Help building an extender box

[SmallTownUSA]

Hi all: I would like to build my own media extender for my HDTV. I have a PC (workstation) with Windows Media Center I plan to use as my server. The house is also wired for ethernet. I would like to download content over the net, store it on my WMC then play it back on my extender that I plan to build. The workstation and media extender are in separate rooms, and will be connected via ethernet.
Questions:

1. do I run GB-PBR on my workstation in place of WMC?
2. What additional components do I need in my workstation?
3. What components do I need in order to build a media extender?
4. What s/w do I need for the media extender?


Thanks.

[beyonder74]

1. do I run GB-PBR on my workstation in place of WMC?
2. What additional components do I need in my workstation?
3. What components do I need in order to build a media extender?
4. What s/w do I need for the media extender?

1. Yes, Install GB-PVR on your workstation as the server component.
2. You will need TV Tuner/capture card(s), hard drive space
3. A Small client PC with a video card with matching output connector for your TV. (HDMI)
4. GB-PVR installed to act as a client

Check out the Wiki about server/client setup and system requirements.

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Quick...Start#toc2

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Config/PCClient

[SmallTownUSA]

Beyonder--Thanks for the very informative reply. A couple of additional questions:

1. If I plan to display/record only content available on the Net (ie will not have DirecTV, cable or OTA) is there any need for a tuner in each of the extender boxes?
2. I presume I will need an IR receiver and remote on each extender if I plan to use only a remote to communicate (ie, select, display, etc) content on the TV(s). What IR card card do you recommend and what is a good remote?
3. Will I need any HD storage on each extender?
4. What video card(s) would you recommend? (my 42" HD LCD only has DVI connections-no HDMI, my other smaller HD LCD does have HDMI)
5. Any recommendations on type of processor in the extender? (I seem to recall a recommendations of a minimum of 512 meg of memory)
6. How many 1 hr HD programs can be stored in 1 gig of HD?
Thanks again for the help.

[martint123]

Me, I'd suggest something like a popconrn hour at each TV in your multi-tv situation rather than a full blown PC. Cheaper, quieter, smaller.

(6) In the UK that would be Zero - HD runs very roughly at around 1MB per second. I've just tried a short clip of 2 Minutes 46 seconds = 100MB. This is true HD, h.264 compressed.

[stustunz]

1.you only use tuners in your workstation (server), no tuners in extender (client)
2.mce remotes are good (but i think production has stopped) pretty much any remote that has a usb dongle will work with the help of programs like hip or event ghost
3.not really as it doesnt do any recording or storing of media
4.8xxx nvidia or 3xxx ati
5.SD anything above 1.2ghz but 2ghz is better HD dual core or better
6. depends on the content but anything up to 20G hour maybe even more (think big hard drive)

actually how big is a hour of HD you guys using it from different places since each country uses a different standard

[8ace]

I agree with martint123 - I don't know how you are storing your files on your windows media center, but popcorn can play pretty much anything (must not be encrpyted - but that's really the only limitation)

At about $170 it's pretty good value. Also has a torrent client built in if that's your thing.

If your WMC is on 24x7 you wont even need a disk in the popcorn hour ... If your ethernet is good (i.e. CAT6 certified) you should have no problems.

[SmallTownUSA]

Me, I'd suggest something like a popconrn hour at each TV in your multi-tv situation rather than a full blown PC. Cheaper, quieter, smaller.

Martint123: Thanks for the suggestion of the Popcorn Hour. Do you know if it is possible to install GB-PBR as a client on one of these or do I have to use their built-in s/w?

[martint123]

Martint123: Thanks for the suggestion of the Popcorn Hour. Do you know if it is possible to install GB-PBR as a client on one of these or do I have to use their built-in s/w?

Have a read of the wiki at http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Hardware/NMT
The PCH is well supported by sub and another Martin who has done much useful work for this device.

[gbpvriwanna]

i too am intereseted in building an extender and wanted to confirm that a PC (i understand the benefits of having a PCH and that the PC has a noisy fan) with the client can display live High Def (1080i) content coming off the tuner from the main GBPVR server.

Other extenders (IE: linksys' extender for MCE and SageTV extender for Sagetv) can display live HD content in HD and wanted to confirm the same here.

I almost spent $250 for sage tv extender and license but i really don't want any kind of a propriarty box, PCH included. I would rather use a windows XP machine as an extender providing it can play live HD content from the GB-PVR server in HD (1080i or whatever HD resolution the live video is) w/o downgrading it.

Has anyone tried this.. On a side note, PCH can't play live TV or it does play but changing the channels is very slow.

[whurlston]

i too am intereseted in building an extender and wanted to confirm that a PC (i understand the benefits of having a PCH and that the PC has a noisy fan) with the client can display live High Def (1080i) content coming off the tuner from the main GBPVR server.

Other extenders (IE: linksys' extender for MCE and SageTV extender for Sagetv) can display live HD content in HD and wanted to confirm the same here.

I almost spent $250 for sage tv extender and license but i really don't want any kind of a propriarty box, PCH included. I would rather use a windows XP machine as an extender providing it can play live HD content from the GB-PVR server in HD (1080i or whatever HD resolution the live video is) w/o downgrading it.

Has anyone tried this.. On a side note, PCH can't play live TV or it does play but changing the channels is very slow.

I'm using a PC as a client. The client is almost an exact duplicate of the "server" machine but without tuners.

Channel changes are not going to be any faster on a PC client than they are a PCH though. In both cases, the server changes the channel and then begins recording to a timeshift buffer file. Any client will need to wait for the file to be large enough to begin watching. HD takes a little longer to buffer than SD because of the amount of data.