HTPC Software

[UpstartXT]

I got some advice from a friend about the advantages of a HTPC in combination with a WHS.

On his recommendation I built my own HTPC and a WHS. I now have 10 TB on my WHS of Blu-Ray backups in folder structure (duplication is on, so really 5 TB).

I use WMC combined with MyMovies to view my collection, and then have MyMovies tell WMC to launch Total Media Theatre 3 Platinum when I hit play.

My HTPC has an ATI 4890 for a GPU, which I connect to my A/V receiver with HDMI. It passes both video and audio. I set TMT3 to 5.1 sound (I have a 5.1 speaker setup).

When I'm at my other desktop just hanging out, I walk to the HTPC, put in a movie, go back to my desktop, remote in, and run MyMovies' collection management. Because I have AnyDVD, I then can rip the movie from collection management. Doing it this way gives me more control, allowing me to change source data as well as change disc options for multi-disc titles.

For control, I bought a cheap WMC remote and usb infrared receiver, and put the remote in storage. I taught my Logitech Harmony One remote to be a WMC remote and use the receiver.

However, I have run into some problems:

-I often turn on my TV and receiver to find that WMC is taking up a quarter of the screen instead of being full screen. I can't make it fullscreen without busting out a keyboard and mouse and hitting maximize.

-Sometimes I turn on my TV and receiver and I have no sound. I mess around with the sound configuration thoroughly, but nothing seems to fix it besides restarting. You wouldn't know anything was wrong looking at the sound panel. The device is enabled and at full volume and the usual settings.

-Very occasionally I will turn on my TV and receiver and WMC is unresponsive. I then have to bust out the keyboard and mouse and hit the "x" and open WMC back up again.

-Sometimes I turn on my TV and receiver and get an ATI Catalyst Control center message stating that the display driver has some sort of issue.

I am trying to get my HTPC to the point where I never have to bust out my keyboard and mouse. I can do everything with just the remote. Is this possible? Anyone have success? Obviously with the above problems I am not there yet.

Also, what other software/plugins/settings are people out there using?

 

[jtvang125]

Sounds like some of your issues might be a hdmi handshake issue. Try connecting the hptc directly to the tv for a few days and see if you're getting the same audio and video problems. I know on mine the audio would go out every now and then and I'll have to power cycle the receiver (common problem on denon receivers i've heard).

Back then I was also getting a bunch of catalyst errors too and turns out it was a bad video card. I haven't had much time to mess around with mine lately but I just recently got hardware acceleration and HD bitstreaming working. Now I just need to get it to come out of standby when I hit one button on my harmony and to go back into standby when I press off.

I recommend getting one of those wireless keyboards with a trackpad strictly for the htpc. Not only will it save you the hassle of connecting a mouse and kb everything you need them but also comes real handy for browsing the net and youtube stuff.

 

[JAG87]

I recommend just switching to XBMC and be done with all your problems. Unless lossless audio bitstreaming is that important to you...

 

[The Boston Dangler]

I often turn on my TV and receiver to find that WMC is taking up a quarter of the screen instead of being full screen. I can't make it fullscreen without busting out a keyboard and mouse and hitting maximize.

i'm using a harmony one also. if your wmc remote has a fullscreen button, you can add the command as a custom button (or any button really). if it's not on the original, you can still make a button on the harmony perform the keyboard command. with an imon receiver the program being controlled must be in focus/fullscreen, i don't know if that's true for the wmc remotes.

my next step is to make buttons to go straight to tv instead of the welcome screen, and wmc off.

 

[Modelworks]

The way HDMI handshaking works is the device outputting the content will query each connected device when the player is initialized. That means that the tv or audio gear need to be present when the software starts up, before you ever select what to play. If you turn on the devices after the player is loaded chances are it will not be initialized correctly. Try turning on the audio amp and the tv before you turn on the HTPC.

lastly have you tried using one of the set top box players ? the wdtv live plus can play anything the HTPC can , about the only thing you would be missing is the mymovies setup and it does some of that too. I was heavily into HTPC until I started looking at the players. The ability to just plug something in and have it work with no messing with software or configurations is great.

 

[vshah]

I recommend just switching to XBMC and be done with all your problems. Unless lossless audio bitstreaming is that important to you...

i think the latest versions support bitstreaming the newer formats

i have a 5450 running a slightly older version, and I can definitely bitstream regular dolby/dts over hdmi.

 

[UpstartXT]

Try connecting the hptc directly to the tv for a few days and see if you're getting the same audio and video problems.

I just recently got hardware acceleration and HD bitstreaming working.

I recommend getting one of those wireless keyboards with a trackpad strictly for the htpc. Not only will it save you the hassle of connecting a mouse and kb everything you need them but also comes real handy for browsing the net and youtube stuff.

I can't really go straight to the TV because the TV is actually a projector so no audio.

I have no idea what hardware acceleration and HD bitstreaming are. Is there somewhere I can read up on this or can I get a quick explanation?

I will definitely look into a wireless keyboard with trackpad, that sounds like a great idea.

I recommend just switching to XBMC and be done with all your problems. Unless lossless audio bitstreaming is that important to you...

I have heard a lot of people talking about XBMC, but I just am in love with the MyMovies interface as well as collection management due to the way it handles multi-disc titles. Although, however it's getting movie synopses it doesn't work well. There are a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes. How is XBMC for handling a movie database? Can it play folder structure Blu-Ray movies saved on my server?

i'm using a harmony one also. if your wmc remote has a fullscreen button, you can add the command as a custom button (or any button really). if it's not on the original, you can still make a button on the harmony perform the keyboard command. with an imon receiver the program being controlled must be in focus/fullscreen, i don't know if that's true for the wmc remotes.

my next step is to make buttons to go straight to tv instead of the welcome screen, and wmc off.

Excellent tip about the full-screen thing, I will look into that.

As for the straight to tv thing, http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/10854/automatically-start-windows-7-media-center-in-live-tv-mode/

The way HDMI handshaking works is the device outputting the content will query each connected device when the player is initialized. That means that the tv or audio gear need to be present when the software starts up, before you ever select what to play. If you turn on the devices after the player is loaded chances are it will not be initialized correctly. Try turning on the audio amp and the tv before you turn on the HTPC.

lastly have you tried using one of the set top box players ? the wdtv live plus can play anything the HTPC can , about the only thing you would be missing is the mymovies setup and it does some of that too. I was heavily into HTPC until I started looking at the players. The ability to just plug something in and have it work with no messing with software or configurations is great.

First part: very interesting. I could tell something like this was going on but I didn't know exactly what. I'm thinking perhaps having the computer go to sleep when I hit the power off button on my remote, then having everything BUT the HTPC turn on when I hit power on, followed by a little delay, then having the HTPC come out of sleep may fix this?

I don't know much about set top boxes. I was planning on getting a Ceton InfiniTV tuner card so I can watch digital cable through WMC and use my WHS as a file space to record TV to. That way I can extend to my other TVs throughout the apartment with Xbox's and watch recorded and live TV.

i think the latest versions support bitstreaming the newer formats

i have a 5450 running a slightly older version, and I can definitely bitstream regular dolby/dts over hdmi.

Again, what is bitstreaming lol.

 

[vshah]

bitstreaming is getting the computer to pass the raw audio data (dolby digital, dts, or the newer dolby trueHD or dts master audio) directly to your receiver in a still-encoded state. that way, your receiver is doing the decoding instead of your computer.

 

[0roo0roo]

did you set wmc to start with windows?
mine seems to start full screen
only issue is when something like an update pop up pops up and the maximized window stops being the active window for a moment

 

[Aikouka]

That's odd with your audio going out. I noticed some weird things happening, but it was with an Intel i3 system using integrated graphics rather than an ATi card, and the problem I was having there was with my video resolution getting set to something small (800x600 or so) instead of 1080p. My system that uses an ATi Radeon 5450 has no problems with screen size or audio dropping. Both of my receivers are Denons (1610 and 1910).

I recommend just switching to XBMC and be done with all your problems. Unless lossless audio bitstreaming is that important to you...

But he's using a 4000-series ATi card anyway... if I remember correctly, those don't support bitstreaming as that feature was added in the 5000 series.

EDIT:

Although, I talked about having weird Windows resolution issues, those would be "temporarily solved" when XBMC booted as I manually set the resolution inside of it. WMC is a bit more streamlined, but in some ways... XBMC's settings can be helpful.