My Custom Media Center Computer

My custom Media Center computer. It is a Pentium-D dual-core with 2 gigs of ram (doesn't need more), wireless keyboard and mouse, bluetooth enabled, capable of being controlled by and streaming media to anything with a web browser including some phones such as the iphone. It currently has Media Center 2005 on it due to some odd incompatibilities with one of the tuners with Vista Ultimate. I have a software encoder card (the MSI) and video is pathetic in Vista. I got it to work in XP with a MCE compatible free software encoder. In addition to the media center remote, it can also be controlled from a wii controller via bluetooth, although it loses connection if it goes into standby. The dell system it's based on powers down the USB ports during standby. Side effect is the only way to bring the system out of standby is press the power button. A workaround for this is a plugin that only shuts the monitor off with the remote. Media center 2005 is kind of flaky. It brings the system out of standby to update the guide anyway and won't power it down again.

It's possible i will be changing the streaming client due to incompatibility with xbmc with the current one. This will remove the need to actually use media center at all.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• media
• center
• stream
• live
• video
• television
• tuner
• card
• custom
• case
• software
• extender.

[jameswx09]

you had a cable cord plugged into the back of your pc. i asked can you still watch tv in media center with the cable cord screwed in a cable modem with an ethernet cord going from the cable modem to the pc.

[LordOrwell2]

yes. I actually have 4 cable wires going into it now. I just used a 5 way splitter. but you have to pick and choose a splitter as some of them the impedence is too high. I have 5 or 6 of these things and only about half of them let the cable modem connect through them.

[jameswx09]

could you watch tv in xp media center edition 2005 if you have a cable modem for internet?

[LordOrwell2]

i don't understand the question. What does that have to do with it? However i actually have a cable modem.

[RicardoLima1992]

sorry asking.. but what's the difference between having one tuner or two tuners?

will i be able to watch TV while recording ?

cheers

[LordOrwell2]

yep. with my current setup, i can actually record two shows while watching a 3rd digital one or watching something pre-recorded.

[mwarner416]

My HTPC only has 3 wires.

Power

CAT5

HDMI

[Bioshot11]

@Razor122354 37 :3

[Razor122354]

36 Cables 4 ur info! BEAT THAT!

[jameswx09]

Can you like watch tv from your home cable if you get internet through a cable modem?

[MultiAirsoftReviewer]

nice! this is awesome! im definetely subscribed!