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HTPC Discussion

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MrHaugen:

--- Quote from: JimH on November 10, 2011, 07:02:41 pm ---Just for the record, I would have guessed that 1 in 4 would answer "Yes".  

--- End quote ---

I think you underestimate this quite a bit. As the results so far show, the couch experience is really important this days. There is not that many users left that just hooks their their laptop to the TV now and then and plays a movie once a month. Or watches things on their PC. The everyday use of theater view is very important.

I think the most common setup for people is one or more HTPC front ends, and a workstation or two with MC for music perhaps. It's my bet at least.

csimon:
Hope I don't put the cat amongst pigeons here, but this is connected in a way with the client/server discussions.

I feel that a "HTPC" is actually an outdated concept.  Many people already have a HTPC in their living rooms and find it very useful (and I'm sure they look impressive too), but the way things are going these days is that the front-end is actually more of a thin client.  TVs these days come with all sorts of net-connected apps and there are tiny little media players (adaptors) instead if you have a legacy TV.  Also, in these days of awareness of energy consumption, a beefy HTPC in every room just to watch TV or video or play music is overkill.

One central server is the way forward, with "thin client" front-ends.  Not HTPC front-ends.

This poll is rather weighted from the start, it's asking how many people already currently have a HTPC and are controlling it via a remote control!  Note the very small numbers of people who want to go that way in the future.

BartMan01:

--- Quote from: csimon on November 11, 2011, 07:17:42 am ---Hope I don't put the cat amongst pigeons here, but this is connected in a way with the client/server discussions.

I feel that a "HTPC" is actually an outdated concept.  Many people already have a HTPC in their living rooms and find it very useful (and I'm sure they look impressive too), but the way things are going these days is that the front-end is actually more of a thin client.  TVs these days come with all sorts of net-connected apps and there are tiny little media players (adaptors) instead if you have a legacy TV.  Also, in these days of awareness of energy consumption, a beefy HTPC in every room just to watch TV or video or play music is overkill.

One central server is the way forward, with "thin client" front-ends.  Not HTPC front-ends.

This poll is rather weighted from the start, it's asking how many people already currently have a HTPC and are controlling it via a remote control!  Note the very small numbers of people who want to go that way in the future.

--- End quote ---

As it stands today we are still a long way off.  There is no standard 'app' platform to develop to and everyone is too afraid of big media to build a 'client' that can completely replace a PC.  I don't have an HTPC downstairs and have to shuffle between 3 different devices depending on what I want to watch.  Even if I did have one downstairs I would still have to shuffle between 2 devices but then it would be more clear cut - XBox for TV, HTPC for everything else.  Again thanks to big media, since either Microsoft is afraid to, or the cable TV people won't allow the use of a PC as an extender for WMC.

It also no longer takes a 'beefy HTPC'.  A small form factor i3 system is pretty energy efficient and can handle anything up to and including BluRay with HD audio.

MrHaugen:

--- Quote from: csimon on November 11, 2011, 07:17:42 am ---One central server is the way forward, with "thin client" front-ends.  Not HTPC front-ends.

--- End quote ---

That might be true, but it will not be the reality for a long time. Todays front ends like TV's and PS3, Xbox360 and such is lacking SO much that it is a pain to use. At least for many MC users that is used to great deal of features and possibilities. I think that it will take LOTS of years before such things can even compare to todays Theater View in MC. Does that mean we should drop DLNA support? Not at all. It's something that some people find sufficient.

I do not disagree that a server/client setup plays a bigger and bigger part of todays households and user pattern though. It's increasingly important. Just 6-7 years ago most people did not know there was possible to store and control everything on one computer, and output the wonders on clients. A single client was the standard. It probably still is, but it's moving toward bigger networks and more computers, even for "normal" people.

wig:

--- Quote from: csimon on November 11, 2011, 07:17:42 am ---One central server is the way forward, with "thin client" front-ends.  Not HTPC front-ends.

--- End quote ---

You mean like the JRiver ID? I have one and it's a great product. Gizmo is another thin client that has come a long way in a brief period of time.

Perhaps we'll see a home theater ID in the future; something like WDTV Live or a Roku box that uses MC's theater view as the interface and provides a thin client front-end to MC anywhere you need one.

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