PS3 plays VOB files

I saw a couple of articles about using "Twonky" as a DLNA server to stream VOB files (the guts of your video_ts folder) to PS3.
Looks like this has worked, but a recent PS3 firmware update (2.0) broke the functionality. A subsequent fix (2.01) seems to have rectified the problem

Twonky is pay-for, but a quick search for other DLNA servers, PS3, and VOB files shows that this may simply be a new feature in the DLNA servers.

Articles on playing vob files with Twonky:
http://www.twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=15314&sid=1d5278f21cda91e037cba5c04449d417
http://www.twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=4215&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=


Link to Twonky:
http://www.twonkymedia.com/index.html

5 Steps to output Dolby Digital from Quicktime Player

I saw this and didn't want to lose the link

Output dolby digital in Quicktime player

Nice NAS

Fantom Drives has some NICE nas devices. Check out the cool case with 1,1.5,and 2TB versions.
Should work well with Mac, PC or linux. USB2 on a SATAII drive makes nice connectivity.

The system appears to be linux based, which means it's probably not FAT32!

http://www.fantomdrives.com/drivedetails.asp?id=137

FastMac Blu-Ray Drives

FastMac provides "performance" upgrade for Mac computers. One of the items they just released is a blu-ray writable drive upgrade for the Mac mini. The price ($999.99) is 3x more than I would want to pay and writing 50GB at 2x would take forever but the idea is cool nonetheless.

Fast Mac Blu-Ray upgrade for Mac Mini

Media Center software for Mac

I think I have found the media center software I am going to try first when I get the mini. It is called Xhub. You can find it at www.snarb.tk. The other two I was looking at are CenterStage (www.centerstageproject.com) and MediaCentral (www.equinux.com).

CenterStage looks like it is going to be absolutely sweet but it will probably never get finished. It is an open source project that the developers work on when they have time. I downloaded a zip of screenshots and the graphics are incredible. I'll try it when it is completed.

MediaCentral's list of features is impressive. The few screenshots they have on their site have not thrilled me though. The thing MediaCentral has going for it is Skype integration.

Xhub looks like the real deal. The graphics aren't as good as what CenterStage will look like but after reading through the forums, the feature set looks sweet.

El Gato!http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Check out the Elgato HD home run box. This is an HD streamer from the guys that make some very popular HD (ATSC&QAM) tuners!


Also, they make a pretty sweet looking H.264 encoder offloader!

Mac firewire HDTV viewing

On the enormous thread on avsforum about Mac firewire recording, I read about how to watch live TV through firewire on the mac. The thread is so big, I didn't want to lose it.

Post:
Try the following modified version of AVCBrowser in conjunction with VLC.

Get a copy of VLC and copy it to your Applications folder.
Run AVCBrowser.
Find the source device in the AVCBrowser window, and open the device control panel.
"Open" the device using the upper-right button in the device control window.
Select the "Panel" tab on the device control window.
Push the "Start Viewer" button.
Watch TV.
You can use the other Panel control buttons to change the channel on the source device, etc.

What AVCBrowser does is:
Launch VLC and have it listen on a particlar UDP port.
Makes a connection to the source device's firewire output, and starts receiving a stream.
Opens an IP socket on the local-node/port.
Streams the data over to VLC.

Gyro Media Center Keyboard / Mouse

This mouse has a gyro in it so you can wave it around like a Wiimote.
You can also get it with a keyboard so that you can fully operate your HTPC. OSX Vista and (I believe) Linux compatible.

I saw this thing in CompUSA yesterday. It looks pretty cool.
100' range!

LINK

Using VGA instead of HDMI for HTPC

Here's a decent thread on 123macmini.com that has convinced me to use VGA when I get my mac mini.

One problem with MacMini

I see that a lot off folks like the Mac Mini for a home media center. I can understand why, it's small, it's cool and you can probably run OS X on it. But, until Apple shoves a BluRay or HD-DVD drive in there, it won't be able to be an all-in-one box.

LinuxMCE

Linux Media Center Edition is a compilation of various projects that attempts to bring together the best options offered by most MediaCenter suites out there.
Linx MCE Website

Check out this LINK for a GoogleTube video demoing the features. This is of course a "canned" demo so take it with a grain of salt, but the features look pretty good. *Note. I watched this last night, but for some reason I couldn't view it today. Not sure why.

What's cool is how well it integrates with multi-room end units.

Check out HERE for hardware info.

Connecting cable box to Mac Mini

According to this thread on avsforum, this guy was able to connect his Mac mini to his comcast motorola HD cable box. He used some software called AVCvideocap.

I found some info about AVCvideocap.
One of the things that kind of concerned me is where it says the files size is 100MB per minute. So without re-compressing an hour show it would consume 6GB!

Also found this bit of information on another forum:
Don't know your specific unit - but if you download FirewireSDK from apple developer support, it includes freebies like AVCbrowser, AVCvideocap, virtualDVHS etc. Assuming your DVR unit has a firewire port enabled (my comcast motorola has one), you can hook up your mac by firewire and AVCbrowser now should be able to identify it, and AVCvideocap should be able to record mpeg2 streams when you play back your content on your DVR. Just to rub it again, 1 min of Hi def content will be about 120MB. And for playback on a standard dvd player you would have to edit it, which will be a very processor intensive task as well. My mac mini 1.4ghz records stunning quality hi definition content in real time without dropping a single frame! The best part is you can schedule it work like a PVR, it can change the channel of your cable box at a particular time to record a particular show and stop at a particular time! One CAVEAT to remember is this will only work on unencrypted channels like the broadcast channels - other cable only channels are usually encrypted and you might record something but won't be able to playback - at least not yet!

Here is a site with step by step instructions.

Free NAS Software

I found this free NAS software on the 123macmini.com forum. It is appropriately called FreeNAS. The description on their site says:

FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, AFP, RSYNC, iSCSI protocols, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key.

Check it out and let me know what you think. www.freenas.org

Hard drive prices

I was looking on Tiger Direct today at hard drive prices. They have a Hitachi sata-300 500 GB drive for $109.oo. They have a Hitachi 750 GB sata-300 for $219 and a hitachi 1 TB for $399. For the price of the 1 TB you could almost buy four of the 500 GB drives.

Update: 4 port sata pci raid card, $149.99

Podcast: Using a Mac Mini as a video server

HT Guys from HTguys.com talk about how to take your mac mini and turn it into a video server. There is good info about software and storage ideas.

Podcast

More details on Sony's new PlayTV

More details on Sony's new PlayTV

From engadget.com

IF this comes to the US, then my decision may be made. My biggest problem now with the PS3 is the crap browser they have. The fact that you can take any program that you record on the PS3 and transfer it to a PSP is money. The only thing sony needs to do know is put a hard drive in a PS3 so I wouldn't have to spend a ton of money on those Memory Stick Duos (fat chance).

Sony also announced a video download service for the PSP.

Super Strong PS3!

No Red ring of death for the PS3, check this out:
Link

The PS3 is SofaKing Reliable!

CableCARD-equipped Dell XPS 410 desktops now available

CableCARD-equipped Dell XPS 410 desktops now available

From Engadget.com

FUZE unveils whole-home media system

FUZE unveils whole-home media system

From Engadget.com

PS3 Firmware update

Looks like Sony keeps pushing out these little firmware updates for features, bugfixes, etc.

The latest (1.9) allows you to set a wallpaper for the XMB:
http://www.us.playstation.com/ps3/network/updates?DCMP=ILC-PS3_1304&LINK=PS3SU

PS3 to receive Tuner, DVR capabilities

PS3 to receive Tuner, DVR capabilities
From Engadget.com

Combo HD-DVD/ Blu-ray drive

LG's 2nd gen Super Multi Blue Blu-ray / HD DVD hybrid drives and plans

From Engadget.com

Tivo Series3?

Has anyone checked out Tivo Series3?
It's HD, it'll let you view in multiple rooms, and it will let you create your own on-line streaming channel. But the thing is $800!
That's a big chunk. I think I'd wrather dump the $600 on PS3 and get BluRay, a sick gaming console, and one of the most powerful computing platforms available to normal people!

Some Sales numbers after E3

I just saw this:
http://ps3.qj.net/Console-and-game-sales-the-day-after-E3/pg/49/aid/97971

Looks like PS3 may be picking up now that they're getting into a bigger market with the price drop.

If the 60gig is going away and it's benefitted from the price drop, it may make sense to buy one now. It has the Emotion engine for PS2 legacy games, and a smaller drive is easy to upgrade. Why not go for the lesser version? I think the big question is what other hardware changes are in the 80gig version? It would make sense for Sony to rev the mainboard and add some improvements, but has anyone been able to detail these yet?

Media Center Requirements

Well, we've been talking about this home media center stuff, now lets define it.
I've added a "requirements list" to the left side of the blog page.
These were the first few things that I came up with. Jay, please add and modify as you see fit. This will certainly help with the decision making.

HTPC Links

htpcnews.com
avsforums.com
htpcforums.com

MythTV
BeyondTV
SageTV
Freevo
Orb

Time to lay it out there

Ok, so I've been reading the posts and all are great. I know that this blog has focused mainly on Xbox360 and PS3 because these are the commercial packages out there. For the price, you get a killer gaming system plus home media and access to online content.

But what about the non-gaming options? I like to play video games, but honestly now that I have a job and a family it's hard to find the time to game. Also, PS3 and Xbox games are like $60 at BestBuy. I'm sure there are probably deals out there, but that can get pricey fast.

I think I'm going to start trying to contribute some info on non-game console options.
Options such as computer based home systems that offer more towards customization, home automation, DVR, and centralized home media. Sure PS3 & Xbox are trying to get there too, but right now the main consumers of these units are gamers, not mom or dad looking for a way to connect everyone in the house.

Here are the options and I'm sure this list will grow:
Commercial:
Tivo Series 3
Window Media Center Edition
Apple Front Row
??Others??

Open Source:
MythTV
iTheater

I know that each of these presents their pro's and cons. With a homebrew system you now become responsible for weeding through the myriad of hardware options as well as becoming the administrator of the system. For most geeks, this is ok because the setup is part of the fun. But for someone who wants to have something that just works, the commercial options are all they really have.

I think I'm going to dig into this a little to see what the best options are out there for MythTV and others. MythTV has been around for a while, and there's a lot of good hardware out there now that's not that expensive. If a mini-itx board will power the encoding/decoding necessary for HD (forgetting the DRM /encryption issues) then I would probably be happy with that.
The potential of using my widescreen TV as my main computer monitor brings a nice feeling of home media integration. The flexibility of something more open than PS3 or X360 is appealing.
Instant weather or traffic info is great for the morning rush out the door. Hopefully, the constant family photo screensaver on my HDTV will help reduce the number of holes I need to put in my walls for picture frames. And the possibility of seeing real-time e-mail alerts, RSS feeds, or (God help us) MySpace updates only helps less technical buy into the whole project.

I think it's time to start laying out all of the options and coming up with a list of pro/con for each.

Cordless Media Keyboard

Cordless Media Keyboard

Bad news for the new PS3 price drop

It turns out that the only reason Sony dropped the price on the 60 GB PS3 is to phase it out. They have no plans for a two price strategy in the US market. Long story short, they stopped making 60GB PS3s and when retailers are out of them, that will be it for the $499 PS3. The only option then will be a $599 80 GB PS3.

60 GB Ps3 Discontinuation confirmed
From Kotaku.com (warning: beware of 4-letter words)

Replace/ Add a hard drive easily to PS3

Team Xecuter's Hard Drive Xtender replaces PS3 HDD with your own
From Engadget.com

Xbox 360 vs PS3...what to do

After talking with a friend who has an Xbox 360, and is an unapologetic Microsoft fanboy, I am again on the fence between the PS3 and the Xbox 360. I guess it all comes down to the pluses and minuses.

PS3 Pluses:
-Comes standard with Blu-ray
-Comes with a larger hard drive
-Can use a PSP to get your media anywhere

PS3 Minuses
-Limited game titles

Xbox Pluses:
-Online gaming superior
-More title available
-Xbox live
-Media Center interface seems better (my opinion)

Xbox 360 Minuses
-HD DVD sold as a separate accessory
-Smaller hard drive


What else can be added to this list? Also, what I want to know is why no one is talking about the media center capabilities of these machines? Probably because their are more gamers than media guys like me!

Engadget story about another PS3 price cut
Cnet.com Video of the updated PSP
Engadget interview with Peter Moore, Head of Xbox
Engadget Interview with Kaz Hirai and Jack Tretton, Presidents, Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., and America

Is PS3 the way to go for on-line movies?

DVD is dead. Blu-ray, hd-dvd, it's all a waste of time. While static media has its place, downloading movies is the way it will be done in the future. You can do it with appleTV, Comcast, FIOS, Netflix, and Xbox360. Sony will surely do it with PS3 as well.

So what does this mean for the content you can get? Sony as a content distributor may have a hard time making deals with Disney, or Paramount because they are competitors. Does this mean that Apple and Microsoft are in the right place because they are content provider neutral?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/12/nmicrosoft112.xml

Can't stream network media to PSP

So I found out today that you can only stream media to your PSP if it is physically on your PS3 hard drive. I have to think that it's a matter of time until someone figures a way to get around this. What about connecting a large external drive to your PS3 and having all your media reside there? I found this post on PS3forums.com talking about connecting external drives to the PS3.
http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=83445

This of course brings up a few questions. The main one being, if all of my media resides on a external drive connected to the PS3, can I still access that media on my network? If my only goal is to be able to access my media anywhere with a PSP then this may be a good idea. However, I like to have all of my data organized and a traditional file server that can be accessed anywhere in my house seems like the better thing to do.

Can I stream from a PS3 to a device other than a PSP?

Streaming to PSP is great, but now that means I need to buy a psp.
I wonder if the media streaming from the PS3 to the PSP uses a standard format? If so, then it may be possible to get that stream on something other than just a PSP.
The other thing is that a post I saw somewhere else said that the streaming is done by the PSP registering with PS-ONline and then talking to your PS3 that way. This could be a problem if you don't have a psp.

Hmmm.

Let the search begin!

The search for the perfect home media center platform has begun. Let the posts be posted!