Xbox MCE PC Mvix PS3

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silas

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Hi there everyone.

I need to rebuild a media center this weekend after getting rid of my old setup for a profit last weekend.:cool:

I need to know if i should buy an Xbox 360 arcade thingie or just rebuild a new pc all together again.

Can the xbox run mce on its own and access a shared HDD?(it looks good)
Will a pc just work better?(still looks like a pc at the price)

I'll use the machine for movies, pvr, music and the odd game session

the pc i am thinking of building will be this setup

1 x Antec Fusion Media Center Chassis - Black/Silver - 430W
1 x Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DSP
1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 4MB 1333Mhz FSB LGA775 Processor
1 x Gigabyte GA-G31MX-S2 IG31 Motherboard w/A8 + G + LK + SATA2
1 x Orbitron JustCooler FC-100 PC Slot Fan
2 x Hynix DDR2-667 512MB Memory Module
1 x Seagate 750GB Barracuda SATA300 8MB 7200RPM Hard Drive

later in the year, maybe around august(2008) or so i will have to get another (xbox or pc) for the other room.

i checked my friends Mvix, nice gadget but no tv capabilities, i need to have the pvr function somehow.

I also have an okay laptop(30gig hdd with 512 ram and a 1.4 gig processor)
I am thinking i could use this but too many add ons, external 7.1 usb soundcard, external HDD, external bluetooth, external tv card (noise and clutter).

Does the PS3 have anything to offer?

anyone got advice? good or bad experiences? costs?
 
All versions of the 360 are media extenders, they're not Media Centre's in their own right. You set up a Vista Premium or XP MCE basically as a server and stream the stuff to your TV.

The bonus of doing it that way is that you can have more than one client extenders on your network, so My wife and I can watch something in one room and the kids in another without having to duplicate everything.

They can also play media off removable storage and devices - music off iPods, movies of HDD's or Thumb drives.
 
Thanks

Doobiwan thanks.

but it sounds like instead of a pc server and an xbox i might as well have a pc server and another pc...both the pc and the server will be like two MCE machines.

except for the gaming on the xbox.....are there more benefits?

if i had a standalone HDD shared, would the xbox still be able to stream from there or will i still need a machine running mce still?

thanks a ton

i am looking at http://www.neurostechnology.com/ now, it seems like a really cool gadget but lacks the PVR capabilities and i can't seem to find valid screenshots of the interface.
 
Unfortunately a NAS device wouldn't work, you need some form on stream server. The good news is that it doesn't have to be MCE, you can use any PC with WMP11, the Zune software, or what seems to be the most preferred option, something like TVersity.

If you already have one "uber" MCE PC that you're using for gaming etc than I'd suggest getting the arcade as an extender over another PC, just from a simplicity and cost perspective. It's turn on and off you go, no boot up, no maintenance no AV worries etc. Another PC will cost you about the same anyway.

The obvious additional benefit being access to 360 games as well and also a "party games" device for having friends over to play things like guitar Hero, Rok band or Scene IT.

It's nice to have the options.
 
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sounds fair enough.

the xbox, does it connect only wirelessly or ethernet too?
the xbox interface, does it look like windows vista or not?
oh oh and what about pvr? can it receive tv somehow? via usb or built in?
if i already have a tunner card on the server pc?
the xbox will look better thanthe pc anyways hey!

thanks
 
the xbox, does it connect only wirelessly or ethernet too?

You would need to buy an additional wireless adapter(+/- R999) for the 360 , it has an ethernet port for you to plug your wired network cable in.

the xbox interface, does it look like windows vista or not?

The xbox has different menu options (blades) which you tab or scroll through to sellect and make your choices

oh oh and what about pvr? can it receive tv somehow? via usb or built in?

not that I am aware of , but as long as your pc is running , you can obtain the latest available media, via torrents and then you can still watch share it to your 360

if i already have a tunner card on the server pc?

record and share, so that you can watch it via the 360 if you like

the xbox will look better thanthe pc anyways hey!

Does the PS3 have anything to offer?

all the same, but you won't have to buy the wireless module, as it is built-in

My current setup is the 360 in the lounge area, hooked up to my projector and the surround sound.

The PS3 in the bedroom via the hdtv, hidden behind some furniture, as it access my media server wirelessly, the wife doesn't like the clutter of cables.

I am just using the media connect software for windows and it works like a charm for sharing all my music, movies and tv series.

Download the media connect 2.0 from here :

http://38.118.213.147/1y7cueehx4+/p...dows/Windows_Media_Connect/wmcsetup_en.exe/X6
 
oh yeah, you need to have your firmware updated on both the ps3 and the 360 , also you need the extra module to allow you to play divx/xvid files on the 360
 
Said "module" is just a software update.

In terms of streaming TV there's two options, one "okay cool", the other "wow cool". The "oc" is yes media extender functionality allows you to hook the streaming TV off the server. The "wc" version is that the 360 support Microsoft IPTV aka mediaroom which is apparently one of the formats Telkom media payTV is going to support, so you'll be able to stream directly to the 360 over the net and also have access to video on demand.

What's not known though is whether IPTV will require an HDD or not. (It definitely will for the PVR functionality)

Another tibit I heard is that IPTV is not "internet" based, it just runs on the IP protocol - so it doesn't come out of your ADSL cap.
 
With setup up a multi-room tv/media sharing, the following is the best option:
Vista Premium or Ultimate (your media center server)
xbox360 (arcade or premium) per room.

The xbox acts like an extender. When you connect the xbox to the Vista "server" it takes the complete Vista MCE interface and does all the process on the xbox. So on the xbox you will see a Vista interface and will be able to navigate it exactly the same as if you where navigating Vista MCE.

With Vista MCE, it acts like a PVR. You can get a dual tuner card for the pc and that wil enable you to connect a dual view decoder to the Vista MCE box. Vista will then automatically manage the recording etc of your tv.

With regard to your wired vs wireless question. Yes, for the xbox, there is an add-on accessory for wireless, but one thing to note, if you are going to be watching HD content, then you will need 802.11a or n as b/g doesnt have enough bandwidth for HD streaming. It is recommended to go wired. Though g will work if you have a single xbox extender, once you add more, your quality will degrade.
 
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