With the hidden media center project I’m going to reuse as much hardware as possible.

After doing some online research I will be reusing these components:

• Processor: Intel Celeron E1400 2Ghz
• Motherboard: ECS G31T-M(1.0)
• Memory: 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800Mhz
• Hard Drive: 640GB Western Digital WD640AAKS
• Power Supply: 380W ASUS Power Supply
• Cables: HDMI Cable, Ethernet Cable, and Power Cable

Some quick notes on these choices.  The Celeron processor should be fine for rendering 1080p video from a variety of sources.  However, I do have some concerns for Flash video.  Adobe Flash requires some heavy lifting that I am hoping will be served by utilizing the 10.1 beta of Flash, as this new version has the ability to utilize the GPU in addition to the CPU for rendering video. Also, I know I am going to need more drive space as this project grows. The PSU I have on hand to use only has one SATA power connection and is not a silent PSU.  I will most likely want to replace this with a PSU that has more power options and a 120mm fan for quieter operation. Lastly, I plan on serving audio over HDMI, so the lack of ports on the motherboard is not a concern.

What I’ll be needing to buy to meet the rest of the requirments:

• BluRay/DVD Drive: LITE-ON iHOS104 4X BD-ROM ($59.99 w/ free shipping)
• Remote Control: Ortek VRC-1100 ($14.95 w/ free shipping)
• Video Card: Radeon HD 4350 512MB ($24.99 after rebate w/ free shipping)
• TV Tuning: TBD (will depend on the media center software selection)

By reusing existing components I’ve only spent $99.93 of the $200 budget so far, this leave about $100 for the TV tuner. Will it come back to haunt me?  Will the Celeron be enough to handle all the video I plan to throw at it?

One thing you might see missing is a case.  As I said this will be a hidden media center so I have other plans for housing the components, but that’s a future post

Thanks so much to everyone for helping to make this book fair the most successful one we have ever had! We had record-breaking sales for this fair with fantastic participation from our students and faculty. The media center made over $725 and received over $425 in books.

Andre’as W. won the skittles contest. He guessed there were 100,001 words in Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The actual number of words is 101,564. The poster winners are listed below. These students will be called throughout the day to come pick up their poster.

So every year I try to come up with some tech project to occupy the dark winter months.  This year I have chosen to build a hidden media center to replace our TivoHD and provide TV and video for family entertainment.

The requirements for this project are:

1. Must be completely hidden from sight with the exception of an IR interface if needed
2. Keep the cost under $200 by reusing existing components if available
3. Must play BluRay and DVD disks
4. Must play video over the internet or from other personal computers in the house
5. Must play and record over the air TV (ATSC)
6. Must use Windows 7 as the operating platform

Over the next few weeks I’ll chronicle my choices, experiences, and mistakes as I build this new home entertainment system.

Over the weekend, Microsoft released the CableCARD firmware update for Windows 7 Media Center which relaxes DRM for recordings in a big way and adds support for SDV. The package arrived as the “ATI Digital Cable Tuner 1.19.12.09050155 firmware” — available to all of those with the ATI CableCARD tuners via Windows Update. Next, Microsoft also pushed out the Digital Cable Advisor tool, which checks your computer to ensure it meets minimum hardware requirements for CableCARD viewing/recording. The Digital Cable Advisor, found in the Windows Media Center Extras Gallery, measures system CPU speed, RAM, graphics card support for hardware acceleration, and digital connection capabilities. If your PC meets the minimum requirements, it enables digital cable functionality on your PC. (CableCARD tuner and connection from your cable company required of course.) Once you have it all set up, you’ll be able to use your Windows 7 computer’s Media Center HTPC front-end to access cable TV, including premium content.

via The Windows Media Center CableCARD Update.

MediaCenter DM Pro

• Windows 7
• Blu-ray / DVD
• Integrierte TV-Karte
• Schneller Boot
• Extrem leise

Unser MediaCenter für Ihr Wohnzimmer – ein Blickfang, der viel zu bieten hat!

Das Gehäuse
Mit seinem edlen Design und Abmessungen von nur 68 x 390 x 348 mm ist unser MediaCenter „DM Pro“ nicht grösser als ein DVD-Player und passt somit perfekt in Ihr Wohnzimmer!
Mit einem 51-in-1 Cardreader, 2x USB-, Firewire- und Audioanschlüssen in der Front bietet das Gehäuse idealen Bedienkomfort für externe Speichermedien und Geräte.

Die Hardware-Ausstattung
Mit einem Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 4 GB Arbeitsspeicher und einem Intel G45 Chipsatz ist das DM Pro System für fast jeden Anspruch ausreichend ausgestattet. Es meistert Ressourcen fressende Programme wie beispielsweise Photoshop problemlos und spielt mit dem Blu-Ray-Laufwerk HD filme in höchster Auflösung ab ohne zu stocken.

Mainboard
Das P5Q-EM Mainboard von ASUS bietet viele Anschlussmöglichkeiten wie z.B.:
VGA-, DVI- und HDMI-Anschlüsse, SP-DIF für digitale Audioübertragung, 1x RJ-45 Gigabit-LAN uvm. EPU-4 Engine für hohe Energieeffizienz. Online in 5 Sekunden mit Express Gate von ASUS.

Schneller Zugriff
Da das Betriebsystem auf der 64 GB grossen SSD-Festplatte von Samsung installiert ist, startet das Mediacenter ca. doppel so schnell wie zuvor! Sie hat einen geringeren Stromverbrauch und entwickelt so weniger Wärme. Daten wie z.B.: PDF-Dokumente können so bemerkbar schneller geöffnet werden.

Integrierte TV-Karte
Erleben Sie erstklassigen Fernsehgenuss auf Ihrem PC. Entweder digital über DVB-T oder analog über den Kabelanschluss. Nehmen Sie Ihre Lieblingssendungen automatisiert auf oder brennen Sie diese direkt auf DVD. Dank Time-Shift unterbrechen Sie laufende Sendungen schauen diese zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt weiter, ohne etwas zu verpassen! Ein eingebauter FM-Tuner ermöglicht nebst Fernsehen auch Radiohören am PC.

Auf dem aktuellsten Stand sein
Sie werden künftig Ihren PC einfacher bedienen und alltägliche Aufgaben schneller erledigen. Windows 7 eröffnet Ihnen im Beruf und in Ihrer Freizeit mehr Möglichkeiten als jede frühere Windows-Version. Mit der optimierten Benutzeroberfläche sorgt Windows Media Center für einfachere Bedienung und noch ansprechenderes Design.

Lieferumfang

• MediaCenter DM Pro
• MediaCenter-Fernbedienung
• Handbücher, Treiber-CDs
• Zubehör zu Komponenten (Stromkabel, Windows 7 DVD)

Technische Daten

Upgrades möglich: Holen Sie mehr aus Ihrem MediaCenter heraus.

Was ist eigentlich ein MediaCenter ?

Ein MediaCenter ist ein auf PC-Komponenten basierendes Gerät, das klassische Hi-Fi-Geräte ersetzen soll und durch seinen modularen Aufbau besonders flexibel ist. Neben der Bezeichnung MediaCenter ist auch die Bezeichnung Home Theater Personal Computer (kurz: HTPC) geläufig. Im deutschen Sprachgebrauch sind daneben noch die Bezeichnungen Wohnzimmer-PC, Mediencomputer, oder Fernsehcomputer möglich.

Ein MediaCenter kann also Blu-Ray/DVD-Spieler, CD-Spieler, Fernseher, Videorekorder bzw. Festplattenreceiver, DVB-Receiver ersetzen und in einem Gerät integrieren. Darüber hinaus ermöglicht er die Wiedergabe von hochauflösenden Video- (z.B. HDTV, HD-DVD) und Audioquellen (z.B. DVD-Audio). Meistens können gleich mehrere Aufzeichnungen gleichzeitig getätigt werden, welche danach in einem Archiv gespeichert werden.

Den Erfolg wurde vor allem durch Microsofts Windows XP Media Center Edition geprägt. Der aktuelle Nachfolger Windows Vista Media Center bringt heisse Funktionen mit sich und macht den Wohnzimmer-Computer noch einzigartiger. Und bereits in naher Zukunft wird das brandneue Windows 7 Media Center auf dem Markt erscheinen. Die Dreamedia hatte bereits das Vergnügen, es auszuprobieren – und wir waren begeistert. Die Zukunft der MediaCenters verspricht daher sehr viel.

Der größte Vorteil eines MediaCenters besteht darin, dass es wie ein normaler PC funktioniert und daher von enormer Flexibilität ist. Die Einschaltszeit aus dem Standby-Modus (Energie-Sparmodus!) beträgt lediglich 1-2 Sekunden. Während die Einschaltzeit von einem ausgeschalteten System je nach Leistung nur 36 bis 53 Sekunden beträgt.

Nachteilig ist, dass ein MediaCenter schnell sehr teuer werden kann. Dies liegt daran, dass er zur optischen Integration häufig in ein kleines Gehäuse gebaut wird das sich an das Aussehen eines DVD-Players oder ähnlicher Geräte anlehnt. Dieses kleine Gehäuse macht hochintegrierte Komponenten nötig, die preislich entsprechend hoch liegen.

mehr Informationen

My wife and I like to watch old movies, murder mysteries, and reruns of 80’s sitcoms. Our content of choice pretty much mandates that we watch streaming video; NetFlix is our provider of choice today. We watch on a regular basis between 9 and 10 at night because our kids won’t let us near the TV at any other time. And that’s okay. The point is, by the time we get around to settling down to a good movie, the kids are in bed and we can’t really use the home theater. We have to watch in our bedroom to keep the noise level down.

To facilitate this habit, I’ve strung a VGA cable and a ministereo-to-RCA cable from the back of the flat panel TV in our bedroom to a shelf a few feet away where I set the laptop when streaming NetFlix content. This works well, but short of paying for various accessories like an air mouse, I’ve had to jump up and hit the pause button occasionally, whenever we’ve wanted to discuss a point in the movie – usually a mystery.

Yesterday I upgraded my HTPC (64-bit 2.84 GHz quad processor AMD) from Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 and found the new features of 7MC to be nothing less than wonderful. The user interface enhancments are exactly what you’d expect, given the UI enhancments between Vista and Windows 7. The new TV card management software in 7MC is much better than the Vista version. The new Guide actually represents all of the available channels now (plus a few I didn’t even know about!), as opposed to the previous 30 percent coverage provided by the Vista MC Guide. The Internet TV feature is now out of beta, and seems pretty nice. And lastly, and most importantly, the integrated NetFlix interface is just nothing short of cool.

Or so I thought. But Microsoft seems to think that I’ll only ever want to watch streaming content on my PC. I just don’t get that mindset. Who do you know that sits at their desk and watches TV?! I’ll answer for you: no one. Neither NetFlix nor the new Internet TV features are supported on the extender interface. Thus, my only options for watching NetFlix on my TV remain as follows:

• Connect my HTPC directly to my TV.
• Continue to use my laptop as above.

As far as connecting my HTPC to my home theatre system, well, that was always the ultimate goal, but I’ve grown accustom to having the unit in the play room, where I could mess with new features in comfort with convenient access to its insides if necessary. I’ve sort of allowed myself to dream of the possibility that the XBox extender would just become better through the years until it finally did everything I wanted it to.

Recently, I read a comment on a blog somewhere that indicated that Microsoft was motivated (monitarily, of course) to NOT allow streaming content on the XBox extender. The rationale was that the XBox console was using NetFlix streaming content as a hook to get people to buy XBox Live Gold memberships. Well, I’ll be hanged if I’ll pay a subscription fee just to get extender support for a service I already pay NetFlix for.

Wake up Microsoft! These are two different market segments. Will gamers mind paying for an XBox Live Gold subscription? No, they’re already paying for a subscription anyway. Will they go out and buy an HTPC so they don’t have to have that subscription to stream NetFlix? No, they bought that subscription for other reasons (games).

On the other hand, will home theatre enthusiasts pay for XBox Live just so they can stream NetFlix content to their big screen or bedroom? Possibly a few, but most (like myself) will be too angry with the marketing tactics to play along. Will they buy a Gold subscription because they might want to play games too? Possibly a few will, but mostly, gamers are gamers, and home theatre enthusiasts are into movies.

So why emmasculate Media Center and alienate your hardware partners by disallowing some of the most enticing reasons to get an extender? Again I say, wake up…please. I might buy an XBox for my bed room just to use as an extender – if I had a good enough reason.

If you want to bring all your media content to your television (High Definition or Standard Definition) or any other screen supporting DVI with HDCP or HDMI and for less then 100 EUR.

Without WD TV

• I have to connect the laptop to my TV using a DVI to HDMI adapter for the IMAGE
• I have to connect 3 cables to the audio jacks from my laptop to my surround receiver for SURROUND SOUND
• I have to connect the power cable to the laptop because my TV isn’t anywhere near my desk
• I have to configure my laptop so I get a descent image on my TV
• I have to position my laptop in such a way the screen does not shine into my eyes or configure the TV as single display

With WD TV

• I have to put the movie on usb disk
• Connect the disk to the WD TV

How do I connect it?

Audio:

• HDMI
• Optical (toslink)
• red-white stereo cinch

Video

• Composite
• HDMI

What does it do?

I mainly use it to play 1080p and 720p video’s. I’ve had it for a couple months now and the only format I encountered that did not play was WMVHD (which is not supported). These images below show all the supported formats. You can also play .ISO files and Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES are also supported (if your receiver supports it). I have some HD movies with DTS ES and get 6.1 channel sound. There is no mention of this in the manual.

If a video should have multiple audio tracks (for example Spanish and English) or Built-in subtitle you can enable/disable these during playback. It is also possible to add your own subtitles (SRT, SSA, ASS and SAMI) by naming the file exactely the same as your movie.

VIDEO FORMATS              AUDIO FORMATS                      IMAGE FORMATS

—  —   

How does it look?

As you can see, if you put a .jpeg in the same folder with the same name as the movie, you get kinky thumbnails. I’ve only done this for a few movies. You have to do it for all movies or put the view on ‘list view’ otherwise it’s just ugly. (As you can see)

I thought it would be convenient to show the supported output resolutions/refresh rates. Put in on auto if you are not sure what framerate your video is.

An this is how the main menu looks. You can play music and do other things simultaneously as shown in the picture below.

Sound and image quality

Sound and image for HD video’s is superb.

A lot of HD files only have DTS or Dolby Digital audio. YOU NEED A DTS and/or DOLBY DIGITAL CAPABLE RECEIVER to playback the audio on these files. Don’t be fooled by the analog stereo output.

Check out what’s going on this month in the media center~

November-PDF