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How Close is the Open Entertainment Center?
why-not-now asks: "Recently there's been a lot of talk about open source/free software that enables your PC to act as a DVR, all-purpose media player, DVD player, CD player, MP3 player, etc... not to mention the ability to play all sorts of video games (if you know where to look). The idea of the set top MAME console is nice, but with a little TV/Audio out, a little know how and the right software, are we currently able to put together a free version of the big convergence media center others are trying to do?"
see MythTV: http://www.mythtv.org/
www.mythtv.org
check it out. the screenshots are amazing. I personally haven't had time to play with it but it's newsgroups are extremely active with lotsa happy users.
It's also being equiped with communication features such as e-mail checking, a phone answering machine, and even a who's-rang-the-door feature.
Check it all out at their website, davedina.apestaart.org, and join their mailinglist!
You can also come hang out at #davedina on Freenode
All credit really should go to Issac and the other guys contributing to this project.
Recent CVS additions include a mythweather module and support for running decoding and encoding on different machines on the network (for a truly connected home ;p)
Who needs a set-top box that crashes or a computer that slows down because it's recording today's episode of Friends?
Well, we want one that won't crash. Or slow down. That's why we want a Linux set-top box. ;)
The tech exists to hack it together right now; it would be moderately expensive and rather ugly, but it could be done (Linux-supported TV-out + IR input port + LIRC + Linux BIOS or the Linux save-to-disk hack + xine/favorite decoder -- google for all these, I'm too lazy to link). And you can't say "Computers and TVs were not made to mix". The DVD player that might be sitting on your shelf is basically a simplified computer. If it can play MP3s, it is even more so. How about your Sega Dreamcast? We ported Linux to the thing, for God's sake! That can perform all the operations needed to call it a computer under Turing's definition...so you already have computers plugged into your TV, unless you're strictly an antenna-only guy.
Linux already works as an OS for many embedded systems. Your set-top box is merely another such system. I won't even get into the quagmire of a DRM argument, but let it be said for now that there are people who have gotten Linux PVRs working. It can be done now. With work, it can be done much more smoothly later.
There's no sig like this sig anywhere near this sig, so this must be the sig.
Yeah.. and what's up with people trying to play music on their computers? Who wants to waste valuable CPU cycles playing music when you can just turn on the stereo.
Seriously, though, a PC in the media room isn't such a bad idea. I have one set up, and it lets me do a lot of things:
- Use a cheaper RGB projector instead of an HDTV one.
- Use the DVD player in my PC instead of an expensive progressive scan external one.
- Flip between TV, a movie, a game, my email, and the web easily.
It's cool when you're watching a movie to be able to pause it, bring up a browser and look up what other movies the actor was in, that sort of thing.
Recording video on a PC is a big deal today perhaps (for some PCs anyway) but in a few years it won't be - just like playing MP3s was barely possible in real-time a few years ago but now you don't even notice.
A wireless keyboard and mouse makes a great remote control too.
- Steve
To reduce time in building these, there really should be a PVR/HTPC Distro.
Try DeMuDi, Debian Multimedia Distribution, currently at www.agnula.org (may be down)
www.mini-itx.com
Benchmarks show the performance of the newest C3s (933mhz) on par with P2 450s. Plus, almost everything is included... . All that in a 6" x 6" x 1" mobo w/1 pci slot. Imagine the possiblities... not bad for $160.
I've got one PC with a 21" NEC Multisync monitor. No TV, no Tivo, no Playstation, no stereo. And I love it. I'd hate to have the setup you've got.
The only downside is the monitor isn't as large as I'd like. 21" is pretty much a minimum size. I'm hoping for a huge flat widescreen monitor in the future.
My PC doesn't have an AIW or any other TV capability, because I don't have cable - thanks to the wonders of the internet, and my friends who do have cable, I don't really need it. But DVDs played on my PC look far better than on my friends' TVs. The colors are more vivid and the image is sharper - what's not to like? And 200gigs of instant-access MP3s kicks all kinds of ass over an MP3-enabled CD player. Logitech and Klipsch make speakers that sound terrific to me.
Best of all - if I rent a DVD and don't get time to watch it (happens all the time to me), I can just copy it to my hard drive 'til later.
And everything's available through one interface, in one place, with a wireless mouse or remote. No piles of remotes, no jungles of wires, no components stacked all over the place.
As far as I'm concerned, this is how it should be... bring on more!
Unfortunately some of us live in countries where there is no such thing as a Tivo. So the only solution is to build your own.
The new shuttle mini boxes.. roughly the size of a barbie microwave oven.. with the new nforce 2 chipset allows you get get a very powerful dolby digital 6 speaker compliant sound system. (About 600$ with everything included already)
... 1 for a sb audigy ... 2 for a dope ass video card with video out ... 3 for the tv tuner ... IR sensors are located on the mobo and you just need to buy the front panel extensions for those...
.. mp3 collection)- 100$
connect to that a usb TV tuner that supports Video Out also (for about 200$ from hauppage) and you have a little box that plays dvds on the tv along with surround sound
you have 200$ left over to buy an IR kit that you can plug into your computer's mobo and stick the receiver on the front panel and program your remote control. ( I know there's been lotsa projects on the web for remote controled computers and it's not that hard) simply program the remote's buttons with a specific command per button.. ie... button 1 will call winamp.. button 2 will call the tv tuner.. so on so forth. so for about 1000$ you can easily have a hobby to try and set something like this all up
btw speaker systems are not included in this equation... cuz good ones can throw yer costs another 300$.
if you don't like the oven.. you can buy a small form factor desktop case... it's roughly the size of your everyday Amplifier case. To make sure you can get a small one.. buy one of those ECS motherboards... only 3 pci slots (some have only 2)
here's a rack up of total costs
Case with power supply (Enlight is a good compnay)- 50$
Mobo (ECS brand)- 50$
CPU (p4's 1.8 ghz are cooler runnign and quieter)- 120$
SB audigy 1/2 platinum ex (comse you a remote that you can hack at and already has IR plus has all that digital audio out/in, line in/out, optical in/out for all your sound needs)- 160$
Geforce 4 ti4200 w/ video out- 150$
Hauppage winTV HDTV PCI- 230$
hard disk (80 gigs depending the size of your por
Klipsch pro media 5.1 speakers- 300$
USB gamepads x2- $40
DVD driver w/software- 50$
windows 2k- 80$
winamp- Free
Aol im- Free
Divx encoder/decoder- free
Watching pr0n on the big screen tv - Pricesless
Total Cost of Project: ~1400$
and it's very possible... I'm half way there already... all I need now is that HDTV tv tuner... and a big HDTV 60" plasma display.
I've just started putting together the hardware yesterday. It's very do-able, and there are a few people that are actually doing a great job at setting up nice GUIs. (MythTv). I plan on basing it off of Linux, but if I can't find the neccessary parts/drivers/software, I'll end up using Windoze 98. I'm actually building the thing in a customized case that will go pretty well with my entertainment system, and I'll have it networked with my other computers for head-head action... It's not just a glorified Tivo. It's another computer on my network, who's primary function will be to replace my DVD player, VCR, CD Player, while adding a MP3 player & another spot for gaming.
/.
It's very possible & many people are doing it.
(Media.Box, ebox, FreeplayTV, etc...)
Just a side note... This is not a replacement for Tivo or any other recorder.
It's alot more expensive & a lot harder...
This is a project for people like those that read
-MasMan
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
-Albert Einstein
Oh! And this one time, at band camp...
At least for the PVR part, it does matter. Current commercial PVRs (TiVo/ReplayTV/TVserver) depend on a single commercial provider of guide data, so they can only be used where the guide service is available, which is, at the moment, in only 6 countries AFAIK (US, UK, JP, D, Aus, Sw). All others are left out in the cold.
An open PVR can be adapted to use whatever guide data is available online (and usable guide data is available in a lot more than 6 countries), making PVRs accessible (if the software is usable) to lots more people.
You are in the target demographic, but you just don't know it. Whether or not it suits you in particular is another matter. While we're comparing units, I've got a very nice home theater system with thousands of dollars in speakers and a front projector and a 8 foot wide screen, and the source is almost completely driven from my htpc. The 160 hour Tivo is also piped through the htpc. My 6000 tracks of vorbis files are available on the network to my htpc.
Software dvd decoding has advanced to the point that it equals pretty much even the most absurdly expensive hardware players, and for those with projectors it provides better scaling than anything but the best Faroudja chips. Unfortunately, all the best software for htpc's are currently available mostly for Windows and a box of similar functionality is still quite a ways off.
You should at least give it a chance. Go to AVS Forums HTPC section for more information. In short, a media center pc gives you the best of all worlds (including remote control operation and several well-designed simple interfaces) without the cost of audiophile level gear.
"No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."
Keep in mind that not everyone has access to what I think is the key attraction for a HTPC - Tivo. I live in Canada, and there are no PVRs available - except for Bell ExpressVu, which offers one as part of one of its digital satellite recievers, but not standalone for those of us that don't want their service. The only option available to me is an HTPC. The problem is that there are no good TV Tuners available for a reasonable price (Hauppagge makes one that looks great, but it's $250 US). So I'm desperately looking for a good solution.
My other sig is funny!
Something i've been watching for awhile now. It has just about everything all there. http://staff.washington.edu/jmgasper/
There is a great forum over at www.avscience.com the specific forum link is:
? s= f7c95c994ee82c919bd2336b4ad8bc8b&forumid=26
? s= f7c95c994ee82c919bd2336b4ad8bc8b&forumid=76
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php
That forum is related to all things PC/Media related.
They also have a specific Linux users forum at:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php
The other forums at avscience are great resources too, so dont hesitate to check them out, but these two forums should fit this particular topic.
check out www.shuttleonline.com and check out the SN41G2 model. You can have a PVR/Computer/HTPC all in one nice little box for under $1,000. The reason most people use HTPC's is for high definition projectors. For instance, I have a 61" Sony projection tv that can take in a RGBHV signal. I can set my screen resolution to 1920X1080i and view my dvd/games/whatever at the 1080i high definition spec. Also will come in handy when HDTV signals come in.
MoviX is a linux distro designed for just that. It's new, young, and needs developers. (Roberto is great though) Many of the PVR apps build on an existing distro, this one is entirely to BE a PVR. Also, it boots from CD, so the hard drive is free to use for storage, etc. http://movix.sf.net -Shawn
...Life is like a bad analogy
Ive been using a PC as my MEdia center for months now. Works great. My secret was NOT to use a remote control. I just used a wireless mouse from logitech, and have it hooked up to my projector full time. 12 foot screen all the time is nice. I did have to write my own software to handle an Episode Guide, I used the Creative Digital VCR PVR ($50 now). It does the Mpeg2 encoding on its card, so it doesnt eat up CPU. Plus it is easy to export to mpg files for use anywhere.
So, TV, DVD, DivX, Mp3's--anything you can think of, and its is pretty easy to use--Mainly due to Logitech wireless LED mouse.
I posted my hastily written EPG code here: http://x-epg.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=55.
I Encrypt My IM's
FreeplayTV
does what you want, is completely open source (hardware design and the software it runs, currently MythTV), and you can buy a preassembled system from them for just over $300 (although it doesn't include NTSC, you have to pay ATI another $50 or so for that). Since it's based on MythTV, you can play MAME on it, and many other things.
I want a little bit more before I buy: SPDIF output, for example. But they have the basics already; the rest is coming soon.
-Billy
One program that I've seen but haven't really used but is going open-source shortly is Media-Box.
Nothing More to Say Here...
Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I couldn't let your plastic gears comment go unnoticed. You shouldn't complain about your VCR having cheap plastic gears -- that's the entire reason you can afford that VCR.
In the old days, VCRs had all-metal gears and rollers. They lasted forever, sure, but even the lowest-grade VCRs cost several times more than the S-VHS deck that I bought two years ago. We talk about things coming down in price, and when asked why, we usually just assume it's improvements in the manufacturing process. Well, this is what optimizing means. Among other things, you substitute inexpensive parts for the expensive ones. The result is a lower price point, and unless you would like to spend $1500 for your next VCR, you'd best accept it.
Check out Telly.
It's a Linux based box with photos, pvr, music, etc. with TV out and IR. If they can ever bring this to market, it'll run $699.
I was going to build my own, but would end up spending more cash and building a sub-par hack UI. I need something that the wife can work so I can toss my 13 yr. old VCR before it dies.
for all the ones who asked for an iso solution : movix
#include "coucou.h"