Media Center PC software

Post by **bicostp** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:43 pm

Long story short I'm sick of using Windows at 640x480 with huge text and icons so I can see it on the TV.

I need a new frontend for my set top PC before I can get a ton of use out of it. I tried using MediaPortal, but the PC I'm using doesn't meet the hardware requirements.

Check out <a href="http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/c635 ... html">this page</a> at the Popular Science website. I need something like that for the PC. Sadly I don't have an Xbox and I don't particularly want to shell out the money for one. But the software is right!

Here's what I have to work with:
Compaq DeskPro
Pentium 3 500 mhz processor
40 gig HD
256 MB RAM
Integrated video hardware (No I'm NOT buying a big fancy graphics card

)
PC-TV bridge that only supports 640x480 (old school, huh?)

I tried Geexbox, but I don't like its interface and it lags when playing a few formats. I don't have a TV tuner, so I'd rather not get all overly complicated with

Any ideas anyone? It doesn't matter if it's a Windows program or a Linux distro or whatnot. (Preferably something that can support additional software so I can play homebrews on the TV.)

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:56 pm

Maybe you should buy a mac

I use MediaCentral and Frontrow all the time. I also use XBMC for Xbox, its great.

Sadly, there really isnt any good media apps for Windows (Except XP Media Center Edition)

Post by **bicostp** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:19 pm

Well I would buy a mac if I had the cash. (Gas money, tuition, I need to pay my folks back for some brake parts...) Why do you think I was looking for freebies?

I may break down and buy an Xbox to mess around with eventually, but for now I guess I'll stick with PC software. I mean, a Linux distro that has TV tuner capabilities would be fine as long as the tuner card isn't mandatory.

daguuy · Post by **daguuy** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:21 pm

not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for but here's a little something i found

Post by **Sparkfist** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:10 am

I would suggest that you use MythTV if you plan to record TV shows. Windows has DRM that will either restrict you from moving the media to a different medium or you can only keep it for up to 2 weeks.

About a Mac, it's an option but I don't konw if there is that much software in one package to serve as a HTPC. I know there is a program so you can have a Mac Mini act as the front-end machine for a MythTV box.

Also if you go the route of MythTV you can download the second episode of "systm" and they tell you how to set up a MythTV system. I mean they go through the whole thing, from selecting hardware to installing MythKnoppix, and even setting up all the software.

Post by **bicostp** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:56 am

Hey everybody, sorry to bring this topic back up, but it's only been a week or so since the last post...

Anyways I found something you may be interested in if you're setting something such as this up. It's called <a href="http://www.team-mediaportal.com/" target="_blank">MediaPortal</a>, and it's basically an open-source clone of the Windows Media Center Edition software. Don't worry, just because it's open-source that doesn't mean it's Linux-only; it runs on Windows (actually I think it only runs on Windows... Library support I think...) It requires some stuff to get going (Media Player 10, .NET frameworks 2.0...), but I downloaded everything I think I need, so it's going to get loaded onto my media PC today.

It should be much easier than using Explorer.exe for navigating the PC. (Truthfully I haven't been using Windows Explorer on it lately, I've been using another utility called ExplorerXP because it needs less system resources.)

I also grabbed a few skins, including:
<img src="http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8567 ... jpg">MP360
<img src="http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/5725 ... pg">RealMP

I also grabbed Real Alternative, QuickTime Alternative, VCD codecs, and Ogg codecs. It should be able to play most of the video and audio files out there now!

project_failure · Post by **project_failure** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:58 am

make sure to get divx.

If you don't already have it, try media player classic. Its free and use very little system resources.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:40 am

i tried to set up something on a simialr comptuer, and its too slow to record video on the capture card :\

im upgrading to a 2.6ghz northwood soon. hopefully.

Post by **bicostp** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:21 pm

project_failure wrote:make sure to get divx.

If you don't already have it, try media player classic. Its free and use very little system resources.

Of course I got Divx!

I tried Media Player Classic before, and I wasn't all that thrilled with it. I use VLC Media Player instead. It plays almost any format I throw at it (I don't have any sort of Real Media codec on this PC), and it also has additional features so it can act as a streaming media server, file re-encoder, and it can save mms:// streams if you set it up properly.

EDIT: Damn, my PC is too slow to work with it, and the video card isn't supported to render the UI.

Aw well, at least it's loaded with codecs now!