|
30/01/07 |
Just a quick note to let you know this
project has long gone and is only been kept here for others to look at.
That been said I am currently looking at a full automated home solution
project and will be creating a new site for that soon - stay tuned ;) |
|
05/08/04 |
Not much of an update as I have now
dismantled the machine its self. The main thing I plan to do is come
back to the original plan of building it in to a DVD player case how
ever that is on hold until I find a suitable motherboard. In the
meantime please feel free to review the new and upgraded
gallery area. |
|
02/05/04 |
Well it did not go - in fact I with-drew
the sale as I decided that I should keep it. Not sure if its still going
to be under the TV or in a spare room but only time will tell - same
goes about DVB. Anyway solved a niggling problem where by every time it
accessed the MPEG decoder the system crashed - in the end I found out
that MCE only really likes NVidia cards and even then only certain ones.
To that end I will probably order a new external card. Not sure when
that will be as baby number two ( Larissa Jane ) was born only four days
ago... so as you can guess I'm a tad busy right now. Will keep you all
informed. |
|
04/04/04 |
Guys. - Sorry for the long time before an
update - I promise I will do a full one in the next few weeks but as we
are ( I hope ) days away from another member of the family arriving I
have been very busy. Any way - if you would like to buy this unit -
click on to
my Ebay link above and have a look.. if you want make an offer. Its
a good unit and very fast. The only problem was that it would not sit in
the DVD case so - my plan is to look back at VIA when I get a chance -
in the mean time some one will pick this hot machine up - probably at
cost. |
|
24/02/04 |
Well its been a busy week or two. The
first problems was that
Parcel Force
/ The Post
Office managed to loose the DVD player I bought. The good news was
that it turned up today. I have also been able to get a good deal on my
mother board, CPU, memory and harddrive cost me a fraction of what it
should have. How ? Scan
based in Bolton have daily deals ( or Today Only as its known ). I will
be posting deals of this hardware when I have time ( I'm typing this sat
in a hotel room board out of my mind while working away lol ). But its
not stopped there... I have managed to source a really small PSU off
Ebay how ever I
will need a ATX lead extender so it looks like a trip to
CPC looks on the
cards. I also bought off
Ebay a USB keyboard
which is one of the multimedia versions with lots of programmable
buttons. These will be connected some how to the original panel to allow
me to make the original buttons do some thing - although I am not sure
what yet. I have two special remotes on the way from the HTPC forum -
these are RF based and programmable how ever they are also IR
programmable as well which means the TV, VCR etc can be operated with
the same unit. After deciding that my OS is going to be Microsoft MCE
2004 I decided to order one of the remotes from the states. Why ?
Although I won't use the remote I need the IR blaster to control my Sky
TV box. So what's left hardware wise to et now ? Not a lot... I need a
capture card first for the input in to the system. Originally because I
am in the UK I looked in to the
Blackgold card as
this is cable or receiving DVB-T board casts and its the only card of
this type fully approved and compatible with MCE 2004. The problem
is that although it has a SVideo input MCE is not capable yet of dealing
with two tuners - there is more how ever have a look here for that. Very
lastly - software - I have been lucky enough to get a copy of MCE
2004.... now just before you all email to ask me how read this 'THE
ONLY WAY TO GET MCE IS to by a MCE machine which will include it
or have a MSDN subscription' - I will NOT give copies out. Right that
done with come back soon and I will try and create the mailing list tool
and the guest book, how ever in the mean time if you have a HTPC site I
can link to drop me
a mail. |
|
06/02/04 |
 Just
bought my case... a little more expensive then I planned how ever its
got a great name on it (
Wharffdale M5 ).
It is one of the few models released in the UK with an IDE drive
natively run from its system board. So what does that mean ? That means
I can use the original drive with and PC board - i.e. it will look like
the original. |
|
11/01/04 |
Site launched |
