HTPC, VidCds&Gfx, or Both? Straddling the game, media and multi-mon divide

[BonzaiDuck]

Generally, the dedicated gamer rigs have ambitions for three monitors, likely with "extended desktop," and SLI/Xfire configurations.

The committed HTPC enthusiasts lean toward building a single dedicated rig for their Home Theater -- often in a case that looks like an AVR chassis.

There's another group of folks who bridge those other two cohorts: They want gaming with SLI and media -- perhaps HT capability.

Somewhere in this mix, there is a group who refuses to "specialize" any computer in particular. Instead, it may be question of port-availability, power considerations -- other factors.

And among those include a few who both differentiate and overlap their applications between two or more monitors.

There are complications -- such as integration of monitors with different resolutions and scan rate.

Then there's the question as to how the "Manage 3D Settings" should be tweaked. For instance, in SLI there are Max 3d, Surround and Surround subsettings -- or "Disable SLI." How do you choose the OpenGL items?

Once you start answering those questions, the thread is definitely in Vid&Grx forum territory.

For messing with hardware and configuring it, the specialization toward the extremes may be the easier for setup and maintenance.

On the other hand, if something can be done, then why not? And if anybody responds to this thread, then I ask you: Where shall we take this discussion?:\:sneaky:

 

[poofyhairguy]

I think the goal to have a single do-it-all entertainment box is complete folly. Certain devices/systems have advantages that others don't, and often you end up suboptimal hacks trying to create a jack of all trades. I am all about having an optimal experience for each entertainment platform, which means a lot of devices/boxes.

For example, in my main home theater area I have the following entertainment boxes:

-A DirecTV box with a full sub
-A Samsung Smart and 3D Blu Ray player with wifi
-A Linux-based HTPC for media
-A Windows based HTPC for gaming

Plus a 360, a Smart TV, and an old PS3. Each device has some clear advantage (or maybe more than one) over the other devices. Nothing I have is a compromised experience, and a well programmed Harmony cuts through the device madness.

I think in this segment you end up with a mix of two expectation extremes which lead people to sub-optimal jack-of-all trades solutions:

-For PC and computer folk they are so used to the power of a general purpose computer that they check off the boxes without thinking about the optimal, remote driven 10 foot experience. A PC nerd would force my Windows Gaming machine to do it all, and they would deal with a crappy metro Netflix app, or hacky scripts to launch Blu Ray software when a disk in inserted, or a huge power bill when that GPU alone eats more than my Chromebox does, or just have it all be controlled by a wireless keyboard and mouse because they can figure it out so why can't their wife/mom/guest?

-For the console and mobile device crowd there is this obsession with making everything work on the boxes they have because they fear a lack of simplicity (and remote juggling). So you end up with people running funky transcoding DLNA servers just to force the PS3 or the Blu Ray player to play files that they were never meant to play, and in the case of the PS3 Sony tried to keep you from playing.

Both sides can learn from each other. The PC people could learn the value of a simpler ten foot experience, and accept the fact that all the overclocked cores in the world won't make the Windows Netflix app better than the Roku one. The console/mobile people could learn to accept some extra complication and another box in their life that can do more than what the traditional entertainment experience provides. Both sides need to buy a Logitech Harmony to deal with the part of the experience where they are personally weakest, and then everyone would be better off.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I think the goal to have a single do-it-all entertainment box is complete folly. Certain devices/systems have advantages that others don't, and often you end up suboptimal hacks trying to create a jack of all trades. I am all about having an optimal experience for each entertainment platform, which means a lot of devices/boxes.

For example, in my main home theater area I have the following entertainment boxes:

-A DirecTV box with a full sub
-A Samsung Smart and 3D Blu Ray player with wifi
-A Linux-based HTPC for media
-A Windows based HTPC for gaming

Plus a 360, a Smart TV, and an old PS3. Each device has some clear advantage (or maybe more than one) over the other devices. Nothing I have is a compromised experience, and a well programmed Harmony cuts through the device madness.

I think in this segment you end up with a mix of two expectation extremes which lead people to sub-optimal jack-of-all trades solutions:

-For PC and computer folk they are so used to the power of a general purpose computer that they check off the boxes without thinking about the optimal, remote driven 10 foot experience. A PC nerd would force my Windows Gaming machine to do it all, and they would deal with a crappy metro Netflix app, or hacky scripts to launch Blu Ray software when a disk in inserted, or a huge power bill when that GPU alone eats more than my Chromebox does, or just have it all be controlled by a wireless keyboard and mouse because they can figure it out so why can't their wife/mom/guest?

-For the console and mobile device crowd there is this obsession with making everything work on the boxes they have because they fear a lack of simplicity (and remote juggling). So you end up with people running funky transcoding DLNA servers just to force the PS3 or the Blu Ray player to play files that they were never meant to play, and in the case of the PS3 Sony tried to keep you from playing.

Both sides can learn from each other. The PC people could learn the value of a simpler ten foot experience, and accept the fact that all the overclocked cores in the world won't make the Windows Netflix app better than the Roku one. The console/mobile people could learn to accept some extra complication and another box in their life that can do more than what the traditional entertainment experience provides. Both sides need to buy a Logitech Harmony to deal with the part of the experience where they are personally weakest, and then everyone would be better off.

That's an interesting perspective! And -- I'm likely to have some views in response! But I need to think about your perspective! Can't decide whether to return to this post with an "EDIT", or add another thread! But I have to think about it!

Meanwhile, I'm going to look at the Logitech Harmony, because I never heard of it before. Also, I have some positive results to report on the KVM-with-HDMI-switch project, but there's another thread for that.

 

[poofyhairguy]

A Harmony is a remote that you can program macros into. What that effectively means is all the hard stuff in AV- switching inputs, controlling different devices with different remotes, making it so the same remote controls the GUI and volume (which is a difference device)- gets hidden inside the remote's programing.

It is genius and it is the backbone of my ENTIRE setup across my house. My wife can barely use Word and she runs through my huge media library like a pro, all because I filed off the sharp edges with a lot of Harmony trial and error.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

A Harmony is a remote that you can program macros into. What that effectively means is all the hard stuff in AV- switching inputs, controlling different devices with different remotes, making it so the same remote controls the GUI and volume (which is a difference device)- gets hidden inside the remote's programing.

It is genius and it is the backbone of my ENTIRE setup across my house. My wife can barely use Word and she runs through my huge media library like a pro, all because I filed off the sharp edges with a lot of Harmony trial and error.

Hmm. What should I do . . . . with the money I saved . . . by supplementing my old KVM with a Sewell IBIS? Hmm . . .

Ohboyohboyohboy! I see that there's at least a couple of these Harmony gadgets. Some work [in some way for which I'm not yet clear] with I-pad, iphone, android etc. etc. and your PC's, MAC etc. They look like rechargeable devices with base stations which may do more than charge -- dunno. Those are nearly $200 clams. The Harmony 350 is $50, and consolidates all your remotes.

Hmm . . . Mmm . . mmm. . . MMMmmm . . ! Countin' my money here . . . countin' mah money . . . .

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Well, back to topic . . .

This reminds me of the little graph provided in the Asus AI Suite software which address the "power mode." There's a performance corner, a power-saving corner -- maybe a "reliability" corner. There are compromises.

Now -- Poofyhairguy says he's discriminating in his Media PC tastes. There's much to be said for that, and with that purist approach and view of things, that's probably optimal for anyone with such a focus.

The gamer will probably use HDMI, DVI-to-HDMI and/or DisplayPort -- whatever is available -- and shop for a bargain on three identical monitors he prefers.

So I spend a lot of time in this room -- fireplace, couch, desk, bookshelves, computer-parts . . . my HT cabinet. I've got a monitor for the desktop which also serves for gaming. I've got a AVR/TV on the opposite side of the room for the obvious purpose -- but also with game-potential. I've got this . . . KVM klooged together with a (really neato) bi-direct'l HDMI switch. There's a server on the KVM with its own analog connection to a 4:3 monitor (but I suspect that it, too, has fully digital potential.)

If I can make all this stuff work together -- overclock my SLI rig, configure my two HDHR'-s -- there may be some insight for everyone. I'll be modest, mind you -- it's just another corner on that AI-Suite graph. Or it's . . . somewhere in the middle . . . :biggrin:

 

[Aikouka]

I've had a hard time finding a replacement remote. I mean... I love my Gyration remotes, but both of them have started losing functionality over the past few weeks. Even more unfortunate is that Gyration doesn't make them anymore! The biggest issue with finding a replacement is that most remotes are IR, and I don't want an IR remote. I also like the mouse functionality of the Gyration remote.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've had a hard time finding a replacement remote. I mean... I love my Gyration remotes, but both of them have started losing functionality over the past few weeks. Even more unfortunate is that Gyration doesn't make them anymore! The biggest issue with finding a replacement is that most remotes are IR, and I don't want an IR remote. I also like the mouse functionality of the Gyration remote.

Ah feel yur pain!

I think that might be the point of going the Android or I-phone route. I just haven't begun to figure out how to do it.

I'm just lucky about my panic some years back when I thought I lost my Green-button remote. So I've got a spare -- with a spare receiver. I used a powered USB cable -- I think it was called a "repeater" cable or something like that -- so I could run it around the room. Had to be a $20 item. I have a spare one of those, too, but I think I'm actually using both of 'em right now.

I'll have to investigate this Logitech Harmony. It's just that the options for controlling things have exceeded my skill and understanding. It's the aging process, I guess.

Endeavor . . . to Persevere!!

 

[Aikouka]

I think that might be the point of going the Android or I-phone route. I just haven't begun to figure out how to do it.

I've done that before, and I'm not a huge fan of it. I prefer dedicated remotes, because if company is over, I don't want to have to give them my phone.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've done that before, and I'm not a huge fan of it. I prefer dedicated remotes, because if company is over, I don't want to have to give them my phone.

And. . . it's more "extra stuff" on my plate. I'm still tweakin' my system -- with or without any "remote" or "I-phone" access.

I'm still looking into the Harmony remotes.

Anyway, per this thread topic, I posted another thread over at Vid & Gfx today. I'm still experimenting with tweaks to "3D Management" in NV Ctrl Panel.

There are "quirks" with running MC with SLI enabled. They appear to be fixed, but I have to wait and see. So far, I don't see any problems of a significant kind or even the performance sort with my "blended" systems.

And many times, one learns to . . . . "work with the quirk."