HTPC without DVR/PVR features.

[polm]

Originally I was considering just running TV-out from my primary workstation, but I have this old PC lying around.

The old PC is a P3/733 with 128mb RAM and a 9 gig HD.

I want to setup the old PC to play the movies/TV/music that I have stored on my primary workstation.

Does this sound like a workable solution?

Also, any suggestions on a PCI video card to support the TV-Out?

 

[mzkhadir]

probably not because of movie decoding. It will take up ram. What OS are you setting up. In the hot deals forum, there is a kworld hdtv tuner for about 50-60 dollars.

 

[mugs]

Should be able to handle it I think. I had a PC with similar specs in college and it had no trouble playing vidoes over the network. Not sure about more modern codecs though.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I'd bump up the RAM.

- M4H

 

[funboy6942]

More ram and it shouldn't be any problem at all. Min of 256mb. I was watching tv on my old PIII 500 back in the day, so as long as your not talking HDTV you should be fine.
Hell 128mb should be fine if your running win 95/98, if xp your going to need a min of 256.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Ug, I just worked on a compaq here at work that is a 733mhz p3 with 256MB of ram and it was DOG slow. It was running xp but I can't understand why anyone would want to use such a thing. In the long run it would be better to build a super cheap PC with a Sempron.

 

[SpazzyChicken]

When I was playing around with mythtv a few years ago it was on a pIII 733. It worked fine. Don't know about today's standards though. Are you viewing xvid.....mpeg4......????

I would bump up the ram though.

 

[Staples]

No, that won't be adequate. The processor is way too slow for mpeg4 codecs.

 

[polm]

I just found 512mb of RAM I can add. Plus the board does indeed have an AGP slot, and I can use my old Rage128 with TV-Tuner and TV-Out.

My plan was to use the Knoppix MythTV distro.

No, that won't be adequate. The processor is way too slow for mpeg4 codecs.

That sux. I guess I'll find out for sure later today when I get it all setup.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Set it up and try it. Not like that costs anything to do.

 

[Martin]

Should work, I have something similar - a Duron 750 (or 700, I can't remember) with 256mb ram and a TV out on the video card. Hooked it up to the TV and stereo and works pretty well - watch shows and movies, put on music, show pictures etc.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

To be honest, for video it'll probably be very borderline, and depend on how well you can optimize the system.

Newer video codecs such as h.264 will be unplayable for certain, and even older things like divx and xvid might be sketchy depending on the resolution of the video.

In any case, I'd say it's at least worth a shot, since you already have it.

 

[polm]

Alright, so far so good.

I've setup the PC with 512mb of RAM. I'm using the LiveCD version of GeeXBoX (http://geexbox.org) and connecting to an SMB share on my primary workstation where I store all of my media.

I've watched ripped DVD's, and TV shows from the newsgroups all across the LAN and not a single hiccup or stutter. MP3's and even shoutcast support are working, too. I'm using an old Joystick as a remote.

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: polm
Alright, so far so good.

I've setup the PC with 512mb of RAM. I'm using the LiveCD version of GeeXBoX (http://geexbox.org) and connecting to an SMB share on my primary workstation where I store all of my media.

I've watched ripped DVD's, and TV shows from the newsgroups all across the LAN and not a single hiccup or stutter. MP3's and even shoutcast support are working, too. I'm using an old Joystick as a remote.

If a xbox can stream, play dvd's, divx, games, and what not I honestly dont see why people were doubting this wouldnt. My old rig with a old rage AIW did a great gob chugging with a old PIII 500. No surprise to me why its working for you. Now hd and other newer HD codec, that may be a problem , but tv, dvd, divix, you know, it works.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

Originally posted by: funboy42
If a xbox can stream, play dvd's, divx, games, and what not I honestly dont see why people were doubting this wouldnt. My old rig with a old rage AIW did a great gob chugging with a old PIII 500. No surprise to me why its working for you. Now hd and other newer HD codec, that may be a problem , but tv, dvd, divix, you know, it works.

I suspect a lot of us were doubting it because of the amount of memory originally mentioned. Jumping from 128MB to 512MB indeed does make a massive amount of difference. Additionally, I personally was assuming a Windows OS of some kind. Obviously, a decent Linux-based live CD is going to have much less painful overhead.

OP: Good to hear it's working for you. Try not to get bit by the upgrade bug too soon! :thumbsup:

 

[Staples]

Originally posted by: funboy42

Originally posted by: polm
Alright, so far so good.

I've setup the PC with 512mb of RAM. I'm using the LiveCD version of GeeXBoX (http://geexbox.org) and connecting to an SMB share on my primary workstation where I store all of my media.

I've watched ripped DVD's, and TV shows from the newsgroups all across the LAN and not a single hiccup or stutter. MP3's and even shoutcast support are working, too. I'm using an old Joystick as a remote.

If a xbox can stream, play dvd's, divx, games, and what not I honestly dont see why people were doubting this wouldnt. My old rig with a old rage AIW did a great gob chugging with a old PIII 500. No surprise to me why its working for you. Now hd and other newer HD codec, that may be a problem , but tv, dvd, divix, you know, it works.

Good point.

The only reason I doubted that it would work is because I knew someone very cheap running a P3 750MHz and he watched tons of anime stuff. He always had to transcode stuff because his system could not handle it in real time. Believe it or not, he finally just upgraded. I can't believe hed went through so much trouble for years just to save $200.

Glad to hear that it is working for the OP.

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: Staples

Originally posted by: funboy42

Originally posted by: polm
Alright, so far so good.

I've setup the PC with 512mb of RAM. I'm using the LiveCD version of GeeXBoX (http://geexbox.org) and connecting to an SMB share on my primary workstation where I store all of my media.

I've watched ripped DVD's, and TV shows from the newsgroups all across the LAN and not a single hiccup or stutter. MP3's and even shoutcast support are working, too. I'm using an old Joystick as a remote.

If a xbox can stream, play dvd's, divx, games, and what not I honestly dont see why people were doubting this wouldnt. My old rig with a old rage AIW did a great gob chugging with a old PIII 500. No surprise to me why its working for you. Now hd and other newer HD codec, that may be a problem , but tv, dvd, divix, you know, it works.

Good point.

The only reason I doubted that it would work is because I knew someone very cheap running a P3 750MHz and he watched tons of anime stuff. He always had to transcode stuff because his system could not handle it in real time. Believe it or not, he finally just upgraded. I can't believe hed went through so much trouble for years just to save $200.

Glad to hear that it is working for the OP.

Xbox runs but a cheap PIII and only 256mb of mem with a slim down Geforce 256 graphics card, hacked you would be very suprised at what it will run. 512mb of mem, unless he is running XP, is actually overkill for that set up and what he is using it for