I don't think it is quite there yet. The problem still is that when you run a Windows Media Extender in extender mode, you still need a PC running Windows Media Center. If you don't do this then you won't get some of the key add ons like MediaBrowser (someone correct me if I am wrong about my understanding of how extenders interact with Windows Media Center while in extender mode). Also, I think you are still limited in what formats you can play. For instance, running VMC on my desktop I can play my ripped dvds and my mkvs, yet I cannot do this in extender mode on my Xbox360 without some sort of transcoding software. SageTV has the WHS addin, so you don't need to leave a PC on to run in extender mode, it runs off the server which is perfect for us MSS folks. Also, what SageTV plays, so does the extender.

I think this is definitely a step in the right direction by MS. I think the key is to get Windows Media Center fully integrated into WHS and also make sure the right extenders are out there (aside from Xbox or maybe Xbox is enough for MS?). I have rarely read good reviews of other Windows Media Center extenders (D Link, Linksys, Netgear, etc...)

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Just to add, EngadgetHD has just done a review of Zinc (originally named Zviewer in my earlier posts).

http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/03/24/ze ... pressions/

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Sorry for all the posts here today, one other link of interest. This goes in the Wow factor department. I think I had mentioned in an earlier post about XBMC that I was looking forward to the release of the new/updated Aeon skin which is scheduled to be released at the end of this month. Here is a link to the actual project site, worth a look at, especially the gallery:

http://www.aeonproject.com/

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

I actually just started a thread on codecs, and part of the reason was because I was having issues with SageTV on my desktop pc. My H.264 files would play with a terrible stutter, even though they played on the other programs without issue. It turns out the following needs to be done:

If you use SageTV Service - edit SageClient.properties.. if you don't edit Sage.Properties
1) Set the following to true:- always_use_dshow_player=true- This setting tells sagetv to use directshow for playback - and therefore will use the same filters as Radlight or Graphedit etc.. If this was not set SageTV would not use Haali Splitter.

2) Set the following to use the MPC - Video Decoder:- videoframe/h264_video_decoder_filter=MPC - Video Decoder

Note that this does not apply to the HD200, even if you are running in extender mode, only if you are running SageTV on your desktop/HTPC

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Hey Damian - be sure to post your experience in installing the SageHD 200. I'm going to check out the MSS PP2 this weekend (just got installed) to see if/how it helps not needing another pc running.

I've gotten caught up in the VMC, but the reality is that I would really like to not have two machines running just to watch my movies and I don't want to go through the conversion process either to a format VMC can support (even though it can be automated, I haven't had much luck and want it to be as simple as possible). So, I'm hoping your SageHD 200 experience goes well!

_________________
---===[ Scott ]===---

Hey Scott. If I remember you were having problems with Transcode360 on your Xbox, any luck getting that working?

I plan on doing a write up of the sagetv HD200 hopefully this weekend. I set it up in my office temporarily just to make sure it works (fyi, and I owe all thanks to Texas Hansen, possibly one of the Hansen brothers, mmm bop...., you need to make sure that JRE is an updated version) and from doing a few quick tests it played my 1080p Blu Rays flawlessly as well as my Video_TS movies. I will make sure I put it through the ringer a little bit more this weekend before I make my final call.

Also, I am just finishing up a write up I did on MediaBrowser. I started writing it in this thread, but I had over 10 pictures which won't work here, so I just ended up writing on my blog. I will post here once the article is up, I need to run it by my editor

On a side note VMC has been pissing me off of late. On my HTPCs I have zero problems and VMC runs flawless, but on my desktop PC I keep getting an error message (Windows Media Center Receiver Service has stopped working, etc....). I can still use VMC, but when I first open it it freezes on me until the error message clears. The error message also appears when I first start my PC. I have read around and other people have had the same problem, so I just need to do some troubleshooting.

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Hey guys,

My write up on MediaBrowser is now up on my blog - http://dbone1026.blogspot.com/

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

No, I didn't. I kept getting the same error (it may have been due to the fact that I changed the default install directory, but I think I updated all the files to reflect the new location). I may try again with a new install and keep the default locations, but as we've been talking about, I'd really like not having a second computer running.

I think if I end up going Media Center, I would look into something like that nVidia machine you posted a link to. Still nothing decided yet though.

_________________
---===[ Scott ]===---

I'm looking around and am finding various versions of Transcode360 - what is the version I should be using (maybe I have a version problem).

Thanks!

_________________
---===[ Scott ]===---

Not sure, I think 1.0 beta 4.1 is the latest:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Transcode_360

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Since we were talking about the SageTV HD200 I just posted my writeup on my blog if anyone is interested. Some of the new screenshots of the interface would also apply to the SageTV software that I highlighted in this thread.

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Just found on Engadget, don't know if it is an April Fools joke, but if not very interesting, especially the Media Center version...

http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/03/31/io ... -playback/

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Wow - I hope it is real. Sort of. I may regret spending a bundle of cash on building an HTPC recently!
-David

_________________
EX470, 2GB RAM, 3TB

Haha. I think I would wait until W7 came out though, not sure how Vista being such a resource hog would impact these devices. Also, for people looking to record live tv this type of nettop/HTPC would not cut it, although I guess if you had network tuners like the HDHomerun and a powerful enough server you could get by. I would be curious to see how a device like this would stack up to an HTPC with a discrete GPU (like the Radeon 4670) playing back HD content as well as upconverting SD content.

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

I had a chance last night to play around with the new Aeon Skin for XBMC. I will try to do a writeup with some screenshots after I have had a little more time to spend with it. My initial impressions though are mixed, but this may be as much a function of XBMC as it is Aeon. First off, the skin looks great, probably at the top of the WoW factor out of any of the progams. Also, there is a great amount of customization that can be done, I am really amazed at all the little tweaks that you can do to really personalize it. One thing that annoyed me using the Aeon skin (maybe I am just dumb, and keep in mind I only spent about 15 minutes with it) was that I could not locate the exit button. The only way I could close out XBMC was to open up task manager and shut it down from there, far from the optimal way to shut out of a program. Also, when playing a movie there was no stop button (I was navigating with my keyboard, so using the onscreen controls) only a pause button.

The two bigger issues I have (these are more XBMC issues) is that 1) there is no native support for MCE remotes, you need to get a third party app such as EventGhost or Intelliremote and 2) there is no hardware acceleration for Windows.

Tex and I were discussing the Wow factor vs. functionality/WAF. With SageTV some of the UI felt a little outdated, but it is fairly easy to navigate through and very easy for a family member to learn (high WAF). Although XBMC has a high Wow factor, I couldn't imagine having my wife use, at least not without spending some serious time customizing beforehand.

XBMC is probably the one program that if you really spend a lot of time on and do your research you could get the most out of. The question is are you willing to devote that much time and effort.

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin