| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| jema |
Media center PCsAnyone use one?I have given it a brave go over the last few weeks with a windows xp media center edition PC, and have just chucked the towel in. 1) awful video via the actual media center. 2) sound issues via an alternative media player. 3) slow to shutdown leading to interference with other kit. 4) The gallery/mp3 library all very nice, but not something we tend to use. 5) Games novel, but not much more playable, wii remote play on a PC was interesting but still bleeding edge. This was on a quite modern Dell C521. Now no doubt I could put my nerd hat on and try and fight through these issues, but on the other hand I could do what I did and plug in the £30 dvd player and sit back with a glass of wine and actually enjoy watching a dvd 
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| sean |
Re: Media center PCs
Precisely. Giving things more and more unwanted functionality is one of my bugbears. Certainly with electronic stuff it seems quite hard now to buy an article which just does what you want it to rather than accessing the internet/playing MP3s/taking photographs... |
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| orangepippin |
I used this for quite a while:
http://www.gbpvr.com/ Linked up to a Hauppauge Media MVP. Could do most of what Sky+ does, including being able to login to a webserver to tell it what to record. I used a Hauppage Nova T PCI card for the TV interface. It's not open source but there's a wiki and a thriving community, and it is nicely extensible. I intend to try the mainstream Media Center Edition stuff when I get some spare time, because the GBPVR solution (when I tried it) couldn't do Internet access on the TV, which is something we increasingly do. |
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| vegplot |
Used it without any problems excellent video and audio. I use a Dell C521 as well. | ||||
| jema |
I guess it comes down to whether you get lucky with sound drivers, graphic drivers and codecs. All of these need to be right and are complicated and full of pitfalls. |
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| Fee |
PS3 
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| vegplot |
It could well be. I know several people using Media Centre and have heard nothing but priase for it but then I don't know that many people  . A member of staff uses his with XBox and Sky and does all kind of wireless remote services wizardry things with it which I don't fully understand (being TV less, we just play DVD's and listen to music).
Codecs leave me cold. |
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| orangepippin |
A friend of mine uses it, he is not a techie. It's hooked up to a surround sound amp, remote keyboard etc. very impressive and I definitely want one! His is a proper Media Center PC though, not heard of the brand before, but everything was pre-installed etc. | ||||
| vegplot |
I'd get one if they didn't all come with a TV tuner, which means I'd have to get a licence whether I used it or not. |