| linux media centre
Posted: 3/29/2007 3:01:54 PM | Sure I could google it and I'm not being lazy .
I know there are a fair few Linux users here in this community, and would appreciate some experianced feedback.
I can only consider myself as a "sporadic Linux at home dabbler"
I'm considering building myself a media centre PC
the hardware side I have sussed (I just have to decide between my cheapo, medium & elite build  )
sooooo what experience do the hardcore Linux peeps have of a media centre targeted
Linux builds ?
I'm not even including a TV card in this media centre it's really just for showing downloaded HD content & MP3's so I don't really need any EPG's
Just a decent file browser & HD video / audio browsing
Possibly streaming services.
I've got no issues with downloading/recompiling & CLI stuff | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/29/2007 3:38:38 PM | I've been out of the Linux world (in the land of one-button mice) for so long I can't really comment, but I hear a lot of good stuff about MythTV
Also check out Handbrake for Linux (also available for Mac) - its a neat DVD to Mpeg-4 all-in-one ripping tool based on DeCSS & FFMpeg, and might help .. | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/29/2007 3:47:57 PM | cheers mythtv looks cool
I was looking at freevo which just sits on top of linux as a kind of file explorer shell
but mythtv looks a little less basic | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/29/2007 3:53:29 PM | | you do know that if you get certain TiVO boxes with network ports you can transfer files to them and use them as a media player? | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/29/2007 4:11:32 PM | yep i don't really rate the tivo hardware though
i doubt it would match my minimum spec | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/30/2007 5:36:30 PM | I'd definitely recommend trying Dreamlinux:
http://www.dreamlinux.com.br/english/index.html
It's pre-configured with a wide range of audio-video applications and looks awesome. | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/30/2007 5:46:38 PM | ????????
hmm thanks but not really what i'm looking for
I can't see any media centre interface anywhere on that site.
It does look like a great cool looking collection of OS & apps though
wow someone is selling a prebuild
http://efficientpc.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=37&gclid=CMvo3r3lnYsCFQR1ZQodjmLUjw
I think I'll build my own, but I may use the same distro etc.
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/30/2007 6:32:39 PM | | I'd suggest you try Dreamlinux,it's an awesome distro for multimedia . | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/30/2007 7:43:49 PM | This may not be what you're after but it's the route that I chose to go down when thinking about building a media center. Although one of my requirements was for a PVR, which you've stated isn't one of yours.
Anyway, enough babbling....
I decided to go for a Topfield PVR, affectionately called the Toppy.
My reasons for this were that I could just buy it and it's working with none of the little quirks you get with linux (which I love really, honest), you can connect it to a network (so it'll work as a media centre), and you can customise it with ease using little applications called TAPs, which are little plug-ins you can download to your Toppy.
I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but thought you may like an opinion that's not directly down the route you're heading towards. | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/30/2007 11:26:47 PM | | I was playing around with using a linux box as a media center a while back but eventually decided that I could use the hardware in better ways. I went out and bought a Dlink DSM-320 (which incidentally runs Linux for it's OS). It's hardware MPEG4 (XviD works, DivX does not).. it plays back virtually all the video I have and mp3s and other audio files including streaming audio. You can run any number of media server programs to stream to it over your network. My setup is a little odd at this time as I have my main linux box running as a samba server and the windows box running the media serving software. If you look around you can find a number of uPNP capable server programs, some for Windows, others for Linux. | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 3/31/2007 3:32:38 PM | Cheers guys some other options there.
It makes sense really to have a central media store
even if it's used as another place (backup )to keep copies of photos, movies, mp3's
from your main computer.
The main drive for me is really to get some kind of HD signal into my HDTV.
I'm starting shopping next week 
I see this as a massive area of growth over the next couple of years.
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| linux media centre
Posted: 4/7/2007 3:11:28 PM | | http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2007/04/appletvhacks_0406 | |
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| linux media centre
Posted: 4/10/2007 4:29:11 PM | well somehow that totally escaped my searches.
If I was an itunes user I'd be kicking my own butt pretty hard.
The hacks & write ups I have read tis evening look great & the price point looks spot on.
All my kit was orderd over the easter break so I'll be putting it together over this week.
I went for an Abit mini atx mobo
http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/products.php?categories=1&model=324
and a core duo T2400 for power.
I'll try to get linux ubuntu to play, If not it will have to be a mr gates vista OS. | |
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