Satellites seem to keep you locked in. Directv offers this http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/technology/directv2pc
but you have to have a HD DVR connected to your network.
How to replace your home theater pre-pro with a HTPC!
- Thread starter Nyal Mellor
- Start date
but you have to have a HD DVR connected to your network.
That looks interesting! Especially since I have all the hardware in the house to try this out. Just need to download the app to my server. I very much doubt this will support Dolby Digital though, which it the whole point for me to run sound through a PC with MCH Lynx output card. In 2 channel mode, I can just connect my Sat receiver to the screen over HDMI and over toslink directly to my DAC, and don't need the PC. I'll try this out though. Thanks.
I got cable TV to work on jriver using my silicondust hdhr prime and m-card!
The only question left for me has to do with bitstreamed audio. I want to control all volume with jriver internal volume which outputs to an RME card; not HDMI audio. I want use HDMI only for video.
How does jriver handle lossless blu ray audio codecs? Can jriver convert the lossless codecs to something the Swiss RME Knife sound card can handle using jriver's internal volume?
The only question left for me has to do with bitstreamed audio. I want to control all volume with jriver internal volume which outputs to an RME card; not HDMI audio. I want use HDMI only for video.
How does jriver handle lossless blu ray audio codecs? Can jriver convert the lossless codecs to something the Swiss RME Knife sound card can handle using jriver's internal volume?
Prerich,
How do you control jrmc cable channel selection? Do you simply use Gizmo in "theater view remote? "
How do you control jrmc cable channel selection? Do you simply use Gizmo in "theater view remote? "
No, I haven't tried using Gizmo for my TV yet. What I do have is a WMC Remote that I was going to use in a second PC (convincing my wife to give up the last cable box and she's just about there
). I just press the guide button on the remote and off bam! There is one thing that I wish it did - I wish the channel you were watching continued to play in a small box as you are going through the guide.JRiver can decode Dolby TrueHD already, but needs the dtsdecoder.dll file from Arcsoft to decode DTS-HD MA. JRiver decodes my TrueHD and DTS-HD MA files. I only use HDMI for video.
P.S. Yes you can do this using only JRiver's internal Volume control
P.S. Yes you can do this using only JRiver's internal Volume control
Ok just tried it using Gizmo in theater view remote....it works (left is down channel, right up channel).
I am happy jriver supports mocur cards but it has a ways to go to compare with windows media center ease of use. The guide needs work. The categories button isn't easy to reach and doesn't include HD channels as a category . Also, the guide always goes back to the first channel instead of staying with the played channel number.
I have the same complaints
!!!! However I can step through channels with my remote (but I like WMC guide better). I'll give them some time to work on it 
Hi
I hope I am not sidetracking the ongoing discussions. I am interested to experiment with an HTPC but would like it to remain low cost. In that spirit are there low-cost but decent sounding alternatives to the Lynx AES 16? Would like to try my hand on the HTPC and move on later to better bulits. I am not even convinced that an i7 processor is necessary in this context but I could be wrong. I am planning to use a small SSD (32 or 40 GB) for OS and maybe a music cache and eSATA or Ethernet HDD or NAS. JRMC of course and all other software in this thread. What say you?
I hope I am not sidetracking the ongoing discussions. I am interested to experiment with an HTPC but would like it to remain low cost. In that spirit are there low-cost but decent sounding alternatives to the Lynx AES 16? Would like to try my hand on the HTPC and move on later to better bulits. I am not even convinced that an i7 processor is necessary in this context but I could be wrong. I am planning to use a small SSD (32 or 40 GB) for OS and maybe a music cache and eSATA or Ethernet HDD or NAS. JRMC of course and all other software in this thread. What say you?
What are you trying to accomplish with this server? The Lynx card is nice for multi-channel if you also have a multi-channel DAC or multiple DACs and you are okay with using jriver volume control.
There are some other cheaper multi-channel cards out there. I once had a HTPC with Asus multi channel card. It worked pretty okay. You could try this one with the xonar hdav 1.3. If you are going directly to a multi-channel amp, be really careful with volume control. When I did this, I used a parasound p7.
Using the xonar multi channel soundcards with the parasound p7 was the closest I ever got to making a PC a true Pre/Pro. I could get true lossless decoding for blurays, etc. That was the last multi-channel system I had. I just couldn't be happy with 2 channel in that system. But if you are not interested in using this setup for 2 channel, I would recommend the xonar cards with an external multi-channel volume control like the parasound. You could also use jriver's volume control, but you could run into problems when you do things like reboot your computer with no protection between your computer and amps; it could get ugly.
You could also use a lynx 2b card. I tried that once as well. My problem with that setup was that I couldn't get true lossless decoding for bluray. Maybe there's a way around that now; I doubt it though.
The other option is simply getting an oppo 103 or 105. The new Oppo has hdmi input. You should be able to use the oppo as a very high quality pre/pro and just use a computer as the server, in which case you don't need any sound card and you WILL get outstanding sound quality; maybe even good enough for 2 channel. If i were undertaking this project, that's what I would do.
There are some other cheaper multi-channel cards out there. I once had a HTPC with Asus multi channel card. It worked pretty okay. You could try this one with the xonar hdav 1.3. If you are going directly to a multi-channel amp, be really careful with volume control.
When I did this, I used a parasound p7.Using the xonar multi channel soundcards with the parasound p7 was the closest I ever got to making a PC a true Pre/Pro. I could get true lossless decoding for blurays, etc. That was the last multi-channel system I had. I just couldn't be happy with 2 channel in that system. But if you are not interested in using this setup for 2 channel, I would recommend the xonar cards with an external multi-channel volume control like the parasound. You could also use jriver's volume control, but you could run into problems when you do things like reboot your computer with no protection between your computer and amps; it could get ugly.
You could also use a lynx 2b card. I tried that once as well. My problem with that setup was that I couldn't get true lossless decoding for bluray. Maybe there's a way around that now; I doubt it though.
The other option is simply getting an oppo 103 or 105. The new Oppo has hdmi input. You should be able to use the oppo as a very high quality pre/pro and just use a computer as the server, in which case you don't need any sound card and you WILL get outstanding sound quality; maybe even good enough for 2 channel. If i were undertaking this project, that's what I would do.
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No you don't need a i7 processor, I'm still running a Core 2 Quad on my system and it really started out with a Core 2 Duo!!!! You can do an HTPC fairly inexpensively. If you are going to do multi-channel and you dont want to go the professional audio interface route, my suggestion is to use the Asus Xonar Essense ST along with the H6 daughter card (you have to use the ST - because the STX won't accomidate the daughter card). Another option would be the HT Omega Claro Halo XT (very similar to the Asus). I acutually have three HTPC's now in my home, two that have the Asus cards and one that runs HDMI to a receiver - as a matter of fact one of them (the one that runs HDMI) is my old, old Core 2 Duo cpu that I built up into another machine! All of them run JRMC and were put together fairly inexpensively! It's possible to build an HTPC for under say - 350.00!!!! Depends on what you want and your budget. I personally think, for right now - the exa e18 would be the prized dac/sound card for multi channel (but it's $2500) along with the Lynx products!
I got jriver gizmo android app to show all the verizon fios channels. If you go to the video tab and select disk, all tv channels will appear there. It works pretty well. I also have no problems sending HD video out over HDMI and audio in ANY configuration I want out over the RME hdspe AIO soundcard. This is very promising indeed. It used to be the case that one had to compromise 2 channel audio to have a htpc. I think those days are over now with jriver.
Btw, I am watching verizon fios TV in 2 rooms (up to 3 channels) with no cable box rental fee. I only need 1 cablecard which costs $3 per month. I set up a moca lan bridge with a second verizon router in my listening room. This is nice for simplicity sake.
Botton line: you never need to leave the jriver farm.
Btw, I am watching verizon fios TV in 2 rooms (up to 3 channels) with no cable box rental fee. I only need 1 cablecard which costs $3 per month. I set up a moca lan bridge with a second verizon router in my listening room. This is nice for simplicity sake.
Botton line: you never need to leave the jriver farm.
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I just setup my first projector and screen after 18 months in my new room! I am very happy with my zuma server being a true single source champ. My only hitch so far is with bluray audio. I am using anydvdhd trial version to play bluray and it works. I am only 2 channel so I set audio to 5.1 in 2 ch container using jrss. I get an error message from jriver when I start the bluray. Jriver thinks I am trying to send a 32 bit audio file to my DAC which won't support 32 bit. If I click the change audio settings automatically, the movie plays fine with no audio problems. I can't figure out why I keep getting this error message.
Is it still possible to get uncompressed audio off bluray using jrss to mix down to 2 channels? I read some older threads on yabb and it looks complicated. I was wondering whether slysoft has a solution to this problem too.
Thanks,
Is it still possible to get uncompressed audio off bluray using jrss to mix down to 2 channels? I read some older threads on yabb and it looks complicated. I was wondering whether slysoft has a solution to this problem too.
Thanks,
I just setup my first projector and screen after 18 months in my new room! I am very happy with my zuma server being a true single source champ. My only hitch so far is with bluray audio. I am using anydvdhd trial version to play bluray and it works. I am only 2 channel so I set audio to 5.1 in 2 ch container using jrss. I get an error message from jriver when I start the bluray. Jriver thinks I am trying to send a 32 bit audio file to my DAC which won't support 32 bit. If I click the change audio settings automatically, the movie plays fine with no audio problems. I can't figure out why I keep getting this error message.
Is it still possible to get uncompressed audio off bluray using jrss to mix down to 2 channels? I read some older threads on yabb and it looks complicated. I was wondering whether slysoft has a solution to this problem too.
Thanks,
There seems to be a common theme with HTPC projects - you are always troubleshooting something. I'm done.
Why does it bother you? This is a hobby. It's supposed to be challenging and fun.
Think of it like this. Manufacturers decided on the hdmi standard primarily because they assumed most folks would steal their product if they didn't. This has caused much greater system complexity in terms of cost and crippled functionality. I am just finding a way around these machinations. Ive been successful as have many others. My goal is to be able to easily, seamlessly and cheaply consume all forms of digital media from a single source and application using a single ipad to control the entire room. This shouldn't be an easy task but it is attainable and a worthy pursuit.
Think of it like this. Manufacturers decided on the hdmi standard primarily because they assumed most folks would steal their product if they didn't. This has caused much greater system complexity in terms of cost and crippled functionality. I am just finding a way around these machinations. Ive been successful as have many others. My goal is to be able to easily, seamlessly and cheaply consume all forms of digital media from a single source and application using a single ipad to control the entire room. This shouldn't be an easy task but it is attainable and a worthy pursuit.
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Don't get me wrong - I've been doing some very experimental stuff with multiple DACs synching up volume controls via iRule and so on. Also, I have been avoiding HDMI like the plague. First Marantz UD9004 into MCH analog preamp, now Oppo Modded with digi out board into Trinnov.
The difference between my experiments and an HTPC is it eventually it works flawlessly and I can just kick back and enjoy. For me the hobby is ultimately about enjoying music, not troubleshooting PCs.
I will achieve the same goal as you with the MSB UTM plus transport, and avoid HTPC problems.
Irule is the best! I haven't used it in a couple of years since it wasn't needed. Now that there's also video, I will be controlling everything in my room using network codes over LAN with iRule. I will only need one GC iTach to control volume on my DAC so the setup should be straight forward. Btw, do you know whether I could send IR to activate a 12v trigger?
Should be possible, but you need to "learn" the IR code using the rather clumsy learning program and an iTach device that supports it, or get the code from the manufacturer and typically do some sort of conversion to the protocol used by iRule.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00070FIP0
I know how to set it up. I just need a hardware solution to convert ir to 12vdc.. This niles msu250 is expensive but prolly works. The niles ir codes should be in the irule database. Will this work?
I know how to set it up. I just need a hardware solution to convert ir to 12vdc.. This niles msu250 is expensive but prolly works. The niles ir codes should be in the irule database. Will this work?
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