HTPC and other Computer Issues

[Ruff_Hi]

This thread is about my search for a solution to a problem that has been bugging me for a couple of years. I've tried to tackle it from different directions but haven't managed to find a clean solution.

We have a DVR in our bedroom that can hold about 20hrs of recordings. That is hardly anything. I've tried to added external hard drives but the playback on them is choppy and worthless.

I solved that issue when I got a new PC - Windows 7 with Windows Media Center (WMC) and a Ceton InfiniTV tuner. The components in the PC have changed over time - mainly adding HDDs. I now have a 2TB WD, Green that is solely tasked with holding crappy TV shows that I record (Arrow, Flash, SHIELD, Dr Who, etc). Its only got 180Gb free ... so I have lots of TV watching to catch up on.

At present, I can only watch these recorded shows on my PC. I have a Samsung SMART TV upstairs that is connected to my wireless network and I tried streaming shows to it (after converting them from wtcv to mp4 using handbreak). Again, playback was choppy ... probably because I used my wireless to stream them.

My next thought was ... why not add a HTPC to my TV upstairs and record this stuff there?

I've spend a number of weeks looking at HTPC builds, totally silent versions with no fans, huge ones with 8HDDs and lots of in between ones. There is tons of discussion about making sure that the HTPC is very quiet.

But that would work for the TV upstairs ... but what about the TV in the bedroom? Another HTPC there? And if we record something upstairs and want to watch it downstairs? What then?

Most people seem to say that you should store your HDDs (and recorded content) in a NAS.

So ... I started to look into building one of those. This would require a home network (wired!).

So ... I started to look at that too.

And then my head started to explode.

[Ruff_Hi]

Ok ... back to first principles. I have a desktop PC that has access to recording ability and can tune into my cable networks. It has plenty of diskspace. Why not set up Windows Media Center extender. After some searches (google and Amazon), it seems I have a couple of options:

• XBOX 360
  
• Ceton Echo - Windows Media Center Extender
  
• Cisco-Linksys Media Center Extender with DVD
  

If you read the Amazon reviews on the above, you quickly get the impression that you are taking a punt and you have a 50/50 chance of it working for you. Not great odds.

So ... anyone got any suggestions?

[Ruff_Hi]

Here is a picture showing my current home network setup ...



The black cable coming in from the cloud is my cablevision cable. It carries internet and TV combined. The cable is split with the internet black cable going into my cablevision modem (black box) while the other black cable goes into the TV Tuner in my PC. The blue lines are blue RJ45 Cat6E ethernet network patch cables.

There are a bunch of other wireless connected items (phone, mac, TV, speakers, etc).

[Ruff_Hi]

Now to the post with the questions ... here is what I am thinking of doing ...

Build two small PCs, both with Win7 and WMC. Attach them via Cat6E cable to my blue box router. Also attach them via hdmi cables to the TV upstairs and the TV in the bedroom. They can both run WMC and can 'see' my office PC's 2TB drive with the recorded TV shows.

Questions:

How can I get the TV PCs to see the recording disk on my office PC?
Symbolic link? junction? Just plain share? Other?

How do I watch live TV on the TV PCs?
Can they use the TV tuner in the office PC?
Do they need their own tuner?

Comments please:

Here is what I am thinking regarding the two TV PCs ...

• Apevia X-Fit-100
  
• Antec ISK 300-150
  
• M350 Universal Mini-ITX enclosure
  

Anything else that I have missed (probably lots) or not thought about (ditto).

A link for anyone wants to join in the fun of looking at silent, time lapse builds.

[Ruff_Hi]

Been thinking about this some more and, either way (extender or PC), I will need to put a wired network between my PC and the two TVs then connect either the extender or the PC and go from there.

Looking at it from a dollar point of view ... Ceton Echo extender just dropped to $99 on Amazon while a small PC build will run to about $500. So ... I am picking up an Echo to see if I can get that to work. If it works ... no need for a PC. If it doesn't ... I return it and go down the PC route. Worth a shot.

The major downside of the extender working is that I will miss out on the fun of building 2x Small PCs . But ... saving $800 or so make up for that disappointment.

Re networking options - I can either run cable from my hub to the TV areas, run a home network through the power system or run a home network through the coaxial cable. Leaning towards running cable at the moment.

[T-hawk]

I never heard of that Media Center Extender, but yeah that sounds like it's designed exactly for what you want to do.

And I'd say just run the Ethernet cable, it'll be a task just once and then you have simple standard reliable network connectivity for everything.

[Ruff_Hi]

Thanks T-Hawk for the comment.

For testing purposes, I am going to move the TV to my office desk and use the ethernet cable I have there for my work PC. Wife is not going to be happy with that set up for longer than 2 days (ish) ... but I am sure I can swing it by saying 'testing' every other word.

There are a few web posts about people that have run ethernet through their houses (after construction) and I have been looking / reading those. I'm pretty sure I don't want to go the whole hog and cable up each and every room, move my hub down to the basement, etc etc ... but sure I can run the two cables that I will need with no problems.

One day when we build our own house, it will definitely be wired from the get go.

[Yazilliclick]

Good luck to ya, your setup is far beyond mine (in part because I don't have live TV).

I've basically got downloads going to a PC running serviio. From there I can access it on anything else (other PC, laptop/tablet) including my Sansung blu-ray player that's like their smart TVs. I ran into problem of wireless connection not being good enough at my blu-ray player to stream content reliably and good enough quality so got a ethernet over power line adapter so have one line from router going to adapter right there and then other adapter by this machine at other end of house and have no problem with 720p movies and netflix at full quality. 1080p can be hit or miss still but overall has been pretty stable. Plan on running wires myself sometime when I better decide where I want stuff to be.

[Ruff_Hi]

Thanks for the comments Yaz. Please get back to me when you decide to run your wires and I will share my adventure. I am currently reading, searching, etc ... I plan to actually do the work mid to late Nov.

[Yazilliclick]

If it's anything like my project to install trim around windows in house then it could be a while hahahaha