CEATEC: Shiny New Media PCs

[Jason Eaton]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127389-pg,1-RSS,RSS/article.html' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127389-pg,1-RSS,RSS/article.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>“The PC is changing. Once simply a computer with spreadsheets for the family budget and games for the kids, home PCs are rapidly evolving into home entertainment systems, equipped with digital television tuners, high-definition displays, and other features drawn from consumer electronics. Globally, media PCs represent a fraction--just 5 percent--of desktop computer sales, said Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group, during a speech at the Ceatec exhibition in Chiba, Japan. While media PC sales are relatively small at present, they will represent 30 percent of desktop sales by 2008, he said. While the rest of the world slowly warms to media PCs, the systems already dominate computer sales in Japan. "More than 60 percent of desktops sold in Japan today are already some kind of media PC," he said.”</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/media_pc.jpg" /> <br /><br />The PC is dead! Long live the PC... well Media PC that is. While initial sales in North America are slow it appears that the time of the Media PC is approaching, and in Japan the Media PC is already in living rooms. Personally I am a laptop sorta guy so it will be awhile before I join the statistics. Have you made the switch?

[aroma]

Yep, I've switched. I actually have a dedicated HTPC, which I think is the way to go. Then I use a different PC for day to day functions.

[alese]

I would like to switch, but all decent Media Center machines are just too expensive.
It has to be really quiet device to be used in the living room.

[Felix Torres]

I've done some testing with a variety of systems and configurations and MCE works great so I've settled on a five box solution as my baseline system:
- a media center pc (waiting for the 07 cablecard-equipped systems to replace my existing home server and cableco STB)
- XBOX360 as the living room STB (its cheaper to use a 360 than pay/wait for a super-quiet PC)
- a tablet PC for non-media apps
- a VGA Axim Pocket PC for mobile computing
- a Gigabeat S for mobile media

Down the road, I might replace the last three with a second/third gen UMPC, but I think I'll wait for Solid State drives to show up in that form factor.

[Macguy59]

Not until I can watch all of the cable channels in the same format and quality as they are broadcast. If I have to use a splitter to be able to watch some channels then it totally defeats the purpose for me.

[Felix Torres]

Not until I can watch all of the cable channels in the same format and quality as they are broadcast. If I have to use a splitter to be able to watch some channels then it totally defeats the purpose for me.

A valid request.
To which the (theoretical) answer is Cablecard.
Just plug the card and the coax cable and all channels are handled by the on-board tuners.
No splitters, no switching input ports, no nothing.
All TV, audio, and DVD content available on an equal footing.
And if managed copy truly shows up on HD-DVDs, the ability to legally stream video to multiple terminals across the home network.

Just one missing link to media nirvana; a working cablecard MCE.

[Filip Norrgard]

True, all Media Center PCs are expensive and are seldom energy-efficient, so that is probably why I am going to build my own MCPC, or HTPC (they are similar in concept, right?).

The thing I'm pondering currently is whether or not I should wait for a desktop motherboard that supports Turion X2, or just go with Turion. There are plentiful of HTPC cases, and I feel like a kid in the candy store when looking at those options. But, I can't deny the look of those SilverStone HTPC cases, yummy.

Otherwise, the specs of my near-future Media Center PC migth be:
MythTV installed in/on Ubuntu (Windows MCE is no option in Europe)
Turion 2 GHz 25W
1 TB of storage (I wish :puppydogeyes: )
3 tuners: 2 x DVB-C (cable) , 1 x DVB-T (terrestrial)
Remote access via the web
Hopefully, recording those pesky, elusive YLE subtitles to the disk also
Automatic transcoding of recorded shows to Pocket PC VGA screen compatible size
Live streaming of TV over to my phone (when I need to)
MythTV Windows front-end on my notebook
And, all other things dreams can allow me to think of... ;)

When/If/How I build this system, I will probably go with Turion since the price has gotten pretty attractive -- whereas Turion X2 is still a bit pricey. The HTPC case will probably get huge also, but then I won't have to worry about buying external hard drives for recording all those shows I will miss while studying. ;)

[alese]

...Otherwise, the specs of my near-future Media Center PC migth be:
MythTV installed in/on Ubuntu (Windows MCE is no option in Europe)...


Why is MCE not an option in Europe?

[Filip Norrgard]

Why is MCE not an option in Europe?
It only supports digital terrestrial broadcasts with a limited number of supported cards. And that is quite useless if one has got cable or satellite.

Furthermore, (over the air) EPG, teletext, subtitles don't work in MCE and will not work in Windows Vista's MCE either. :(

[alese]

Why is MCE not an option in Europe?
It only supports digital terrestrial broadcasts with a limited number of supported cards. And that is quite useless if one has got cable or satellite.

Furthermore, (over the air) EPG, teletext, subtitles don't work in MCE and will not work in Windows Vista's MCE either. :(

Thanks for info, that's good to know.
However, I doubt very much that I'll watch live TV on my MCE/HTPC.
When I was using my BeyondTV setup it was only for recording. I was watching live TV directly without PC.
Also MCE ingerates nicely with Orb.

[Felix Torres]

Otherwise, the specs of my near-future Media Center PC migth be:
[list] MythTV installed in/on Ubuntu

You might want to keep an eye on the PS/3, then.
Since it is more of a computer than a console *and* it is supposed to come with LINUX pre-installed, it might turn out to be the cheapest, most effective way to a LINUX media center. You'd have to rely on a USB tuner/capture device but I hear Pinnacle is coming out with a USB-based HD Tuner dongle that would be great for this application. All you'd need would be the drivers for MythTV.
I'm keeping an eye out to see how good of an STB the PS3 turns out to be, especially with the built-in browser.

[sojourner753]

i've been using a media PC in my living room for the better part of a year. Perhaps longer. My HTPC software of choice is SageTV.

My specs:
Windows XP Pro
Java 1.4.2-06
SageTV 5.0.4 (Soon to be 6.0)

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 2800
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB DDR 400 (PC 3200)
GIGABYTE Geforce 6600GT GV-N66T128D
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 500 MCE

OS/Apps: Seagate 20GB 5400 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100
Recordings: Seagate 160GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100
Video Library: Maxtor 300GB 7200 RPM USB 2.0 Drive

[Filip Norrgard]

You might want to keep an eye on the PS/3, then.
Since it is more of a computer than a console *and* it is supposed to come with LINUX pre-installed, it might turn out to be the cheapest, most effective way to a LINUX media center.
I didn't know that! :) Looks like I'll have to keep an eye on the PS3 if it ever comes out in Europe. ;)

[Felix Torres]

I didn't know that! :) Looks like I'll have to keep an eye on the PS3 if it ever comes out in Europe. ;)

Accurate phrasing that. ;-)

But I've pretty sure you folks will get it sometime this decade.
And by the time you do get it they'll have cleaned up the OS and the non-existent heating issues. :twisted:

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/16/sony-to-support-homebrew-with-linux-on-ps3/

The Wii OS is reportedly a custom Linux, too, and there is an effort to put a full distro on it but that sounds like it'll take a bit more effort since the Wii hardware is more limited than the 360 and PS3. No hard drive, either.

http://saruwatari-wii.blogspot.com/2006/07/software-in-wii.html