Media Center Cabinet?

[PhoenixAG]

Hi all,

Nice to be here on the Digit forum. I've been a reader of digit ever since it started.

I have a lot of machines and now I've been working towards making one of my old machines into a media center PC to connect with my LCD Tv.

The specs are:

P4 3.0ghz
1GB PC-3200 ram
250GB HDD
nvidia 7300GS
CoolerMaster 430w

So as per now, I bought a media center remote off ebay and it works great. I installed XP media center 2005. Bought an Avermedia M116 MCE TV Tuner (this card has native composite in and is MCE certified) so that I can connect my Tata Sky to it.

I am looking for a good media center case for this machine. A media center case should be horizontally aligned and should have a slot for the dvd drive in the front. So that means no tower cases. Have you guys seen any in the market? Preferably in Delhi. I checked ebay and found an Antec one but its for Rs. 16,000, which is too high a price, considering all I am doing is putting to use one of my old machines.

Do you know of any places where I can order a reasonably priced media center cabinet or where I can buy one? Preferably from Nehru Place but I don't mind anywhere in Delhi.

Also, which keyboard/mouse combo do you recommend? Obviously I am looking for a wireless solution. I had a Microsoft Wireless Explorer 2.0 mouse lying around but its not got a good range. In fact, it needs line of sight with its receiver (for some reason).
My current logitech mouse seems to have good range.

Any recommendations? Preferably under Rs.4000 for the kb/mouse.

Thanks a lot!

[..:: Free Radical ::..]

I need one too. Is there a cheapo with a small LCD touchscreen like all those groovy media center cabinets?

[ranjan2001]

That antec model is available with Comnet Vision NP new delhi for 13800/- but its still quite expensive.

[PhoenixAG]

Ok, I will check out the case in Comnet Vision today. Let me see..if I like it, I might be persuaded to part with my money. But I was reading up the specs on Antec's site and apparently, it only supports micro ATX motherboards and I have an ATX motherboard.

So I am not sure whether any media center case will fit now... And if I get into changing the motherboard and all then this project will just end up taking too much money..

I know Comnet Vision quite well and the owner, PK Sharma...I used to get my computers made from them before I started making them myself. And before I found out they are always Rs. 500-1000 over the street price of NP.

[ranjan2001]

well they are over price but provide a showroom to test things out, they let me test things if I am satisfied only then buy, else I am not obliged to buy from them, thats something nobody in nehru place does.

But I feel antec is too expensive for this MCE, look for alternatives if you can find one in iball, they have some case like that not sure if it will fit your requirements.

[PhoenixAG]

Thanks a lot. Yes, I do know that they let you test things out. In fact, once I had a faulty graphics card and they immediately replaced it. So that way they are excellent.
Hehe, now that I think of it, I remember why I used to go to them. Because in the lalagiri of Nehru place, they were the only ones who had some idea of professionalism.

Well, lets see. Only once I reach there will I find out. I am leaving in the next 5 mins. Just came here for some last min advice.

Do you have any suggestions for a good kb/mouse combo with good range?

P.S. I was looking at our machine specs and noticed what similar specs we both have

Originally Posted by ..:: Free Radical ::..

I need one too. Is there a cheapo with a small LCD touchscreen like all those groovy media center cabinets?

I think we can effectively forget about a case with a touch screen in India. It's hard enough finding an MCE case as it is.
Also, from the prices I have seen on the net for those cases, I don't think anybody would be carrying them here.
They retail for US$300-500 in the US, so of course, when you bring them over here, they might be a bit more.

[ranjan2001]

once I had a faulty graphics card and they immediately replaced it. So that way they are excellent.

Yes since they know that they will get the replacement, where almost others in NP will now send u to the service center to run from one end to another to get ur warranty.

Because in the lalagiri of Nehru place, they were the only ones who had some idea of professionalism.

Mr. PK Sharma himself is an IT guy & have 4 showroms in span of last 5 years in delhi, he is one guy who would go an extra mile to provide u service. MY 1st comp was bought from them so was my latest comp too, in last 6 years I have got 42 comps configured for my friends from them, 7-8 for our own office.

Do you have any suggestions for a good kb/mouse combo with good range?

I used logitech in past but for my new comp I bought a silicon based rubber collasipable keyboard,, its very soothing on the fingers. Now I only use logitech wireless mouse not the keyboard.

I was looking at our machine specs and noticed what similar specs we both have

I noticed that too but thats quite usual here bcoz I got this machine by discussing every part in detail with fellow member here making sure I get it right, specially Sam9s, he too have the similar config.

[janitha]

See the Antec Media Centre Cabinet which is not that costly.
http://www.theitdepot.com/product.ph...roduct_id=1249

[ranjan2001]

yes thats half the price but don't know whats the difference between the two
http://www.theitdepot.com/product.ph...roduct_id=1249


http://www.theitdepot.com/product.ph...product_id=378

[janitha]

Why not check the specifications of both?

[PhoenixAG]

Thanks for the excellent link, janitha! That could be just perfect.
ranjan, the difference between the 2 is that the more expensive one has an lcd screen in the front and a volume knob.

But, on second thoughts, this one is a micro ATX one too. Means I can't use it for my PC without changing my motherboard.

What I would really like is this one:
http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...-module-silver

But its US$600!! It supports ATX motherboards and looks like it'll be a joy to mess around with...hehe...one can dream, eh?

Anyway, I went to NP today. First stop, Comnet Vision. Met Rajiv Juneja (I usually deal with him as he knows me since a long time). Asked for a media center cabinet and was promptly shown the one on display (the Antec one). The price? Rs. 14,800. Before I could say anything, he told me that its crazily expensive and I should not go for it (lol).
So I asked for others.
After a lot of dilly dallying with no result, I moved out into the open market. No one had a media center case capable of an ATX board. I found a nice media center cabinet for Rs. 1500. It broke my heart when I heard that it didn't support ATX

Anyway, picked up a nice tower case from RR Systems. Picked up Logitech 2.1 speakers (enough for my bedroom). And got a really nice Microsoft original media center IR keyboard for Rs. 4850. It has an onboard mouse and works with the IR receiver I already have for the MCE remote control. Slim and feels like quality, I knew I was going to buy it the moment I saw it (at Computer Empire).
Well, for a MCE comp, these are your input options. Remote, Wireless Mouse, Wireless KB. Remote is a no brainer. The wireless mouse/kb are big problems. Seems like the RF ones don't have the range at all. Even the dealers agreed with me. I was advised to go for a Bluetooth wireless kb/mouse.
The only catch? There aren't any available in the market!!

So I picked up the MS kb as soon as I saw it. My input needs are over and the remote and the kb both work great.

Came home, setup everything and put the system on. Seemed to work ok till I rebooted. Seems like LCD TVs are very finicky about the resolution and refresh rate they're getting.
I was able to see the POST screens and even the Windows loading screen, but when Windows changed modes to go into its desktop, the display would crash with the message "Mode Not Supported".

Well, after trying various resolutions and refresh rates, I was stumped. Thought I'd need a new graphics card (probably an nvidia as they have good driver support for HDTVs). I thought this as I was using the onboard Intel gfx card and it frankly has terrible drivers.
Yeah, I was using the onboard gfx card I sold my old PCI-E card on ebay because I didn't think I would ever need it.

Anyway, I left the problem alone to go for dinner. Came back an hour ago and was at it again. This time, I'd resolved to fix it. 10 mins later I installed Powerstrip (excellent software). Then I locked the display timing to 60hz.
Everything works now.

Seems that when Windows changed modes to go into its desktop, the refresh rate changed from 60 to something else. So it always used to hang. I knew something was up with that because if I booted my computer into the desktop and then attached the cable, I could see the desktop just fine.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. Now that everything's working, I must say that Media Center is a tremendous experience. Excellent to listen to music, watch movies and see pictures. I haven't put the TV Tuner in as I don't have it as yet. Hopefully, I get it soon.
And I think its going to get even better with the network syncing. I have all my computers on a wifi network so it'll constantly stay in sync with my main comp to get the new files.

I am very satisfied! (Till the next time when I get some money and change the motherboard and get a fancy case)

[assasin]

^^^ how much did the Media Center Remote cost u?

[PhoenixAG]

I bought it from eBay from a guy in the UK. It cost me 17 pounds plus 5 pounds shipping. So total 22 pounds which comes to about Rs. 1800. And the remote reached me in 4 days!

I find myself mostly using the remote as all my videos/music/pictures are already on the MCE comp. I use the keyboard only if I want to change some settings in windows or for surfing, etc. It's easier to type with the keyboard too if you use the media center messenger (which connects to MSN networks).

[ranjan2001]

Congrats for ur dream machine, it feels so nice when u get ur comp as per ur specifications here in India.

Some pix of ur set up & features u mention will help a lot to others who may want this setup. Can u post images?

[PhoenixAG]

Sure, I'll post pictures. What kind do you want? Of the overall setup or of the cabling or ...?

Give me a day or two and I'll be ready with pictures

[ranjan2001]

From a layman's point of view I would like to see what & how does MCE works, the keyboard & the remote u bought, images help members to understand better than the words.
We all shall wait to see ur setup which now makes u so happy.

[PhoenixAG]

Ok, I decided to take pictures today only and post

Btw, I must again say...if you have an HDTV...don't wait! Just go and built a Media Center PC today! Its amazing. So convenient. I had downloaded movies but never found the time to watch them. Now, with this whole setup, I just watched a movie today and finished it. The whole experience is so smooth, you don't want to leave it at all.

I uploaded the pics to Picasa's web album as the limits on this board do not permit me to post them here.

Firstly, this is the remote I bought:

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mo...s.aspx?pid=065

And this is the IR Keyboard:

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mo...s.aspx?pid=038

My quest to find a good case for the MCE PC ended in failure as no case in India would fit an ATX board. So, I got a standard black case with a cool blue LED around the power button. It's not wonderful, but I think its cool looking.
I got cheap Logitech speakers, I think the model is R-20. With a little bit of tweaking with the equalizer, they sound really good. However, in their initial state, I think they are very bass heavy.

All the other things, I am going to explain picture by picture.

Also, in some of the pictures, there are some lines on the screen. This is just due to the camera and the fact that I took these pics in a hurry, mostly one handedly. The actual screen looks very beautiful and absolutely crystal clear.

Here's the album link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/vseera/MediaCenter

Ok, the explanations...picture by picture:

1. In this you can see the whole setup, from top to bottom. Yeah, its a mess. But so is my room Actually, I need the carpenter to come and drill a few holes at the back so I can run my wires down the back so they don't show.

2. This one shows you the main view of Media Center. I have it setup now that whenever the computer starts, it directly goes into Media Center. From here, you can select whatever you want (Music, Movies, Pictures). The lack of a TV option is due to the fact that I still haven't received my TV Tuner card. However, I have already made all arrangements for it, as will be seen in later pics.

3. This is the view inside My Videos. Lets you select a video or see its details, etc.

4. A movie being played. The video might look a bit fuzzy but its really clear. It just looks blurred because I didn't pause it and took this shot with one hand.

5. The video being played and you can also sort of see the interface which comes up if you want to forward the video or see the position, etc.

6. The menu which comes up when you stop a movie.

7. The view in My Pictures. All albums are neatly layed out and you can view a slideshow, listen to music while viewing, etc. You can also zoom in on pictures and perform rudimentary editing tasks, etc.

8. The view in My Music. The list is sorted by Albums and some of them have a downloaded Album cover as well.

9. My Music view. List sorted by Artists.

10. My Music view. By Playlists.

11. My Music view. The search feature. You can search by anything, name of song, artist, album, etc. And you can use the remote to search!! You can also use the keyboard of course but using the remote is a great feature.

12. You can also sign into MSN Messenger from the interface and it'll give you alerts, etc between a movie or a song, etc if someone is sending you messages. Very slick piece of software and works very well. Can use remote or keyboard to chat.

13. The More programs view. If you install any Media Center compatible programs, they go here. There are 3 icons here by default, Messenger, Sync to Device and Burn CD/DVD.

14. When you click on the X button in MCE, it gives you the option to Close Media Center, Log Off, Shut Down, Stand By, Hibernate, etc.

15. My Music view. A song playing with its album cover shown and the time elapsed, track number and total time displayed. You can see the various options as well.

16. The keyboard and all my remotes layed out The first remote is for the Samsung DVD player. Second one is the TV's remote. 3rd is Media Center's remote and the fourth is Tata Sky's remote.

17. The Media Center remote

18. The MS IR Keyboard. You can see the joystick mouse in the top right. It also has all buttons of the remote so it can perform the same functions.

19. The other side of the keyboard. On the top left you can see click and right click buttons. When you hold it in your hands with the left thumb on click and the right thumb on the joystick, it makes it very easy to control the computer.

20. The back of the TV. The top ports are connected with Component cables to my DVD player. The bottom ports are connected with the Composite cables coming from the Tata Sky connection. On the right you see the VGA cable from the MCE computer.

21. Ok, this is my own ingenuity. You see, set top box connections like Tata Sky can't be shared across multiple TVs. You need separate set top boxes for each connection. No way was I EVER going to get another set top box for my TV Tuner card. So I got these small connectors.
I attached the Tata Sky cables from one end (the left side with the single connector) and attached 2 composite cables to the other side. Of course, I got 3 separate connectors for the Red, White and Yellow. So each cable is separately split. Then I just connect one composite cable to the TV and the other one to the TV Tuner. I tested this and it works perfectly.

22. The bottom part of the whole setup. You can see the speakers and the small IR Receiver on top of the set top box.

23. Now you can see the receiver more clearly.


Media Center is an awesome software. I found a software called HP Tunes for it which lets you use your iTunes music in Media Center, including playlists and files. So its flexible and supports a wide variety of stuff.

I had problems playing DVDs till I found out that you need an MPEG2 decoder to play DVDs and some media. Well, there are currently 3 which MCE supports. PowerDVD, WinDVD and NVDVD (nvidia's decoder). So, you have to install one of these softwares to play a DVD.

So I guess thats it. Don't know what else to write. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.

[ranjan2001]

Hey thats a long post will take some gud time to read, but thats quite a good review of what you purchased, it will help others too decide if they wish to make such arrangements.

Thanks for detailed text along with images.............................now even I am interested in this setup but may do it with my Lenovo 20" LCD as of now.

[PhoenixAG]

I am typing this from the MCE pc You should go for it.

I've always wanted to be able to watch my divx videos on the TV but hadn't found a good way until now. I used to burn CD-RWs of divx files and then play them on my dvd player, which is divx compatible. But it wasn't an ideal solution.

I was looking at various media receivers but they've been too expensive until now.

And finally, I was eagerly waiting for the launch of Apple TV and had decided to get that......until I found out that it has no native support for Divx.

But really, an MCE comp is a hundred times better than any media receiver can be.

And I can of course, even use it as a media receiver. I just need to tell Media Center to look in a specified network folder. Or I can map a network drive.

If you do decide to go for it, do post here!

P.S. In the Online Showcase part of media center, you can watch video steams of news/entertainment/sports etc. and you can also stream music from the internet and listen. You can even watch the video screens full screen, so no one can tell that its not a real live TV broadcast.
BUT, you need a fast connection and I found that my 256kbps unlimited is not fast enough for it.

[ranjan2001]

There is sooooooooooo much to learn in technology, I will read this thread when I am free & then see what my plans are , I too have a old PC lying ideal. I can make gud use of it or integrate it with my present system to watch movies & TV when free.

[..:: Free Radical ::..]

gr8 Vi$hrut.
Nice to know that you are happy with your config.
I have reviewed Media Center PCs & HTPCs for the last couple of years too to make my ultimate.
What we seek in a Media Center device is exactly what is implied in its name, i.e. a true convergence device which can handle anything and everything.
However, technology is advancing so fast that as soon as we get what we wanted, something comes up which makes the whole endeavor seem like a wild goose chase and we end up back where we started.
First it was Media Center 2005.
Then, I decided to make a MythTV based Media Center device. Then along came these Satellite TV services.
MTNL has started offering IPTV ( gr8 prospects)
Then there is the hope of HDTV.
Then came along Vista and Sideshow. The possibilities are endless.
Its so tough keeping up with technology.

Ricavision's Vista MCE SideShow remote does Bluetooth at 100-meters

Posted Dec 21st 2006 9:05AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs

Just one day after seeing the first "officially announced" SideShow remote for Vista Media Center Edition, out pops this slider from Ricavision. Their loquaciously named remote -- the Microsoft Windows Vista SideShow Media Center Remote Control -- is a confirmed IR and Class 1 Bluetooth device. That gives you a 100-meter (or so) operating radius when coupled with the included USB RC6 (IR) receiver and Class 1 Bluetooth receiver. Nice, however, what's most notable is that sweet, sweet 2.5-inch QVGA LCD display for Microsoft's promising SideShow technology; a bit of magicking that hooks the remote into a suite of Media Center "Gadgets" allowing you to extract and display information related to your media. In short, you'll have damn-near full control over your media center's TV recordings and schedules, music library, radio presets, and collection of pictures and video. Better yet, the remote works with any Gadget assigned through Vista's SideShow Control Panel like eMail, calendar, and RSS feeds just to name a few. Great, now add a touchscreen and hack that thing in half and we'll be able to carry it around in our pockets. Nevertheless, we'll have to give this, and other SideShow remotes a thorough hands-on at CES in January to see if they're worth the premium. Otherwise, you'll just be in suspense, wondering how to spend the ₨8,653 ($199) the MWVSMCRC will cost ya when hitting in April, 2007 -- that would just be mean. More product renderings after the break.

Read (not live until CES in January)

Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/21/r...th-at-100-met/

Interlink unveils SlideLink: the first SideShow remote for Vista MCE

Posted Dec 20th 2006 10:12PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs, Peripherals
While SideShow, that snazzy forthcoming feature that lets you fire up slideshows, widgets, and other random goodies with actually booting up, has been garnering a good bit of attention lately, it's not much good without a equally flashy remote to control the action from afar. While there's been several devices parading around as Vista MCE remotes, CEPro is now reporting that Interlink Electronics -- the folks who sued Nintendo for jacking their motion-sensing technology and implanting it in the Wiimote -- is the "first company to officially announce a SideShow remote control." The firm asserts that the SlideLink will let customers "select songs, schedule recordings, navigate video clips and photographs, display TV program guides, and even browse recorded TV shows" right from the worn down cushion of your sofa. Still, we're not yet sure if this thing will utilize RF, Bluetooth, or some other short-range wireless format, and since this doesn't seem to be the company's "first priority" (see lawsuit mentioned above)
Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/20/i...ote-for-vista/
Real Windows Vista Media Center Remote


Remember the boxy white piece of crap we thought was the official Vista remote? Looks like that was just a demo version, as the official Windows Vista Product Guide lists a much more aesthetically pleasing version.
Compared to the old Windows Media Center Remote (after the jump), we'd have to say we like the Vista one more. The combination of Wiimote-like taperedness combined with that grey finish makes us drool.
Source:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/periphera...ote-218050.php

Sneak peek at Microsoft's Windows Vista MCE remote

Posted Oct 17th 2006 9:55AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs, Peripherals

Joining the celebratory Windows Vista soft drink as accessories that have hit the streets long before a finalized copy of the operating system itself, the Vista MCE remote was out and on display at this year's Digital Life expo. A curious fellow over at Neowin got a brief glimpse of the remote in action, and even got some hands-on time with the yet-to-be-released media liaison. The remote appears oddly rectangular -- an unusual deviation from the curvaceous trends we've seen in remotes -- yet was said to "fit in your hand beautifully despite the squared edges." While the obvious Vista logo dominates the face, the remote is otherwise subtle when it comes to labeling, striking a surprisingly clean look compared to the sticker-ridden devices we've become accustomed to. Moreover, the kiosk was supposed to demonstrate how Vista (and presumably the remote) interacted with the Xbox 360, but a "number of technical difficulties" prevented that anticipated show from commencing. As of now, there's been no word concerning price, expected delays, or eventual availability, but we're sure this is just the first of many media remotes we'll see coming down the pike for Microsoft's forthcoming OS.
Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/17/s...ta-mce-remote/

[PhoenixAG]

ranjan: Hope to hear from you soon about your media center project, if you do indeed decide to make one

free radical: While that is true, I find that the best way to be happy is to utilise technology as much as you can instead of waiting for the new things to arrive. New stuff always have teething problems and its only after a service pack or an update, do they become better.

I find myself steering away from .0 products as mostly, they tend to break something or the other. Unless they bring something entirely new to the table or fix a major flaw in the existing system.

I've been using Vista for quite a while and it also runs on my main PC. Vista's MCE component is a little better than XP 2005's.
My choice to go with Xp 2005 was because of lower system requirements (I wasn't making a MCE comp from scratch, but was using one of my old systems). Also, XPMCE has a large installed user base so support is easily available. The problems have mostly been fixed and there are various 3rd party apps to go along with it.

Let's look at Vista now. Vista has MAJOR sleep problems. The whole ACPI architecture is used differently and you only have to make one google search to find millions of problems people are having. I also had problems with my old computer and my new one when my computer hibernates or goes on stand by, or the monitor goes into power saving.
Plus, there is no official version of Divx for Vista available right now. I am using the vista codec pack on my main machine but it is not as good as the release from divx.
The video card drivers from nVidia are horrible for Vista. I still have intermittent problems when playing games or using the desktop. Everyone is hoping for an update soon and if you go to nVidia's forums, you'll find many very unhappy people out there.

All in all, Vista's support for products both hardware and software is adequate at best. Nothing outstanding and to truly use the system to the best of its ability, you need a new machine with 4gb of ram. We use 2gb because it is relatively less expensive than 2x 2gb sticks.

Sideshow is a great technology and I am sure 6 months from now, it will be well implemented and usable.

But as of now, I am enjoying my media center without any hassles or problems. I have had to spend at least 2-3 days on each machine in my house, sorting out all the incompatibilities and problems caused by Vista.

Now, I am not saying Vista is bad. In fact, after using it, I don't want to go back to XP even though I know there will be a good bit of difference in the speed. Vista is truly a modern OS and its little changes make life much easier for the end user. But as of now it is an enthusiast's OS. Not one on which you do mission critical work. After SP1, it might be different.

XPMCE just works A good media center must always "Just Work". If it doesn't, then it will cause more headaches than it is supposed to relieve.

Hope this provides some insight and is helpful to people who are confused as to whether to install XPMCE or Vista on their media center comps.

As a side note, I think those 2 remotes that you posted look awesome! In fact, they're making me jealous already. But when they come, they're going to be expensive and work only with Vista. So I can't say I am too excited by them.

[ranjan2001]

Thanks to both of you for so much info being posted here, this thread will be soon a great resource for starters who want to build MCE using new or old PC.
I will take sometime to read & digest all this new info & see what I need for myself.

[..:: Free Radical ::..]

As a matter of fact, I didn't even buy the MCE remote.
I know such remotes and LCD display cabinets are beyond the reach of a common middle class Indian.However, the lust for such devices makes us reinvent things.
For starters, my first post on Digit was about my Avermedia remote.
To date, nobody could help me in configuring it. I brooded and brooded, tried a lot many softwares, modded, edited configs and then finally hit upon a solution after 2 years of tinkering to make my stupid avermedia remote have customized profiles for my media player, browser, explorer, macros etc., better than the MCE remote
It does wht I want it to do ( Only for my computer though, but I am planning on buying an IR blaster which interfaces with my PC)
First, i was planning to do that with LIRC, then I used my own set of hacked drivers for my Tv tuner interface. Ultimately, i am proud of myself to make a jugad which just works out of the box.
My next project, I am buying a USB dual shock gamepad, the left side joystick, i'll use as a mouse, the right side joystick as a direction pad, the pad buttons for my macros/profiles and the extra buttons for mouse keys and imp. buttons like Ctrl/Alt/Del/Tab/Enter

There you have it better than a remote.

Frankly, the MCE remote is overcharged. What can i say about the Sideshow remote.
:sigh:
well, it may be sour grapes but atleast one can use a bluetooth mobile phone as a HID remote device.( even Sideshow remotes shown above are based on bluetooth)

I'll post pics when i am done in a new thread.
PS., in due time, i'll build a media center with a hacked PlayStation 2 with a couple of swappable hard disks.

stay tuned and thanks for all the fish.