Media Center PC
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
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OP
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7 |
I'm considering getting cable TV again, and it might be nice to build a PC around the new Ceton quad-tuner card. I've never used the DVR functionality of Windows Media Center, but it would be really handy if I do decide to stick with cable. However, since I don't always want my main PC to be on, it would be nice to have a PC with less power draw but more storage (for DVR, and maybe I'll back up my main PC's data to it as well?) as an always-on device. Some of you have a lot more experience with this sort of thing, so I'll defer to your expertise. How would you build this PC, or what would you do instead of build this PC? Thanks for any feedback you have.
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
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OP
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7 |
I'm already thinking maybe the upcoming SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime will be the way to go. Definitely cheaper than building a new PC to do it, and I can just do something else for storage.
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,859
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,859 |
How is the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime better than the Ceton option?
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
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OP
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7 |
Price. I'd still have to have my PC running in order to share the signal with other devices over Media Center, but the initial cost would be way below building a new PC around the Ceton card. It's only 3 tuners versus Ceton's 4, but I can't foresee ever needing more than 3 active streams in this house. I may not go with any of this, though, if I decide the cable isn't going to be worth it to me.
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,466
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,466 |
I'd go with "cable isn't worth it". Unless you watch sports (other than baseball, MLB TV is on the PS3 now), all you need is a good Internet connection to watch just about anything you want. The legal options of Netflix and Hulu Plus are already almost enough. Throw in the less-legal options and you've got just about everything.
Forgot about Amazon Unbox too, while it isn't supported by as many devices, it offers a ton of content (pay-per-view instead of flat rate, though).
Last edited by ClubNeon; 10/14/10 06:20 PM.
Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011 Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8 Sony PS4, surround backs -Chris
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
|
OP
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7 |
Good points. My motivation was Conan's new show on TBS, but then the other channels in the Expanded lineup looked like they could be worthwhile. Of course, I already have a lot of stuff to watch, so yeah, cable probably isn't worth it.
I still may want to build a box to back up my PC to, as well as stream media around the house. I still like the looks of the HP MediaSmart servers, as that would probably be the most painless solution for getting the features that I want. What could I gain (and lose) by building my own? Should I wait for a new version of Windows Home Server? I haven't done nearly enough reading.
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,466
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,466 |
The only thing to gain by building your own, is the experience of having done so, and being able to pick your exact components.
If you're not looking at a high-end workstation/server, but instead are trying to save money on an average machine, a pre-built is almost always the way to go.
I've never even touched Windows Home Server, so I can't help you there.
Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011 Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8 Sony PS4, surround backs -Chris
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044 |
Wait for a new version of whs.
I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233
local
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local
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233 |
Wait for a new version of whs. I have lost track because it is taking them so long. Will it come in a 64-bit version?
Axiom M80s + QS8s + VP180 <-- Pioneer VSX-1120-K <-- Squeezebox Touch / XBox360 / Oppo BDP-93
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Re: Media Center PC
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,466
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,466 |
More than likely it'll have a 64-bit version, if it's based off of 2008R2 it may only be 64-bit.
Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011 Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8 Sony PS4, surround backs -Chris
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