I began thinking about an Entertainment Station when I saw my old CD player sitting there unused near my PC. It could be replaced by a more useful appliance, I thought. Then I started thinking about an "Entertainment Station" that I would use exclusively for audio. My first idea was of an hardware device made up of two parts: a media server and a media client (player). They both have to boot very quickly, in order to be ready to entertain the user just after it powers on. I thought that a Linux-based server could be the best, while the player could be completely firmware-based (embedded Linux?). The unit should have a front panel as well as a remote control, and a big informative display.
Of course it would run Media Center, both as a server and as a client.
I am not into HTPC at all. But in seems that my idea resembles an HTPC, after all. I started googling for this topic (HTPC) and collected some information. I had to change somewhat my initial idea based on what's available in the market. HTPC are standard PCs, and are more oriented to video than audio playback.
I had to abandon the idea of a front panel, as HTPCs are exclusively controlled by remotes, and they have no display as they use a standard computer screen. Also, the dual architecture does not fit. HTPCs are standard PCs after all, with a single motherboard.
Media Center does not run under Linux. I heard some rumors about Media Server being ported under Linux, but nothing more. And nothing about a Linux client. So maybe at this moment a Windows-based HTPC is better suited to hosting Media Center (actually, it is the only possible choice).
The Entertainment Station is a self-contained unit and is mostly used as such. But for a more detailed, analytic listening one could use it only as a server, and use a standard PC as a client for playing tracks. I experimented a bit with Media Server and I found that the client is not able to edit the remote library, nor it is able to "send to" external programs. So I had to abandon the idea of a client-server architecture. The HTPC should be hooked to the same keyboard, video and mouse of the standard PC via a KVM switch.
Most HTPCs are equipped with Windows Media Center Edition. But what is the advantage of Windows Media Center Edition respect to standard Windows XP? I think that Windows XP will do.
In order to have a low power consumption, low noise and low heat generation, HTPCs can use low-power CPUs like those from VIA (and also an integrated video card in the motherboard). Why use Intel or AMD CPUs, especially if the PC is not for gaming? Also, notebook hard disks are used because of lower noise and lower power consumption.
The Entertainment Station also needs to have quick boot times. It should boot from solid-state memory. Compact Flash, with a suitable interface, can act as a standard IDE hard disk.
So far I have found a couple of problems:
- My standard PC has a DVI video output. A DVI video output from the HTPC is needed to use a (DVI) KVM switch, while integrated video cards have only analogue output (I hope this will change, as video HTPC users will want a DVI output)
- HTPC cases have no space for a Compact Flash slot in the front
I started with a somewhat original idea, and I ended with a fairly standard HTPC:
- Low power VIA CPU
- Video card integrated on the motherboard
- Fanless
- Boot from Compact Flash
- Notebook hard drive
- Windows XP operating system
Has anyone tried building such an HTPC for use with Media Center?
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Topic: Entertainment Station: Hardware Media Center? (Read 1558 times)