Is HTPC ready?

[blackconure]

I mentioned that because you specifically stated...


[/LIST]
...and you cannot record to a network share in Windows Media Center.

Yes, I originally wanted to DVR to NAS, but it seems that this is problematic at best, even with HD Home Run Prime; as it is more up to what the cable providers allow.

I will tackle that one separately. For now, I think I can live with a Cable set-top with DVR functionality and another box to do the rest. The rest, however, is also not a walk in the park because of blu-ray licensing issues.

So how does the following sound?

In the basement:

• Cable modem
• NAS

In each room:

• NT V6 HTPC with VidOn XBMC/Kodi
• Cable set top box with DVR
• LED TV

The only thing I have not solved is how to run the blu ray from the HTPC. At the moment, this setup will work only if I burn them to the NAS first, so an on-demand play and go can't be done.

Anyone see any issues with this setup?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Looks good.

 

[blackconure]

Thanks PoofyHairGuy (BTW: Love your username!) and everyone else who has contributed.

Now on to the journey of building it out...

 

[poofyhairguy]

Please post some follow up and let us know!

 

[Fallen Kell]

Thanks TastesLikeChicken.

I have Comcast, and everything I have read so far, they seem to be pretty good about not setting the protected flag and allow the copy once. I need to try it in my area though to be sure.

Alternatively, you can use a HDMI capture device combined with a HDMI splitter that strips the HDCP from one of the outputs (since HDCP was designed to be a "1 to 1" handshake and they didn't take into account how it would handle a splitter since that is a "1 to many" handshake, many only handshake on one of the wires and not the other or strip the handshake to the end device entirely (with the splitter responding to the HDCP handshake)). And then you don't need to deal with issues of recording on one device and watching that recording on a different one.

 

[bradly1101]

AFAIK you can't do Cable and OTA with WMC simultaneously.

Why not? With two tuners (one for each signal type) wouldn't Media Center just switch as needed?

 

[NutBucket]

I don't think so. I wish I remembered where I read that.

 

[bradly1101]

I'm sorry I realize that you're going for a totally different setup and I was here touting Media Center.

I realize to use it you need to build a standard PC with relatively robust components depending on your needs, but as a PC it can be loaded up with drives and act as the server too.

WMC just works so well, is very capable, and is super easy to use. With networked tuners (like the HDHR), any PC on the network is a TV with full recording, pausing and DVR functionality with WMC. WMC plays lots of file types including .MKV.

I first used it with XP Media Center Edition, and have found nothing since that works as well. Using a $3.50 app. (Remote Potato) my partner streams full HD out of this box for the TV shows he mostly likes (news), which works for all non-premium channels recorded by WMC.

I checked processor load while he's streaming, WMC is playing an HD show and six HD shows are recording and this i7 920 barely breaks a sweat at 35% load.

 

[piasabird]

My mom asked me to come by one day to see what was wrong with her 60" Samsung Smart HDTV. I got there and she had some kind of large piece of fabric on the living room floor. She had pushed the coffee table over in front of the TV cabinet and it was blocking the infra-red signal. I simply went to the coffee table and used the remote by pulling the coffee table out 6 inches to get a line of sight from the remote.

Some people have not mastered the remote control yet. These HDTV's can be somewhat difficult to control even with a remote control. Just going from the DVD player to the cable requires a person to change the source.

 

[blackconure]

Not to get too much off topic, my mom, when she first started using computers, tried to do everything in MS Word. Including trying to copy files to USB keys and the computer. Eeek. She also couldn't understand why she couldn't open other files like pictures and pdfs.

Anyway, back on post.....I went ahead and purchased the NT-V6 and it should be here in a week or so. I did however get a reply back from VidOn.me staying their XBMC works on Allwinner and AmLogic chipsets, but this box is a RockChip, so we will see.

The part of their software that gives BluRay navigation is their membership. Not exactly sure why it needs a service to operate, unless it is just a revenue generator scheme.


This or next week they will introduce the service for boxes other than their own. So by the time my box arrives, they will have the service available. It is $15/year.

I will keep everyone posted as I go through it. Ask away if you have any questions.

 

[melloyellow]

My mom asked me to come by one day to see what was wrong with her 60" Samsung Smart HDTV. I got there and she had some kind of large piece of fabric on the living room floor. She had pushed the coffee table over in front of the TV cabinet and it was blocking the infra-red signal. I simply went to the coffee table and used the remote by pulling the coffee table out 6 inches to get a line of sight from the remote.

Some people have not mastered the remote control yet. These HDTV's can be somewhat difficult to control even with a remote control. Just going from the DVD player to the cable requires a person to change the source.

i hate remote controls. not reliable enough and oftentimes no feedback if something isn't working or didn't register, especially with "universal" remotes like logitech harmony. I want to go to htpc just to get away from IR remotes and move to either RF keyboard/mouse or wifi phone/tablet for control.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I want to go to htpc just to get away from IR remotes and move to either RF keyboard/mouse or wifi phone/tablet for control.

We are there. I use my phone to control my HTPCs most of the time. My TV also has an app, and if I wanted a AV receiver with an app I could get one. Your dream of a remoteless system exists. The problem is teaching my wife three apps is harder than training "when you hit the Harmony Activity button, make sure you hold up the remote at head level and point it directly at the TV."

 

[blackconure]

Love you guys! I thought I was the only one who had to deal with this kind of stuff. Apparently I am not alone. :biggrin:

 

[melloyellow]

We are there. I use my phone to control my HTPCs most of the time. My TV also has an app, and if I wanted a AV receiver with an app I could get one. Your dream of a remoteless system exists. The problem is teaching my wife three apps is harder than training "when you hit the Harmony Activity button, make sure you hold up the remote at head level and point it directly at the TV."

maybe we just need one "harmony universal remote app" that does the same thing as the harmony remote but uses wifi and communicates to all the devices through the app interface.

Turning everything on/off is one challenge, but navigating is another challenge also. I just recently got a chromecast, and the user interface experience for netflix/youtube works surprisingly well here. The biggest problem is that even though it can turn the tv on through hdmi-cec, it doesn't seem to be able to turn the tv off (wtf). It also doesn't seem to control volume through hdmi-cec. Still, it's progress, and we're slowly getting there...

 

[Fallen Kell]

maybe we just need one "harmony universal remote app" that does the same thing as the harmony remote but uses wifi and communicates to all the devices through the app interface.

Turning everything on/off is one challenge, but navigating is another challenge also. I just recently got a chromecast, and the user interface experience for netflix/youtube works surprisingly well here. The biggest problem is that even though it can turn the tv on through hdmi-cec, it doesn't seem to be able to turn the tv off (wtf). It also doesn't seem to control volume through hdmi-cec. Still, it's progress, and we're slowly getting there...

The real issue is lack of feedback from the devices it is controlling. The true ultimate solution is that devices use a common interface standard, with an API which is fully "stateful" in the sense that your device responds back to a command with a success or failure (with no response considered a failure), and also have a way to query the current state it is in, so that full control can actually be achieved without problems no matter how the command was sent to the system.

 

[poofyhairguy]

maybe we just need one "harmony universal remote app" that does the same thing as the harmony remote but uses wifi and communicates to all the devices through the app interface.

Actually you just described to a T what the current high-end Harmony product is:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...po_sbs_dp_ss_2

It uses IR blasters to make it work.

Turning everything on/off is one challenge, but navigating is another challenge also.

That is why on my list of HTPC software requirements the GUI is #2 right behind file compatibility. There are some Kodi skins a three year old could use with a remote.

I just recently got a chromecast, and the user interface experience for netflix/youtube works surprisingly well here. The biggest problem is that even though it can turn the tv on through hdmi-cec, it doesn't seem to be able to turn the tv off (wtf). It also doesn't seem to control volume through hdmi-cec. Still, it's progress, and we're slowly getting there...

I find CEC to be incredibly annoying personally because it is so hit or miss with functionality so I turn it all off. There just is no replacement for a well programmed universal remote if the goal is a high WAF.

 

[melloyellow]

actually, this discussion got me back thinking back towards using htpc only - no other sources. no roku, no appletv, no chromecast, no firetv, no playstation, no xbox, no cable box, no dvr, no satelite box - nothing else but tv, htpc, and audio receiver/amp.

imo, if htpc is "ready" then that is the cleanest solution. if you want to watch dvd/bluray, put it in the htpc. if you want to watch netflix/youtube or other web video, load it up on the htpc. if you want to play games, use steam or emulators. if it's not available through these media, forget it. make them come to us instead of us coming to them. espn and the console game platforms are strong, but the cracks are starting to show. Perhaps someday soon they'll cave, but in the meantime, I don't need them, and neither does anybody else in the household.

With only these 3 devices, there's not much to mess up either. If you don't see the picture, turn the tv on. If you don't hear audio, turn the amp/receiver on. If nothing works, turn the computer on. While it would be nice to have hdmi-cec or harmony remote or whatever else to handle turning on/off these devices together, I think anybody who has used a computer before knows to turn on the monitor and turn on the speakers, so they should be able to figure this out. It's still the same pc+display+speakers, just bigger. I might have to go cover up all the other buttons on the tv and the amp/receiver, so that they can't mess it up. The only button is the power button. And wireless keyboard/mouse as the UI for navigation. That should set the baseline that handles everything necessary, and then everything else (hdmi-cec, app control, auto-play, etc.) is gravy. But it's really about getting rid of everything other than what you actually need - no extra buttons anywhere for someone to press to mess things up.

 

[blackconure]

And THAT my little yellow friend, is what I was originally after.

But as far as I can tell, we are not there yet. Close, but that last 10% is exponentially harder to achieve. So I am going to settle for two boxes. Cable w/dvr and the HTPC micro. I think I can live with burning all the DVDs to a NAS, just as long as the NAS is not in the same room, nor need any attention.

The NT-V6 has HDMI in so that will be interesting to see what I can use that for and if it will help streamline things. I.e. Not require switching of input on the TV. Just pick from the menu to watch tv and it pulls from the HDMI.

Not exactly perfect, but perhaps getting close enough....we shall see.

 

[BurnItDwn]

This sounds like a good way to get your wife off of the couch and away from the TV