I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .
--
Snag

On 3/30/2016 7:17 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .

IMO, it's a bad move to invest in a "card" that will probably NOT
be future-safe -- unless you plan on tying it to that particular
machine, indefinitely.

Instead, I'd suggest opening up that interface dependency and
going with an ethernet-based tuner. SiliconDust's HDHomeRun
products being the devices of choice (IMnsHO).

Essentially, you'll end up with a little box that has an antenna
connection and a network connection -- about the size of your
flattened fist.

One advantage is that you can hide the box somewhere that has
access to your antenna without having to locate the PC in that
same location.

The other advantage is that you can "talk to" the box using a
SFF PC -- something that wouldn't ever be able to include an
"add on card". Here, I use "bible-sized" PC's (don't even
include an optical drive) that run fan-less to deliver video
to the TV (i.e., these boxes are located next to each TV)
while the "tuner" is located somewhere else.

On Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 9:18:05 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .
--
Snag

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116028

On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:17:58 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .

It sounds like you are looking for a capture card, not a tuner card.
Then you will need to use the "tune to" function on the sat box timer
and duplicate that in the PC. I am playing with an Avermedia AverTV HD
DVR card as we speak. You can run it with Xp-W/8 (and probably 10).
You need a dual core machine ~3gz with a couple gig of RAM (XP)
This has component and HDMI inputs that your sat box should export.
I have had it a while and it works but I have not had time to screw
with it.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 19:31:25 -0700 (PDT), bob_villain
wrote:

On Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 9:18:05 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .
--
Snag

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116028

That is not going to help much if he just has satellite.

I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC
we have hooked to the TV. I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru
the computer, but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she
misses on those nights she works. Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that
comp so I can move all the TV and movies there to make it easier for
her to use.

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV
shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116036

I use the free NextPVR software to record the shows, along with an annual
subscription to the Schedules Direct TV listings.

www.nextpvr.com
www.schedulesdirect.org

I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather than a usb device.

I don't like a bunch of external boxes, so I have always gone with
internal cards.

I used to have two HVR-2250's, but one of them quit working. There seems
to be fewer and fewer decent shows to record anymore, so the single dual
tuner card works fine for me now.

I'll have to have the sat box tuned to the proper channel since
we have no OTA reception here.

If you have to use the Satellite tuner, you don't really need a tuner
card for your PC. You would just need a card that can encode an incoming
video signal. Ironically, TV tuners are usually the cheapest way to
capture video.

I don't know anything about it, but I see Hauppauge also makes a tuner
card for satellite TV:

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc..._novahds2.html

Finally, depending on the shows you want to record, you may be able to
find them online. There are a variety of programs that will let you save
the shows to your computer, such as "Wondershare AllMyTube". You could
also subscribe to Hulu, or wait till the shows are available on Netflix.

Take care,

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 19:26:07 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 3/30/2016 7:17 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .

IMO, it's a bad move to invest in a "card" that will probably NOT
be future-safe -- unless you plan on tying it to that particular
machine, indefinitely.

Instead, I'd suggest opening up that interface dependency and
going with an ethernet-based tuner. SiliconDust's HDHomeRun
products being the devices of choice (IMnsHO).

Essentially, you'll end up with a little box that has an antenna
connection and a network connection -- about the size of your
flattened fist.

I was wondering when they would make something like this. There are
3 or 4 OTA DVDRs on the market but still there's been a big hole.

One advantage is that you can hide the box somewhere that has
access to your antenna without having to locate the PC in that
same location.

That 's certainly helpful for me. Going up in the attic to run cable
to another room is a lot less appealing at 69 than it was at 37.

Plus I've put in some sort of floor since then that gets in the way
all the time.

The other advantage is that you can "talk to" the box using a
SFF PC -- something that wouldn't ever be able to include an
"add on card". Here, I use "bible-sized" PC's (don't even
include an optical drive) that run fan-less to deliver video
to the TV (i.e., these boxes are located next to each TV)
while the "tuner" is located somewhere else.

HerHusband wrote:
I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC
we have hooked to the TV. I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru
the computer, but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she
misses on those nights she works. Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that
comp so I can move all the TV and movies there to make it easier for
her to use.

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV
shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116036

I use the free NextPVR software to record the shows, along with an
annual subscription to the Schedules Direct TV listings.

www.nextpvr.com
www.schedulesdirect.org

I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather than a usb device.

I don't like a bunch of external boxes, so I have always gone with
internal cards.

I used to have two HVR-2250's, but one of them quit working. There
seems to be fewer and fewer decent shows to record anymore, so the
single dual tuner card works fine for me now.

I'll have to have the sat box tuned to the proper channel since
we have no OTA reception here.

If you have to use the Satellite tuner, you don't really need a tuner
card for your PC. You would just need a card that can encode an
incoming video signal. Ironically, TV tuners are usually the cheapest
way to capture video.

I don't know anything about it, but I see Hauppauge also makes a tuner
card for satellite TV:

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc..._novahds2.html

Finally, depending on the shows you want to record, you may be able to
find them online. There are a variety of programs that will let you
save the shows to your computer, such as "Wondershare AllMyTube". You
could also subscribe to Hulu, or wait till the shows are available on
Netflix.

Take care,

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

Thanks everybody ! After looking over the devices that do what I want , I
think I'll just keep downloading the stuff she misses from a torrent site .
Only downside is having to wait a day or two for someone to post a torrent .

--
Snag

On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 04:07:26 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV
shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116036


I dont know anything about this, but why cant a person use a DTV
converter box for an antenna input and send the output from that
converter to a computer? The channels would be changed with the
converter box itself.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 23:45:43 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 04:07:26 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV
shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116036


I dont know anything about this, but why cant a person use a DTV
converter box for an antenna input and send the output from that
converter to a computer? The channels would be changed with the
converter box itself.

A good question. Though it would be very hard to find another one, I
even have a converter box that can be set to change channels for
specific programs. Everything comes out on channel 3 or 4.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 23:41:44 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

Thanks everybody ! After looking over the devices that do what I want , I
think I'll just keep downloading the stuff she misses from a torrent site .
Only downside is having to wait a day or two for someone to post a torrent .

--
Snag

Torrents are one of the best sources to get malware and viruses. I wont
even go near them....

wrote:
On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 23:41:44 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

Thanks everybody ! After looking over the devices that do what I
want , I think I'll just keep downloading the stuff she misses from
a torrent site . Only downside is having to wait a day or two for
someone to post a torrent .

--
Snag

Torrents are one of the best sources to get malware and viruses. I
wont even go near them....

I've never had a problem . I guess it depends on what you're d/ling and
from where ...

--
Snag

wrote:
On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 04:07:26 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV
shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116036


I dont know anything about this, but why cant a person use a DTV
converter box for an antenna input and send the output from that
converter to a computer? The channels would be changed with the
converter box itself.

That might work if we had OTA reception ... have you not seen me post
about living in The Holler ? Before it all went digital we got 3 channels
,,, sometimes .

--
Snag

On Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 12:47:12 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 04:07:26 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV
shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116036


I dont know anything about this, but why cant a person use a DTV
converter box for an antenna input and send the output from that
converter to a computer? The channels would be changed with the
converter box itself.

One reason would be that without some way for the computer to change
the channels on the box, it would be largely useless. Do they have
capture cards that will do that? Seems like they would have to.

After looking over the devices that do what I want, I think
I'll just keep downloading the stuff she misses from a torrent
site. Only downside is having to wait a day or two for someone
to post a torrent.

I quit using torrents years ago because they were painfully slow and the
downloads were often corrupted or infected with a virus. Make sure you have
good virus and malware scanners installed and running.

Also, be aware your ISP can see your torrent activity if you're not using a
Virtual Private Network (VPN). If they catch you downloading copyrighted
material, they have a right to cancel your internet service.

Binary newsgroups are faster and a bit more anonymous with a secure
downloader such as NewsBin. But, you won't find the selection that is
available on a torrent connection.

As I mentioned previously, most major networks offer full episodes online
now so you can download them directly from the source (with the right
software).

I still prefer to record shows myself whenever possible as the quality is
higher, I get the show immediately, and it's all automatic so I don't have
to do anything.

For the cost of a VPN or a newsgroup service, you could subscribe to legal
sources such as Hulu+.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

Per Terry Coombs:
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .

I would get the cable-specific Silicon Dust box - which stands alone,
doesn't take up space in your PC, is available over the LAN, and is
accessible by any device on the LAN - not just the PC.

I only have OTA, but I think that SiliconDust's cable product is called
"PRIME": https://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun/prime/
--
Pete Cresswell

On 3/31/2016 8:30 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Terry Coombs:
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .

I would get the cable-specific Silicon Dust box - which stands alone,

He's got a satellite connection so he'd use the DVB-capable option.

I learned about the SD products from a neighbor -- one of only two
folks in the neighborhood to run "satellite" (the other being the
exCIA spook on the next street). Most other folks, here, use Dish,
CATV or OTA (us).

doesn't take up space in your PC, is available over the LAN, and is
accessible by any device on the LAN - not just the PC.

+1

It also eases one more dependency on the PC's hardware that you don't
have to worry about when you move to a new PC (anyone remember ISA?
MCA? PCI? PCI-X? etc.)

It also lets you use a "CPU-chip, memory and video interface" to drive
your TV's (one for each TV) instead of having to site a "real PC"
by each TV (with fan, large power supply, etc.).

I only have OTA, but I think that SiliconDust's cable product is called
"PRIME": https://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun/prime/

Per Don Y:
The downside to torrents is that "you" and "your activity" are
visible to anyone subscribing to that particular torrent -- as
well as your ISP, of course (torrent traffic follows particular
patterns, even if you randomize the port used, etc.).

[Some EULA's may consider participation in a torrent the equivalent
of operating a "server" -- often expressly forbidden]

Additionally, from a legal perspective, you are now (partially)
responsible for *distributing* -- not just "consuming" -- the

Some years back I read about a group of lawyers in (Florida?) that had
figured out how to monitor download traffic, identify bit streams that
were unique to various copyrighted movies, and identify IP address doing
the downloading.

Based on that, they were sending "Five-Thousand-Dollar Letters" to
subscribers with the ID'd IP addrs containing the message: "We represent
this content provider and will take you to court if you do not settle
this claim for $5,000".

Dunno if they are still in business.... but I would guess that is the
reason why some Torrent users subscribe to VPN services - which, AFIK,
anonyomyze their connections.

Semi-tangentially, there seems to be a proliferation of "Pirate Boxes":
itty-bitty Android computers in a box that run an application called
"Kodi", accept something called "Add-Ins", and sit under a TV set -
connected via HDMI cable. e.g.
https://www.facebook.com/Streamboxkings/

The "Add-Ins" can be legitimate - as in Ted Talks - or pipelines to
sources of pirated material. The "Pirate Boxes", of course, come
loaded up with the latter. It looks to me like this has to trigger
*something* by the entertainment publishing industry once use of those
boxes grows beyond a certain point.

These boxes seem to be driving the developers of the legitimate
application "Kodi" right up the wall.... since they leverage a feature
of Kodi to do their deeds:
https://kodi.tv/the-piracy-box-selle...-killing-kodi/

There is a law on the books requiring ISPs to supply information about
customers who are accessing unlicensed content and I am already hearing
accounts of people getting letters from their ISPs. No demands for
money AFIK, just gentle reminders....
--
Pete Cresswell

Per (PeteCresswell):
Some years back I read about a group of lawyers in (Florida?)....

Seems like it may still be going on: http://tinyurl.com/znqmflw
--
Pete Cresswell

Hi Pete,

On 3/31/2016 2:08 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
The downside to torrents is that "you" and "your activity" are
visible to anyone subscribing to that particular torrent -- as
well as your ISP, of course (torrent traffic follows particular
patterns, even if you randomize the port used, etc.).

[Some EULA's may consider participation in a torrent the equivalent
of operating a "server" -- often expressly forbidden]

Additionally, from a legal perspective, you are now (partially)
responsible for *distributing* -- not just "consuming" -- the

Some years back I read about a group of lawyers in (Florida?) that had
figured out how to monitor download traffic, identify bit streams that
were unique to various copyrighted movies, and identify IP address doing
the downloading.

Sure. Anyone "subscribed" to that torrent can see all of these things.
So, connect to LOTS of torrents, "pause" all of them and just watch
the addresses of the peers involved. The *name* of the torrent is
available in the protocol.

Based on that, they were sending "Five-Thousand-Dollar Letters" to
subscribers with the ID'd IP addrs containing the message: "We represent
this content provider and will take you to court if you do not settle
this claim for $5,000".

If you're saying they were *masquerading* as legal representatives
of those owners, that's hilarious! Imagine trying to sue them for
extortion: "I was STAELING something and this guy tried to extort
money from me..."

Dunno if they are still in business.... but I would guess that is the
reason why some Torrent users subscribe to VPN services - which, AFIK,
anonyomyze their connections.

It essentially routes their traffic through an encrypted tunnel.
So, you can't see what is being passed... BUT, you can see that the
connection exists!

So, like using PEM, it begs observers to wonder: "What are you hiding?"

Semi-tangentially, there seems to be a proliferation of "Pirate Boxes":
itty-bitty Android computers in a box that run an application called
"Kodi", accept something called "Add-Ins", and sit under a TV set -
connected via HDMI cable. e.g.
https://www.facebook.com/Streamboxkings/

Kodi was XBMC.

The "Add-Ins" can be legitimate - as in Ted Talks - or pipelines to
sources of pirated material. The "Pirate Boxes", of course, come
loaded up with the latter. It looks to me like this has to trigger
*something* by the entertainment publishing industry once use of those
boxes grows beyond a certain point.

These boxes seem to be driving the developers of the legitimate
application "Kodi" right up the wall.... since they leverage a feature
of Kodi to do their deeds:
https://kodi.tv/the-piracy-box-selle...-killing-kodi/

Like terrorists using iPhones? Bank robbers using guns? Drug dealers
using cars? Addicts abusing pain meds? etc. Perhaps we should outlaw
all of these advances/technologies and only adopt things that are
"intrinsically uncorruptible"?

:

There is a law on the books requiring ISPs to supply information about
customers who are accessing unlicensed content and I am already hearing
accounts of people getting letters from their ISPs. No demands for
money AFIK, just gentle reminders....

Yes. Some ISP's are more aggressive than others. Note that almost all
have language in their EULA's that gives them legal standing to dump
your account and/or provide identifying information to satisfy
subpoena's, etc. (often without informing you that this has happened).

How much is that whatever *really* worth to you??

It also eases one more dependency on the PC's hardware that you don't
have to worry about when you move to a new PC (anyone remember ISA?
MCA? PCI? PCI-X? etc.)

The PCI card interface has been around for 23 years and can still be found
on many new motherboards today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventional_PCI

PCIe has been around for 12 years and is likely to be the standard for many
years to come.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

Internal cards don't take up extra space, don't need additional cables, and
don't need separate power supplies.

It also lets you use a "CPU-chip, memory and video interface" to drive
your TV's (one for each TV) instead of having to site a "real PC"
by each TV (with fan, large power supply, etc.).

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network using a
"media streamer". This provides many advantages, including being able to
watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from online sources
(youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or home movies I've
created myself.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

On Fri, 1 Apr 2016 04:19:49 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

It also eases one more dependency on the PC's hardware that you don't
have to worry about when you move to a new PC (anyone remember ISA?
MCA? PCI? PCI-X? etc.)

The PCI card interface has been around for 23 years and can still be found
on many new motherboards today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventional_PCI

PCIe has been around for 12 years and is likely to be the standard for many
years to come.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

Internal cards don't take up extra space, don't need additional cables, and
don't need separate power supplies.

It also lets you use a "CPU-chip, memory and video interface" to drive
your TV's (one for each TV) instead of having to site a "real PC"
by each TV (with fan, large power supply, etc.).

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network using a
"media streamer". This provides many advantages, including being able to
watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from online sources
(youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or home movies I've
created myself.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com


Since this PC will be used as an appliance more than a traditional PC,
I doubt the system hardware will change before the card is obsolete. I
have had PCs hooked to TVs for about 16 years and you find it is
really a pretty handy thing. I have a "smart TV" but my PC connected
TVs are a lot smarter.

HerHusband wrote:

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network
using a "media streamer". This provides many advantages, including
being able to watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from
online sources (youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or
home movies I've created myself.

Anthony Watson

Expound on this "media streamer , please ? The way I'm doing it is to put
it on a hdd in one of my comps , stream it from there to whatever box I want
to watch it on . I believe the intranet lag might be why I have had synch
problems , and have just ordered a 1Tb hdd to install in the "media box" .
--
Snag

wrote:
On Fri, 1 Apr 2016 04:19:49 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

It also eases one more dependency on the PC's hardware that you
don't have to worry about when you move to a new PC (anyone
remember ISA? MCA? PCI? PCI-X? etc.)

The PCI card interface has been around for 23 years and can still be
found on many new motherboards today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventional_PCI

PCIe has been around for 12 years and is likely to be the standard
for many years to come.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

Internal cards don't take up extra space, don't need additional
cables, and don't need separate power supplies.

It also lets you use a "CPU-chip, memory and video interface" to
drive your TV's (one for each TV) instead of having to site a "real
PC"
by each TV (with fan, large power supply, etc.).

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network
using a "media streamer". This provides many advantages, including
being able to watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from
online sources (youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or
home movies I've created myself.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com


Since this PC will be used as an appliance more than a traditional PC,
I doubt the system hardware will change before the card is obsolete. I
have had PCs hooked to TVs for about 16 years and you find it is
really a pretty handy thing. I have a "smart TV" but my PC connected
TVs are a lot smarter.

Ed Zachary ! This comp's only function is to play media on the TV . I have
my desktop and one virtually identical (slower processor) out in the shop .
The wife has a laptop to do her facebook (shudder) thing . I've had as many
as 7 comps networked (when I was down in Memphis) but I've scaled back ,
left the older comps for the G-kids to have fun with .

--
Snag

On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 23:43:58 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

HerHusband wrote:

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network
using a "media streamer". This provides many advantages, including
being able to watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from
online sources (youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or
home movies I've created myself.

Anthony Watson

Expound on this "media streamer , please ? The way I'm doing it is to put
it on a hdd in one of my comps , stream it from there to whatever box I want
to watch it on . I believe the intranet lag might be why I have had synch
problems , and have just ordered a 1Tb hdd to install in the "media box" .

Once I have a movie on a network connected drive, any other (PC) TV
can play it directly and if it is in a Windoze Media Player library
with the service activated my Samsung smart TV can play it too but I
found it easier to just spin them out to a USB drive and plug it into
the Smart TV directly.

On 3/31/2016 9:19 PM, HerHusband wrote:
It also eases one more dependency on the PC's hardware that you don't
have to worry about when you move to a new PC (anyone remember ISA?
MCA? PCI? PCI-X? etc.)

The PCI card interface has been around for 23 years and can still be found
on many new motherboards today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventional_PCI

And which voltages are supported by each variant? I have machines (and cards)
with 3.3V interfaces, 5V interfaces, PCI-X "wide" busses, PCI-e x16/x1, etc.

"Standards are great; everyone should have one!"

PCIe has been around for 12 years and is likely to be the standard for many
years to come.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

Internal cards don't take up extra space, don't need additional cables, and
don't need separate power supplies.

Sure they do! The space is *in* the PC! The PC tends to be larger
as it needs to house the power supply -- which must be capable of
powering the additional cards (even if none are ever installed!)
There are usually additional interfaces (disk, USB, keyboard) that
also require real estate and power.

There are more watts POTENTIALLY dissipated in the case so the case tends
to need active cooling (fan) -- which also takes up space.

I currently use:
http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/Dell_FX160_1.JPG
at each TV. They'll eventually be replaced by boxes 1/4 this size
running on a couple of watts (i.e., *almost* battery powered; in
practice, powered *by* the network so the power supply takes up
no space in the device).

No disk in them so no need to power (or cool!) it.

IIRC, the Dell boxes draw ~15W; the HDHomeRun requires ~10W -- and
that power (heat) is distributed in different places in the home.
So, two live programs on 2 displays requires ~40W (in addition to whatever
the displays' requirements might be). When a display isn't required,
it's ~15W goes away. When not "capturing" OTA broadcasts, those 10W
go away as well.

You can, instead, let the HDHomeRun talk directly to a NAS to create
a DVR. And/or a wireless router so it can serve video via WiFi
(think: tablets, phones).

It also lets you use a "CPU-chip, memory and video interface" to drive
your TV's (one for each TV) instead of having to site a "real PC"
by each TV (with fan, large power supply, etc.).

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network using a
"media streamer". This provides many advantages, including being able to
watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from online sources
(youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or home movies I've
created myself.

You have to either:
- let the PC that houses the capture card(s) act as media server, or
- push the content from that PC onto a UPNP media tank that will later serve it

I keep the HDHomeRun devices on the lowest shelf in a kitchen cupboard -- near
the VOIP gateway, PoE switch, UPS and database server (I store audio/video
*in* a database just like any other "data" -- including its metadata).

I can record 4 DTV channels simultaneously (and add 2 tuners at a time
almost indefinitely -- no "card slot limitations" in a PC to worry about!)
AND serve ~30 SD live/stored products simultaneously (using a slow 20MB/s
USB disk) where the number of "screens" on which a product is playing doesn't
factor into that bandwidth calculation (i.e., if you happen to show the SAME
content on 4 different screens in 4 different rooms, it counts as *1*).

[My design target was a family of 4 with each person watching one show
while recording TWO others. Adding two more users just means another
dual-tuner box attached to the antenna feed]

On 3/31/2016 9:43 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
HerHusband wrote:

I record TV shows on my PC, then stream them over my home network
using a "media streamer". This provides many advantages, including
being able to watch shows I've recorded, videos I've downloaded from
online sources (youtube, etc.), video I've ripped from my DVD's, or
home movies I've created myself.

Anthony Watson

Expound on this "media streamer , please ? The way I'm doing it is to put
it on a hdd in one of my comps , stream it from there to whatever box I want
to watch it on . I believe the intranet lag might be why I have had synch
problems , and have just ordered a 1Tb hdd to install in the "media box" .

A media tank is nothing more than a storage medium from which content
can be *pulled* to a device (an appliance or a PC) that will then
display it on a screen, play it over a speaker, etc.

How you get that content onto the server is a separate issue. The
HDHomeRun devices will push the content onto a "network attached
storage" (disk) device. Or, a computer can *pull* the content
from them and put it onto its own notion of storage

This is done by the magic of "standards": "Let's agree to support
these operations in this particular manner". So, two parties (devices)
can effectively co-operate as if they were parts of the same device
(i.e., the storage medium can act like it is part of the TV/display;
likewise, the storage medium can act like it is ALSO part of the
"capture device")

Beyond this, you can enhance the individual components to support
additional capabilities. E.g., I can configure my NAS to download
torrents while it is serving up stored content (to a TV).

The advantage to a media tank is that you can put *all* of your
"media" (movies, photos, music, etc.) on the device and then access
it from whatever devices you want -- over wired/wireless networks

[If the media tank is implemented as a PC, then you can conceivably
also access that content on the "PC's display" using a suitable
program to "play" the content]

On 3/31/2016 9:56 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Ed Zachary ! This comp's only function is to play media on the TV . I have

But how do you *get* the media onto that PC?

If the PC has an optical disc drive, you can use it as a DVD player.

If the PC has a USB interface, you can play media from storage
devices connected to that USB interface.

If the PC has extra disc capacity, you can copy media onto its internal
store. Once there, you can play that media.

If the PC has a network connection, you can stream content from
somewhere on The Internet. Or, "play" files remotely mounted
(e.g., from a "network share" exported by some other machine on
your network) elsewhere in your home.

But, you can also prune the "extra" functionality out of the PC and
just treat it as an appliance: a device dedicated to "playing content"
on the attached TV, speakers, etc. You can then *source* the content
from any of these other places AS IF they were part of the PC and the
PC was part of the TV.

Put a similar PC/appliance on *each* TV and all of those TV's can benefit
from the content sources you have available. Likewise, hook a pair of
speakers to each PC and you can listen to any of your music collection,
podcasts, internet radio, etc. on each of those machines.

However, using a COTS PC to access media outside the home means you have now
opened that box up to potential remote exploits (we all know how great
MS is at producing secure products!)

my desktop and one virtually identical (slower processor) out in the shop .
The wife has a laptop to do her facebook (shudder) thing . I've had as many
as 7 comps networked (when I was down in Memphis) but I've scaled back ,
left the older comps for the G-kids to have fun with .

Per Don Y:
If you're saying they were *masquerading* as legal representatives
of those owners, that's hilarious! Imagine trying to sue them for
extortion: "I was STAELING something and this guy tried to extort
money from me..."

Poor choice of words by me. Somehow they were actually representing
the content owners.
--
Pete Cresswell

Per Terry Coombs:
Expound on this "media streamer , please ?

I probably don't know enough to expound properly, but I have been using
something called SageTV for quite a few years.

What it does:

- Schedules/records TV programs

- Plays ripped DVDs from my NAS box or 24-7 PC

- Plays DVDs directly (although I have never done that)]


For Sage, you dedicate one PC somewhere in the house to be the "SageTV
Server". Other PC's (like the ones under each TV) run something
called "SageTV Client" which gives full/total access to SageTV running
on the server.

Alternatively (and this is what I have done) you can buy little black
boxes are totally silent (no moving parts) and pull 5-12 watts and act
like the "Client" PC under a TV.

Sage got bought out by Google and went offline for a couple years, but
now it is back as public domain software.

You can get the little black boxes used.

Only fly in the ointment is that, with the Public Domain version you
would have to pay $20-$30 per year for an Electronic Program Guide
service (i.e. the thing that tells Sage what TV shows are airing at what
times).

The good part about Sage is that it will probably do almost everything
anybody in their right mind would want to do media-wise with a decent
interface. "Almost" because it does not web access... but I have a
$100 box called "Wetek Core" sitting next to my Sage box that does that.

The bad part is care and feeding. It is definitely not an "Appliance"
like TIVO... you have to work with it a little to get it doing what you
want done.
--
Pete Cresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Terry Coombs:
Expound on this "media streamer , please ?

I probably don't know enough to expound properly, but I have been
using something called SageTV for quite a few years.

What it does:

- Schedules/records TV programs

- Plays ripped DVDs from my NAS box or 24-7 PC

- Plays DVDs directly (although I have never done that)]

snipped

Sounds like my dedicated comp will do everything but the schedule/record
function and play on more than one TV . There are just the 2 of us here ,
she watches a lot more TV than I do . There are a couple of shows she likes
that she misses when she works a "swing" shift , I try my best to make them
available for when she has time . Oh , and we do have two TV's but only the
one in the "living room" can play from the computer , though both are wired
to the satellite receiver .
--
Snag

Expound on this "media streamer, please?

I am currently using a Dvico TVIX M6600-A media streamer:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/pro...tvixm6600n.asp

It's about 9"x9"x3" so it fits easily on my entertainment center. It does
not need a fan for cooling, so it is completely silent. In theory you can
install an internal hard drive and tuners, but for me that would defeat the
advantages of streaming over my network.

Basically, I have my "main" computer in my home office. That's the machine
I use to record TV shows, download content from the web, rip DVD's, etc.
That keeps all the noise and heat of the PC in the office instead of out in
the living room. It also means that when I upgrade my main computer,
everything related to TV recording gets upgraded too.

Since my video content is saved on my main computer, it gets backed up with
the rest of my data in case there is a virus, drive failure, etc. (I have
many home videos going back 50 years that are irreplaceable).

I have a small program that runs in the background on my PC that acts as a
media server. I simply point my media streamer to the server on the
network, and I can stream all of my video content in full 1920x1080p HD
video with 5.1 audio.

The M6600-A does not play back 4K video, but I don't have any 4K material
to stream anyway.

The M6600-A is no longer available, but it does everything I need it to.
I've had it several years, but if I need to replace it in the future I
would probably look at the

Nvidia Shield:
http://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA-SHIELD-...VANCED-GAMING-
ANDROID/dp/B00U33Q940/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

or the Mede8ter 600x3D:
http://www.mede8er.com/mede8er_product_med600x3d.htm

The way I'm doing it is to put it on a hdd in one of my comps,
stream it from there to whatever box I want to watch it on.

That's basically the way the media streamers work, except you have a tiny
dedicated streamer instead of a full blown PC at each TV.

In theory, I could install a media streamer at each TV in our house and
each could stream their own content from my main PC. But, I just have the
one streamer in our living room.

By the way, if you don't need streaming and just want to play back content
on an isolated TV, you might have a look at the Micca Speck:

http://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-
Player/dp/B008NO9RRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459521413&sr=8-1
&keywords=micca+speck

It is very tiny, about 3"x3"x1". I have one in our bedroom for the few
times we watch shows in there. I can copy movies or TV shows to an SD card
and plug it into the Speck in our bedroom. We don't use it a lot, but it
works great when we do.

I believe the intranet lag might be why I have had synch problems

I have a gigabit network in our house, but even a simple 100Mbps network
should be enough to stream most content. Depending on what you're
streaming, many people even stream over Wifi connections (I still recommend
wired connections).

How are your videos encoded? The only time I have issues with streaming is
with really high bitrate video (i.e. 50mbps MP4 or something). Most shows I
record over-the-air are 14Mbps or less MPEG2 in an MKV container. My
personal home movies are all 30Mbps h.264/AC3 MP4 files.

have just ordered a 1Tb hdd to install in the "media box".

Video eats hard drive space like crazy! At the moment, my video files
are using about 350GB on my hard drive. Of course, I need the equivalent
space on my backup drives in order to back up those videos. I use external
Western Digital 3TB USB drives for backing up my computer.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

Internal cards don't take up extra space, don't need additional
cables, and don't need separate power supplies.

Sure they do! The space is *in* the PC!

The key word is "extra" space. Adding a card to my PC does not increase the
space I need under my desk. It's all neatly contained within the existing
PC case. I don't have an additional box to find a place for and more cables
and wall warts running everywhere to connect things.

I've already maxed out the network ports on my router, so I would need to
add a network switch if I wanted to add a network tuner. Another box,
another power supply, more cables...

The PC tends to be larger as it needs to house the power supply
which must be capable of powering the additional cards

I have a 650Watt power supply, even though I rarely use more than 120 watts
or so.

I use my computer for a LOT more than just recording video, so the upgraded
power supply and other internals are already there. I'm just better
utilizing what I already have.

There are more watts POTENTIALLY dissipated in the case so the case
tends to need active cooling (fan) -- which also takes up space.

Yes, but it's space I'm already using, and the fans are there already. I
don't have to do anything extra to plug in a TV Tuner card.

IIRC, the Dell boxes draw ~15W; the HDHomeRun requires ~10W -- and
that power (heat) is distributed in different places in the home.

I have no idea how much power my M6600-A media streamer draws, but I doubt
it uses much. It puts off virtually no heat, it barely feels warm when you
put your hand on it.

I'm sure my tiny Micca Speck uses even less power, and no heat to speak of.

http://www.miccatron.com/micca-speck/

- let the PC that houses the capture card(s) act as media server

Yes, that's the method I use.

I can record 4 DTV channels simultaneously (and add 2 tuners at a time
almost indefinitely -- no "card slot limitations" in a PC to worry
about!)

I could theoretically have 8 tuners (4 cards) in my computer, but I only
have nine channels available anyway. I used to have two tuner cards (4
tuners), but rarely record more than two shows at once. When one card died,
I didn't bother replacing it and haven't missed it.

AND serve ~30 SD live/stored products simultaneously

Yeah, it takes very little processing power to serve even HD video. I
frequently record two TV shows, while streaming HD video to the living
room, and my wife is doing Facebook on the computer.

As long as I'm not hammering the hard disk editing video or something, it
works flawlessly.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

Per Terry Coombs:
Sounds like my dedicated comp will do everything but the schedule/record
function and play on more than one TV .

Assuming you are running Windows on those PCs... if you tell the PC that
does the recording to share the drive or folder it is recording into,
you can play on any TV/PC that is connected to the LAN.

--
Pete Cresswell

On 4/1/2016 4:35 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
If you're saying they were *masquerading* as legal representatives
of those owners, that's hilarious! Imagine trying to sue them for
extortion: "I was STAELING something and this guy tried to extort
money from me..."

Poor choice of words by me. Somehow they were actually representing
the content owners.

(sigh) Too bad. It would have been more amusing if they were just
"enterprising fellows" who took advantage of the information leaked
by the torrent to make a few bucks! :

On Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:05:08 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 4/1/2016 7:55 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:30:07 -0700, Don Y
wrote:


If the PC has an optical disc drive, you can use it as a DVD player.

Yes but the use is limited to that TV

No, you can export the drive as a network share and then "mount"
it remotely (to "play" it on another PC). But, interactive features
become problematic (e.g., navigating menus).

I am really trying to get rid of all of those bits of plastic. Vinyl,
tape, CD, and DVD

If the PC has a USB interface, you can play media from storage
devices connected to that USB interface.

You could and I do on the "Smart TV"

You can do it on the PC serving video to a "dumb" TV (one of the
"TVs" in our home is just a 24 inch monitor with a pair of
speakers alongside).

The smallest TV in our house is 40" and all support VGA so the three
that are not "smart" have a PC hooked to them. Any old curb side XP
machine will work if it is 3gz with a gig or two of RAM. "Flash" is
the biggest power hog. If I am just running a local player a 1gz with
1/2 a g of ram works fine. If you are willing to run an older version
of Flash, you can run a lesser PC

On 4/1/2016 8:28 AM, HerHusband wrote:
Internal cards don't take up extra space, don't need additional
cables, and don't need separate power supplies.

Sure they do! The space is *in* the PC!

The key word is "extra" space. Adding a card to my PC does not increase the
space I need under my desk. It's all neatly contained within the existing
PC case. I don't have an additional box to find a place for and more cables
and wall warts running everywhere to connect things.

And now the PC under your desk has to be running in order for you to
record/watch content.

We don't have "more cables" or wall warts, here. The (network) cable from the
wall plate to the "display server" carries power and command/content. I can
actually power an external USB disk drive from the power available on each
network connection!

The antenna cables to the HDHomeRuns are in the kitchen cupboard -- along with
the cables from the (land line) telephone company (to the VOIP gateway), the
cordless phone base station, a cable modem (when/if we ever go that route),
the PoE network switch, the database server and the two UPS's to back up the
entire system (including the bits of kit that are scattered around the house;
so, we don't need 48 wall warts to power the cameras, speakers, irrigation
system, wireless access points, microwave link, etc.)

[I don't like "kit" to be visible!]

I've already maxed out the network ports on my router, so I would need to
add a network switch if I wanted to add a network tuner. Another box,
another power supply, more cables...

Ah, I have a 72 port switch for the house; 24 more ports just for the
office and another 16 to handle the printers and NAS boxes.

The PC tends to be larger as it needs to house the power supply
which must be capable of powering the additional cards

I have a 650Watt power supply, even though I rarely use more than 120 watts
or so.

I use my computer for a LOT more than just recording video, so the upgraded
power supply and other internals are already there. I'm just better
utilizing what I already have.

But you are *requiring* it to satisfy a need that could be addressed
by something smaller, less costly, less dependant on THAT particular
implementation.

E.g., I can let one of my PC's act as a telephone answering machine.
I can let it email incoming messages (as sound files) to me when I
am out of town (so I don't have to pay toll charges to "check my
messages"). Or, I can have a little box that effectively does the
same thing and leave my computers OFF when out of town.

There are more watts POTENTIALLY dissipated in the case so the case
tends to need active cooling (fan) -- which also takes up space.

Yes, but it's space I'm already using, and the fans are there already. I
don't have to do anything extra to plug in a TV Tuner card.

Except keep the PC running in order to use the tuner card!

IIRC, the Dell boxes draw ~15W; the HDHomeRun requires ~10W -- and
that power (heat) is distributed in different places in the home.

I have no idea how much power my M6600-A media streamer draws, but I doubt
it uses much. It puts off virtually no heat, it barely feels warm when you
put your hand on it.

I'm sure my tiny Micca Speck uses even less power, and no heat to speak of.

http://www.miccatron.com/micca-speck/

Yes, but they are *appliances* intended to NOT be power hungry. A PC
is typically not designed with that in mind.

Here, I can power up/down each bit of technology that I use to control
the house "under program control". E.g., if there are things in the
yard that need to be watered, the PoE switch powers up the irrigation
controller; the irrigation controller loads its software from the database
server (the only "persistent storage" that I have) and then waters
whatever needs to be watered. When done, the irrigation controller
powers off.

The same is true with the network speakers (power them up when I want to
listen to music, TV, podcasts, etc -- then power them down when I'm
done), the security cameras, front doorbell, HVAC controls, etc.

[I haven't yet designed the "network display" as TV technology is
changing far too quickly to make a long term design decision -- only
to discover that 8K TV's will be the norm in a couple of years, etc.]

- let the PC that houses the capture card(s) act as media server

Yes, that's the method I use.

I can record 4 DTV channels simultaneously (and add 2 tuners at a time
almost indefinitely -- no "card slot limitations" in a PC to worry
about!)

I could theoretically have 8 tuners (4 cards) in my computer, but I only
have nine channels available anyway. I used to have two tuner cards (4
tuners), but rarely record more than two shows at once. When one card died,
I didn't bother replacing it and haven't missed it.

But you're just thinking about *your* house. I have to have a scalable
solution. E.g., you could install my automation system in a hotel
and feed video to 100 different rooms for 100 different "guests".
And, ensure the heat/ACbrrr is properly controlled in each of those
rooms.

Or, in a commercial business/office where each employee/department may have
different A/V needs (video conferencing, etc.).

Coming up with a solution that scales well is a lot different. A business
isn't likely to want to have to discard all the kit they bought last year
just because they can't buy a particular add-in card *this* year.

AND serve ~30 SD live/stored products simultaneously

Yeah, it takes very little processing power to serve even HD video. I
frequently record two TV shows, while streaming HD video to the living
room, and my wife is doing Facebook on the computer.

It also takes very little bandwidth! E.g., even a USB2 disk is more than
up to the task (no need to tap my 320MB/s disk farms).

And, you can talk to a disk with very little hardware. E.g., I can
plug a pair of disks into an NSLU2 (the size of a pack of cigarettes)
and now they're a NAS:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSLU2

Interfaces are becoming narrower and narrower. "Wide busses" cost a lot
to implement (add-in cards). And, most people don't want/need to
"expand" -- other than disk size or memory. (e.g., laptops and tablets
aren't expandable)

[My first PC had the floppy controller and serial/parallel ports on an
ISA card; the video was another card; the sound was yet another card; SCSI
HBA ate another slot, network interface still more, etc. Now, all of these
(except SCSI) are built onto EVERY motherboard -- and, for modest video
needs, even the video is on the motherboard!]

We saw disk drives go from the two-ribbon-plus-power ST506 interface to
the 40 conductor IDE to the serial ATA standard. 25 pin serial ports
were downsized to 9 pins then they -- and the parallel ports -- were
exchanged for 4 wire USB interfaces. Ditto mouse and keyboard.

In the embedded system world, the USB interface is the swiss army knife
of expansion; why bother adding a disk controller to a device when you can
just plug a USB disk into it? Even if that connection is entirely
hardwired INSIDE the device?

As long as I'm not hammering the hard disk editing video or something, it
works flawlessly.

On 3/30/2016 7:17 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we
have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the
computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on
those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move
all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use .
I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to
ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather
than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to
the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .


You can take all that electrical mumbo jumbo and stick it up yer arse!

On 4/1/2016 10:30 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:05:08 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

If the PC has an optical disc drive, you can use it as a DVD player.

Yes but the use is limited to that TV

No, you can export the drive as a network share and then "mount"
it remotely (to "play" it on another PC). But, interactive features
become problematic (e.g., navigating menus).

I am really trying to get rid of all of those bits of plastic. Vinyl,
tape, CD, and DVD

We've been trying to get rid of the media (CD/DVD/vinyl/dead trees/etc.)
AND the "plastic boxes that play them"! I'm aiming for an ascetic
*appearance*; no "technology black" boxes piled up anywhere, no thermostats
on the wall, no doorbell annunciators, etc. Everything has to be able to
hide *inside* the wall (e.g., 1G Jboxes) or inside the device of which it
is logically a part (e.g., put the computer, power supply, and amplifier
*in* the speaker and just run a network cable to connect it to the wall).

If the PC has a USB interface, you can play media from storage
devices connected to that USB interface.

You could and I do on the "Smart TV"

You can do it on the PC serving video to a "dumb" TV (one of the
"TVs" in our home is just a 24 inch monitor with a pair of
speakers alongside).

The smallest TV in our house is 40" and all support VGA so the three
that are not "smart" have a PC hooked to them. Any old curb side XP
machine will work if it is 3gz with a gig or two of RAM. "Flash" is

A newer box will tend to consume less power. The Dell FX160's
draw 15W and run at ~1.6GHz. I think there is a dual core
version as well.

the biggest power hog. If I am just running a local player a 1gz with
1/2 a g of ram works fine. If you are willing to run an older version
of Flash, you can run a lesser PC

We don't run flash. Anything that we want to watch gets converted to a
more portable format. Eventually, we'll have a single audio format
and a single video format -- doing the conversions *as* we add the media
to our library (e.g., my network speakers use a proprietary encoding
that lends itself well to reliable network delivery; so, dropped packets
don't compromise the quality of the listening experience).

Most UPnP servers require the client to be able to decode whatever
format the requested content happens to have (e.g., OGG, WAV, MP3, etc.)
*or* will transcode on the fly to a specific target format (wasteful
of resources and limits how many clients the server can support
simultaneously). If our clients all expect "my" audio format, then
why not store the content in THAT form and do the conversion once?

On Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:36:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

Yes, but they are *appliances* intended to NOT be power hungry. A PC
is typically not designed with that in mind.

Have you ever looked at the power consumption of a cable or satellite
box?