No need for bluray players and HTPC?

Soldato
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Snap! This is the way I have my HTPC set up as well. Love media portal. It takes a fair bit of setting up and tweaking, but it is mighty powerful and adaptable.

This! I run MediaPortal and use that as my TV server too. It looks fancy, supports anything and is easy to use. With one box, I can watch and record TV, watch ripped films, see info on them from IMDB, watch trailers on films, listen to my music and also play PC games on my TV. I can bitstream HD audio to my amp and it is also fool proof to use for my missus! :)

Great piece of kit isnt it. Just 1 hour to set it up, a little longer if you dont have the plugins already. but once its done. It just works! The software even monitors directories. And anything added to the directories shows up in mediaportal with episode\movie info without the need for you to interact with it!

I also have an Xbox 360 remote hooked up and it works seamlessly with the frontend. :)
 
Soldato
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Great piece of kit isnt it. Just 1 hour to set it up, a little longer if you dont have the plugins already. but once its done. It just works! The software even monitors directories. And anything added to the directories shows up in mediaportal with episode\movie info without the need for you to interact with it!

I also have an Xbox 360 remote hooked up and it works seamlessly with the frontend. :)

The biggest trouble I have had is getting my Harmony One remote to work with the USB-UIRT ir reciever and Mediaportal. Think I have nearly cracked it now with a media portal plugin and evenghost. Also getting automated cd/dvd/blu-ray ripping is proving tricky.

I love the way it watches folders and auto imports/scrapes films and music. I have completed downloads to move to the correct network shares on my NAS via a scheduled script. Means I can set something downloading, and once finished it magically appears in media portal ready to watch. :)
 
Soldato
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Remote potato is a lovely program this is why I use wmc+Media browser+Media center master.
I might switch to media portal if anyone knows of a program that does the job on standard the same as remote potato.
 
Soldato
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The biggest trouble I have had is getting my Harmony One remote to work with the USB-UIRT ir reciever and Mediaportal. Think I have nearly cracked it now with a media portal plugin and evenghost. Also getting automated cd/dvd/blu-ray ripping is proving tricky.

I love the way it watches folders and auto imports/scrapes films and music. I have completed downloads to move to the correct network shares on my NAS via a scheduled script. Means I can set something downloading, and once finished it magically appears in media portal ready to watch. :)

How is the Harmony One? I was really tempted to get one but I've only got my HTPC, amp and TV to control and they are all set to one input anyway so couldn't really justify the cost when my MS MCE remote does the job fine.. I think I mainly wanted it because it looked cool! :D
 
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Until a TV with USB or DLNA can offer the same interface/ease of use as my HTPC then I'm not interested.

What could be easier than a list of films or directories, with artwork? The media player on my Samsung TV is like Sky+, simple and does the job perfectly. You guys sound like you spend more time in the menus that you do watching actual content. :)

The other cool thing about my TV is the integration with my Galaxy Tab and HTC Desire, both as a remote and a DLNA device. Find a pic or video on the phone I want to show someone, press a button on the phone and up it comes on the TV. Although I could have probably done that with my XBMC as well I guess with some faffing about, but this just works.
 
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Caporegime
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What could be easier than a list of films or directories, with artwork? The media player on my Samsung TV is like Sky+, simple and does the job perfectly. You guys sound like you spend more time in the menus that you do watching actual content. :)

The other cool thing about my TV is the integration with my Galaxy Tab and HTC Desire, both as a remote and a DLNA device. Find a pic or video on the phone I want to show someone, press a button on the phone and up it comes on the TV. Although I could have probably done that with my XBMC as well I guess with some faffing about, but this just works.

which Samsung tv?
 
Soldato
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How is the Harmony One? I was really tempted to get one but I've only got my HTPC, amp and TV to control and they are all set to one input anyway so couldn't really justify the cost when my MS MCE remote does the job fine.. I think I mainly wanted it because it looked cool! :D

I love it. Admittedly it does work better the more kit you have, but one thing I have set up are custom touchscreen buttons relating to Music/Movies/TV Shows etc, so I can go to the relevant media portal menu with a single click. :)
 
Soldato
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Got a 42" Samsung, plays .mkv files directly from my media library just fine :D

Used to use Windows 7 + DivX codec for streaming mkv files to my 360, worked perfect.

Haven't got the above to work on the PS3, doesn't want to display full screen or at any decent quality.

This was a while ago, PS3 media server was just some transcoding rubbish - does it actually stream now?
 
Soldato
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What could be easier than a list of films or directories, with artwork? The media player on my Samsung TV is like Sky+, simple and does the job perfectly. You guys sound like you spend more time in the menus that you do watching actual content. :)
Do the Samsung TVs obtain all the artwork automatically then? What about show/movie synopsis, ratings, trailers, and other meta data, does it handle all those?

My HTPC offers me a system that the whole family can use without having to understand any tech (such as navigating directories).
 
Caporegime
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LE46C650, it has Lovefilm, iPlayer etc as well. Just wanting 4oD to turn up, although I guess I have the PS3 for that. :)

Will take a look online and see what its like, not that impressed with my LG PK530 media layout but at the end of the day I purchased it for the awesome image quality, will be interesting to see if the Samsung is anything like my Samsung LE40C530.
 
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Do the Samsung TVs obtain all the artwork automatically then? What about show/movie synopsis, ratings, trailers, and other meta data, does it handle all those?

My HTPC offers me a system that the whole family can use without having to understand any tech (such as navigating directories).

It doesn't have those no, but generally we research what film we want to watch before downloading 15-20gb of data.

With regards to navigating directories, luckily my missus is able to understand that under the big MOVIES icon there are movies, and under TV PROGRAMMES there are TV programmes. :p
 
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Will take a look online and see what its like, not that impressed with my LG PK530 media layout but at the end of the day I purchased it for the awesome image quality, will be interesting to see if the Samsung is anything like my Samsung LE40C530.

If there is anything specific you want me to show you let me know, I've got the latest firmware on mine (which includes a PVR) so will be up to date if you are after anything specific.
 
Soldato
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It doesn't have those no, but generally we research what film we want to watch before downloading 15-20gb of data.

With regards to navigating directories, luckily my missus is able to understand that under the big MOVIES icon there are movies, and under TV PROGRAMMES there are TV programmes. :p
Fair enough but my missus/daughter don't do any form of downloading nor have the time to go to the computer to research what each film/show is.

Instead they can read the info that is displayed with each item and make decisions based on that.

I guess it's akin to saying a few years back didn't need an on screen TV guide to tell you what's on when you had a newspaper/tv guide in the house, but it's just more convenient/preferred and has now become the norm/expected.
 
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