HTPC - Software Thread

[dsaint]

Well we anxiously await the guide from the mods, I thought members could post some of there favourite HTPC software. Like.

 

VLC Player Have a media file you can't open? This robust player comes with it's own internal codecs. I haven't come across a media file this thing can't play. Free

 

Dr. DivX 2For making DivX video the easy way. Free

 

Zoom Player Highly customizable player. Has no internal filters or codecs.

 

MKV toolnix AVI is for wimps. MKVToolnix is a set of tools to create, alter and inspect Matroska files under Linux, other Unices and Windows. The Matroska container is idea for large HD encodes IMO. Free.

 

Nvidia Pure Video Decoder Enables playback of DVDs and HD streams in WMP.

 

Many others but I got to run.

[R2JJS]

I've used Snapstream for years on a Shuttle w/two tuners and DirecTv.Very pleased with it.

I am working on an upgrade to a bigger case machine and considering testing KnoppMyth (a free pvr software combining Knoppix and Myth tv) Just to have more room to upgrade!

[bone450]

Right now I am using mythtv

The way it looks I dont plan to ever change. It was a pain to setup, but anything I ever dream up to do, mythtv should be able to do. It is open-source and free. Pretty much linux only.

 

If I was looking at a windows soft-ware I would first look at Media Portal. I have never used it, but I here alot of the guys who made xbmc (for the xbox) changed over to making this. I know its free. Is it open source?

[Frenchy2k1]

I'm using Windows Media Center Edition on a shuttle box with an ATI AIW and a dual tuner card. Allows for 3 recordings at once.

The setup was easy although fixing the small details took a while (3 tuners working, remote, programs...).

Now, my wife loves it

[red930]

I've been very pleased with Snapstream BeyondTV since very early version 3.

 

I don't use anything other than the Tuner and Playback functions on my rig. The software integrates nicely with the ATI Remote Wonder2 and other hardware I have.

 

The interface is easy to navigate and the guide search functions are excellent.

 

I had a single technical issue early on and tech support responded to my email within 2 hours with a resolution. It turned out to be a user error that was easy to fix.

[Thasp]

megui is pretty awesome for quickly encoding shows you have to x264. You can use default profiles, that are pretty good, or make your own.

 

They look awesome at 1/3rd-1/4th the size of the original. If you archive seasons of shows, it's a great way to save HD space. Even on a quality bigscreen HDTV, it looks great.

 

It's also another excuse to try for a better overclock.

[ReelFiles]

I mainly use VLC because I don't have to worry about codecs to play all my stuff like .avi, .mkv and DVD .iso files. I am looking to setup a front end that can catalog my movies and has a nice looking interface with good compatibilities for the various formats I use.

 

I've tried apps from nvidia, nero and of course MS and I've also tried some Linux alternatives, but I pretty much dislike all of them. What other front ends do you guys use? I want to keep using XP SP2 on that rig, so it has to be MS compatible.

[krimson]

ive been switching back and forth between xp mce, and beyond media/tv for my stuff.. i had a little trouble getting beyond tv set up, but i think that was a result of my crummy tuner card.

 

i like snapstream's stuff, and i like their remotes, it just seems as though its a little slow and clunky sometimes.

[eelemus]

Im with ReelFiles on that subject. I dont have a "HTPC", but i do use my computer as a Mega media player sometimes, and I use VLC for the convinence of knowing it will play whatever with no problems with codecs or when dragging across screens. It just lacks the whole library things. but anyways, im just killing time.peace

[red930]

I've now switched from my original ATI All In Wonder 9600XT card to a fan-less nVidia 7300 video card and a Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2 external tuner. Getting rid of the fan helps keep the MediaPC running quiet and having the external device means I'm not dumping a lot of heat into the case.

 

I use the ATI Remote Wonder II that came with my original ATI AIW card. I've grown to like it so much it stays on my coffee table.

 

Snapstream BeyondTV seems to be a little picky about the encoder quality used. I have the Skip Forward set to 30 seconds and Skip Reverse set to 7 seconds. When recording at either High or Low quality with MPEG, the image changes to the new location as soon as you press the button. But I've noticed that when you use MPEG at Medium it seems to pause the image when you fast forward until it "catches up".

 

This makes you have to wait for the image to update or listen to the audio details to determine if you've gone far enough or too far.

 

I normally record at the highest quality because I'm not that concerned about running out of storage. It just bugs me that Medium is different.

 

I also learned the BeyondTV is picky about the USB port used. When I first setup the system I was on my bench in the computer room. After I pulled the old system guts out of the case and put the new setup in, I moved everything to the theater. I didn't have time to watch recordings for a couple of days but when I was ready to watch them I found an error. BeyondTV couldn't find the PVR device.

 

I ran the BeyondTV setup again and everything was fine. Cleaning up the wires I moved the PVR to a different USB port and a few days later found the same error waiting for me instead of my recording.

 

BeyondTV will only work with the PVR device on the port that the setup detects it on. If you move ports you have to run setup again.

[shatteredsteel]

LinuxMCE user here.

 

Great software and the set-up is for the most part unattended.

 

Linky

 

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