Media server and anyone got an old video card? - Page 4

Mark · 12-04-2007, 01:27

Unfortunately? While the Radeon drivers are closed source/proprietary, I had no issues installing them, even on Gentoo.

LeperousDust · 12-04-2007, 02:21

Yeah i've not had problems so far with ubuntu, but i just hear linuxMCE (especially it seems) likes to work with nvidia cards 6xxxx or greater for all ui menu effects... ATI might prove more problematic

Garp · 12-04-2007, 07:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8 I3ALL

I know F**K all about media centers but after watching this video if i ever set one up i will be doing it with LinuxMCE

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...77313460&hl=en

Okay, bit strange there was 4 minutes of 'black' at the end, but anyway..

Looks good. Soon to be installed on my test box here and I / we'll see how it looks. If it really is that awesome then I'm not sure about Rich but I'd be extremely happy to have it running on the media box.

However, there is a bit of an element of bull about the video. It does give the impression it does all of that with ease; e.g. automatically detects bluetooth phones and does stuff with them. Since when has pairing not been a part of the bluetooth setup process? He's had to go to each room with a media box in and do the pairing trick. Bluetooth also doesn't have the range to control a centralised device from anywhere in the house, if you want that level of control you'd need a PC in each room.
To view media on each box in the house means you'll need to know how to setup Samba to do anonymous read-only sharing of folders, something that wasn't a straight forward "click-click-click" process last time I tried it. Okay its fairly easy to find a guide online to do so but it isn't as simple as it should be.
IP Cameras should be a doddle to setup.. as no local hardware is involved.
We'll see, I'll reserve a bit of judgment until its installed on my test box tonight.

Hopefully a better less biased version of the video will be produced next time (he's doing a Vista / LinuxMCE comparison in the next one)

edit: Wtf?! The server chopped half my reply off when I edited it. Gah!

My edit said: if you're setting up Ubuntu, I would strongly reccomend installing Automatix as the very first thing once its up and running. Automatix will handle video card driver installation and stuff like codecs and common programs that people want that aren't in the apt repository.

Daz · 12-04-2007, 10:46

I'd seen various posts about LinuxMCE but wasn't expecting it so soon. Looks promising.

Mark · 12-04-2007, 13:08

That video is incredibly biased. OK, it's a good thing that LinuxMCE can do all of those things, but 'out of box experience' is pushing it beyond breaking point.

It can't possibly know what make of TV/VCR/DVD/AV receiver you have. Unless it's going to send hundreds of IR codes, turning on the TV 'out of box' is not going to happen.
Likewise, it's not going to know which input on your TV is connected to the PC, which to the VCR, etc.
You can't pair Bluetooth devices without manual intervention. If you could, all manner of hackers would be stealing mobile phone data already (yes, I know in some cases it's possible).
You have to buy an IR blaster, and that mouse thing. Sure, they're almost certainly cheaper than a WinMCE license, but still.
As Garp says, you have to configure your network correctly for the media 'discovery' to work.
I'm not convinced of the argument behind overlaying everything. There's a time and a place of course.

Does all this mean WinMCE is better than LinuxMCE? Of course not, but it's still very fanboyish. As with the ATI vs Nvidia and AMD vs Intel fanboys, it seems that media systems have them too (Media Portal is another one that has this 'problem').

Daz · 12-04-2007, 13:33

Oh yes indeed. I remember that troll on OcUK who used to trash any MCE thread on sight with his Mediaportal pimpage.

LeperousDust · 12-04-2007, 14:30

Has anyone used mediaportal? I was looking forward to it, and felt somewhat let down when i finally tried it, just didn't feel right, felt almost as clunky as the windows MCE to me, i've never sat right with Media centre software yet, everything fells either too slow clumsy or over the top... DVB viewer and VLC sat on a nice lean windows install does me for now!

With regard to automatix, i've heard mixed feelings about that, as in:

Its great because you don't have to think, install that and boom you've got a working linux box, mp3 dvd graphics etc.. all out the box, i love it for that.

But also, if it goes wrong (which i does sometimes) you don't know what its done, how to fix it, because you (well I) don't actually know *what* it was doing behind the scenes, in the long run its probably nice to learn to do these things yourself... Rather than run automatix then go crying to the linux forum only to be shot down asking for help.

Still thats what i use, if it goes wrong i just keep trying but it doesnt feel like a perfect solution...

Daz · 12-04-2007, 14:33

I've *never* had a problem with Automatix. Use it once on a clean install then never really see it again, adept looks after the packages it installs.

LeperousDust · 12-04-2007, 15:33

Actually i may be wrong, whats the rival one, is that the one with the problems? *unsure*

Garp · 12-04-2007, 19:05

Balls.. LinuxMCE seems to be i386 only.. shame I installed AMD64 variant eh? Ahh well.. *starts i386 download*

12-04-2007, 02:21	#32
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Yeah i've not had problems so far with ubuntu, but i just hear linuxMCE (especially it seems) likes to work with nvidia cards 6xxxx or greater for all ui menu effects... ATI might prove more problematic __________________

12-04-2007, 10:46	#34
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	I'd seen various posts about LinuxMCE but wasn't expecting it so soon. Looks promising. __________________ apt-get moo

12-04-2007, 13:08	#35
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	That video is incredibly biased. OK, it's a good thing that LinuxMCE can do all of those things, but 'out of box experience' is pushing it beyond breaking point. It can't possibly know what make of TV/VCR/DVD/AV receiver you have. Unless it's going to send hundreds of IR codes, turning on the TV 'out of box' is not going to happen. Likewise, it's not going to know which input on your TV is connected to the PC, which to the VCR, etc. You can't pair Bluetooth devices without manual intervention. If you could, all manner of hackers would be stealing mobile phone data already (yes, I know in some cases it's possible). You have to buy an IR blaster, and that mouse thing. Sure, they're almost certainly cheaper than a WinMCE license, but still. As Garp says, you have to configure your network correctly for the media 'discovery' to work. I'm not convinced of the argument behind overlaying everything. There's a time and a place of course. Does all this mean WinMCE is better than LinuxMCE? Of course not, but it's still very fanboyish. As with the ATI vs Nvidia and AMD vs Intel fanboys, it seems that media systems have them too (Media Portal is another one that has this 'problem').

12-04-2007, 13:33	#36
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Oh yes indeed. I remember that troll on OcUK who used to trash any MCE thread on sight with his Mediaportal pimpage. __________________ apt-get moo

12-04-2007, 14:30	#37
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Has anyone used mediaportal? I was looking forward to it, and felt somewhat let down when i finally tried it, just didn't feel right, felt almost as clunky as the windows MCE to me, i've never sat right with Media centre software yet, everything fells either too slow clumsy or over the top... DVB viewer and VLC sat on a nice lean windows install does me for now! With regard to automatix, i've heard mixed feelings about that, as in: Its great because you don't have to think, install that and boom you've got a working linux box, mp3 dvd graphics etc.. all out the box, i love it for that. But also, if it goes wrong (which i does sometimes) you don't know what its done, how to fix it, because you (well I) don't actually know what it was doing behind the scenes, in the long run its probably nice to learn to do these things yourself... Rather than run automatix then go crying to the linux forum only to be shot down asking for help. Still thats what i use, if it goes wrong i just keep trying but it doesnt feel like a perfect solution... __________________

12-04-2007, 01:27	#31
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Unfortunately? While the Radeon drivers are closed source/proprietary, I had no issues installing them, even on Gentoo.

12-04-2007, 14:33	#38
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	I've never had a problem with Automatix. Use it once on a clean install then never really see it again, adept looks after the packages it installs. __________________ apt-get moo

12-04-2007, 15:33	#39
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Actually i may be wrong, whats the rival one, is that the one with the problems? unsure __________________

12-04-2007, 19:05	#40
Garp Preparing more tumbleweed Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hawaii Posts: 6,038	Balls.. LinuxMCE seems to be i386 only.. shame I installed AMD64 variant eh? Ahh well.. starts i386 download __________________ Mal: Define "interesting"? Wash: "Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die"?