Media server and anyone got an old video card? - Page 2

Dymetrie · 11-04-2007, 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

Never had any trouble getting s-video to work, but the quality has always been nothing short of awful. Probably me though.

What you planning on using it for Dym?

It's an SFF I stole (hur hur hur) off Jarp which I've transplanted into the lounge to work as a media box to view offsite backups...

S-Video out from a 9500 pro/9700 GFX into a scart converter which will be plugged into the mess of wires which constitute the TV...

So far MCE is working well, it can read and stream the shared files off Phoenix but so far I've not managed to get the TV to recognise the input (Only tried for about 20 minutes yesterday though).

I think there's a problem with the MCE install so will try and sort that tomorrow (it said the GFX drivers weren't compatible.... latest ATIs...) and has brought up some other errors.

Overall though I've been liking MCE, the GUI is nice, if a little restricted in how much you can customise it (unless I'm missing something).

Might look into VGA->SCART if that's any good, really want to get this thing working...

Feek · 11-04-2007, 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark

Should I be well enough to attend Chessington, does Mr. Feek wish for me to bring the Radeon 9200SE?

Yes please. Not sure what you mean about the VGA though, has the card been butchered or is it just a header?

Daz · 11-04-2007, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by dymetrie

It's an SFF I stole (hur hur hur) off Jarp which I've transplanted into the lounge to work as a media box to view offsite backups...

S-Video out from a 9500 pro/9700 GFX into a scart converter which will be plugged into the mess of wires which constitute the TV...

So far MCE is working well, it can read and stream the shared files off Phoenix but so far I've not managed to get the TV to recognise the input (Only tried for about 20 minutes yesterday though).

I think there's a problem with the MCE install so will try and sort that tomorrow (it said the GFX drivers weren't compatible.... latest ATIs...) and has brought up some other errors.

Overall though I've been liking MCE, the GUI is nice, if a little restricted in how much you can customise it (unless I'm missing something).

Might look into VGA->SCART if that's any good, really want to get this thing working...

Try and get it working with the TV as a second monitor type thing, then send MCE over to it and try it's setup wizard wotsit.

If you have trouble with the drivers, you could consider trying a linux box running MythTV. I believe you have a man in the house who has experience with it

Dymetrie · 11-04-2007, 20:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

Try and get it working with the TV as a second monitor type thing, then send MCE over to it and try it's setup wizard wotsit.

If you have trouble with the drivers, you could consider trying a linux box running MythTV. I believe you have a man in the house who has experience with it

Cheers Daz, will run through it all in the next few days (not least so I can advise master feekles at the weekend). Will let you know how it turns out...

And if you wanna talk linux then talk to the nerd himself, I've not bothered learning any of it yet

Daz · 11-04-2007, 20:06

Fwiw there are other media center type apps you can bang on XP if you find MCE a bit bloaty or buggy. Correct me if I'm wrong but all you're really looking for is a big, TV friendly front end for avi files? No fancy TV capture/post processing/encoding malarky?

Garp · 11-04-2007, 20:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

If you have trouble with the drivers, you could consider trying a linux box running MythTV. I believe you have a man in the house who has experience with it

Aye.. I'm quite familiar with it. Was trying to avoid using it if I could more so that I wouldn't be the only person in the house capable of fixing it if things go wrong. Also I've never setup a TV Output under Linux. Whilst I'm sure I'm capable of working it out it is something I've avoided!

Dymetrie · 11-04-2007, 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

Fwiw there are other media center type apps you can bang on XP if you find MCE a bit bloaty or buggy. Correct me if I'm wrong but all you're really looking for is a big, TV friendly front end for avi files? No fancy TV capture/post processing/encoding malarky?

Unless MCE keeps coming up with niggles (tbh then the error messages are literally "I can't do what I just did... oh... d'oh") after a reinstall or I can't get the s-video output to work then I'm happy with it and will keep it running.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garp

Aye.. I'm quite familiar with it. Was trying to avoid using it if I could more so that I wouldn't be the only person in the house capable of fixing it if things go wrong. Also I've never setup a TV Output under Linux. Whilst I'm sure I'm capable of working it out it is something I've avoided!

Talk to him daz, teach him the ways of the force so he can be a jedi, like his Father before him!

Daz · 11-04-2007, 20:17

If I'm right about the requirements then you're not tied to only MCE is all I'm getting at

GB-PVR is one I remember. Think PowerDVD have a similar app (though you need to 'acquire' that). If memory serves I believe Leperous also uses an app which isnt MCE.

Garp · 11-04-2007, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

If I'm right about the requirements then you're not tied to only MCE is all I'm getting at

GB-PVR is one I remember. Think PowerDVD have a similar app (though you need to 'acquire' that). If memory serves I believe Leperous also uses an app which isnt MCE.

Nvidia also have one.. which I've got a licence for and is running on my box. Great as a DVD player, not that good as an MCE style thing though, seems to struggle with streaming AVIs off a mapped drive to my linux box, as in it doesn't even seem to want to see the AVIs as movie files!

Dymetrie · 11-04-2007, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garp

Nvidia also have one.. which I've got a licence for and is running on my box. Great as a DVD player, not that good as an MCE style thing though, seems to struggle with streaming AVIs off a mapped drive to my linux box, as in it doesn't even seem to want to see the AVIs as movie files!

To be fair then I had to install K-Lite on the XP install to get MCE to recognise most of the files on Phoenix... But I kinda expected that...

[edit]
Oh and the streaming works really well...
[/edit]

11-04-2007, 20:06	#15
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Fwiw there are other media center type apps you can bang on XP if you find MCE a bit bloaty or buggy. Correct me if I'm wrong but all you're really looking for is a big, TV friendly front end for avi files? No fancy TV capture/post processing/encoding malarky? __________________ apt-get moo

11-04-2007, 20:17	#18
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	If I'm right about the requirements then you're not tied to only MCE is all I'm getting at GB-PVR is one I remember. Think PowerDVD have a similar app (though you need to 'acquire' that). If memory serves I believe Leperous also uses an app which isnt MCE. __________________ apt-get moo