Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
|
Founder, Axiom Upgrade Club shareholder in the making
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,077 Likes: 7 |
Nice to hear about such a positive change, Nick. I'll really need to dig into room treatments after I move my system.
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,488
axiomite
|
axiomite
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,488 |
Thanks for the encouragement, Nick. So glad to learn that your experience is more joyful now. Hard to believe that your wonderful, from-the-ground-up room can be improved so dramatically.
bibere usque ad hilaritatem
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422
axiomite
|
OP
axiomite
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422 |
Well, a dedicated room, with sound dampening and such still echoed like a son of a gun. Carpet, seats, and front wall treatments made a big difference, but there was literally a high pitched "ring" that could be heard if doing a single loud clap in the room. Not any more. The room is far from "dead" but you don't want it to be. Everything sounds better as mentioned before. I kind of wish that I did some before and after measurements, but honestly I don't even care any more. If I feel, over time, that something needs tweaking or tuning, then some measurements may be in order.
Farewell - June 4, 2020
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422
axiomite
|
OP
axiomite
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422 |
Oh, and in addition to my above post, if you go back and watch a few of the first videos (boring as they are) there is one with just insulation up in the theater and I am talking. The sound was crazy dead. Then I put up the drywall, and it became the echo chamber. This is somewhere in the middle. Sort of....
Farewell - June 4, 2020
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,037 Likes: 69
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,037 Likes: 69 |
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,037 Likes: 69
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,037 Likes: 69 |
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422
axiomite
|
OP
axiomite
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422 |
No pictures until I get my artwork done to cover the panels. And that is being delayed by the media server I've built and am filling with movies, or the HTPC that has parts starting to ship today. I am hoping to get the artwork finalized this weekend and ordered on the fabric so that it ships sometime next week while I am traveling for work.
Farewell - June 4, 2020
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,281
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,281 |
Nick what are your plans as far as software that you will be using on your server.
DOG is GOD spelled backwards. What others think of me is none of my business. M80 V3 MY GLOSS Cherry
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422
axiomite
|
OP
axiomite
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422 |
The media server has Windows Home Server 2011 on it. I picked up a new copy for about $45 and it does everything that I want without all of the Windows 7/8 "fluff" and it was cheap.
I then am using a product called FlexRAID to provide software RAID5 and device pooling so that I see everything as a single drive letter. That was about $60. Then, I can always split things up and still have 100% usable data on the drives if I want, (hardware RAID5 spreads things among all of the drives, which is faster for data access, but for a media server the drives send data faster than multiple machines could receive it anyway. Oh, and decent hardware RAID means an add-on card which means more $$$.
I am using MakeMKV to rip the discs (free), and Media Center Master to get all of the images, metadata, trailers, etc plus to do a decent rename of the folders and files to something meaningful. It is also free.
I am still looking at what software I want to run for my HTPC. I've been playing with basic Windows Media Center and Media Browser 3 and I really like MB3, but it is still in beta.
I haven't tried XBMC as it probably won't do what I need for my HTPC. It doesn't handle some of the advanced video processing that I want to do (which requires an add on video card and a decent CPU in the HTPC). However, XBMC is designed for the "quick and dirty, but looks cool with its interface, I sometimes download things via Torrent, and have "less than legal" stuff" kind of crowd. Not saying it is bad, just not geared towards a high end HTPC.
I need to check out J River more as well. Its interface is less desirable, but it is supposed to be fairly rock solid for features.
My first piece of the HTPC came today... The RAM... Can't do much with it.
The case, power supply, video card, and blu-ray drive come on Monday. I am traveling this week and will be picking up the motherboard, CPU, and SSD from Micro Center while I am gone.
Farewell - June 4, 2020
|
|
|
Re: Maybe I should start a v4.0 build thread somewhere
|
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,281
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,281 |
I am doing something similar, mkv's from a windows 8 machine to my xbox 360's. Trouble is the main machine is in my bedroom. My plan was a WHS server in another room, but M$ requires the main client pc to be on even when streaming from the server so i am going to just run win7 on a separate machine and remote in unless i find a better solution. Would be so simple if WMC ran on WHS2011. I don't have enough smarts to run a VM so that is out. I really like the WMC interface running MB3 so i will be staying with that. I tried a ATV today but its hobbled at best, wont play mkv's and no AC3. My search continues. I am going to look at cetons extenders and WD tvlive as well.
DOG is GOD spelled backwards. What others think of me is none of my business. M80 V3 MY GLOSS Cherry
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics24,944
Posts442,472
Members15,617
|
Most Online2,082 Jan 22nd, 2020
|
|
1 members (tiwee),
369
guests, and
5
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|