Picking hardware for Media Center

Bubbacola, thanks for the input. I do hope you'll stick around and read a bit more, as I do promise to review each system that's widely available. It WOULD, however, be great if people could read the entire thread along with the article before telling us we're all wet.

It has been stated that we are reviewing multiple software systems, and that building to media center was chosen for a couple of reasons:
1) Media Center is, like it or not, going to probably be the evolution of HTPC, and
2) Media Center has by far the most stringent system requirements.

So, again, thanks for your input, but I don't necessarily feel off-base for letting people know what we feel they'll need to be able to run EACH of the software suites available to them, and let them decide on which one is best. With our reviews, the other software from Intervideo and others (as I've said above) will be brought to light for their own benefits and weaknesses. I hope you will not have decided before that even happens that we're microsoft pushers and are quite bent on miseducating our readers (who would see through that in a second if we did try). But honestly, just because it's from MS doesn't make it a bad product. To your argument that they never do well combining things, I propose that all an OS is is a way to make a bunch of hardware talk to each other and provide a combined interface that a user can interact with...by nature, you acknowledge their specialty is combining things.

By the way, since MCE2006 isn't released yet, I'm curious as to why you're so sure it's already going to be worse than your chosen product? To me, that in itself seems a little biased and "off target."

 

It reminds me of the days of Stereo Systems

A Bachelor wants to impress a girl - so he shows off his impressive Tape System - a Dolby Digital System using Metal Oxide Tape for superior sound - He gives a cursory review to the girl and asks her to use the remote to change the channel as he goes to prepare the wine glasses. When he comes back - the girl cannot figure out one thing on the remote and looks befuddled.

Boy loses girl by being "too cool"

It has happened to me. Maybe all the folks here have top quality down and dirty friends who are just as into it for computers as you are - if so good luck.

Most folks have friends of the opposite sex (I include females who are good techno who have male friends - and I suppose I also mean friends of same sex - but marriage is a religious institution not defined by law until recently (within the last 100 years - and only very recently to include same sex - though 6,000 years old Biblically) so I give deference to all) and one person will try to impress the other with their knowledge.

They will end up looking like a Geek. My wife told me if I had not known how to make a good spaghetti dinner - she would have walked out the door with the Dolby thing. But some wine - etc. - We now have five kids.

I am just thinking it is a Playboy Lifestyle thing that will put folks who know how to use computers at a disadvantage when seeking partners - and I mean it.

Just feel that way

 

It is easy to see MS is a flop

By the way, since MCE2006 isn't released yet, I'm curious as to why you're so sure it's already going to be worse than your chosen product? To me, that in itself seems a little biased and "off target."

Not sure how to use quotes yet as I just started - so I used cut & paste.

Microsoft has a history of running the show. It eventually absorbs software it likes and then it becomes viable when fully Microsoft. Right now Microsoft is not in charge and is trying to rein in folks not on the Microsoft Team. This spells disaster for Microsoft because Microsoft is the Boss and not a Team Player.

I go back to the OS2 split with IBM and I just know Microsoft will turn out an inferior product until they own the show. It is just Microsoft history.

thanks

 

Bubba,

My wife is very similar to yours by the sound of it. Technologically "literate," but not exactly any sort of lover of something that does not make her life any easier than it was before. So if it makes our TV (we only have 1) more difficult to use, I assure you that first, I'll hear about it. Second, YOU'LL hear about it in my review. Because if I'm getting yelled at for it, it doesn't do what it needs to do. That is for all things, including MCE.

I'm not saying that MCE will be the best, and neither was Wil. We are putting together a system, though, that will allow readers to choose the system to their liking. After all, say MCE06 comes out and does a whole bunch of great features? Maybe it won't, but maybe they improve the interface beyond what it already is...then people go and look to buy a system based on our "hardware for an HTPC" article. And promptly find out that it can't run MCE06, their chosen OS, which they have decided looks the best for themselves and their family.

Now, as for the rest of it, since you're new here I'll cut a little slack from my normal rants (which is pretty heavy most of the time). Oh, and since I haven't had a chance to say it (and before you read on and get mad at me), welcome to the Forums.

The one thing you have to give MS is that they make a pretty idiot-proof setup. So railing against an entirely integrated solution, made for people who don't want to fiddle with 15 programs, seems counterproductive.

And any HTPC equipment will make you look like a "geek." Yeesh, the site has entire sections devoted to modding, where people genuinely tear apart a computer case and paint over it, put water in it, UV lights, etc. Around here, we scream geek, and we like it.

I really do wish you would just let us write a couple of the reviews before hurling all of these "You're going to make everyone look geeky, and I feel sorry for everyone who follows your systems..." Almost all of your points so far were explained in previous posts between myself and Wil...If you give us a chance to get going on the content, maybe we can ease your concerns a bit. As for the software complaints, wait until the review...we have not claimed this to be a review of MCE05 or how it owns everything else, in fact it is expressly stated that it ISN'T one. When the review of MCE06 comes out, there's your place to issue a grievance on MCE.

 

Da Dego Wonderful in instruction and received well

And your patience is wonderful beyond extreme. The wonderful thoughts I hear at this site - gosh.

The tutorial was wonderful and expressed with full thought by Da Diego.

Da Diego gives me honor by talking to me. I would hope forever I could talk to him - even though the only time I won a City-wide Ribbon in Science was when I wa in fifth grade.

At 50 years now with leisure I enjoy this spot. Sorry.

But I like to argue against if OK.


Mean nothing badly as a Christian

 

Ahh, I like you already (and knew you'd get mad at that...see why my original welcome was earlier?). But seriously, might want to cut out the religion part of the sarcasm...everything else on there is tit-for-tat, but that may offend some people, and I'm sure you don't mean to give off the wrong impression.

Look, I understand your basic argument, and I'm trying to tell you that I don't wholly disagree with it. But there will be more and better opportunities to express it as we review the software you seem to hate so much. You're jumping the gun, and calling us idiots for words you're putting in our mouths. I don't understand why that's so wrong, to ask you to wait until the product is reviewed before thinking we're stupid for saying it's fantastic. I really don't want to start this whole feature-set by getting in an argument over a position I haven't even taken yet, and may never even adopt.

I do apologize if you don't like MCE, HTPC, or myself personally. But seriously, there are better, more eloquent ways to phrase your points than "You'll make everyone look like geeks, who will have a hard time attracting the opposite sex...because women as a whole are too stupid to understand it." And, no matter my difference of opinion with you, welcome to the forums, and I hope you stick around to espouse your views when we review the software, so you can tell me how I'm all wet with some level of relevance. And by the way, Wil wrote this particular article, so it's not my instruction you received very well.

And I'm sure your mommy is vewy vewy proud of your ribbon.

 

Wonderful Points

Course I will remove the Bookmark within Firefox and destroy the email granting access to the group and this group will cease to exist for me as I will not remember in a few days the name.

Do I quit because you answered and defended your position? Never. A spirited debate upon the merits of a Media Center is welcome. And yes indeed, it is a Geek Thing to put a computer in the front room - no matter how sleek and shiny the box - females will get turned off in droves by it. So if playing Half-Life important in the front room instead of playing spin the bottle - then by all means enjoy - might as well sign up for VirtuallyJenna, because action in the front room will be limited to the box.

No I quit because I am a Christian. Muslims, Jews, Hindu, are never offended when I say I am a Christian as they hold their faith on their sleeve - no, it is usually those who are Chrisitian - or at least profess that they have knowledge of God in the traditional Western realm, who are offended.

Luckily I am an American - where religion still finds itself in Daily Life exhibited by our Politicians as well as the folks. Religion remains a vibrant part of our lifestyle - and every chance I get attendance with others is required. Course it also keeps me away from the computer!! But I have learned how to get by on four hours sleep a day - so I can squeeze everything in.


Bye - and may God Save the Queen and America!

 

Thats actually really sexist. What about the "females" that are "geeks"? They do exist you know, we have a few on this forum, and trust me, they are are as hot as any "omg a remote control!!!" types that you stereotype as being the norm. We are all entitled to opinions, but think about the wild claims you make... Spin the bottle? please, this isn't scout camp. an intelligent woman will be challenged by your abilities, charm and wit regardless if you have a PC in your living room or not.

Media PCs are so easy to control nowadays that the only geeky part is building them, heck, you can even have an LCD remote with "MUSIC ON" in big, bold, inch high, dayglo letters if the type of woman you bring home cant deal with an intuitative well designed media centre GUI.

 

I tried to ask nicely...at least, I'm pretty sure I did. This post will now be flagged.

This is a forum (and a site) for discussing computers, hardware, software, and the like...therefore, there is little to no need to bring religion into most of the discussions. Religion is something that is very personal to each reader, and I don't fancy others having to read something that even I consider inflammatory (and I have a fairly mid-to-high boiling point), and thinking of it as a representation of BT. This forum contains active members worldwide, encompassing multiple religions and multiple views on each. If being asked to respect that offends you, dear sir, I kindly point you to the "Back" button on your browser.


And Fly, I agree totally. My wife read his comment and was infuriated at how someone could honestly just assume that all women were that stupid. Perhaps we should see if Kitt or Hex or one of our other "females" agrees with his viewpoint? Heck, I have 4 PCs around my house (one of them HTPC), and somehow I managed to still get married. Amazing, ain't it?


Now, back ON TOPIC...

 

I was just reading through the article again, and noticed that the Shuttle system you list (SD31P) doesn't actually have any PCI slots. It has PCI express x16 and x1 but no 'old fashioned' PCI slots. Isn't this going to make it a little tricky to plug in a TV tuner?

Yes, there are USB boxes, but surely one of the aims is to get rid of the clutter and replace it with a single box.

 

In my search for a DVB-T With conax support i come across a site in sweden with a very genuis system for DVB-C, DVB-S and DVB-T. It is called the FireDTV/floppy

It has support for "almost" all Media center software like:
Media portal, Showdhifter, GB-PVR, TV central, Mytheater and MCE2005
They are still working on a good DBA for MCE but they are getting there.

Check it out @ http://www.digital-everywhere.com/cms/en/index.php

 

MCE 2005 Rollup 2 has just been released: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/10/18/media_center_update/

Not sure how that might affect you guys - supports even more hardware now maybe?

 

yeah more tuners and such.. but no cam or ci module support for DVB. MS is not going to burn their fingers on a delicate "rights" matter. Especally in the Euro countries...

We just have to stick with 25 year old technicks mixed with the new stuff. oa: digital (DVB decoder top-boxes) - > analog (tvcards) -> digital (tv/plasma/lcd) in the european country's.

And it could have been soooo easy...
Put a DVB into a free slot, hook up the digital signal and put in your smart card somewhere. and watch in a complete digital enviroment with only a HTPC and a dedicated Suround reciever in your slick 21 century furniture.

 

HTPCs for Geeks

This topic is probably getting old, but I thought I'd throw my hat into the mix anyways. I'd have to disagree with Da Dego on his opinion. You don't have to be a geek to have an HTPC. When I have new people over it's always a great ice breaker when entertaining guests when you can easily play almost any song that they can name (and by song I mean porno).

 

It's ok Slider, this thread won't die anyways.

My comment was actually to say that a bit geeky can be cool. If you read through the person who I was, ahem, politely disagreeing with, he said that anyone with an MCE box built like this was sure to be challenged when finding a mate. That having this type of setup was a guaranteed strike against any male who wants a girlfriend.

My comment was that ANY HTPC stuff is a little geeky by his definition (which was that a woman can't even operate a remote control, throwing more at her is a sure sign that you are a geek who will be celebate through old age). This whole site is built around geeks. And some of us, including Wil and I who each have setups like this, have girlfriends (or in my case a wife). Women don't all fear technology, and many even embrace it. Truth is, being a little bit geeky is not bad at all, and even a benefit at times.

So, I don't disagree with your point at all, just that I think you maybe misunderstood mine. Technology as a whole can be a tremendous ice-breaker, a great social "oooh" and "aah." You would have to read it in the full context of my back-and-forth with that other party, but I meant what I said in a very positive way. We are all geeks. And you know what, geeks can be cool too.

 

To comment on the "woman+remote" statements.

My mother was stunned: "So i choose "record all episodes?" and all dr phil episodes are recorderd?"
yes mom and all episodes that are comming...
"amazing! so i can watch it when i need to watch it?"
yes mom...
"this is much much easier then a vcr. i dont know how those things work. i have one but never recorded something. i tries but i failed everytime. how much is it, can you build me one?"

eh...

 

hey y'all, and howdy - my first post in here, but this seems like a really good place to get the best info on new hardware.

This article is EXACTLY what i've been looking for now im putting together ideas fo a new PC, and considering going down the MCE route.

Mobo decisions? im going to get a Micro-ATX Asus A8N w/onboard 6150 Nvidia and PCIe 6600 Ultra, obviously this has all the nice nforce4 features, and enough capacity for two seperately driven displays one for watching movies etc, leaving a completely seperate display controller (the onboard 6150) for web surfing and generally using the pC whilst its playing videos.

What i need help with , is that the mobo i want only comes with two PCI slots, now i dont need a hell of a lot of stuff, but dont want to use both of them up with two tv cards, can someone suggest a PCI DVB dual card that will serve this purpose and give me DAB radio too? ideally a one card solution is what im after here, leaving me with room for somethign else in the future.

id like it ideally to be supported by MCE, but essentially this PC will be a dual boot Linux box and will be used under both OS's.

 

Welcome to the forums

 

why thank you

 

We're reviewing one at the moment, hold off for a week