yeah I don't have any lag with MP. and TV-Series + Moving Pictures >>>> WMC

6/29/2009 7:09:42 PM

Same here. Been using media portal for quite a while. Works great for big collections over the network. 4-40gB movies. Much better than WMC. Plus with the IMDB tagging it looks very professional.

6/30/2009 9:25:12 AM

apologize for the double post but i just built an HTPC for a friend and he has a Samsung 720p plasma. Its native resolution is 1366 by 768 but the ATI card (4550) i have only supports 1360 by 768 under the catalyst drivers. So there are 3 pixel wide columns on each side of the desktop and he's worried about burn-in.

How can i fix this? Will something like power strip work?

[Edited on June 30, 2009 at 10:10 AM. Reason : .]

6/30/2009 10:09:35 AM

Obviously double-check that you have the most recent drivers.

I would also try adjusting the refresh rate. What is it currently set to? Bring it up and down (not by a ton) and see if you get different resolutions available.

Do this at your own risk. I take no responsibility for any damage to your tv or your htpc by you monkeying around with your display settings.

6/30/2009 10:29:54 AM

i had this EXACT same problem...720p samsung plasma and an ATI card (HD3850, though)

IIRC, in the catalyst control panel, you'll see something like "digital panel (DVI) 1" or something (it's referring to the TV)...expand that and select "attributes"...under that should be some image scaling options, i THINK you want "use centered timings" but it might be something different ("scale image", maybe?)...after that, select the "lcd overdrive" option and you'll see a checkbox for lcd overdrive (it's essentially a scaling tool)...you SHOULD be able to then scale the image so that it fills the screen

this is all from memory...i'll check when i go home for details, but that's the general idea

6/30/2009 10:40:27 AM

^thanks. I was messing around in the catalyst control panel for a while and i couldn't find anything, but maybe i missed it. I really hate 720p tvs. Everyone should stick to 1080p. 1920 by 1080 and that's it. No weird variations.

6/30/2009 10:46:07 AM

i have no idea what's wrong then... i've installed media portal on two different machines, both had video issues, SERIOUS SERIOUS graphics lag, and no i don't have any issues with any other program or game on either computer... i have no idea does it just take that long to cache those icons? i just don't understand why everytime i try it i have issues... on nearly fresh installs.... xp & vista. i mean i'd press down or up to change items on the menu and i'd take like 5 seconds just to change icons.

6/30/2009 10:52:01 AM

^^ well...back when i bought mine, 1080p was not at all worth the $300 premium

these days, yeah, i agree

6/30/2009 10:57:42 AM

^^that's really odd. What type of systems are they?

I know WMC has a bug that crashes or takes FOREVER to load network icons, but media portal is great. I can play like 35mbit 1080p movies over a network and there's no lag or skipping.

[Edited on June 30, 2009 at 11:07 AM. Reason : ,]

6/30/2009 11:07:17 AM

that's strange because i don't have that issue with WMC on Windows 7 using WHS to stream media

media pc - Intel E8400, Gigabyte Geforce 7100 GA-73PVM-S2H, OCZ 2GB DDR2-1066 Memory, Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1800, LG Black Blu-ray/HD-DVD Reader, PNY GeForce 8600GT, Hitachi Deskstar 7K400 400GB SATA HDD

desktop pc - Intel E8400, Gigabyte P45 GA-P35-DS3L, G.Skill 4GB DDR2-1066 Memory,
NEC ND-3520A 16X DVDRW, EVGA GeForce 9800GX2, Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB SATA HDD

6/30/2009 1:43:05 PM

Ok, so do I use windows 7 RC 64bit or 32bit? From what I've read, 64bit support is spotty for some of the codec packs I'll be using for the media portal, etc.

6/30/2009 3:32:04 PM

This question may not belong in this thread but I thought it was somewhat related and you guys would be able to offer some advice.

I want to connect my PC to the TV in the living room, are there any specific requirements I should look for in a receiver? The TV is not HD so I'm hoping the receiver might be cheaper than the average. I want it to be able to, one day, support 5.1 surround and have plenty of connections for all my game consoles.

I know nothing about brand quality or standards for this kind of stuff.

6/30/2009 3:54:00 PM

You mentioned that you have consoles. The 360 can stream almost any videos, music, and pictures to the tv, already.

For other purposes, your set up may run into problems. From the way you phrased it, it sounds like there is considerable distance between the tv and pc. Since it only has SD connections, the only way I can think of getting a/v between the two would be:

String a svideo cable from the pc videocard directly to the TV. Find a cheap internal/external soundcard that allows rca/optical out and run the stereo/optical spdif to the receiver.

There would be several more options if you were to upgrade to a hdtv. If all you want to do is watch your standard media on your tv, I would just get a 360 and stream it over your network.

[Edited on June 30, 2009 at 4:19 PM. Reason : f]

6/30/2009 3:58:52 PM

I have no problem with win7 64 bit and media portal. You don't need codec packs, just a handful to play most. Also you can use internal decoding with mediaplayer and GomPlayer if you want.

Also, you can probably force 1366 x 768 with powerstrip

[Edited on June 30, 2009 at 5:14 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2009 5:07:57 PM

Anyone know how to import/export IMDB tags on media portal? I had to reinstall and all my tags are gone. Media Portal will tag automatically but only if the file name is standard.

7/7/2009 2:34:54 PM

^no idea,sorry

How would I go about Ripping TV shows off of DVDs and making them work with Media Portal + TV series?

7/10/2009 4:34:28 PM

TV Series parses file names, so when you rip, just pick an accepted method of naming and it should pick them up without issue.

7/10/2009 4:56:39 PM

i was surprised my system of file naming wasn't one of the defaults in tv series

for example:

TV Shows\South Park\Season 3\307 - Cat Orgy.avi

I had to create one.

7/10/2009 5:01:47 PM

^^Which program would you recommend?

7/11/2009 3:19:26 PM

I don't know, at 1MB/s downloads it's easier for me to grab whatever I want from a release group even if I have the media.

I haven't done it in a while but you probably need to start with DVD Decrypter and some Gordian Knot packs. vcdhelp.com used to be a great resource if it's still around.

7/11/2009 4:24:00 PM

i have 250+ dvds i havent touched in years, it is easier for me to just download an xvid dvdrip instead of bother ripping it from my own dvds

7/11/2009 4:25:23 PM

Haha yeah it's sad that it's come to the point where it's easier and less of a hassle just to download something you already have.

7/11/2009 11:14:29 PM

^^,^ That's what I've been doing, I even found Arrested Development with the audio commentary tracks.

7/12/2009 9:35:59 AM

So due to strange circumstances with Comcast, I'm building a HTPC.

Basically we moved, had a Motorola HD DVR set-top box and loved it, worked great in the new place. Get a letter from Comcast that we have to return the box or pay $480 for it.

We have a fully unfiltered cable signal coming in (per the DVR before returning it), and a shit ton of the HD channels are clear QAM out here.

Needs:
Must be able to tune and record Digital and clear QAM content.
Must be able to output digital audio via composite digital, Optical AND HDMI pass-through

Wants:
A shit ton of storage (thinking of doing the 2x1.5tb newegg deal for $200)
Slim HTPC case (thinking of the Lian-Li PC-C36B since it has the riser card for two full height cards)
Powerful enough processor/video card to handle transcoding and multiple stream recording.

Budget: ~$600

Spent a little time looking at cases tonight, but when I got to motherboards and CPUs it became very apparent that I am wayyyy out of date. Help tdub

7/27/2009 5:07:06 AM

duh

7/27/2009 8:57:46 AM

^^ati 4770 is low heat/low power. The onboard video/audio on my setup with the nvidia 8200 mobo isn't fast enough to do blu-ray according to cyberlink powerdvd 9.

7/27/2009 12:26:34 PM

^^^ i almost got the lian-li but for $100 cheaper i ended up getting http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121027 and have been pretty happy with it. it's not as slick looking or as quite as thin (but it is about 3 inches less wide) but it's got a very similar unassuming look. fits in great with my media center. it's definitely a tight fit inside, but most htpc cases are going to be a little tricky anyways

7/27/2009 1:26:59 PM

FYI the Antec Black M Fusion Remote is 1/2 off today ($95):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129046

8/2/2009 2:23:14 PM

So the PC itself ended up being $651. With the ATi CableCard and WinTV2250 tuners, the whole kit came to $975, with 100+ in MIR which brings me back under 900.

Went for the Silverstone Case ($89.99AR)


AMD Phenom X4 945 (3ghz) AM3 processor
ASUS M4A78T-E 790GX Motherboard
- Went with this because the onboard video (ATi HD3300) actually supports full video decoding, and since this won't be a gaming machine, there's nothing a discrete card has over the onboard video here. Not many boards use the 3300 yet (3200 is still more common), but this can save you a hundred bucks and a lot of power/heat over a pcie video card.

It's got HDMI output with audio and optical audio out along with DVI and VGA out. onboard raid is a plus as well.

Sony 2x BD-ROM drive, OCZ modular 500w PSU, 4GB of Corsair DDR3 (2x2), and a pair of Samsung Spinpoint 7200rpm 1TB drives round out the lot.

This should be able to handle multiple stream recording, transcoding and 1080p output without any issues. Still a little shaky on the video just because I've never personally used an onboard solution that didn't suck ass, but the specs and reviews seems to all indicate this one will work.

8/2/2009 2:40:08 PM

Quote :

"actually supports full video decoding, and since this won't be a gaming machine"

ATI doesn't currently support L5.1 decoding i thought...



Noen: which frontend will you be using? if MediaPortal, i can help out with any issues you have most likely... especially with the MP-TVSeries plug-in since i've helped on some of the code.

[Edited on August 2, 2009 at 3:45 PM. Reason : ]

8/2/2009 3:35:28 PM

not the best HTPC case but a great case, the Antec P182 is on sale at Frys. It's only for local pickup though, so any of you that are near one and need a case should consider. I'd get one if they would ship it

http://www.frys.com/product/5178456?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

8/2/2009 5:23:16 PM

^^ i've been using the Win7 media center and i <3 it

Quote :

"Haha yeah it's sad great that it's come to the point where it's easier and less of a hassle just to download something you already have."

[Edited on August 2, 2009 at 6:05 PM. Reason : btw what kind of tv tuner cards y'all using nowadays?]

8/2/2009 5:59:10 PM

Quote :

"ATI doesn't currently support L5.1 decoding i thought..."

Not sure what you mean, but it supports multi-channel (7.1) through HDMI with the onboard chipset, and almost all of their discrete cards support bitstreaming for bluray

Quote :

"which frontend will you be using? "

7MC, there's no need for anything else.

^WinTV 2250 + ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Card (Internal)

8/2/2009 8:07:26 PM

MediaPortal + Streamed MP + TV-Series + Moving Pictures = Win

8/2/2009 9:33:25 PM

or

7MC

8/3/2009 6:29:39 PM

Quote :

"7MC, there's no need for anything else."

qft, i've been saying that for months

Noen, where did you get the cable card, I thought those were OEM only.

[Edited on August 3, 2009 at 8:41 PM. Reason : .]

8/3/2009 8:38:54 PM

does win7 find all the info for the movies and tv shows and organize them though?

8/3/2009 9:52:58 PM

yes

8/3/2009 9:57:00 PM

^^^

Dell sells them on the small business site:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/TV_Tuners_Remote_Viewing/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=NAHB&sku=A2438651

8/3/2009 11:40:05 PM

^^yes for the 1TB of existing TV Series and Movies or just anything you record from now on? It certainly didn't tag anything of mine.

8/4/2009 2:22:00 AM

I haven't really messed around with 7MC because i've been using mediaportal. My favorite feature of media portal is it's ability to tag all the movies/tv shows with imdb information. I can then scroll through all the movies based upon their tags and see all the actor/director/genre/synopsis information. Is this built into windows 7?

8/4/2009 2:59:04 AM

honestly i have no idea. i don't download movies, and this htpc is pretty much just for DVR and Music playback.

8/4/2009 3:41:23 AM

Can anybody recommend a bluetooth keyboard/mouse combination? I'm not against RFID, but I need something that can go >3m/10ft reliably.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126008 is major $Texas, but may give in and buy as a part of future upgrade to entertainment center for house. Wondering if alternatives exist that others can vouch for.

[Edited on August 4, 2009 at 7:20 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2009 7:18:43 PM

Yammm: Auto Rename, Metadata, Artwork, Playlist...
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/73390.aspx?PageIndex=1

This has been out since May...

Quote :

"If you wish to include metadata you will need to download Yammm. The meta data will download the DVDID.XML file which will allow for Media Center to download full synopsis information for each movie. Yammm runs as a Windows Service and will download meta data, artwork, rename folders, rename files and\or create playlists. Metadata can be any combination of dvdid.xml, mymovies.xml and\or XBMC nfo file. All meta information and artwork is provided via either themoviedb.org or thetvdb.com"

More about it here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11232-media-center-setup-movie-library.html

8/5/2009 12:43:35 AM

FWIW, all you need is a folder.jpg in the same folder with your movie file and 7MC will find it just fine. In fact, I inserted a Blu-ray disc and it automatically went online downloaded the movie cover and showed it under 'movies' as a disc in the drive with the right cover, it was pretty slick, I didn't have to do anything.

Downside = do not use x64 for 7MC, there are serious blu-ray playback issues, nearly every PowerDVD version I tried failed, to this day I do not have both HD-DVD & Blu-ray support... looks like I'll have to go back to 32-bit... Yes, yes, I know PowerDVD has Windows 7 compatibility sticker, but I'm telling you from experience none worked in x64. I've also heard the codecs are better supported in 32-bit. It's a shame we can't drop 32 and go to 64.

8/17/2009 11:12:55 AM

^weird, I haven't tried out blu-ray yet on mine. I was reading that PowerDVD is very finicky in general, but didn't realize it was even moreso with x64. I'll let you know if I ever get around to trying a bluray movie and what happens

8/17/2009 6:41:11 PM

i bought an hp media center a few years ago. been thinking about putting a decent tuner in it (one that came with it sucks balls), win 7 and hooking it up. prolly needs a little more ram though..that thing is pretty sluggish right now

8/17/2009 7:16:43 PM

^ hauppauge hvr-2250

8/17/2009 7:22:56 PM

Quote :

"two analog cable TV channels, two digital TV channels or one analog cable and one clear QAM digital cable TV channel"

nthx



i wanna get a new card too. if you want to buy my http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815100015 let me know


[Edited on August 17, 2009 at 8:04 PM. Reason : .]

8/17/2009 8:02:05 PM

^^Seconded, I got that one too. Works flawlessy.

8/17/2009 9:06:03 PM