaticaly muting the in-active window.
Or if you want you can Mute the PIP window and use it to surf channels while you still listen and watch the main window.

It works seamlessly, I love it.

Also just so you know, this will work with any model AIW Radeon card, and a WDM driver TV Tuner. The second tuner doesn't have to be ATI, just have WDM compatible drivers.

The SB Live is and original SBLive Value -Model CT4670

The SPDIF output on the back is to run the Dolby Digital speakers, as for the front, well that was just because it looks cool.
Actualy the optical output will probably run to my Surround headphones once I get them 100% completed.

Sooooo many projects, I need a few clones...

 

Would the picture-in-picture work with 2 ATI TV cards?

 

I am not sure, I think you need at least on of the card to have a AIW Theatre Chip, as if I try and select the TV-Wonder as the main tv card it disables the Dual Tuner option.
So the AIW tuner has to be the master, while the TV-wonder is the slave.

You can download Media Player 8 and try it out with two WDM TV Tuners.
If you already have one tuner, see if a friend can lend you theirs to try it out.

.................................................
As for the project, I am currenlty designing all the lighting control, and various PCB's I am having to make.

 

i got a couple a questions if ya don't mind, zap.

first off all, i've been thinkin about gettin the dlink fm radio like yours. but you said you've got it internalized completely. i can see the usb part, but for the sound in part, did you just add headers like you did for everything else?

also, my soundcard (philips sonice edge 5.1) has a cd in connection (which i know is for *drumroll* the cd!!) and then an aux in - what would i use that for? it's also got spdif 1 and 2 in. i've looked some, but ive never really understand what spdif is for. got any good links for me to better acquaint myself w/ this info?

sorry if this is a lil' off-topic, but i thought you'd be perfect to ask!!

and..... as always, keep up the GREAT work!!

*EDIT*

something ON-topic.

for the hs on the sound card, how did you attach it? thermal glue? cause i don't think i've ever seena sond card with spots for a hs to clip into place. and it a hs really needed on the sound card, or is it just for that extra assurance and to try to keep temps as low as possible?

 

i think i can help with the hs question there, i'm sure i recognise that heatsink from a coolermaster northbridge/gpu cooler it has a 40mm fan atatched as standard. this also has a self adhesive pad with peel off strip on the back. i think thats what it is but with the fan removed...

am i right zap????

Snood

 

Zap >> Do you know if the Haupage Win/TV uses the drivers you´re talking about ? if so can I use 2 of them and have pip ?

 

Hey Zap, I ran across a prog that you may be interested in:

http://www.myhtpc.net/

Keep up the excellent work, d00d!

 

The black connection on the Left is the USB header, the one on the right is the Audio Header. You can plug that into the AUX or CD-Rom inputs.
You can use either input, all that matters is that your software knows which mixer to turn up/down/mute.
They are the same in function only different in name.
For example, I am using the Cd-Rom input for the First TV tuner, and the AUX input for the Second TV Tuner.
Then I hacked the Line-In from the back panel to run the FM-Radio.

SPDIF is a Digital Audio format, it can carry mutiple channels, from Mono, Stereo to Dolby Digital and Surround sound.
SPDIF stands for Sony Phillips Digital Interface Format.

SPDIF can be transmitted opticaly or electronicly. (Via a standard Audio type cable, hence to use of RCA type jacks)

When transmitted electronicly the signal uses a 0-1volts signal, which is the same voltage as a standard analog audio/video connection.
For links just search for SPDIF in google, there is a LOT of reading on it.

As far as the heatsink, I do have thermal adhisive.
(left over from my Super cooled Radeon Project)
But this time I got lazy and used four spots of super glue, one on each corner of the chip, and thermal compound in the center for heat transfer. Works just fine

I don't know if the Haupage has WDM Compatible drivers, I never mess with them, as most of them are not stereo.
ATI's software needs a hardware chip called the ATI Theater Chip.
So I don't think it will work without a AIW Radon, or a VIVO (Video IN/Video Out) Radeon.
But download the software and try it.

I think that program was mentioned earlier.
Once everthing hardware/case wise is completed I plan to look further into the software portions.
Thanks for the link.

----------------------------------------
I got a little more done this weekend, but not enough for an update.
The next update should be the PCB's that hold the Front A/V inputs, and the switches.

The stuff so far has been easy
Now I got the hardstuff, lots of custom circuits to run the LED's, Servo, and other functions.

 

my hauppauge wintv pci (stereo with fm tuner) uses WDM drivers ... never had a bit of problem out of it either ... i just dont use it any more cause i got a digital box for my room and a nice 20" flatscreened tv with a dvd player in it

 

easy?!?!

and thanks for the info!

 

Ditto!

 

just curious zap, what are you using to hold all those extra headers in place?

 

Zap >> my haupage win/tv is stereo... =)

 

Listed in the hardware section:


The header is held on by super glue, then the actual pins are super glued on the back side, this prevents the pins from being pushed through the plastic by a connector.

 

iPaq

Zap, firstly, very very very cool project.

With regards to the ipaq, not sure what version of PocketPC you are running, but you could connect it to the PC using Terminal server, so it may not be nescessary to write software for use on the ipaq when you could write something on the PC and then just access it via a terminal server session. I imagine this would be a bit easier than writing something for the ipaq to control the PC.

Keep up the good work.

 

Man all that "easy stuff" is soo cool. Cant wait to read the comentry about the "Hard stuff"

 

Re: iPaq

As first the IPAQ will just run pocket PC 2002 with a VNC Viewer, later I will install some HTPC control software or write my own.

 

I leave for a week on Spring Break, i come back to see all these posts!!!! God zap, do you still have your AMD job?!?!?!?! You must be working on this think 24-7, or not sleep!!!

GREAT WORK!!!!!!!!!!