Home Theater/HDTV/et al...

[bmwracer]

eltinator wrote:

But 2-3 comps would be awesome!

That's my boy Elt...!

[eltinator]

amrayu wrote:

bleh Try doing mpeg2 conversions for korean dramas... 16-24 episodes average per drama... Doh! I've given up totally on mpeg2 conversions after i started collecting korean dramas.

Yup that home theater pc would be good for all that eh What exactly is it though. I think I remember Intel talking about it with Microsoft or something.

amrayu wrote:

For me, it would be one for subbing, one for ripping/encoding, and one for downloading/uploading.

Hahaha, how about one more for a server?

[dochira]

Sheez, I feel bad having all these computers in my tiny apt and not even using them. Basically I collect parts from people as they upgrade. Soon I have enough parts (I still have to buy some things like cases) to build a system. If I run all the machines, I don't think I even need a heater. But the power bill....

[bmwracer]

dochira wrote:

If I run all the machines, I don't think I even need a heater. But the power bill....

What you save on heating is spent on the PC... It balances out.

[dochira]

eltinator wrote:

Yup that home theater pc would be good for all that eh What exactly is it though. I think I remember Intel talking about it with Microsoft or something.

The Media Center PC?? I use one at home. It's okay except for the file format of the recorded programs. It's basically MPEG2 with a wrapper. I'm still trying to figure out how to remove the wrapper. One day, BWHAAA! Sorry that was my evil laugh.

[eltinator]

I was talking to some Intel guys today and it was the Windows Media Center thing I was thinking about. Like isn't it able to tv tune, control all your audio system in the household and be able to do any multimedia need you want.

[amrayu]

eltinator wrote:

I was talking to some Intel guys today and it was the Windows Media Center thing I was thinking about. Like isn't it able to tv tune, control all your audio system in the household and be able to do any multimedia need you want.

Yah its a new OS. You can build a home theater PC, and not use that OS though.

[bmwracer]

amrayu wrote:

You can build a home theater PC, and not use that OS though.

I think converting stuff to MPEG2 would be easier.

[eltinator]

bmwracer wrote:

I think converting stuff to MPEG2 would be easier.

Hahahaha still an mpeg-2 fan It does have its advantages being that it's universal and plays on just about any dvd player known to man

[bmwracer]

eltinator wrote:

Hahahaha still an mpeg-2 fan It does have its advantages being that it's universal and plays on just about any dvd player known to man

Exactly....!

[amrayu]

eltinator wrote:

Hahahaha still an mpeg-2 fan It does have its advantages being that it's universal and plays on just about any dvd player known to man

i have a dual head video card in my pc thats next to my TV, so i just run the cables to the TV.
I can still do my usual stuff (surfing, encoding, downloading) on the monitor, then watch dramas w/soft subs on the tv screen. also i have to mention that there's no quality loss compared to mpeg2 converting. i prefer to keep the original files "as is."

[bmwracer]

amrayu wrote:

also i have to mention that there's no quality loss compared to mpeg2 converting. i prefer to keep the original files "as is."

You're saying there's no quality loss in DivX?

[amrayu]

bmwracer wrote:

You're saying there's no quality loss in DivX?

i'm saying... if you have avi files already and convert it to mpeg2, you'll get quality loss.

[eltinator]

amrayu wrote:

i have a dual head video card in my pc thats next to my TV, so i just run the cables to the TV. I can still do my usual stuff (surfing, encoding, downloading) on the monitor, then watch dramas w/soft subs on the tv screen. also i have to mention that there's no quality loss compared to mpeg2 converting. i prefer to keep the original files "as is."

Oh that's a good idea! I think my video card should support tv out since it's an AIW but the only thing for me is that my nearest tv is like all the way in the other room. Hmm, maybe if I get a long cable or something I could try that. I have too many DVD players here as is. That new Divx player makes 4

[bmwracer]

amrayu wrote:

i'm saying... if you have avi files already and convert it to mpeg2, you'll get quality loss.

Oh okay.

Yeah, it'd be nice to store all those recordings in their original native format, but it takes up too much space... I'm willing to sacrifice some quality for convenience and space.

[bmwracer]

eltinator wrote:

Oh that's a good idea! I think my video card should support tv out since it's an AIW but the only thing for me is that my nearest tv is like all the way in the other room. Hmm, maybe if I get a long cable or something I could try that. I have too many DVD players here as is. That new Divx player makes 4

It's be easier to buy a new TV, Elt... A long cable would eventually attenuate the signal, or you'd need an amplifier...

[eltinator]

bmwracer wrote:

It's be easier to buy a new TV, Elt... A long cable would eventually attenuate the signal, or you'd need an amplifier...

or move the computer

[amrayu]

bmwracer wrote:

Yeah, it'd be nice to store all those recordings in their original native format, but it takes up too much space... I'm willing to sacrifice some quality for convenience and space.

LOL... its the opposite for me. if i were to convert to mpeg2, it would take up more space. my dvd-r collection would increase x3 or 4x the amount it already is.

@elt: oh yah, theres another alternative... there's wireless streaming devices. here's one that i just found on ebay. i was looking at getting this also. but since my move, my tv and computer just ended up next to each other. there's other brands also (linksys, dlink..etc).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14980&item=5757255380&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[bmwracer]

amrayu wrote:

LOL... its the opposite for me. if i were to convert to mpeg2, it would take up more space. my dvd-r collection would increase x3 or 4x the amount it already is.

Hmm, is everything on tape?

[amrayu]

bmwracer wrote:

Hmm, is everything on tape?

i have about 100 vhs tapes sitting around, a bunch of cdrs, and avi files (divx/xvid) on dvd-r. 1 dvd-r holds roughly 1 complete jdorama, 2-5 dvd-rs roughly holds 1 complete k drama. if i were to convert let's say 1 jdorama, it would take up 3-4 dvd-rs.
my dilemma is... divx/xvid ->mpeg 2 = more dvd-rs
but my problem is fixed now, since i just stream the files on my computer to the TV (i have twice the virtual desktop space now, since my video card is dual head).