Media Centre - Chris Postill Style ;)

[ChristopherP]

Hi all,

Basically after having used a media computer that my friends own out in the USA, my parents have decided that they want one, to rip their CD's to (make custom playlists for parties) and look at photos on...etc etc as it will be connected via TV Out to a widescreen TV.

There will be a TFT monitor wall mounted in the living room and a wireless keyboard and mouse used to operate it.

We have ordered the following parts off t'internet, and should arrive mid-week:

Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe SKTA NVNorce2

Silver Internal 13 In 1 Card Reader With Additional USB Port

Crucial 256MB DDR PC2100 266MHz 184pin Memory Module

Connect3d ATI Radeon 9250 128MB DDR AGP DVI TV-Out Retail Box

Seagate Barracuda ST3200822AS 200Gb 8Mb Cache 7200RPM

GNR F153A 15" TFT 25ms 350:1 Multimedia Monitor - Black & Silver

Pioneer DVR-109 16x DVD R/RW Writer - OEM Brushed Aluminium Front

Silverline Desktop ATX - Black

To be used with some other parts i have around the house...

What i would like to know is if anyone has any suggestions for decent software that would work well with a media centre computer, running Microsoft Windows XP Home, SP2.

E.g. programs that make using two displays running at different resolutions possible, media players, anything. It's something i have never done before...

Thanks for any suggestions

Chris

 

[gabriella]

Hi Chris

Dare I ask how much that little beauty has set your good folks back???????

Gabs x

 

[ChristopherP]

If you wanted to add parts to the above order to make it complete, you would probably be looking at around £380, maybe a few quid less... not much as it wouldnt be good for games, and its not a super fast system, but its PERFECT for putting music onto and using as a media computer...

 

[gabriella]

Oh that's actually quite alot less than I had thought!!

Well done, hope you/the family enjoy your shiny new gadget!!

Gabs x

 

[ChristopherP]

It's costing us around £250... as we have a processor, operating system, keyboard and mouse (wireless), and thats where most of the money would otherwise be spent...

It should be good - hopefully it will all arrive around Tuesday, in time for our american friends (funnily enough, the same ones whos house we just got back from) to see on wednesday, as we are copying their sort of design idea!

American logic for you - "were going to europe for a couple of days, so lets book an easyjet flight to london one evening after a business meting, go have a meal at a restraunt with our english buddy's, then fly back the next morning"

They literally are coming for less than 24 hours to see us! Love it.

 

[Spooky Mouse]

Chris..Hi good to see you again... Not sure what you mean.. do you mean Media software like Winamp.. Showshifter? that sort of thing?

I know that you can also purchase the MS Media Centre OS with Remote Control now.. but you have to be carefull about componants..

As for Res.... Ahhh do you mean like the Output to your TV and Monitor at the same time?.. Will the graphics card not send the signal to two devices just one??... thats what happened when i connected the output of this machine to the TV once.. it blanked the monitor and sent the signal to the TV... It might just depend on the Card

 

[ChristopherP]

Media Centre... With Remote... Hmm... Probably FAR to expensive though... this project is pretty much on a budget...!

Basically i think a standard 32" Widescreen TV will display at 800x600 which is TV standard, and a 15" TFT will display at 1024x768...

Are there any programs that make using a dual screen, dual res setup easy?

I think I-Tunes might be a good media program to use - with the sharing thing and all...

 

[Spooky Mouse]

Basically i think a standard 32" Widescreen TV will display at 800x600 which is TV standard, and a 15" TFT will display at 1024x768...

Are there any programs that make using a dual screen, dual res setup easy?

Chris Would you not have to use the TFT at 800x600 if you want a decent output of the same res to the TV? (maybee not.. lol.... I Don't Know)

I'll have a quick search .. and see what i can find...

 

[Spooky Mouse]

Sorry Chris I didnt find anything usefull... just loads of mind blowing Technical Junk lol..

Sorry

 

[ChristopherP]

you can't run a TFT at anything other than its native resolution... otherwise it's all blocky.

Thanks anyway Spooks

 

[Spooky Mouse]

... Np..

Do you want the display to both monitor and TV at the same time?


Must go and Eat somthing now.... Cya Chris..

 

[ChristopherP]

i think that would be cool... im sure you can do that with ATI's standard drivers...

anyone know of any software to enhance this function?

 

[Me__2001]

my 9600 has s-video out and you can vary the resolutions independantly for the output and normal monitor by the windows display properties

 

[ChristopherP]

i think you can do that with composite aswell actually... good point!

 

[floppybootstomp]

Friend of mine uses This

He likes it a lot. Don't know if it has pic-in-pic though.

 

[Spooky Mouse]

Modern Technology is getting better then..... My experiances was with a Voodoo 3500TV Graphics Adaptor... lol..Sorry.. i was forgetting that things improve (Well Somtimes)..

 

[ChristopherP]

I dont think we will be using it as a PVR for TV - we have Sky and my experiences are that TV going through a PC is never of the same quality...

It will be used for DVD's though

 

[ChristopherP]

Inital City Link have just paid a visit - right on time... See Below

Time to build a media centre computer... Chris Postill Style!!!

p.s. incase your wondering why theres 2 A7N8XE's - one is for my sisters computer, to replace a KV7 which just blew up again...! I hope that was the problem anyway!

 

[ChristopherP]

Built, loading windows...

Its a b*gg*r not having a 3 1/2 floppy drive in a system that runs a SATA hdd - you have to hook one up to load the drivers, then disconnect it all again...

See pics...

 

[Me__2001]

have you been able to hook it up to a TV yet ?