First of all, so there is no ambiguity, please check this diagram for the setup I am referring to:
http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=setuppn1.png
So, here's what I want to do, in a nutshell:
Download videos (anime for example) and rip music onto the E8400 machine in the bedroom.
Share the files on the network
Make the videos / music play on the P4 machine seamlessly by either streaming on the home network,
(I already have it handled up to this point)
or, if that is not fast enough, have the P4 automatically download the files to its own hard drive - *** this is the part I'm not sure about ***
Now, I have tried to stream videos on home networks before, with mixed results. Sometimes the videos play seamlessly, sometimes the videos experiences some "lag and catching up." That is why I think the P4 machine might need to download the files directly over the internet. I would like this downloading to be fully AUTOMATIC.
As far as the P4 rig goes, it is TOTALLY FAIR GAME. I want it to be a convenient media center that can be run 100% from my sofa, using a very good bluetooth keyboard/touchpad mouse combo that I already own (logitech dinovo)
That said, I am willing to strip the P4 of winXP and replace it with just about anything, Linux, vista (probably could use RAM upgrade), whatever makes my life easy and lets me easily organize and play all my media on the plasma/home theater system. Budget for upgrading the P4 rig would be about $200 hard maximum, if hardware/software is required.
(That is to say, something "prettier" than just browsing through folders. Something reminiscent of AppleTV perhaps.)
If it will help, I can purchase a copy of something like Windows Home Server to run in VMware on the E8400 machine. Not sure if I need to go this far, though.
********************
Next: I am entertaining the idea of turning one of these rigs (probably the faster one, for better realtime encoding) into a TIVO style DVR. What is the best way to do this when I have a Cable box to contend with? How do those TV tuner cards handle changing channels on a cable box?
Thanks in advance!
Specs on the P4 system:
P4 northwood 3.0GHz
800MHZ FSB
1GB DDR something
2x80GB SATA I hard drives
Abit IC7-G mobo
not overclocked / stock spec
http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=setuppn1.png
So, here's what I want to do, in a nutshell:
Download videos (anime for example) and rip music onto the E8400 machine in the bedroom.
Share the files on the network
Make the videos / music play on the P4 machine seamlessly by either streaming on the home network,
(I already have it handled up to this point)
or, if that is not fast enough, have the P4 automatically download the files to its own hard drive - *** this is the part I'm not sure about ***
Now, I have tried to stream videos on home networks before, with mixed results. Sometimes the videos play seamlessly, sometimes the videos experiences some "lag and catching up." That is why I think the P4 machine might need to download the files directly over the internet. I would like this downloading to be fully AUTOMATIC.
As far as the P4 rig goes, it is TOTALLY FAIR GAME. I want it to be a convenient media center that can be run 100% from my sofa, using a very good bluetooth keyboard/touchpad mouse combo that I already own (logitech dinovo)
That said, I am willing to strip the P4 of winXP and replace it with just about anything, Linux, vista (probably could use RAM upgrade), whatever makes my life easy and lets me easily organize and play all my media on the plasma/home theater system. Budget for upgrading the P4 rig would be about $200 hard maximum, if hardware/software is required.
(That is to say, something "prettier" than just browsing through folders. Something reminiscent of AppleTV perhaps.)
If it will help, I can purchase a copy of something like Windows Home Server to run in VMware on the E8400 machine. Not sure if I need to go this far, though.
********************
Next: I am entertaining the idea of turning one of these rigs (probably the faster one, for better realtime encoding) into a TIVO style DVR. What is the best way to do this when I have a Cable box to contend with? How do those TV tuner cards handle changing channels on a cable box?
Thanks in advance!
Specs on the P4 system:
P4 northwood 3.0GHz
800MHZ FSB
1GB DDR something
2x80GB SATA I hard drives
Abit IC7-G mobo
not overclocked / stock spec
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