RPM_VR4

Um... lot's of SnapStream plug-ins exist for Meedio. There is a BTV shows importer, a Toggle BTV-Meedio plugin, a BTV Recording Status Feed plugin, etc.

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StrataG

I meant a plug-in to control Beyond TV from within Meedio. Their api would make it possible to view the epg from within a plug-in for Meedio. Then also schedule recordings from it. The only thing that would then be necessary to do within Beyond TV is watch live TV (although theoretically you could use a program like vlc to watch the currently recording buffer). I know of the plug-ins available, but I still need to go into Beyond TV to schedule recordings, delete shows properly (not just the mpeg's), etc. Basically I would prefer to handle most of the TV functions from Meedio rather than the just simply playback. My current setup is very usable, I was simply stating what I wish I had.

P3rv3rt B3ar

BTW guys, i finally got accepted as a HTPCNews newbie... i dont know if what i wrote up there had any affect but i like to think it had. So now i would like to take my bad words back and give that place a fair change. It certainly looks best i could find.

camsgs3

I was going to use Windows Media Center 2005 as my front-end but ill now
take a look at meedio. So what you guys are saying is that meedio cant control live tv or recording?

Since we are on the topic what do you guys use to rip your DVDs to the HD.
i was looking into ratdvd (http://www.ratdvd.dk/). It has good compresion and small in size, i know it works with MCE2005 not sure about meedio

RPM_VR4

Meedio can be a PVR with Meedio Pro (which is Meedio Essentials + Meedio TV). SnapStream Beyond TV is the best PC DVR though. SnapStream Beyond Media however sucks-***. Therefore the best HTPC solution is SS for DVR and Meedio for everything else (Music/Movie rips, Theater showtimes/trailers, weather, console emulator games, etc, etc, etc.).

The cool thing about Meedio is that you can configure it to do anything you want.

The bad thing about Meedio is that you have to configure it (for hours) to get it to do anything well. It is a huge pain to setup properly, but if you have the patients and know-how to get it all setup, you can do things with it that you cannot do with anything else (Director/Actor views, automatic cover-art description downloading from IMDB, X10 control, etc, etc, etc.).

P3rv3rt B3ar

Hi guys and gals,

Does anybody have any experience about this IMON VFD thing:

http://www.soundgraph.com/pr/e_pr_11.asp?m1d=1&m2d=11

It looks cool combination of VFD, IR-remote and volume knob. Most of all im interested how customizable VFD is and is it plastic or aluminium.

I was thinking that VFD would be really cool to play with beside touchscreen but sadly case i had in mind... didnt had space to accomodate that so i found new case silverstone Lascala 18 something... and my girl made a mockup with that one IMON atached too... Sadly i think its aestheticly lightyears behind other case, i posted earlier... well and more expensive too... but tell me what do u think, about looks, and looks vs. functionality issue...

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RPM_VR4

Dude, if you are going to go all-out on a case, that IR and Remote suck! ...and why do you need a VFD if you have a 7" touch-screen?

You want a USB-UIRT and a cool universal remote like the Logitech 880 or the Harman Kardon TC-30.

Volume is controlled by a reciever, not the PC. PC volume should be locked at max always (same for CarPCs with a Head-Unit). If you really want a knob, get a Griffen Powermate and you can glue it to the front of the case .

(BTW: I am currently building a system like this too: The first case you posted, HK TC-30, SnapStream /w PVR-500, Meedio, Girder /w USB-UIRT, 3x 200GB HDDs, DVD +/-RW DL, Logitech DiNovo Keyboard, etc., etc.)

P3rv3rt B3ar

Yes it doesn't make like lot of sense... but thing is i like to experiment and tinker with different things. But im very interested to hear excatly why it sucks? do u have personal experience or did u find review somewhere?

And then again u can actually invent scenarios when it would be advantageous to have them both. Lets say im playing music... projector would of course be off. Touchscreen could display visualization and VFD could show track info. While tablet screen would present options.


Ofcourse i wasnt planning to use remote which comes with it. But something nice like philips Pronto (as far as i know some of the models can control X10 too).

Oh and mainly ill be using my tablet as remote... with TCP/IP Over WIFI. though i still think getting ir remote too... preferably that pronto.


Yes ofcourse with receiver or preamp. but locking it up to max doesnt make any sense... u'll just have distortions... especially in carPC where equibment usually aint that HIFI.




Nice to hear... let me hear about the box, since u will be getting it earlier... cause im like 80% likely to go with that... is so much better looking. But like i said ill buy it only when i return from brazil after upcoming carneval :P so ill have time to hear your feedback... and weight possible choiges. Actually i have third casing choige too... but its rather complicated... to divide HTPC in two different cases... but mayby ill let u know more about that if its feasible.

RPM_VR4

I have not tried that IR/Remote specifically. However, in my experience, most of those type of solutions do not really receive ANY remote, they only work well with the remote they come with (or a learning remote). Now I know you can program your pronto to work with it, but I would rather the PC have the ability to work with any remote. The USB-UIRT allows the PC to read ANY ir signal, plus it can send ir signals to one of 3 independent outputs.

I like your tablet PC idea. I have wanted to do that for a long time, but I haven't been willing to spend money on a Tablet. The best solution would be to have a controller app that is always displayed on the 7" case LCD, plus you can bring the same (mirrored) interface to your tablet.

Personally, I like this remote much better than all-touch-screen remotes like the Pronto: http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=29759

Oh, also you can lock your PC to "optimal stereo" instead of max. The point is the volume should be locked and only controlled by the receiver. For me, I have M/B on-board audio going to line-in on my Pioneer HU in the car, and M/B on-board SPDIF going to my JVC receiver. I always have both my CarPC and HTPC volume locked at max and I do not get distortion/clipping. PC output is designed to go at max. Most people use PCs with volume at max all the time and use their desktop speakers to control volume.

RPM_VR4

Oh, about the box... I got the black one. It looks great, but the way the DVD face plate attaches is with double-stick tape LOL. I wish they just had a smaller slot so I could use a laptop-slot-load with it. Also, the video connection for the LCD is VooDoo style... There's a card bracket with a VGA in plug, and then a short cable to connect that plug to the VGA out plug on your graphics card. I wonder if you could get a graphics card with a VGA pin-header so that you could keep all the connections inside the box?

camsgs3

RPM or P3 you guys are right on topic of what im thinking about doing, my main concern was that i didnt want 2 remotes(one for my AV setup, and the other for my HTPC)

I think im going with the new Phillips Pronto 7500 , but i was just wondering if this would work with the USB-UIRT, im just confused on how would the pronto learn the commands, or do i buy a MCE remote and make the pronto learn that..not sure. I would mainly want the pronto just to control the frontend like meedio or MCE

RPM_VR4

Answer: Girder! (http://www.promixis.com/products.php?section=girder)

To set up a good HTPC where all your input devices play friendly with each other (as well as with all of your different software), you have to create an extensive Girder file. Since Girder /w USB-UIRT is fully programmable, plus you have a fully programmable remote, you can choose the remote to emulate any IR signal you want (just choose a device that you do not own and that uses all the buttons on the remote).

I don't know why people like those Pronto's... I must have a remote with hard-buttons. I like the Logitech / Harmony remotes.

P3rv3rt B3ar

I really have to familiarize me self with IR i dont know too much... I just know tha i wanna avoid it as much as possible and rather implement everything trough RS-232 control ports. however i have some legacy equibment without it an i quess i need infrared to control those. Mainly however infrared wuold just be used learning remote to htpc communication.


Yes that is exactly implementation im being thinking about... tablet and htpc touchscreen would display same screen all the time... which is used to control theatre (that could have visualization "screen saver" while listening music), and all video would go automaticly to projector. I have feeling this is going to rock!!

Anyway id like wholeheartedly recommend tablet cause u wouldnt be just spending money for remote, but most versatile computer u have. I once counted that im doing computing in 12 different context, or modalities (like carputing, wearable, HTPC, E-BOOK...) and with right accessories and 3rd party equibment. My tablet works to some degree in 8 of those purposes.
Forexample i doubt i would have made initial leap to carputing any time soon without tablet. Now if i wouldnt had so much fighting over warranty... i would actually love it.



I just read pronto being industry de-facto standard or ipod of remotes... so is highly likely i get that. I have to say touchscreen apeals to me much more than button, altough it doesnt have tactile feedback.


Yeah, sadly i have bit noise/distortion issue in my car... i really need to play with volume button to get it right.

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