Discussion » Advice time: a Digital TV recording, playback unit.

This is a read-only copy. The forum ran on iamcal.com from 2000 until its database was lost in 2016, and this topic was rebuilt from copies saved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Some replies may be missing, and its dates are approximate.
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around August 2006:
 
I've been using an Xbox with Xbox Media Centre running for a while and for £70 it's fucking awesome. But that's integrating into my standard network, streaming files from another PC or off the net. That's not bad but my freeview box has just gone shits up and I was thinking about getting a pro-made unit to do DV-B recording and have a network connection for remote recording. Ideally I'd like a DVD recorder onboard but I suppose it's not needed too much.
I've been toying with the idea of a media centre PC but, 1. I'm sensetive to noise when sleeping and 2. They have a tendency to boot like a normal PC and have the same capability, which I dont need. I want fast booting. 10 secs tops.

I could buy a D-TV tuner for an old laptop I have here with a shit hard drive but I'd really like a complete unit. I've looked on ebay and some of the units on there look ok but I was wondering if anyone had any experience.

So do you?
Posted by Saltation_DUPE1, around August 2006:
 
you could...

• save the free world if you find a silent+fastwake pc: getdemocracy.com

• ebay a tivo + a network card
Posted by Brock, around August 2006:
 
My brother in law has a PC that makes no noise - it has no fans. I say 'no' noise, as in 'no discernible'.

Being as it sits 5 feet from his head at night (ony a wooden divider between him and it), and he lives out in the sticks in Ireland, I would suggest that ambient/background noise is three parts of fuck all, and he says he can't hear it when he's trying to get to sleep. Consequently, it is on the whole time.

It was, however, pretty expensive, and he had to buy it from Germany.
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around 4th August 2006:
 
The fanless mini-itx motherboards and fanless PSU's have been an idea but it's still not fastboot. Always on is an option.

I dont know too much about Tivos. I take it it would need a specific NIC which wouldn't be too much bother. Would I need a PAL specific machine? Is there one better model to another? How much are they roughly going for? (cant get eBay at work) Are there maybe any hacks to shove a DVD drive in there?
Posted by Grim..., around 4th August 2006:
 
I have a Media Center PC, and I honestly couldn't get rid of it now.
Just get one with quiet fans and look toward water-cooling in the future.
Freeview cards from Hauppage cost about £40, and the MCPC can be built for around £250 (as long as you don't mind stealing the software).
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around 4th August 2006:
 
(I dont mind stealing the software, the binaries of Xbox Media Centre aren't exactly legal)

What specs does your unit have Grim...?
Posted by WarHead, around 5th August 2006:
 
All kinds of HOOGE things, plobly.
Posted by Grim..., around 5th August 2006:
 
To be fair, it does - it's my old gaming rig.

But I've built one for someone else with an AMD Sempron 2800+ and 512k of RAM and it deals with dual freeview cards and video playback easily.
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around August 2006:
 
Fuck it. It might not be completely silent but this case grabbed me by the bollocks and said "buy me!". Then I shoved in a load of shit inside and ended up spending £600. Should be fairly qiuet for always-on, we'll see.

Cheers all.
Posted by Grim..., around August 2006:
 
Cute. What colour did you get?
And what software are you using?
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around August 2006:
 
I got it in white and might spend some time working on a custom shell. Think I'll give XP MCE a shot for compatability sakes to start with. I want to play with Orb TV as well.

Any further suggestions?
Posted by Emma, around August 2006:
 
nice case
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around August 2006:
 
Oooh. I just thought about getting some paints and stuff and turning it into Evil Edna.

Edit: on second thoughts it'd be a shame to ruin the case. Maybe another project.
Posted by Saltation_DUPE1, 12th August 2006:
 
you should overpaint the little brand-thingy on the front (~centre) so that it looks MORE clearly like 2 little close-set eyes.



cute face
Posted by Miki_DUPE1, around 12th August 2006:
 
there is some weird time travel going on in this thread,
the posts go 2 weeks ago - 1 week ago - 10 days ago

that's all, carry on, nice boxy thing sul
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around 12th August 2006:
 
umm... not for me you LIAR!!!
Posted by Miki_DUPE1, around 14th August 2006:
 
they all say 2 weeks now
:P
Posted by Sul_DUPE1, around 14th August 2006:
 
A likely story