HTPC Software and Best Configurations

[midrigs]

Hello this is my first HTPC build, i have done the research and gathered the information for the hardware, I have the parts in the mail and it will be constructed soon.

Now I am trying to get an idea for the best software for what I want done. I am using Windows 7 64-bit.

• I plan to use Windows Media Center to watch tv/movies/record TV. any comments on this for the configuration/addons would be great.
• I need to stream this TV/movies/recorded tv to my Xbox which will be in another room connected via Wireless N
• I also need to stream this to any laptop/desktop in the house.
• Playing/Ripping blu-ray movies through the player and saving them virtually for transfer/streaming.
• I also would like to remote control this pc from anywhere, outside my network and within. (without using remote desktop connection.)
• I don't know if this is possible but i would like to use this PC to play games off of and stream the video/controls to other computers in the house.
• Configurations for my router for best streaming options.[my router is the Linksys E3000 high performance wireless-n]
• any other configurations for windows firewall/software that would be optimal.
• There is probably more, but they have not risen at this time.
• any other suggestions for features/other things im missing.

I perfer Freeware but if something really stands out of the crowd I dont' mind purchasing some software as long as it doesn't get updated like every year and have to purchase new versions all the time.

 

[coolVariable]

Windows 7 (though good luck trying to fix the stuttering and copyright overlay problems for live and recorded TV)

 

[midrigs]

Windows 7 (though good luck trying to fix the stuttering and copyright overlay problems for live and recorded TV)

So you mean when I am watching live tv it stutters?("stutters" meaning the video skips in and out of play?)
And after or before I record a show it does what?(says I cannot record it? just warns me about the copyright? or both?)

 

[Modelworks]

So you mean when I am watching live tv it stutters?("stutters" meaning the video skips in and out of play?)
And after or before I record a show it does what?(says I cannot record it? just warns me about the copyright? or both?)

Not sure what the other poster is talking about. It doesn't skip or stutter and I have never seen a copyright warning or not been able to record something.


I'm using it right now in dual monitors with OTA tv on the main tv and browsing on my main pc and not even the slightest stutter.

For addons look at this site, it covers most of them and how to use them.
http://www.hack7mc.com/

Some of the addons I use:
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/
http://hululauncher.codeplex.com/
http://babgvant.com/files/folders/dvrmstoolbox/entry14770.aspx


Mediabrowser provides all the cover art, box art, plot info, etc.
hululauncher lets you launch hulu desktop from MCE then returns to it after you exit
DVRMSTOOLBOX lets you convert any video to WTV format which means you can then use it natively in MCE without any additional codecs or having to change any of the defaults. Good if you only plan to use MCE.

Make sure you have a lot of free hard drive space for recording video as MCE records HD video at the rate of about 7GB/hour

 

[sivart]

For addons look at this site, it covers most of them and how to use them.
http://www.hack7mc.com/

Some of the addons I use:
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/
http://hululauncher.codeplex.com/
http://babgvant.com/files/folders/dvrmstoolbox/entry14770.aspx


Mediabrowser provides all the cover art, box art, plot info, etc.
hululauncher lets you launch hulu desktop from MCE then returns to it after you exit
DVRMSTOOLBOX lets you convert any video to WTV format which means you can then use it natively in MCE without any additional codecs or having to change any of the defaults. Good if you only plan to use MCE.

Make sure you have a lot of free hard drive space for recording video as MCE records HD video at the rate of about 7GB/hour

I use all but DVRMStoolbox. I don't really keep that many shows and the ones I do I convert to DVRMS format using windows 7 (so it can play on my Vista HTPC, too).

I convert all my movies to ISO files and play them through mediabrowser. I also use Shark007's codecs to play all types of formats.

I've never seen any stuttering or copyright notice. I wonder if the poster is using some other box between the HTPC and his signal?

 

[midrigs]

Some of the addons I use:
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/
http://hululauncher.codeplex.com/
http://babgvant.com/files/folders/dvrmstoolbox/entry14770.aspx


Mediabrowser provides all the cover art, box art, plot info, etc.
hululauncher lets you launch hulu desktop from MCE then returns to it after you exit
DVRMSTOOLBOX lets you convert any video to WTV format which means you can then use it natively in MCE without any additional codecs or having to change any of the defaults. Good if you only plan to use MCE.

Make sure you have a lot of free hard drive space for recording video as MCE records HD video at the rate of about 7GB/hour

Sounds like Mediabrowser is the way to go.
I don't know if i will need hululauncher, I have netflix is there an addon for that?
What is the format that DVRMSTOOLBOX converts the video to? and is it a perminent convert? or just every playback gets converted.... Not sure if i want all my shit converted to something i don't know is compatable with my extenders...(XBOX)
Do you need to have any certain naming scheme for media browser to successfully find the cover art/description?

 

[Modelworks]

Sounds like Mediabrowser is the way to go.
I don't know if i will need hululauncher, I have netflix is there an addon for that?
What is the format that DVRMSTOOLBOX converts the video to? and is it a perminent convert? or just every playback gets converted.... Not sure if i want all my shit converted to something i don't know is compatable with my extenders...(XBOX)
Do you need to have any certain naming scheme for media browser to successfully find the cover art/description?

Netflix has its own plugin for MCE. After you set up MCE you will see a netflix icon next to movies. It works really well inside it.
Hulu I use for current shows because netflix takes awhile to get them.
DVRMSTOOLBOX is mainly for changing file formats and it also works with other programs to remove commercials

Media Browser does expect files to be in a certain layout.
Get the program media center master
It will go through the files you have and download all the covers , descriptions and can also grab torrents of missing files if you want.
http://www.mediacentermaster.com/

The layout I use for files is:
TV\show\season\filename.avi
Movies\movie name\movie.avi/iso

media center master will put the rest of the files where they need to be.

 

[Binky]

Hulu has a "desktop" program that works great with a standard MCE remote. There are one or more utilities out there to add a "Hulu" link on the MCE menu (as linked above by modelworks), but otherwise it just runs on its own. You don't "need" any of these extras.

DVRMStoolbox has two primary uses - remove or mark commercials, and convert to any format you choose. I imagine that most people just use it to mark and skip commercials. You will need to buy a copy of showanalyzer which is the actual commercial skipping program used by DVRMStoolbox. The free commercial skipper (comskip) doesn't work with the new WTV format used in Win7.

Mediabrowser is great but it will take some time to get setup perfectly. Upon first install, it will work, but it doesnt look that great. It also supports extenders, which is very cool.

The OP mentions wireless networking. Just be aware that wireless connections may cause issues. Also, since you mention wireless clients, the Media Center computer serving up all of the media MUST be on a wired connection. Wireless on both ends will not work and it will just cause frustration.

 

[midrigs]

The OP mentions wireless networking. Just be aware that wireless connections may cause issues. Also, since you mention wireless clients, the Media Center computer serving up all of the media MUST be on a wired connection. Wireless on both ends will not work and it will just cause frustration.

It is possible for me to wire both ends, but the HTPC will be connected to the router via ethernet for sure, and down the road when I upgrade the mobo, it will have a 1GB connection. The wireless is just to entertain the Xbox extender/Laptop in other rooms though it is possible to wire this side of it, but it is not conveinient.

I think I have enough information to get started when it comes to WMC...

Now to address the Blu-Ray software/problem, is there an add-in for MCE to play blue rays that get put into the drive?

Would you suggest ripping all my Blu-Rays to my hard drive?

thanks for the help.

 

[Binky]

You will need additional software to play blu-ray's and they cannot be streamed to extenders. The two most popular blu-ray players are PowerDVD and TotalMedia Theatre. They both *almost* integrate into Media Center (they have a menu link and they pretend to be integrated).

http://www.arcsoft.com/en-us/software_title.asp?ProductCode=TMT3P

http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd/overview_en_US.html

They both have trial versions. I'd suggest trying them out. I've had problems with both installed - you may want to try one at a time.

 

[midrigs]

You will need additional software to play blu-ray's and they cannot be streamed to extenders. The two most popular blu-ray players are PowerDVD and TotalMedia Theatre. They both *almost* integrate into Media Center (they have a menu link and they pretend to be integrated).

http://www.arcsoft.com/en-us/software_title.asp?ProductCode=TMT3P

http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd/overview_en_US.html

They both have trial versions. I'd suggest trying them out. I've had problems with both installed - you may want to try one at a time.

I think i have a version of PowerDVD that came with my laptop.... not sure though. Which one has a sleaker interface? and which one is the best quality? (meaning which one doesn't f up as much)

 

[artvscommerce]

Have you looked at XBMC? I like it 1000 times better than Windows 7 Media Center, however it does not do TV recording. I realize this is one of your requirements but if you haven't already, I would check it out anyway. XBMC.org

 

[artvscommerce]

Also, for ripping blu-ray. I use AnyDVD to rip the content to the hard drive. Then I use RipBot264 to compress the raw files to a x264 MKV file. Best way to go IMO! Hopefully you have an i7 system to do the encoding on.

 

[midrigs]

I do have an I7 for the encoding but im not sure that I want to rip all of them, that would consume a lot of my space that I will need for tv recordings....

My next question is what to use for streaming to laptops in the house? MCE? and will that stream my ripped media? (i.e. blu-rays, regular dvd's, music, TV/recorded TV.)

 

[midrigs]

Also, on a second note, When it comes to WMCExtender are there any windows firewall/router settings that need to be configured correctly to connect successfully.... because I have had a lot of trouble in the past connecting my XBOX 360...

 

[Binky]

Win7 automagically configures the firewall for an extender. The only issues I've ever had were when I turned UAC off (odd...?). Leaving UAC on at the lowest level works fine.

The Green Button has great forums for everything related to media center.

 

[Binky]

Media Browser does expect files to be in a certain layout.
Get the program media center master
It will go through the files you have and download all the covers , descriptions and can also grab torrents of missing files if you want.
http://www.mediacentermaster.com/

The layout I use for files is:
TV\show\season\filename.avi
Movies\movie name\movie.avi/iso

I tried media center master last night. GREAT program. It really consolidates a lot of functions into one program. It was also a lot easier to use than I expected when I first read the capabilities. Thanks for the link.

 

[midrigs]

Glad my thread could help other people out as well.

I get my parts for my HTPC tonight, so this thread may have a lot more questions within the next week with questions/problems.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Not sure what the other poster is talking about. It doesn't skip or stutter and I have never seen a copyright warning or not been able to record something.

this issue is the "5 second stutter". the cause is DRM embedded in the picture at the channel's origination. channels known to stutter include AMC, HBO, Speed and National Geographic.

 

[Modelworks]

this issue is the "5 second stutter". the cause is DRM embedded in the picture at the channel's origination. channels known to stutter include AMC, HBO, Speed and National Geographic.

Never heard of that and it doesn't come from the channel uplink. Must be the provider being used or some configuration issues. I captured off c-band straight off the same uplink all the cable companies use and never saw stuttering. I have never seen any source enable the do not record flag on content , it is usually the down link providers doing that on sports material. Another reason I hate to see C-band die.

 

[coolVariable]

this issue is the "5 second stutter". the cause is DRM embedded in the picture at the channel's origination. channels known to stutter include AMC, HBO, Speed and National Geographic.

You mean the the stutter caused by ANALOG reception of AMC, HBO, etc.
I was also referencing all the other stuttering bugs and issues in MC:
1. Stuttering due to playready bug (caused by DRM misfires which cause the file with your content permissions to balloon until it has reached its size limit)
2. Copyright overlay - no watching live TV or recorded TV because of a "copying prohibited" error message (caused by the same problem as #1)
3. 29/59 stutter bug (HDTV only!)
4. AMD/AHCI bug - lots of people report stuttering with SATA drive not operating with AHCI drivers (and then of course there is the problem with AMD AHCI drivers causing a performance loss).
(5. [since Netflix has been mentioned] stuttering when playing Netflix videos due to a lack of hardware acceleration in MSFT's silverlight
6. [again Netflix] slow menus due to some bug in the netflix plugin )

Of course, installing codecs can also screw up playready DRM and cause stuttering. (I know: isn't it FUN?) The best codec pack to avoid that seems to be Sharky007's ...

=> If you are just getting started, I would avoid Win7 MC and go with a totally different solution! Most of the above bugs are 2-4 years old at this point and it seems unlikely that they will EVER be fixed.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

=> If you are just getting started, I would avoid Win7 MC and go with a totally different solution! Most of the above bugs are 2-4 years old at this point and it seems unlikely that they will EVER be fixed.

While I would love to find an alternative to the WMC7, I have had a hard time going through the XBMC POC attempts without having to dig through tons of threads on one issue or another for XBMC. If anyone who prefers the XBMC way would direct us to a posting that does a start to finish configuration for that to get it working I think it would be helpful. In similar threads like this I often find lots of detail from the WMC supporters on how to get things going ( use WMC, then get media browswer, then get hulu plugin etc) while WMC opponents usually say "just get XBMC" and leave it at that.I would like to see some more detail, especially since it does sound like it has some nice advantages if you know what youre doing ( Graphic accel on older hardware, Linux builds etc. )

I think it would help if the OP ( and those of us still looking for the most stable HTPC ) had some details of both of the leading options out there ( WMC and XBMC ) .

 

[midrigs]

I have already undertaken the hole WMC endevor, so its too late to turn back now. I got everything set up almost....until I start to configure software, but before I get going on that....what codec pack would you reccommend? Aaand another thing.... Mediabrowser...how do you configure this...I went to the add-in tab and installed a few of them....just don't know where to take it from there...

Ran into a problem with the cable input though....the video seems to be very bad quality....but when I connect it to the set top box....and then to my tv tuner it works...but I cannot finish the wizard due to my remote not working correctly...

 

[Modelworks]

I have already undertaken the hole WMC endevor, so its too late to turn back now. I got everything set up almost....until I start to configure software, but before I get going on that....what codec pack would you reccommend? Aaand another thing.... Mediabrowser...how do you configure this...I went to the add-in tab and installed a few of them....just don't know where to take it from there...

Ran into a problem with the cable input though....the video seems to be very bad quality....but when I connect it to the set top box....and then to my tv tuner it works...but I cannot finish the wizard due to my remote not working correctly...

Don't install any codec packs yet. Get everything working without it first.
You should be able to play back any avi in divx/xvid format without codec packs and most other formats except for MKV files . Windows doesn't recognize the MKV container but does know how to decode most of the codecs it uses.

Mediabrowser. Install and select a few interfaces then load up MC and it should be in the menu. Select it ,then look for a icon on screen to configure it.

The cable quality can be a lot of things. What does the output look like ? Snowy , interference , dark ?

What remote are you using ?
A standard MCE remote should work out of the box with win7 with no configuration necessary. You should be able to point it at the pc right now and press one of the up/down arrows and have the browser screen scroll.

 

[coolVariable]

I have already undertaken the hole WMC endevor, so its too late to turn back now. I got everything set up almost....until I start to configure software, but before I get going on that....what codec pack would you reccommend? Aaand another thing.... Mediabrowser...how do you configure this...I went to the add-in tab and installed a few of them....just don't know where to take it from there...

Ran into a problem with the cable input though....the video seems to be very bad quality....but when I connect it to the set top box....and then to my tv tuner it works...but I cannot finish the wizard due to my remote not working correctly...

Install Sharky007 codecs - they just "just work"
This should be one of the first things you do, since codecs can screw everything up, so you want to know early (don't spend days making everything just right, only to have codecs screw it up and forcing you to reinstall)