Plex updated - Media Stream skin now default

[Kaido]

hawt

Can't wait until this is fully released! They're still working on getting streaming perfect, but so far I'm VERY pleased. It pplays my ISOs just fine, and I learned you can add Album Art to ISO files by dropping a JPG in the same directory and renaming the extension to TBN (so "Back to the Future.ISO" would have "Back to the Future.TBN", as a renamed JPG, in the same directory) - Google Images brings up Album Art ASAP (you can filter by size at the top, so you can get a good-quality image for preview on your TV).

It also plays (and more importantly STREAMS) 1080p x264 MKV files just fine. Blu-ray, HD-DVD, and HDTV rips will stream and play perfectly across a Gigabit network. I spent some time playing with it last night and it played EVERYTHING I had perfectly, although when fast fowarding I'd sometimes have to hit Pause then Play to get it to stream in normal-time instead of slow-mo (this is an issue they are currently working on). This plus an HD Tivo would be the ultimate home theater combination, IMO.

:thumbsup:

 

[Kmax82]

This, and Boxee, is really making me contemplate buying a cheap MacMini for Home Theatre use. Mmmmm.. :drool:

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
This, and Boxee, is really making me contemplate buying a cheap MacMini for Home Theatre use. Mmmmm.. :drool:

Uh, why not a Hackintosh? (wait, have I asked this already? can't remember - too many threads ) Cheaper + plays 1080p (Mini struggles with 1080p x264 files). Plus you can snag a slick media center case. Basic recipe for a 1080p machine:

-Antec NSK2480
-Gigabyte G33 mATX board
-E2180 CPU
-2GB DDR2-800 RAM
-256mb 7300GT
-DVD drive
-Hard drive (small for streaming from PC/NAS or large for storing onboard)
-Wiimote
-USB Bluetooth adapter

Subtotal on Newegg: $475

Any case will do, but it's nice to have a media center-style case to fit in with the rest of your HT electronics. From what I've read, the G33 is 100% compatible (feel free to chime in here, Zaap). The E2180/2GB/7300GT combo works perfectly for 1080p; the 7300GT cards are also available in fanless configurations for minimal noise output. Plex and OS X don't support Blu-ray/HD-DVD disc playback (yet), so it's not really a worthwhile investment unless you burn your own HD discs; I use a $30 SATA DVD drive from Lite-on. Hard drive selection boils down to whether you want to stream media from your network or play back media stored locally on the hard drive. The Samsung F1 1TB drive is super nice - very fast, very quiet, and under $200 (getting closer to $150 now!). Personally I store everything on my NAS, so even a basic 160gb 7200rpm drive would work (~$42 on Newegg, pretty much the same price as the 40gb and 80gb drives).

Remote selection is up in the air - you can do a lot with it. You can use the original Apple Remote using a Dell IR Receiver with Remote Buddy, a Keyspan Front Row remote, a Wiimote with a Bluetooth adapter (this is what I use, works great!), etc. The only downside is that Hackintoshes are only for digital TVs...you'll need either DVI or VGA input on your TV. I haven't come across a card that supports S-Video or Composite (or Component) output that works under Hackintosh, so SDTVs are out of luck. I'd say, with shipping and appropriate cables (DVI + Minijack-to-RCA Stereo), you're looking at about $550 total, all said and done. That's cheaper AND better than the base Mini, and although you don't get a cool little tiny computer, you do get a slick media center case.

 

[Kmax82]

Hmm.. that's a good idea.

I have thought about building a Hackintosh in the future, but I still worry that Apple will somehow lock it down eventually. Of course, if Psystar wins this lawsuit then it'll be OS X for everyone, potentially.

Anyway, is that the best board/CPU for the job?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
Hmm.. that's a good idea.

I have thought about building a Hackintosh in the future, but I still worry that Apple will somehow lock it down eventually. Of course, if Psystar wins this lawsuit then it'll be OS X for everyone, potentially.

Anyway, is that the best board/CPU for the job?

Well, 10.6 has already been cracked, so we're good for at least another 6 months or so. But, for a Media Center, that's not really a big deal since you probably won't upgrade it much, if ever.

For a Media Center, the board you want is the Gigabyte G33. For a mid or full-tower workstation, depends on what you want. For single-processor, single-video card system, the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L is great. For single-processor, dual-video card system, the Asus P3E3 Premium/WiFi-AP is a good choice. For dual-processor, single-card system, the Tyan S2696 is awesome.

 

[Kmax82]

Great thanks! I'll probably pick up the G33 then... although, I don't think I'm going to be able to build this for another couple months, so we'll see what's out then.