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20-01-2006, 05:44 PM
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Member
Group: Regulars
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Hi all
Just to summarise I already have a desktop computer upstairs and run a wireless network for my work laptop.
I currently have much of my music on my Ipod that I connect to my Home Theatre and so use it as my CD Player.
Now to my thoughts. I would like either a) a Network media Player to connect to my Fuji Plasma to play my digital photos, my music (as it all won't fit on my 80 Gig Ipod) and also perhaps store video's, some of which i have done myself, some of which may be a ripped DVD I own. or ...
B) Get a Mac Mini to do all the above. I would also need buy a large (500 gig ?) external hard drive either to connect to my desktop upstairs and access via the wireless network (if it is stable to stream music/video) or perhaps a Lacie 250 Gig Firewire external hard drive designed to fit under a Mac Mini as shown here. normanc@downvviewfarmcottagges.co.uk
Finally, one last major problem, it needs major WAF to gain acceptance. This kind of precludes the standard computer box media players that are too big and do not have WAF. I am looking to purchase in the next few months and maybe when i go to Singapore in June, my budget is say $1,000 - 1500.
I would be grateful for any suggestions.
Thanks |
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20-01-2006, 05:57 PM
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Pork Hunt
Group: Regulars
Location: Perth
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Where did you get an 80gig ipod???
I doubt that wireless is upto the task of streaming video - audio no problem but i doubt the video will look great - you would be better off running some cable down from upstairs - constant link then - no buffering or wireless drop outs.
Do you need the 500G drive external?? if so you can just buy a normal ide drive and an external usb2 case for about 60 bucks
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Don't you just love standards, there are so many to choose from!
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20-01-2006, 06:04 PM
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Member
Group: Regulars
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Quote:
Originally posted by jeremy_warnock@Jan 20 2006, 05:57 PM
if so you can just buy a normal ide drive and an external usb2 case for about 60 bucks
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sorry, I meant a 40 gig Ipod, wishful thinking on my part. Sorry to be dumb, what exactly do you mean by your comment quoted ? Is it connected to the Mac Mini or desktop ? Would it be portable ?
Thanks 
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20-01-2006, 06:19 PM
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Pork Hunt
Group: Regulars
Location: Perth
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it would portible.
See internal drives are usually cheaper then external, so what I was suggesting was buying an internal drive, then going an external case fro the drive. An external usb 2 case is about 50 to 60 bucks and will take an internal drive - that way once you have the case you can keep buying drives for storgae space - one for movies, one photos one for music.... and just keep swapping the drives in the case.
__________________
Don't you just love standards, there are so many to choose from!
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20-01-2006, 08:09 PM
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Member
Group: Regulars
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Quote:
Originally posted by jeremy_warnock@Jan 20 2006, 06:19 PM
it would portible.
See internal drives are usually cheaper then external, so what I was suggesting was buying an internal drive, then going an external case fro the drive. An external usb 2 case is about 50 to 60 bucks and will take an internal drive - that way once you have the case you can keep buying drives for storgae space - one for movies, one photos one for music.... and just keep swapping the drives in the case.
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okay I understand, thanks, a good idea. |
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20-01-2006, 10:02 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
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network drives
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22-01-2006, 11:43 AM
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Member
Group: Regulars
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researching the Mac Mini I have been told you can only get 2 channel sound from the Mini. Therefore if I connected to my 5.1 home theatre I wouldn't be able to get dts or 5.1 dolby digital sound for video's and ripped DVD's etc. Is that correct ?
Also a modded Xbox has been thrown up as a cheaper, more flexible solution. Any thoughts ?
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22-01-2006, 12:56 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Victoria, Australia
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Well you could get a USB external sound box that would do 5.1.
There's heaps of information on the web about using the mac mini to do stuff like this - here's a few articles:
How To Turn Your Mac Mini Into A Media Centre
Mac Mini User Community
The Mac Mini HTPC Article
Hope these at least help a bit.
Glen |
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22-01-2006, 03:09 PM
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NSLog(@"%@", [self customTitle]);
Group: Regulars
Location: Melbourne
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Quote:
Originally posted by holo@Jan 22 2006, 12:43 PM
researching the Mac Mini I have been told you can only get 2 channel sound from the Mini. Therefore if I connected to my 5.1 home theatre I wouldn't be able to get dts or 5.1 dolby digital sound for video's and ripped DVD's etc. Is that correct ?
Also a modded Xbox has been thrown up as a cheaper, more flexible solution. Any thoughts ?
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You can get 5.1 using a USB/Firewire soundcard quite easily.
From what I've heard, the Xbox thing is sluggish, and has quite poor performance. I don't know how poor exactly, but the people who have been developing the software aren't exactly going to say that all the hard work they've done is crap.
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"A company must go out and find what the customer wants ... The need is not for, say, half a million ¼-inch drill bits. The needs is that there are ten million ¼-inch holes that need to be drilled." - Robert Noyce
"Algorithms that forget their history are doomed to repeat it" - Artificial Intelligence, A Modern Approach (Russel & Norvig)
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23-01-2006, 10:25 AM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Brisbane, QLD
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EyeHome will give you the ultimate Video and Audio experience (ala Optical and RGB)
Xbox media centre (modded xbox) is pretty cool, it plays everything I throw at it, but won't do:-
1) Recording
2) Access Shares with passwords
The Xbox also only has component out.
__________________
iMac G5 *** NEED TO UPDATE -- GOT LOST IN THE UPGRADE ***
Intel Mac mini Core Duo 1.66Ghz 1GB RAM 120GB HDD + EyeTV DTT + Canopus ADVC-55 + RemoteBuddy
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23-01-2006, 10:45 AM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Melbourne
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Quote:
Originally posted by forgie@Jan 22 2006, 03:09 PM
You can get 5.1 using a USB/Firewire soundcard quite easily.
From what I've heard, the Xbox thing is sluggish, and has quite poor performance. I don't know how poor exactly, but the people who have been developing the software aren't exactly going to say that all the hard work they've done is crap.
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Where the frak did you here that from?
The xbox plays just about every file I have thrown at it with the only expections being true HD encoded videos 720p or above. though I did get Bikini Destinations 1080i working a very slow frame rate.
Xbox as a wireless media centre is the bees knees. I have over a terabyte of TV shows on harddrive being streamed over wireless without an issue
the xbox also supports 5.1 sound and will upscale to 1080i
oh, and its fast :-) |
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23-01-2006, 11:07 AM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Quote:
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2) Access Shares with passwords
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Wonders how he is streaming his movies then as the share has a username and password.
</sarcasm>
__________________
"The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a 'mouse'. There is no evidence that people want to use these things."John C. Dvorak in the San Francisco Examiner, February 1984 |
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23-01-2006, 12:55 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Brisbane, QLD
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ah it would appear he's edited his files to add the share to get it to work ...
Code:
<bookmark>
<name>My Share Name as it you would like it to appear in XBMC</name>
<path>smb://domain;username:password@MyWindowsServer/movies</path>
</bookmark>
but you can't just browse your network and be prompted for a username/password and then connect.
__________________
iMac G5 *** NEED TO UPDATE -- GOT LOST IN THE UPGRADE ***
Intel Mac mini Core Duo 1.66Ghz 1GB RAM 120GB HDD + EyeTV DTT + Canopus ADVC-55 + RemoteBuddy
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23-01-2006, 01:20 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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With later version of XBMC you can set it all up on the xbox if you know the IP the name of the share and the password, it can be all done from the controller no need to edit files from a computer.
But its still not just browsing. But how often do you change your network shares?
__________________
"The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a 'mouse'. There is no evidence that people want to use these things."John C. Dvorak in the San Francisco Examiner, February 1984 |
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23-01-2006, 01:44 PM
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Pork Hunt
Group: Regulars
Location: Perth
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having a modded xbox - I can state that it was the best $100 i have ever spent. XBMC is bullet proof and players everything, with advanced av adapter and an optical sound cable I enjoy games and movies all in 5.1. Having the ability to store games on the hdd is great - plus all the pretty female skins that come with the mods for a little xtra eye candy.
I have not done it yet but my next step is a airport express with airtunes - this will get your xbox on the network and allow you to access music on a network drive
__________________
Don't you just love standards, there are so many to choose from!
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