I could fill that up in roughly 260 days with my current bandwidth. Don't think my ISP would like it much though.

9/11/2011 9:47:23 PM

Offer local network storage solutions for your neighbors... lol

9/11/2011 9:51:37 PM

I used to use software that would take my list of XviDs and go out and automatically download the proper cover art but can't remember what the software was. What software is the best?

9/24/2011 7:06:17 PM

Does anyone rip the entire movie from either DVD or Blu-Ray with the menus and all the features? I want to do this so it's like I got off my couch and switched the DVD or Blu-ray but didn't . I know you can rip them in iso form, so I was wondering what way everyone does it? I have AnyDVD HD already so I have that first piece, just need to figure out the other pieces I may need.

9/24/2011 7:19:51 PM

Quote :

"I used to use software that would take my list of XviDs and go out and automatically download the proper cover art but can't remember what the software was. What software is the best?"

Nevermind, it was Ember Media Manager

http://code.google.com/p/embermediamanager/

9/24/2011 9:28:40 PM

bump

2/7/2012 9:17:33 AM

Soooo moved into a new apartment. Moving my server to the living room to double as an HTPC. Looking forward to setting up XBMC again. It's been a couple years since I've used it. Using a Western Digital Live box for the time being. Can't wait to get rid of it.

Also picking up a Logitech Harmony.

Any cool plugins people use? Themes?

[Edited on February 7, 2012 at 9:22 AM. Reason : s]

2/7/2012 9:21:24 AM

the logitech harmony is kinda crap, fyi

2/7/2012 9:41:41 AM

Actually it's not. Which Harmony are you talking about? There's quiet a few models. Found a good deal on the Harmony 900 RF remote.

If you can provide an alternative RF universal remote with a touch screen that works with a bunch of devices and works great with XBMC then please enlighten me.

I've had nothing but good experience with them.

2/7/2012 10:58:40 AM

^^Disagreed.

Yes, it takes a bit of effort to get it setup, but there's no way my wife (or me for that matter) will go back to using multiple remotes to turn on and control and switch between the multiple devices that make up the Media Center (TV, Receiver, MediaPC, PS3, AppleTV, Wii).

But like ^said, the higher-end models (new: One or 900; old: 880+) are really what you have to use, the low-end models are crap.

I really want to try to the Harmony Link, but until my current 880 remote dies, I have no reason to buy something new.



[Edited on February 7, 2012 at 11:46 AM. Reason : .]

2/7/2012 11:45:55 AM

Yeah I'm considering saving the money and getting the Harmony One but the RF feature of the 900 is really tempting. I hate having to have line of sight to my devices and when pressing "watch a movie" that turns on 3 devices worrying about it not hitting them all. RF is where it's at.

2/7/2012 11:55:45 AM

I too, completely disagree, I absolutely love my Harmony Remotes. (880/650)
I had an 880 and the buttons flaked out on me, totally stopped clicking and eventually there was no way to turn the volume down, the LCD also faded and started burning in. But that was after 3-years of use, so I got a 650 to replace it (pretty similar, except better buttons and screen) and I've never looked back, I totally love the remote, but I have no experience with the lower end models than the 650.

2/7/2012 11:58:48 AM

Anyone tried Aeon yet? Looks neato. Going to try it out tomorrow.

http://xbmc.org/skins/aeon/

2/7/2012 1:04:26 PM

2/8/2012 10:10:58 PM

That looks fucking hideous.

2/8/2012 10:13:30 PM

it's not finished

2/8/2012 10:26:42 PM

How is that relevant to this thread?

2/8/2012 11:02:22 PM

Receiver + PC = HTPC

2/9/2012 12:13:58 AM

negative.

2/9/2012 12:19:57 AM

I put my PC near my TV and the thing turns into a PS3. whodathunk it?

2/9/2012 12:36:53 AM

Yeah that's a big negative.

2/9/2012 9:51:50 AM

neither chit chat or tech talk are impressed with black dog

2/9/2012 11:10:33 AM

Quote :

"oh and I never said I had a HTPC"

message_topic.aspx?topic=623720

Quote :

"Receiver + PC = HTPC"

2/9/2012 11:51:56 AM

An HTPC is typically defined as a computer that is an installment in a home theater setup, not a computer that doubles as a home theater itself. This typically means a computer hooked up to an HDTV (not a computer monitor) and audio coming from a receiver that is setup in a home theater (living room, multimedia room) not on a desk in a home office. It's also typical to have a small form factor, commonly in the form of a receiver or sized as such to fit in with other standard home theater equipment. It's not intended to serve the purpose of a desktop, aside from instances where it can also allow for gaming on an HDTV. Due to being an installment in your home theater setup, low-heat, low-power consumption, small form factor, universal remote (or mini keyboard/mouse form factor) and TV/DVR tuner (although not required if you have an HDTV) are all considerations that should be part of an HTPC setup.

This is basically a desktop with a receiver & home theater speakers plugged into it, there's not even a TV tuner in your setup.

[Edited on February 9, 2012 at 12:50 PM. Reason : .]

2/9/2012 12:45:05 PM

you can't see all equipment, you haven't seen the finished product, you don't know what is in the room.

the only reason you guys aren't happy is because the screen is 24" not 42" and I was kind of joking about it being a HTPC....

ah, TDub humor

Quote :

""Receiver + PC = HTPC""

I never said this was my setup, I built my Dads HTPC and he has the exact same type of equipment setup in the same type of way and the only difference is he is running it to a 42" Plasma vs my 24" P-MVA. However I classify my machine as a gaming rig and only posted here for the hell of it. Didn't know you guys were so picky about what can be posted in a HTPC thread...




BTW, speakers are mounted on the wall in a temporary position for now, I would show a picture, but I'd hate to upset you guys again.



Oh and why does a HTPC need a TV Tuner? That is a retarded thing to even mention, a HTPC is a small form factor PC plugged into a home theater, plain and simple. You don't need a TV tuner card (lots of people don't even have cable anymore), most people use HTPC for Blu-Ray, Netflix, Streaming Movies/Shows, etc. You watch TV on your TV, not through your HTPC TV Tuner card...






[Edited on February 9, 2012 at 2:20 PM. Reason : _]

2/9/2012 2:04:15 PM

You obviously didn't read my post fully did you, my point is that it's typically attached to a TV or to a TV tuner (although not required). I fully realize a lot of people download TV shows and/or watch on Hulu, but the centerpiece of a home theater is typically around a TV, not a computer monitor. Likewise a desktop with a TV tuner does not make it a HTPC either.

[Edited on February 9, 2012 at 2:19 PM. Reason : .]

2/9/2012 2:16:48 PM

plain and simple I posted the picture because I thought someone might find it interesting, the end.

when I move into my own house everything in that picture will be my HTPC and my Gaming Rig




[Edited on February 9, 2012 at 2:19 PM. Reason : _]

2/9/2012 2:18:40 PM

Finally got everything set up. 55" Samsung LED LCD with Klipsch 5.1 surround hooked up to a Yamaha 471 receiver and attached to my HTPC running XBMC 11 Eden. I'm liking the beta a lot.

All controlled with a Logitech Harmony 900. I LOVE the RF feature. No more pointing and I can control it from another room.

[Edited on February 15, 2012 at 3:30 PM. Reason : s]

2/15/2012 3:28:39 PM

That sounds like the perfect setup.

2/15/2012 3:39:49 PM

Yeah I love it. Finally have a nice setup. Took a bit to get the Harmony working perfectly with everything but it's awesome now. The key is setting the Harmony software to treat the remote as a MCE Keyboard then assign all the keys based upon the XBMC keyboard shortcuts.

2/15/2012 4:05:06 PM

Here's the set up. I would have liked to use an HTPC case but I've got a small Antec tower due to my large quantity of HDDs.

2/16/2012 11:07:34 AM

Looks good. It'll look better once you run those cables in the wall.

2/16/2012 11:37:07 AM

Agreed. It's an apartment though so I didn't want to do too much work in the attic. I already had to run a cat6 cable from my room to the living room and speaker drops for the rear speakers. I decided I could live with a few for now.

2/16/2012 12:15:35 PM

Anyone looking for the Lenovo Remote? The deal is live again:

Lenovo Enhanced Multimedia Remote with Backlit Keyboard (N5902) for $79.99 - $44 off code USP1F46678 = $35.99. Shipping is free.
http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/69498/lenovo.com-lenovo-enhanced-multimedia-remote-with-backlit-keyboard-n5902

2/21/2012 5:08:59 PM

98% of the time I'm using my HTPC I don't need a mouse or keyboard. Harmony works great. This looks a little cumbersome.

Good deal for the price though!

2/21/2012 5:10:31 PM

I don't use it all the time, but definitely once a week, and it's perfect for limited use actually--not as cumbersome as it looks.

Definitely nice to not have to keep a large keyboard/mouse with my media center.

2/21/2012 5:14:59 PM

i had one (N5901) when i had a HTPC and loved it...

but this deal is for the enhanced version (N5902) that includes a backlight... very handy, small, and efficient.... reviews on amazon say it has a short range though.

[Edited on February 21, 2012 at 6:23 PM. Reason : .]

2/21/2012 6:17:30 PM

I have the N5901 and I too would recommend it.

2/21/2012 7:05:40 PM

anyone got a recommendation for a cheap (<$25) remote for xbmc? running xbmc on windows fwiw. I bought a logitech Harmony 300i but don't have a receiver on the pc for it

2/21/2012 7:33:15 PM

https://market.android.com/details?id=org.xbmc.android.remote

is legit. Also, have you considered just grabbing an IR receiver to use the harmony?

2/21/2012 8:46:04 PM

Ordered that Lenovo keyboard today (and got on the first page of comments on slickdeals )

2/22/2012 12:44:53 AM

Quote :

"anyone got a recommendation for a cheap (<$25) remote for xbmc? running xbmc on windows fwiw. I bought a logitech Harmony 300i but don't have a receiver on the pc for it"

The Rosewill RRC-126 is the remote/ir dongle that I used to train my harmony one for my HTPC. Worked with windows drivers iirc.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880101002

2/22/2012 7:38:20 AM

^Same one I got. Receiver worked great with harmony. Any Windows Center remote should work.

2/22/2012 8:39:30 AM

i'm looking for something with a trackpad AND a keyboard (though i really just want/need the spacebar) to use when watching something on my computer from across the room...my microsoft entertainment keyboard (BT) did well for nearly 3 years and then it quit, but i liked it because it had a trackpad on the side and i only needed the keyboard

so now i'm looking at the lenovo multimedia remote...my question is this: is the N5902 (new version, backlit keyboard) worth the extra $14 ($36 vs $22) over the old version?

or should i just go with logitech's (free) touch mouse server (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/494/6367) or something like mobile mouse (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mobilemouse.free)

[Edited on February 22, 2012 at 8:54 AM. Reason : .]

2/22/2012 8:50:14 AM

So the only issue I have not been able to solve:

MOUSE CURSOR.

In XBMC. I can't figure out how to get rid of it. The XBMC cursor disappears but the windows one always pops up in the middle of the screen and I have to move it to the side of the screen every time I turn on the TV with the mouse.

The only solution I've found online is either:

A. Unplug mouse
B. Load a transparent cursor theme and switch it every time you want to use windows

Don't want to do either of these. The cursor should just disappear when XBMC is in fullscreen mode. I've tested this on both my HTPC and desktop and the problem persists on both. Grr.

2/22/2012 10:17:28 AM

I have been running Plex since it streams to my roku2. Tried XBMC for a few months and dont remember the cursor problem. After googling it seems there is an issue with ati drivers for the XBMC cursor. For Nvidia there is this fix Option "HWCursor" "false"

Does this sound like your problem?

Quote :

"I've realized that this issue is not caused by idling for a period of time. Instead, it occurs when the TV (attached via HDMI) is turned off and turned back on. I confirmed this by restarting XBMC (no mouse cursor) then turning off the TV for 10 seconds and turning it back on. The mouse cursor was right there, stuck in the middle of the screen."

2/22/2012 10:58:02 AM

^^^I have the N5901 and haven't upgrade to the new one yet because I can't justify the cost (although I guess I COULD just sell mine to make back the difference...) to buy a new remote.

Anyway, definitely get the newer one: N5902; they fixed a lot of tiny annoyances, but biggest of all, they added a backlight! Some of the other things, they added a scroller (finger slide up/down) in the center of the base, the mouse nub is touch based--not a tiny roller-ball, and the keyboard feels more quality when typing. My experience comes from getting one for my father-in-law for his media center, he loves it.

I'd say almost every other time I need to use the remote I wish I had a backlight.



[Edited on February 22, 2012 at 10:59 AM. Reason : .]

2/22/2012 10:59:04 AM

^^Yes that's the issue! Anyone mention a fix for it?

Couldn't find that thread you're referencing.

Found it now though:

http://forum.xbmc.org/archive/index.php/t-107668.html

[Edited on February 22, 2012 at 11:02 AM. Reason : s]

2/22/2012 11:01:32 AM

Ok - need some pro advice for my next XBMC setup. I was using an old xbox but i need to upgrade for my new home with a small form PC to play some HD stuff.

I'm obviously sticking with XBMC.
Should i go wireless or wired?
What is currently the best small form PC to run XBMC? usb boot or load it onto it?
remote - obviously i used my xbox controller but now with small form - what is currently working/outthere?
Emulators - can i still use my xbox controller for some gaming?


Sound system is not a biggie yet - i'm dumping my money on a nice TV first.
I currently have multiple 1TB drives i will probably mount on my main PC to stream.

2/29/2012 2:41:03 AM

Go wired and just build a small form factor i3 HTPC. What's your budget for the actual HTPC?

For remotes it depends on your budget and if you really want a keyboard but I'd get a Logitech Harmony. The 650 is the baseline remote and goes for $49 online.

Emulators work great with XBMC. I run Project64 and use wireless 360 controllers for Mario Kart 64.

2/29/2012 11:14:28 AM