The Ultimate Rig...

[jnrhome]

As a noob to this side of computing, what would you recommend as the most stable, sure-fire, idiot resistant, high performance HDTV streaming hardware/software solution? After building a couple of these rigs, I imagine that you guys have pretty much narrowed the real set of criteria to create a quality playback/record/stream system, as well as finding and avoiding the junk and the under powered, low performance items. Thoughts...?
Jeff

[zed]

Just about any decent computer will work for capture, just make sure you have enough disk. Playback of HD is the challenge...my advice would be to use a Popcorn Hour, it's almost plug & play.

[mvallevand]

You said ultimate right.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/09/04/niv...media-ser/

Martin

[jnrhome]

Perhaps I should be more specific: I want to construct a windows xp-based network designed around 802.11n wireless, 1080p 24p multimedia distribution to multiple receivers. In the end, I want to have two, independent live tv streams capable of being routed to any two of four HDTV displays, each with their own computer system receiving signal via wireless and feeding them via HDMI to the HDTV's. Whew, that's a mouthful.

[jnrhome]

mvalleyand- That is a sweet rig. I wish there were more specifics on the site. Do you have one of these or are you drooling over the ad?

[mvallevand]

No, the Popcorn Hour is more in my price range. I just saw this yesterday and was wondering who could possibly need cablecard decoders at once?

Martin

[AndyPro]

Perhaps I should be more specific: I want to construct a windows xp-based network designed around 802.11n wireless, 1080p 24p multimedia distribution to multiple receivers. In the end, I want to have two, independent live tv streams capable of being routed to any two of four HDTV displays, each with their own computer system receiving signal via wireless and feeding them via HDMI to the HDTV's. Whew, that's a mouthful.

Good luck with that. I think you'll be very very disappointed with a wireless connection especially with 2 simultaneous 1080P streams. For something like that, you really should be going wired gigabit. Trust me on this one. I've "checked out" systems at work that stream video wirelessly that cost more than a very nice house downpayment (possibly even an entire house in some places!). Frankly, they sucked. Bad.

The only way to get it to even work right is with heavy compression, and that right there negates the need for 1080P, HDMI, or generally anything high def.

I do multimedia AV and control systems for a living. Dont take this the wrong way (especially you sub!!) but if you could afford to get the quality you're looking for you porbably wouldn't be looking at GBPVR as a solution. Believe me when I say I'm making no attempt to pin down your financial status or wherewithall and I'm certianly not trying to be rude. I'm just making an assumption based on what you've said that your expectations are much higher than mortal money will allow.

--Andy P