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  • central media server

    Hello,

    My idea would be to put up a central computer which could have for instance a number of TV tuners, large storage facilities (for video and music). The computer located near the TV then can be a relatively simple device (which means it can be quiet): it just has to stream the data and present it. It might not even be necessary to put a full computer, devices like the Squeezebox could be used for audio only.

    What software is there to achieve something like this (I believe Windows home server did this...?)?


    Jörg
    pixar
    Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

  • #2
    If I understand correctly, it can be done using Windows Media Center (e.g. when the server is running Vista Ultimate with media center), and then some Windows Media Center Extenders (or a Windows Media Player in Vista or XP) as client.

    If so: suppose one has a server with TV tuners running Vista and a simple xp computer. Can one change TV channels of one of the tuners in the Vista machines using the xp computer?

    What are the alternatives to Windows Media stuff?


    Jörg
    pixar
    Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

    Comment


    • #3
      Mac Mini + external big HD + EyeTV Diversity (or other EyeTV products if this isn't for DVB-T).

      Not cheap, but very quiet, power efficient, and with the best image quality and reception.

      As a receiver, use an Apple TV or anything that can play back MPGs.
      There's an Opera in my macbook.

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      • #4
        I can't argue that it is solution without Windows...
        but I was hoping for a more open system...


        Jörg
        pixar
        Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

        Comment


        • #5
          Linux + Mediatomb

          Hi,

          Another option would be to use Linux + Mediatomb ( http://mediatomb.cc/ ).

          Mediatomb is a GPL UPnP MediaServer. You can configure it to do on the fly transcoding
          in case you have devices that can not play your preferred media storage format (eg. music
          in FLAC format - playback device can only handle streaming MP3/WMA). Most of the
          configuration is handled by scripting.

          I am planning on building a Mediatomb server myself as soon as I get a hard drive and
          some time.

          I am going to be streaming to a DirecTV HR21 HD DVR box. From reading the net,
          Mediatomb has been the only streaming media server that has consistently worked
          with the DirecTV boxes through various software changes. Just about everything else
          (including Windows Mediaplayer Streaming which the DirecTV boxes SHOULD work
          best with) has had problems from version to version.

          Just a option

          - Wx

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          • #6
            KnoppMyth may be the easiest.

            client -server based

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            • #7
              BeyondTV will also do this under Windows XP.
              Hey, Donny! We got us a German who wants to die for his country... Oblige him. - Lt. Aldo Raine

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              • #8
                Originally posted by WxDude View Post
                Another option would be to use Linux + Mediatomb ( http://mediatomb.cc/ ).
                Interesting!

                It doesn't seem to support TV tuners, etc. at the moment... but it is indeed something worth following. Thanks!


                Jörg
                pixar
                Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

                Comment


                • #9
                  I forgot that you were looking to use TV tuners on the server. You'd definitely want to
                  consider MythTv for that. Setup a MythTv backend (server) with your TV tuners, and then
                  any number of MythTv frontends (with a Tivo like interface) to access your media. I know
                  a number of people on the AVSForum Linux HTPC forum use Mythbuntu (Ubuntu integrated
                  MythTV) for building their boxes.

                  Something like the Squeezebox might not work with MythTV. But I don't see why you could
                  not use mediatomb on the MythTV backend so long as you have a beefy enough system.

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