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Community Newsletter: Q&A: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center
- 8/1/08 3:04 PM
BUBBA GUMP - Wondering about your last comment ??
by bradquinnpost - 7/26/08 7:24 PM In reply to: Been using my PC as my "Entertainment Center" since 2004. by Bubba_GumpHi. I too have had great luck with my PC and entertainment integration. Recently I added Roku with Netflix -- and instantly added 10,000 movies online FREE to my so-called movie "collection." For a total out of pocket cost of $99 for the Roku technology, it's an amazing value for existing Netflix users.
But here is my question for BUBBA GUMP.
In your resp[onse to Phil, you went thru some of your system highlights as well as siome of the issues people run into, such as DVD copying and so on. In the last paragraph of your page long response to Phil you said this:
"By using an HDTV Card & antenna to watch TV on my PC, I get crystal-clear high resolution widescreen TV with theater-like surround sound without paying a monthly cable bill. That saves me a ton of money every month. The $99 card plus $75 antenna is a pittance compared to $45 dollars a month for Basic Cable. Money in the bank."
I don't quite get how this particular HDTV card and antenna setup actually replaces your cable subscription. I'm not disputing you understand, but my HDTV card and antenna pretty much pickup local stuff, albeit local stuff in HDTV. I wouldn't say that those 6-8 channels replace my cable subscription or much more than a fraction of it. I WISH IT DID! So, BUBBA, could you explain a bit more about your TV reception via the PC card and antenna.
Thank you very much for your informative reply.
Brad
As for the "beyond the reach" comment
by SparTodd - 7/27/08 3:49 AM In reply to: Been using my PC as my "Entertainment Center" since 2004. by Bubba_GumpI don't find that true at all. Plenty of extremely user-friendly, free, software exists to help one convert DVD's from their physical media to a high-quality format which can be stored on an HTPC. It does not take an uber-video geek to learn to use this software. Even if you do not compress the video to H264 or DivX, and retain the file in it's native MPEG2 format the free software exists to DVD decrypt files if you choose to go that route and are willing to accept the risk.
Having said that, in my experience, if you are trying to convert DVD files to a compressed format the you will want to have the processing power to accommodate it. Using anything less than a quad core processor is going to triple the time it takes to convert and reencode.
pc as a TV device
by fawad_khan0731 - 7/20/08 11:03 AM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
hi!
ya indeed globalization of IT community has increased to its high value.but to me affilicating a Computer machine with TV is simply a very boring and annoying idea.coz as we all know internet is only the Wi - Fi media used in modren era, TV is indeed a special source of entertainment and others facicilites.i think we should no compare or combine both of these,ther is a reason behind that which ofcourse cannot be neglected that Internet and computer are way broder than an TV device.it is better for us to keep TV away from computers
not expensive
by tfarney - 7/20/08 5:13 PM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hook it up through your AV center. 600 watts through 5 foot Infinities (kappa 9's) and the rest of the surround environment makes internet music and videos something to behold, compressed or not. I haven't gone for the HDTV routine yet, but for less than $100, have SVGA-NTSC raster converter that is very fine.
I suggest a bluetooth keyboard/mouse so you can manage the system from an appropriate viewing distance. I have a small TFT screen too so I can set up for the big screen.
PC as Home Entertainment Centre
by Ary Kleiberg - 7/20/08 9:32 PM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Phil,
What you are looking for is called a Media Centre. There are a number of dedicated units on the market. I have an ACER IDEA 510, which is the size of a small DVD recorder. It allows you to record 2 TV programs simultaneously (and watch a third program on the TV), I have some 1000 colour slides which I transferred onto it, plus DVDs, home movies, CDs, you name it, PLUS it is a fully fledged computer. You can do e-mails, spreadsheets, whatever. There are literally hundreds of TV channels you can watch on-line. Depending on your available bandwidth (I have ADSL 2 +)and location, you can watch programs from countries all over the world. I watch programs -both standard width and wide-screen -from both Europe and North America.Whilst not universal, quality can be surprisingly good. The world has never been smaller!As for cost, you will be looking at upwards of $2500....
TV's as monitors
by Dragon Forge - 7/21/08 5:39 AM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The newer your video card the better the cvhances you won't have interface issues - You want HDMI connectors. If not make sure the tv has a sub-d/vga/pc connection specified in the documentation/literature to to the manufacturer's site and call them if necessary since oem's like their customers dumb and trends indicate if it is crap they won't put it on the outside of the box.
LCD is the king right now but plasma, projection, crt may float your boatinstead, but get several sources of review for each of the technologies, (plasma burn in and shoter life, projection duller bulkier, crt older technology nrg hogs, big and heavy.)
Another consideration is that if you live in some place like Canada, the price for the latest technologies is more than twice as much as in the U.S. or at the very least 50% more. You do want the latest and best since you may be using the tv for gaming, bluray, etc. The older technologies are almsot on par with the states goes so you know what the oem's think of us and our spending habits - we'll pay anything as long as we can have the latest like our American cousins.
Sony and Sanyo have the most highest rated review but judge for yourself. For me Sony is over priced for comparable models from Sanyo or others.
Compare price/features/viewing wuality for: contrast ratio (minimum is 10k:1) but newer models promise 1,000,000:1 in October, response time grey to grey - 8 secs will leave tracers in only moderately fast motion so 5 millseconds or less is better, most are 60 Hz refresh rate but 120 Hz are in the newer models and reduce most of the motion blur for a clearer picture - "brighter and tighter", 1080p is 1920x1080 and is the minimum resolution you want.
I have used a 37" HD tv as a monitor for a couple of years and it fills the field of view nicely on the desk for movies and games or normal pc use.
It is time to upgrade but I won't be paying those manufacturer's ridi8culous prices for the new technologies when the U.S. gets them so much cheaper. If you try ordering from any states based web sellers you will pay heavily for duty/border fees - despite NFTA.
All-In-One
by Impreza WRX - 7/21/08 11:37 AM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The PC is a powerful device. With it you can do almost anything. It does work great when you use the DVI->HDMI cable (or even VGA) and hook up your PC to your High-Definition display. If your HDTV supports real 1080P (1920X1080 screen resolution), you can have an enormous desktop to do stuff on! With enough Graphis Card power, you can play modern games like they were on consoles! Need to upgrade to Blu-ray? Just pop in a Blu-ray drive and install the software!
If you are looking to do this, here are some top tips:
1: A silent system is as important as a powerful system! Concentrate on having a case with large low RPM fans as opposed to 80MM screamers, or if possible, one that is fanless. If you have played a Blu-ray movie on a Playstation 3, you will understand the value of a silent system. The PS3 is far from silent.
2: Get a midrange or high end graphics card that has DX10, HDCP, and an HDMI port on it, e.g. GeForce *600 (* meaning 8,9,2) or higher, or ATi *600 (* meaning 2,3,4) or higher.
3: If you go Intel, get a system with a "45nm" processor.
4: If you go AMD, get a system with a "65nm" processor, but not the Phenom X4 until it becomes "45nm".
5: Fanless graphics cards are great, but will require some kind of case airflow or they will overheat.
6: Very very small "Media Center PC" PCs are prone to hardware failure due to the high heat and cramped design. Make sure you periodically clean the system with an air can to keep the dust out, and put it where the air vent in the room will blow cold air on it.
7: Digital Surround Sound (5.1) Support is imperative. Only the most high end audio cards or onboard systems will actually do it. While even an old Sound Blaster Live! Value will do 5.1, it will NOT do 5.1 over the digital out, and many times your budget buy home theater won't support 5.1 with 3 stereo inputs. The box will not tell you if it does 5.1 over digital or not. You will have to Google search for it. I do know that the HT CLARO OMEGA card, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Gamer, and the latest Turtle Beach Santa Cruz will do 5.1 over digital. Audio cards normally sound better and put less strain on a system than onboard audio, but there are onboards that do digital 5.1. The Azalea Onboard Audio will do that.
8: Windows XP Media Center Edition is nice and light on a system, but Windows Vista Home Premium supports DirectX 10 and will have better support in the future. If you go Vista, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MORE THAN 2 GB OF RAM! If the shark at $hiny $tuff sells you a Vista PC with 1 GB of RAM, go and purchase 2 GB of compatible RAM and have it installed. You will not experience a massive slowdown of Vista after using it for a week if you do that.
9: Wi-Fi is important to have in your setup if you have more than one PC. Usually the Internet modem is not in a near enough spot to the entertainment room, or there is another computer that has it attached to, and your Media Center PC can't download the channel guides. Get a Wireless Router and a Wi-Fi card unless it is built in, or buy a REALLY LONG (measure out your distances) plenum grade Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable (it's called exactly that) and run it through the walls to the modem or router. Obviously the Wi-Fi is an easier choice.
10: "Ripping" DVD movies to your hard drive, legality rubbish aside, is a great way to keep them from wearing out or risking damage. You need a HUGE drive to do this efficiently. Most often a standard DVD is between 3.5-6 GB if you do a lossless rip. You can compress it some to save space, but quality starts dropping when that happens. Also, you would have to rip the special features separately. For this, a 1TB Hard Drive is a good investment. That should be enough storage for ... about 200 DVD movies at lossless quality.
11: Don't forget an HD capture card! You need this if you want to watch TV through the PC or record TV to the hard drive or use the PC while the TV is playing! You will have to spend a pretty penny to get a good quality tuner, but it is worth it when you built yourself your very own Turbocharged TiVo!
12: Media Center Remote is an often overlooked accessory. While you can use a wireless keyboard or mouse, it is sometimes more convenient to use a remote, especially if you are sitting the recommended distance from the TV, which the Wireless KB and Mouse might not be able to work at that range.
Now, as for the premade OEM systems, there are many on the market that can do all that, and they are reasonably priced and come with warranties. Just remember to take the 12 tips into consideration when you shop. And don't buy eMachines!
impreza specifics
by jacksonstout - 9/6/08 7:14 AM In reply to: All-In-One by Impreza WRXGreat info Impreza. Can you recommend OEM systems (moneual?) or where I can find a DIY recipe for a HTPC covering what you said and the list below? Thank you.
Right now i have a toshiba 1080p 42" LCD, cable box, 2 channel receiver, 2 spkrs, and basic dvd player. My goal is to have the tv and the pc with one remote, one keyboard/mouse. I'd like to get rid of the other boxes, remotes, etc. although you might say to keep the receiver or whatever. Below is the functionality I would like. Your input is greatly appreciated. Thank you again
- use it as a pc (check email, surf net, youtube, excel, photo/movie edit)
- radio (am/fm/net)
- play mp3's
- play dvd's (doesn't have to be blu-ray)
- play music cd's
- dvd/cd recorder
- watch and record tv (via pc or cable box). Currently have digital cable.
- one remote or as few as possible
- use spkrs hooked to the pc, so i can control them with one remote or should i go with a separate amp/receiver
- i'd also be open to other types of setups like having a not so quiet server in the basement connected to a smaller quieter "head" unit near the tv
- need to balance these specs/functionality with a budget. maybe around $1000 (hopefully you aren't laughing too hard) or something I can piece together over time
Lots of possibilities
by bluemist9999 - 7/22/08 11:01 AM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you just want to store your CDs on the PC, you will need several pieces of hardware. First is a video card that can connect to your TV. If you have a classic (i.e. non-HD) TV, the video card should support S-Video output. If you have S-Video, the connector looks like a small yellow circular connector.
If you have an HD TV, you will need a digital video (DVI or HDMI) connector on the back of the video card. Which one you need depends on what your TV requires. If you don't have such a connector, you can buy a VGA to DVI converter cable.
If your video card doesn't have this, you can buy a new, modest video card for about $100.
You won't be able to copy your DVDs to your PC. This is because, according to the DCMA, it is illegal to copy a DVD to your PC, even for personal use.
However, you can put DVDs in your PC and play them as long as your PC has a DVD ROM (almost all PCs made today do). If you are using Windows, this won't cost you anything. In fact, if you purchase a Blu-Ray drive ($145 or so), you can play back Blu-Ray discs as well.
One interesting feature of using the PC is treating it like a TiVo (a.k.a. Digital Video Recorder - DVR). For this, you will need to purchase a video capture board. These cost around $70. However, if you are using Direct TV or digital cable, the card may not be able to change channels for you.
The better video capture packages also include an infrared remote. This is essential for any media center experience. Otherwise, you can purchase a wireless USB keyboard and mouse for $50 or so. I'd go with the remote, myself.
The good news is, if you have Windows XP, the Windows Media Player supports much of this already. It does not, out of the box, support the DVR functionality, but decent video capture boards (Hauppage is a good brand here) come in packages with good software to facilitate this.
If you are willing to learn Linux, there is a very nice free package called MythTV which provides a nice GUI on your TV. This package also provides the DVR functionality for free.
If you are using Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, Microsoft includes their Media Center which also supports much of this.
Also, make sure the PC you want to use has a large hard drive. If it doesn't, you can buy a new 750 GB hard drive for around $130---which is plenty of space to hold recorded TV programs and your audio library.
Finally, for the best possible sound quality, you will want a sound card that supports multiple channels of output. Most typical PC sound cards only output in stereo---which won't use a surround sound audio setup to its fullest. A decent sound card from Creative Labs will cost around $70 or so.
So, overall, you're looking at spending around $550, at most. With this, your PC can act like your DVD player, CD library and TiVo. Also, any games on your PC, you can typically play through your TV.
It can work well but takes some setup. But, unfortunately, it won't let you pack away your DVDs.
One small step for me...
by gordios777-websites - 7/25/08 7:58 PM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hey Phil,
Here's my experience so far:
I found the Polaroid 19" HD Widescreen LCD Television TLA-01911C
It is built with a computer monitor input, and so I now have one screen for both purposes (I have a small place and don't need a big screen).
The HDMI input allows me to watch my cable DVR shows in great output.
Best of all (for me) is that I don't have to change what I am doing on my PC when I want to watch TV.
Example:
I've decided it's time to run my antivirus update or some such program...so I start the program and then switch the input to the TV from PC to HDMI.
When I want to revert back to the PC to check email or google something, I simply switch the input back (by remote or on the side of the monitor).
I watch Major League Baseball and Netflix "instant viewing" over the internet, so sometimes I'm switching to TV from PC during a break in the baseball game, or after pausing the Netflix feed so I can check out something live on TV news.
I have a cheap RCA home theater system which allows me to switch back and forth between sound sources.
Not high tech at all.
However, I'll likely go the "Vista" route someday.
Network media player
by napajoar - 7/25/08 9:32 PM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I wonder why noone mentioned about network media players. Using network media players you are not required to upgrade your existing PC. you just need to have a home network setup and connect your network media player in to your network. once your netwrok media player is in the network you can access shared media folders on your PC from the media player. optionally you can connect a USB hard drive to your network media player and play media files on your HDTV. If your HDTV is DLNA certified TV i think even the network media player is not required, this point i am not sure as i was unable to get the demo here in Japan. i have seen the demo of buffalo network media player accessing media files from a USB hard disk. check this http://www.buffalotech.com/products/multimedia/linktheater-hd/linktheater-hd-digital-media-player/ for more details on network media player and how to setup. this media player is costing about 18000yen(about $200) here in Japan.
i am not a native english speaker still i think my explaination is clear enough to proceed further.
My Computer *IS* my Home Entertainment System
by ArtDept - 7/25/08 10:43 PM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a "homebuilt" AMD64x2 system with an HDTV Tuner Card and a 22" widescreen monitor. I wear 2x power reading glasses and sit close to the screen and it's like a giant widescreen TV! I have the sound going through my stereo system. I watch over the air HDTV, DVD's and online video from NBC, ABC, etc. I Listen to MP3s, My "ripped" CD collection and various streaming web radio station.
Home Entertainment Center
by dedsetmad - 7/25/08 11:15 PM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As you can see Phil, the possibilities are endless, but I am going to suggest something really radical....Don't.
When I got my first computer a few years ago, I wanted to have the ultimate sound system all stored neatly in my PC...all my friends went "Ooaah" but as I used it I realized that it was taking me more time to boot, then find and put on the music in my Library, than it was to slip on a vinyl. And I prefer the sound of vinyl. As for movies on a monitor..nup..too small...wrong position in my house...
My pc is now free of music...but that's just me Phil...others have great points in favour...I'm not arguing, just telling you what happened with me. Food for thought anyway. Oh,and if it means anything, the "Ooohs and Aahs" are also temporary.
Media Centre PC...
by darrenforster99 - 7/26/08 1:33 AM In reply to: Integrating my computer as part of the entertainment center by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Phil,
I've had my PC as my main media centre for since I was a student in 1996 (the main reason I did it then was as I didn't have enough room in my flat for a stereo, TV and computer and I was doing a computing degree so I decided to use my skills to cut down on the amount of space I needed in the flat), now though I've gone further and further and now have the PC there as a 100% media machine. All my music, films, TV, everything all comes from that one box.
To help me I also bought an AV receiver, these are handy boxes that take all your possible TV/Audio inputs at the back and then send them out to two outputs, video out and TV (this is quite handy if you are using your PC without a monitor).
My setup is as follows:
FreeSat Sky Digibox (for TV), goes into the TV input on my AV receiver - AV receiver decodes surround sound from Sky box.
X-box 360 - S/PDIF goes into the S/PDIF on my AV receiver for 5.1 surround sound from my games
PC - In my PC I have the following
WinTV theatre card - originally bought this so I could get surround sound from my TV, however as the AV receiver does this now (and the WinTV theatres surround system wasn't very well designed) this just functions as a normal TV card.
Creative Labs Audigy sound card - this card has so many inputs and outputs, also the model I've got includes the front 5.25" bay so I can add extra items from the front to save diving behind the back of either the computer or the AV receiver just to plug extra things in. I have this plugged up to my AV receiver as well via S/PDIF optical cable for 5.1 surround sound from my PC.
For my music I use WinAMP and VideoLan (you don't need all this extra "windows media centre" rubbish, that is supposed to make it more easier, but usually doesn't, especially when it keeps crashing when your trying to do something - WinAMP and VideoLan use far less computing power than media centre and are a lot less prone to crashing)
And to output it all I have a 21" Philips CRT monitor. I bought the monitor about 5 years ago when large HD ready plasma/lcd tv's were very expensive (I spent £500 on the monitor!). But now I'd recommend you go for a large HD ready TV over a monitor. Very important though, make sure the TV you get does do HD and where possible it has a monitor (DVI-D) input for the best possible picture.
If your TV is not HD ready and you can't afford a HD TV it is not worth plugging your PC into it as the picture quality will be so very poor that to do anything on the computer you will cause serious damage to your eyes. Normal TV's run at about 320x240 resolution, most basic monitors run at 1024x768 as you can tell trying to read text off a computer screen with such a poor resolution will cause a lot of eye strain. If this is the case you would be far better swapping your TV for a monitor as even on the most basic monitor the pictures will be far more clearer than on any old standard definition TV
oh yeah forgot a few more things..
by darrenforster99 - 7/26/08 1:50 AM In reply to: Media Centre PC... by darrenforster99I forgot the following
The X-box 360 is plugged into input A on my monitor and the PC on input B of my monitor so I can flip between the two.
Also as for doing away with all your DVD cases - bare in mind that the majority of DVD's are copyright protected so you will struggle to get them backed up onto your PC. This would be a good idea if the recording industry would allow people to make legal backups of items which they own (which you are allowed to do under the copyright law), but until the recording industry stop treating all their customers as potential thieves this isn't going to happen.
I couldn't believe that they messed up the casing on a CD I bought legally, it was a clear CD case and where I would have expected to see a picture of the artist as my reward for legally purchasing the CD and not downloading it, instead I got a load of crap text in big letters about how I shouldn't copy this CD, and not even a thank you at the end for purchasing the CD - what a cheek! Next time I'll think twice about paying for a CD by that artist if I'm going to get treated like a potential thief anyway. The least they could have done was had some way of opening the case and pulling the card out to reveal a nice picture underneath.
Anyway enough waffle about my hate of the recording industry...
The other thing you might want to consider is installing a removable hard drive, so instead of having DVD cases lining the shelves you can have a selection of hard drives (depending on the size of the hard drive, each drive could hold between 50-100 DVD quality movies.
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