Media centre / Home Theatre PC

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flango

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I need some help in this area as it is one I have never vetured into before, below is what I want to do I just don't know how to do it.

I want a media centre etc running windows to connect to my new lcd tv, the main purpose being to have internet available in my lounge on the TV and also be able to access BBC i player and ITV equivalent on it to watch on my TV. I would also like the ability to record to the hard drive, so guess it needs a TV card, but would also like to link my SKY + box into it as well, S Video? so that I can transfer the films from my Sky + onto the media centre hard drive. I also would like to burn films from the hard drive to DVD, and be able to play DVDs from the unit, would also like Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound

Has anybody got such a unit or done this before?

All help greatly welcomed

Thanks
 
I cant help but its a damn fine idea & something I would be interested in too.
 
I am not sure about the linking the Sky box in(although probably doable), but all the rest of your requirements are things that a capable mediacentre/HTPC will manage admirably.

Would recomend AV-Forums & also buildyourown for advice/support
 
this is the software I Use MEDIAPORTAL - free media center - Home alows multiple TV cards and TV streaming across network, plus many other options, much better than Media Centre

These days you can get motherboards with HDMI and SPDIF connections, SPDIF into amp for audio 5.1/7.1

All information on how to build and connect things like sky boxe's etc look in forums http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/
 
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IF you are getting Windows XP or Vista as the operating system for the pc, these programs come with a built in 'Media Centre' interface so that no extra program is required. However there are 3rd party progs as jpskiller says which may be better.

If you do not want Windows operating systems, you could try free Linux OS(Ubuntu/Kubuntu) & then combine with the media centre prog, which will save money
 
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If you do not want Windows operating systems, you could try free Linux OS(Ubuntu/Kubuntu) & then combine with the media centre prog, which will save money

Tried this a long time ago, but couldent find software with same features and I wasent sure if it supports access BBC i player and ITV equivalent

but interesting idea..
 
I haven't tried it myself & think Windows might be safer route....


Having recently built a workstation PC for editing, I am planning to build a HTPC myself, so have book marked the link you(jpskiller) posted for myself for when it gets off the ground, thanks.

Antec make some nice HTPC cases, which are not too outrageously expensive -http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...e+Media+Center+Case+-+Silver+?productId=33878
 
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you can get a satellite card for a pc so you can just plug your dish straight into it, not sure about how you get it to access Sky but might be worth looking into.
 
I would also like the ability to record to the hard drive, so guess it needs a TV card, but would also like to link my SKY + box into it as well, S Video?

Here's a good place to start reference the pc hardware that you need

www.blackgold.tvhttp://shop.blackgold.tv

Check out the BGT3540: 6 in 1 - Dual digital satellite, Dual digital terrestrial, Dual analogue terrestrial: PCI express card
 
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