Media Centre

[50LTRv8]

Yes - but for the TVs that don't, an X-Box, PS3 or STB will do fine. You say most people are after digital tuning? Well the setup in my bedroom for example with an old LCD TV (no Network port) uses a 500Gb Beonwiz dual HD tuner STB. So it picks up and records HD TV as well as accesses all my media from my PC. For just $349. With a PS3 or X-Box you get the added bonus of a games console and BluRay player.

I still can't see the point of a media centre.

For your setup maybe you can't see the point, here is mine

I have a Server with some storage space accessible to any computer in the house (there are many). I have an CRT TV that has no digital tuner. The media pc allows me to play Divx/mp3 as well as record HDTV, there is no other device that can do it all for my tv (unless you get the small box as above). Now for a TV with a digital tuner it is a little bit different. You already have the tuner so you don't really need an external one.

An XBox/Playstation is great for streaming media, but you don't get the ability to receive and record HDTV.

So in other words you don't see the advantages because you already have them in other ways, but for my setup it was the best way to go, also I have had this setup for about 5 years lol.

 

[CSP]

ok fair enough... thanks for explaining it. makes sense now.

 

[azkwazere]

You people spend way to much inside... go for a walk.

aZk.

 

[STEALTHY™]

Your missing the point, you can watch whatever media or listen to music and your using your TV for digital TV, my PVR setup is for getting digital reception (I have a CRT TV) as well as having divx/mp3 access in the lounge room. Most people with PVR's are after a digital tuner

The price different for a media centre, to an Xbox 360 (or other, i just use xbox because an arcade is like $99 or some ****) that does more.
My point was, i can link as many computers, to as many xboxes as my lan ports allow (currently have a 4 port router and a 9 port switch)....

My computer can watch/record digital tv, and my other TV can watch it (and watch whatever i record off of my PC) (and that card costs like $60).
I already had an xbox for gaming, and i already had a PC, so total cost to me was $69 and a lan cable

 

[yZoH]

The price different for a media centre, to an Xbox 360 (or other, i just use xbox because an arcade is like $99 or some ****) that does more.
My point was, i can link as many computers, to as many xboxes as my lan ports allow (currently have a 4 port router and a 9 port switch)....

My computer can watch/record digital tv, and my other TV can watch it (and watch whatever i record off of my PC) (and that card costs like $60).
I already had an xbox for gaming, and i already had a PC, so total cost to me was $69 and a lan cable

Xbox 360 does not support .mkv files, so 720p & 1080p is out of the pictures

Xbox 360 does not support .flac Audio, So high quality Audio is out of the picture,

 

[CSP]

Xbox 360 does not support .mkv files, so 720p & 1080p is out of the pictures

Xbox 360 does not support .flac Audio, So high quality Audio is out of the picture,

Then you don't know how to configure a decent transcoder...

 

[yZoH]

Why the hell would I want to transcode on the fly an stream from a PC?

Seems as tho, You have found the harder way, I whack them on the Media center,

AN THEY JUST WORK

 

[50LTRv8]

The price different for a media centre, to an Xbox 360 (or other, i just use xbox because an arcade is like $99 or some ****) that does more.
My point was, i can link as many computers, to as many xboxes as my lan ports allow (currently have a 4 port router and a 9 port switch)....

My computer can watch/record digital tv, and my other TV can watch it (and watch whatever i record off of my PC) (and that card costs like $60).
I already had an xbox for gaming, and i already had a PC, so total cost to me was $69 and a lan cable

Thats fine for you, but my kids don't want to watch digital tv on my computer monitor. I created this setup 5 years ago, i don't have digital TV on the TV itself so at the time Mediaportal was the way to go. It allows much more flexability for my setup than anything else. As Hozy has noted MKV is a no go on 360, The PC can play any format you can throw at it. As for cost, well 5 years for a pc is pretty good going. It is only an AMD Athlon CPU with a 7600 GT video card so the specs arn't that high.

 

[CSP]

anything can be transcoded though... it's not hard. I stream mkv fine!

 

[STEALTHY™]

Xbox 360 does not support .mkv files, so 720p & 1080p is out of the pictures

Xbox 360 does not support .flac Audio, So high quality Audio is out of the picture,

I dont download anything in .mkv or .flak tho?
Anything in those formats i've been given from mates is converted, and not a problem

Like i said, size was the winner for me. You said you could buy 3 boxes and then have all 6TB networked, but thats THREE lots of buying the media centre, plus the 2TB harddrive. When i can just throw that harddrive in my tower and watch it all that way.

I'm all for doing things an easier way, but i'm still not convinced your way is anything but a hinderence