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[browe]

I'm traveling all over the net these days to find the right software for my next project. I would like to setup a video jukebox at my home. I will be ordering a video distribution system later tonight that allows me to watch my Tivo, VCR, DVD, and local cable from any TV in my house. I would like to add a 5th source that would be a video jukebox running on a PC. I would like to store video files (from camcorder, DVDs, etc), pictures, and audio files that would be played over this network.

Is this something Media Jukebox can help me accomplish? Basically my PC would be connected to my video network via some sort of better quality video-out card in the PC. How I would control it from another room is another question though.

Thanks,
Brian

[JimH]

Probably.  You can use webremote (an interface plug-in available on our plug-ins page).  Try a search here for info about it.  Test it by connecting from a browser running on the same PC before you get any more complicated.

To get fancier, you could then use NetRemote or Glissando.  Links to both are on the "Third Party Plugins" page here -- see "boards" above.

Both of those are more widely talked about in the HTPC section over on AVSForum.

Good luck!  Let us know what you learn!

[Griff]

Hi Browe

How I would control it from another room

Rf remote

I use MJ , AIW, and an RF remote via PC to HTS.

Works great

Griff

[browe]

Griff...pardon my ignorance but what is AIW?

Brian

[xen-uno]

I think he means the ATI All In Wonder vid card (which has a TV Tuner built in and video outs).

Griff...do you have the 8500? (looks very cool)

10^-27

Link to the 8500

[zevele10]

JimH
I may be wrong ,but he needs MC9 ,not MJ8

[Griff]

Hi  Browe and Xen-uno

I have the ATI All in Wonder 7500.

The price diff. mts. ago between the 8500dv and the 7500 was too great to justify buying the 8500. Now the 8500 is at a reasonable level.

Xen-uno, you might also want to ck. out the Nvida G4 TV Cimena cards with twin view.

Two co. offer this chip, Vision tek Xtasy everything and Compro personal cinema.

The 4000 series looks good.

The bad is they have an IR remote and I dont think they support HDTV , but  you could buy an ATI or X10 RF remote and dont use the IR.

I am happy with the 7500. It displays MJ on the TV and functions very well, except if you want to watch Tv via pc tuner or DVDs you have to make the TV pri. display and the pc sec. display. This makes the pc display smaller.

I have not had the time to see if there is a work around for this.

I dont know if you have to do the same for the 8500dv.

Scott on this forum has the 8500dv.

Maybe he can shed some light on this.

Griff

[xen-uno]

Griff / Scott

My brother has the following setup:
Big, beautiful (72") wide screen Pioneer HDTV (DOA3/X-box is awesome on this baby)
High end Pioneer amp (w/ SP/DIF's)
700 MHz PIII

Cabling distance between comp and TV/amp is probably 50 feet. I envisioned using RG-6 coax (2 lines - SP/DIF for aud/vid). Of course, he'll need a sound card with SP/DIF out's (thinking M-Audio).

The 8500 has an HDTV dongle (does the 7500?). I assume the 7500 has pretty much the same output options as the 8500. I'm not clear on what the SP/DIF port on the 8500 is for (sounds like audio to me).

One problem I see is piping a HDTV signal that far.

What do you think (given the knowledge you have of your card)?

Xenno

[Griff]

Hi xen-uno

These are my findings, take them for what they are worth.

The 7500 and 8500 has two video outputs for TV --composite and s-video.

Composite - has a distance of around 20 to 25 ft. before you lose signal quality. I dont think RG6 w/RCA plugs would change that.  But RG6 is better than a std. composite cable, because it eliminates interference.
If you want to go futher, you would need a ---Composite Video Extender.

The HDTV component on the 8500 would prob. fall into this same catagory and it also looks like it comes off the dvi port . Scott would know.

S-Video - I have never seen a cable longer then 25 ft. . (unless it is made up) So I think the same holds true. So if you want to go further than the 25 ft , you will need a ---Powered S-Video Extender.

Audio-- As you know the RG6 w/RCA plugs will work good.

The 8500 has an HDTV dongle (does the 7500?).

No

I assume the 7500 has pretty much the same output options as the 8500.

Yep, but 8500dv has the Firewire ports and HDTV.

I'm not clear on what the SP/DIF port on the 8500 is for (sounds like audio to me).

Its an RCA plug which goes to your Amp. for decodeing.
Doby 5.1 ac-3.

These are only my views, other people may vary with them.

Sent Scott A message to relpy in this thread on his 8500.

Since ATI makes one book fits all, I do have the wireing diag. for the 8500dv, but not for the HDTV adap. If you want, message me with your email addr. and I will scan them and send them to you. ATI probably has them on their web site too.

Got to go, to many interruptions.

Hope this helps
Griff

[sraymond]

I bought ATI's AIW 8500 DV after having some problems with a Powered-by ATI 7000 (most stability issues).  I also wanted to get the integrated IEEE 1394 (firewire) rather than use a no-name card.

I've used a 10m s-video cable to do TV out with no problems...  but I've never even seen a longer cable available commercially.

I don't do HDTV, so I can't offer much on that aspect.

MC works fine with my 8500. with the only problem being how the overlay works in Theater Mode.  It almost works too well.  When cloning the TV and in theater mode, I can't see anything but the video being output.  For example, the control bars or hairstyle won't show up...  even though MC is running full-screen on the desktop.  To get around this, I have to switch the TV to primary (so both desktop and TV are primary).  Only, this creates problems with my LCD, as I guess the video card has to use the same frequency for both in this case.  I think this could be fixed in MC (by not using the overlay when going full screen), but I'm not sure.  I can always use Girder to send a hotkey, but for some reason, it seems to fail to function every so often.

I've never seen the big deal about sending audio to an external decoder.  I wouldn't do this for a DVD, as I'd play it directly from a set-top player.  I guess I could rip DVDs with 5.1 audio...  that would be cool.  Not sure if the P2P rips come encoded with 5.1.

If anyone has a specific question about the AIW8500DV, please let me know...

Scott-

[Griff]

Scott

Thanks for the info.

Griff