Media center computer resources?

**rsd212** · 08-29-2006, 04:25 PM

Despite my carputer being under the weather (m2-atx died.......again), I was thinking of making a media center computer out of an old Athlon Thunderbird board I have. Problem is, I dont really like XP MCE's menuing, and want something more custom. I also want to rip my DVD collection so I dont have to swap discs (something Microsoft frowns upon). Anybody else tackle a similar project? Any good resources you've found (frontends, utils)? Feel free to post your setup. Or hell, if you've achieved good DVD/mp3/game launching in your carputer, post that as well!

**P3rv3rt B3ar** · 08-29-2006, 04:33 PM

XLobby

**will1384** · 08-29-2006, 05:18 PM

how is it compared to - mediacenter, roadrunner, stuff like that
in ease of setup

looks good tho

**Rafster** · 08-29-2006, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by rsd212

Despite my carputer being under the weather (m2-atx died.......again), I was thinking of making a media center computer out of an old Athlon Thunderbird board I have. Problem is, I dont really like XP MCE's menuing, and want something more custom. I also want to rip my DVD collection so I dont have to swap discs (something Microsoft frowns upon). Anybody else tackle a similar project? Any good resources you've found (frontends, utils)? Feel free to post your setup. Or hell, if you've achieved good DVD/mp3/game launching in your carputer, post that as well!

I don't think MCE would run well on a Thunderbird.....

It's too slow, afaik...

Peace,

Rafster

**will1384** · 08-29-2006, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Rafster

I don't think MCE would run well on a Thunderbird.....

It's too slow, afaik...

Peace,

Rafster

well the OS part is fast - I installed Media center on a P3 600mhz
system - it booted fast and ran good - but the media center stuff
was useless - the main reason was the laptops video card

if you had a DX9 video card with lots of mem - it might be ok

I installed it on a AMD XP system with a geforce 4 - the media
center stuff would not work - not a true DX9 card - I was able
to hack it - to force it to use the video card - but it was crap

I did put it on a system with all the right stuff - and
because I have Dish not cable, plus local TV from the
antenna out side and Vcr , I was not able to select
what input, I was stuck with just one

-
but my WinFast TV2000XP has no problem with any
thing I want, so I scraped media center and its tv tuner
went back to just plain Windows XP and my TV2000XP
and its PVR software

but yea - I dont like media center and its lack of tv tuner
support and control

**P3rv3rt B3ar** · 08-29-2006, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by will1384

how is it compared to - mediacenter, roadrunner, stuff like that
in ease of setup

looks good tho

Its very customizable... so to make it exactly like u want is hard work... but if u r happy with most common functionality i suppose it can be pretty much run out of the box...

It compares to MCE, like photoshop to paint...

**rsd212** · 08-30-2006, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by will1384

well the OS part is fast - I installed Media center on a P3 600mhz
system - it booted fast and ran good - but the media center stuff
was useless - the main reason was the laptops video card

if you had a DX9 video card with lots of mem - it might be ok

I installed it on a AMD XP system with a geforce 4 - the media
center stuff would not work - not a true DX9 card - I was able
to hack it - to force it to use the video card - but it was crap

I'll be using a 1.3ghz Athlon with a GeForce 2. What exactly runs slow? The recording functions? I know it can run DivX and DVDs at full speed with regular XP. I actually dont have cable, so wasnt going to use a tuner for now and dont need recording capabilities, just playback.

XLobby is looking good, just hope that it organizes like I want. Not too keen on the album cover browsing scheme, I'll use playlists a lot for both audio and video.

**will1384** · 08-30-2006, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by rsd212

I'll be using a 1.3ghz Athlon with a GeForce 2. What exactly runs slow? The recording functions? I know it can run DivX and DVDs at full speed with regular XP. I actually dont have cable, so wasnt going to use a tuner for now and dont need recording capabilities, just playback.

XLobby is looking good, just hope that it organizes like I want. Not too keen on the album cover browsing scheme, I'll use playlists a lot for both audio and video.

a GeForce 2 wont work with media center - or what I should say is
the media center part, it will work with the OS - you need a DX9 video
card - other than that your system should run fine

It has to be "DirectX 9 capable with at least 128 MB"

GeForce FX or higher
Radeon 9500+ or higher
-copy from and old list-, and my guess is that new-er
cards are DX9