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View Full Version : Is the Media PC ready for prime time???



PHSJason
02-09-2005, 08:50 AM
We have put in a few media PCs in the past. Usually only where the client requests it. The ones we have done have been problematic, downloading drivers, setting up resolutions, wireless keyboards having issues etc. We have gotten them all to work in the end, but have had to take a lot more time than we wanted to. What is everyone's experience with media PCs??

Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

MikeTech
02-09-2005, 10:32 AM
Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

LOL - What a tool!

vette84
02-09-2005, 12:44 PM
I personally think that MCE is NOT ready for prime time. It is a great concept, but not quite there yet. Main reason is that it is still a computer that runs Windows. Computers with Windows crash. Often.

I personally use a MCE pc at home and really like it, but I also have an extensive computer background and can fix things when necessary. I would not install one in a customer's home strictly for the support issues.

There is also the integration issue. A MCE has a few complex menus (like music selection), and with only ir (with no discretes) to control the whole thing, automation could be a nightmare. In the end it is still a glorified DVR.

PHSJason
02-09-2005, 01:18 PM
Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

LOL - What a tool!

My favorite part is where he says "I only have to push this one button" but you can see him trying LOTS of buttons.

Oh, and that was from CES this year.

Jason

sirroundsound
02-09-2005, 08:51 PM
Now that there are a handful of them available, which makes have people played with? I can understand the windows issue, but I think most higher end people who might be willing to have one of these already know that their computers sometimes crash and have to be rebooted. Heck their digital cable boxes have to be powered down if they lock up. It's just something we seem to be willing to live with.

ssamsal
02-09-2005, 09:06 PM
This is the first year of serious wide spread marketing and OEM manufacturing of Media Center PC's. Is it ready for prime time? The answer is yes and no. We sell, integrate, and install them to the right qualified customer. Right now for the most part that is not many of our clients. The media center pc as a distributed audio/video system with the new extender boxes is a decent solution for the lower end of our client chain if qualified properly. There isn't any real system intergration available, short of developing your own. With that in mind like said earlier, it is a low end media streamer, picture file sharer and real low end cable receiver/DVR. This year Joel Silver is supposed to have setup shop in Microsoft to certify all media center pc's as ISF caliber. It must not be working, because the quality of picture is still on the ridiculusly horrible side. In short, it is not ready for our clients but keep an eye on it, because it will have a place in our future.

My 2 cents, take it for what it's worth.

OEX
02-13-2005, 07:53 AM
Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

LOL - What a tool!

Who Bill?

MikeTech
02-17-2005, 02:12 PM
Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

LOL - What a tool!

Who Bill?

yes, Bill.

PHSJason
02-17-2005, 08:26 PM
Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

LOL - What a tool!

Who Bill?

yes, Bill.

Which Bill? (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/windowscrash.html)

Woody
04-07-2005, 06:29 PM
We have a client looking to use a media pc to record HD, currently the main satellite provider in Canada does not have PVR. Has anybody had success (or failure) with integrating this with satellite into a system?

Shadowman68
04-07-2005, 07:10 PM
What are you using ExpressVu or StarChoice? Expressvu has a PVR dont they? the 6200.
http://www.bell.ca/shop/60567.details
Sorry the 5920.

Woody
04-08-2005, 06:14 PM
5920 does not record HD. Client is quite finicky and really wants to record HD from Expressvu. I have spoken to Bell and they say their HD pvr has been delayed...again.
Mike

BlakeAV
06-24-2005, 12:38 PM
My boss just started a new Blog all about Media PC's. Check it out.

http://adamsmce.blogspot.com/

Matt
06-26-2005, 01:40 AM
We have one from ZT Group in our showroom, I do not recommend this it this time. The only thing it is usefull for is playing WMV HD. Coral reef adventure is a great demo piece.

nholmes
07-09-2005, 12:52 PM
While at my house I do have a full blown media server and multiple htpc setup I do have hard time recommending it to a customer. My setup at my house is very reliable but it has taken time and trial and error to get it to this point. Now I could easily recreate this setup for a customer I am still very gun shy with regards to support. I was a network admin for 6 years prior to moving into the CI field* I know what the hassle of supporting PC systems that users constantly change but when asked say oh I didn't do anything.

* no I am not one of the IT guys who thinks I can just come in and take over the industry. HT and AV have been passions of mine for a long time and I was building my own theater before I even got into the CI field*

avophile
07-09-2005, 04:42 PM
Welcome, nholmes.

What are you doing for your media server? Are your HTPCs networked to share content? And what from your network admin experience are you bringing to your clients? If you're not willing to do it, it surely gives me pause.

When is Joel Silver going to convince Microsoft to make MCE extenders support high-definition video? (He kind of just smiled enigmatically and told me soon when I asked him!)

nholmes
07-09-2005, 05:27 PM
My media server is a dual Athlon MP home brew system. I have 1.6TB of storage in there currently and it is running Windows 2003 Server (Overkill but I had the license so I figured I would finally use it. My media server is also acting as a domain controller for my gigabit network for the rest of the family and a few misc. devices. Its main chore is storing all music, files and dvd's that I have ripped so far and makes all of them able act much like a kaleidescape system.

The main advantage to my setup / which is also my main problem with providing this to a customer is that the htpc's can be used for other things such as web browsing. I use my Samsung DLP in the master as a monitor sometimes if I feel the need to check email or go look something up without going to the other side of the house.

I am currently in the process of putting Xbox Media Center on my sons xbox so he can also view any of our movies from the media server, much cheaper than building another htpc.

Truthfully as far as using my prior IT experience for current customers, it has been very slim, lots of wireless networks and a few simple network setups. Though I have been able to save my current company alot of time trying to find a way to get wires to a few locations for network by setting up a few wireless routers as a Wireless Distrobution System.

Pax
07-29-2005, 11:23 AM
I like the concept of Media Center but I’ve never been thrilled with the execution. There’s something about have a windows box at the center of my house with a full time IT staff. I would take a properly configured Linux server any day.

I get especially nervous when I see people with a lighting solution running from the windows box. It seems like a bad idea in the long run especially with the threat of hacking windows these days.

My $.02

nholmes
07-29-2005, 09:54 PM
Truthfully, a well setup and configured windows box can run for as long as just about any *nix box. It all depends on what your doing with it and how you deal with installing software and such. I have had 2 different windows servers that had uptimes in excess of 300 straight days before I moved recently. This is in florida where brown-outs and power drops are common.

gmascherino
08-12-2005, 04:49 AM
I can't recommend a Media Center PC. It does have some good benefits of course but those are dwarfed by the issues. Firstly, getting the raw digital audio stream from a DVD to your pre-amp is impossible. Just the fact that Windows has other sounds makes it impossible for the OS to send an unprocessed bit stream. You can correct me if I am wrong.

Also, using a HTPC in any automated fashion isn't really plausible. You can use a contact closure tied to the power button to turn it on but you can't play music, watch a DVD, or watch TV without going through the menu. I actually wrote a software package to control media via IP on XP Pro to use with a Crestron system because the control of the Media Center PC was too limited. I think that unless a customer is willing to really navigate his MCPC then it isn't a good solution. Stick with real components.

The positive things I can say is they do make pretty good scalers for a low price tag. And, until HD DVD or Blu-Ray comes out, WMV-HD DVDs are good for demos.

Z
09-26-2005, 07:08 PM
Bill Gates and his media PC (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gatesconan.html)

Jason

LOL - What a tool!

Who Bill?

yes, Bill.

Which Bill? (http://www.big-boys.com/articles/windowscrash.html)


The Bill! Kinda like The Donald only different.