Networked Home System

[John Blick]

I am planning to set up a networked HTPC system in my home with a server and two satellite TV locations. I am unsure of many issues related to this and appreciate any direction you can provide.

The plan is to have one computer set up as the server. This computer be networked to the others via a wireless lan. Internet service is through DSL and the server will be viewed on a monitor only, not a TV. I plan to use the keyboard and mouse as well as the remote here if recommended. All shows to be recorded will be saved on this computers 2nd hard drive.

The satellite computers will be almost dedicated to allowing us to view the shows stored on the server. They will be hidden from view, in one case behind a wall and the other behind a big screen TV. They will probably be turned on at all times, so it would be good if I could set them up to hibernate, but I want to be able to control them solely by the hand held remote. I don't plan on saving any shows to their hard drives, but could do so if recommended. I am not concerned about having the live TV features (such as pause) on the satellites, but it would be nice. The main objective is to be able to view recorded shows.

The computers that I have to work with are as follows; an XP 3200 with 1 gig of ram and a decent mid range 256 meg video card with TV out running on Windows 2000 Pro, an XP 1600 with 384 megs of ram running on Windows 2000 Pro and a low end 8X 128 video card with TV out and a Pentium 400 with 384 megs of ram and a 64 meg PCI ATI Radeon 7000 video card with TV out running on Windows XP.

My questions are as follows;
1. I recognize that the P400 is below the minimum specs required, but if it's sole purpose is to play pre-recorded shows off the server, will it be adequate. It already has a DVD player in it and plays DVD's flawlessly if that is related in any way.
2. I would prefer to use the XP1600 or the P400 as the server if at all possible. Recommendations?
3. I am assuming that if I am not using the satellites as tuners that I won't need the TV tuner cards there, but will need the FireFly remotes. Is this correct?
4. Will or should I need to install the Beyond TV in each computer?
5. How difficult will this be to set up and configure? I am a technically capable novice and far from an expert.
6. I assume it will be fairly easy to transfer shows I want to save onto a DVD via a DVD Burner. Comments?
7. I currently have a Linksys 802.11b wireless network. Do I need to upgrade?
8. Any thing else that I need to know, things to buy or words of advice?

Thank you for your help.

John

[mcowger]

1) As long as you use a PVR250 for recording, it should be OK.
2) Well, the faster the better, but try the P400 first.
3) Correct. Dead on.
4) No. Wait till 3.5 comes out before you do all this. once it comes out, you'll install BTV on the server only, and then BTV Link on the others.
5) Should be no problem if you are technically capable. From the way you write this out, and the thinking you've done, I cant imagine it will be much of a challenge..just time consuming to get all the computer up and running.
6) Yup - just record in a DVD complaint format with the PVR250, and you'll be able to burn the shows directly to DVD ithout any reauthroing.
7) Yes - you'll need at least 'g' speeds to get decent quality at the clients.
8) Yes, the following:

A 'g' network.
PVR250 for recording.

[John Blick]

Thanks very much. I really appreciate your help.

A couple more questions...

1. Do you know when 3.5 is going to be released?
2. I see you have a 2nd usb harddrive for your archived shows. Seems like a great idea. I assume you can just unplug and take it with you if you want to watch the shows elsewhere. Correct?
3. I also have an older P233 laptop with 128 megs of ram running W2000 Pro. It does not have a USB port on it, but I assume I could come up with a way to install one somehow. Is it feasible that when I travel I could take the USB hard drive with me and play the shows on this laptop if I could install a USB port in it ? If that doesn't work, would plan B work which is install a DVD player in portable and burn the shows onto DVD's?

Thanks again.

John

[mcowger]

1) No one does exactly, but I am beta testing the current relase, and I'd say that RC1 will be out shortly...its looking pretty solid.
2) I guess I could...I never do, but I could - they are all just MPEG2's and WMVs. I have a shuttle, so not a lot of room for internal drives (I onyl have 1 in there due to heat reasons). So, I just put the other driver externally.
3) A P233 might not be fast enough to play a decent quality MPEG2..I'm not sure. But yes, plan b would work.

[John Blick]

Thanks again for your help.

[Brett]

John-

You want a PMC for when your traveling. That 233mhz laptop has to weigh a ton, and adding a usb-harddrive doesn't make it any lighter. Plus, I am not even sure its possible to add a usb-hub to a laptop, maybe PCMCIA? You would need USB2.0. Anyway, the first gen PMC's are coming out soon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=507846). BTV should natively support these devices shortly after they are available.

What is cool about these devices is you can watch tv on them while actually travelling, and when your at your hotel or whatever you can plug them in to the television and watch your shows on the bigger screen.

I am not sure if I would grab the first-gen ones though, or perhaps wait about a year and see what new ones come out. I would settle for nothing less than 6 hr battery life, and a REFLECTIVE TFT screen so you can see it in the sun. I can't tell if the first-gen devices meet these requirements though.

-Brett

[Xiadix]

Wouldn't burning shows to a dvd-rw and watching it on a portable DVD player be just as easy and cheaper?

KevG

[Brett]

Not really. You need a portable DVD player + dvd-rw burner > PMC. Plus, its much easier to transfer shows with the PMC, and it could hold much more since they are compressed WMVs, not DVD sized shows.

[Eric3a]

You would need USB2.0.

Not really. I travel on long business trips with my old P3 laptop. Since I'm going to take the laptop with me, taking a PMC ALSO is not a saving in weight... My internal HD is too small, so I use an external USB HD on the laptop's usb 1 port.
Works fine for playback.

The ideal setup for me still remains a monster gaming laptop, which may happen at some point.
I could use it as a BTV client at home and as a PMC on the road, plus all other functions of a computer including monster games.
Eric

[ticklemeozmo]

Originally Posted by Eric3a

The ideal setup for me still remains a monster gaming laptop, which may happen at some point.

Check out www.sagernotebooks.com
All the coolness of an Alienware Laptop without the $1000 markup. They supply Alienware.