Time to spec another PC! HTPC this time...

Percy1983

Playback I either use WMC or winamp depending what I am doing.

Didn't know about flac in WMC as said I just use mp3, by all means stay with wma-lossless then, as said it is infact lossless so all is good.

There is a few ways of customising WMC and some good plugins.

irisandalex

Cheers Percy.

I'm trying to make this 100% simple to use, as it will be the family entertainment centre, not just a geek toy for me! :-)

I'll let you know how I get on....

Percy1983

In that case WMC built in playback/ripping is perfect for you.

What I mention with DVBlink is proper geeky setting up but to another user it just works, ie my other half has no idea how the tuners are merge and how to do it, but its just an TV with nice EPG to her.

I would recommend a program called my channel logos, it replaces the names on the epg with the channel logos, great little program and really makes the epg look nicer/better.

Out of interest are you leaving it on all the time or making it sleep or switching it off?

irisandalex

Will check channel logos out, I think I'd read about that somewhere else as well.

I'll have to look in to things like DVBlink in due course, for now I have a nice app for the tablet which handles streaming of live and recorded stuff from the PC. That will keep us going until I have more time!

I doubt I'll leave it on all the time, although I'll have to check if WMC does turn on automatically for recordings, then go back off after. DVBViewer, which I used to use, did this just fine.

The computer powers up from cold much before the projector is warmed up anyway....

Percy1983

I don't think WMC will start up a switched off PC, but give a go with a test.

I use MCE standby tool, in short my HTPC sleeps, but it is back on in seconds (with my TV), Then if I run a media extender or anyhting on the DVBlink server it wakes it up, it then goes back to sleep after a short while its been idle, I do it this way as before a sent it to sleep when I stopped watching but if it was recording it would stop the recording, where now it will stay on until any recordings are done and then sleep.

irisandalex

Is that wake up via Wakeup On LAN?

Percy1983

Oddly its turned off on the board, but yes it is waking up when it gets a signal over lan.

irisandalex

I've never managed to make that work over the internet, although I can at least have it working inside our network.

Percy1983

Mine is working over the internet, I did have to port forward on my router.

irisandalex

Port forwarding has always been a pain on my O2 Wireless Box II.

Someday I'll get my hands on a decent router....