Need a new project! what can i use an old P4 desktop for?

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

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running a network at home,

have an old pc running ipcop as a firewall which works a treat, got another box running Freenas - also works a treat

i have one more old pc that i want to use for something

we don't need a home server of any kind though, so is there anything i can use this old pc for?

thanks!
 
you could combine the other two boxes into one if its specs are good enough. why have two seems very wastful
 
Music Server. Pile it full of your MP3s and have them available to play across the house.

Link in your main PC via the network. Wireless laptop in the bedroom. etc. Takes the load of of your local hard disks.

Bonus points: get the P4 into a nice small box and set it up with your main stereo kit.


Obviously could add movies to it, and make it a movie server.

Add a Digital TV card and use it to replace your VCR. Record TV up to a week in advance, then playback on your TV (after you connect that S-Video lead from the PC to the TV SCART...)

(Both jobs done in my house by old P4 PCs....)
 
MAllen said:
Obviously could add movies to it, and make it a movie server.

Add a Digital TV card and use it to replace your VCR. Record TV up to a week in advance, then playback on your TV (after you connect that S-Video lead from the PC to the TV SCART...)

(Both jobs done in my house by old P4 PCs....)
Click to expand...

If you dont mind me asking how did you go about setting something like this up?
 
Which bit?

Buying a Digital TV card is easy. Plenty around. If their own software is not good enough, try out something like Media Portal (search Sourceforge). Or use Windows Media Centre Edition.

Then you just need lots of hard disk space to record to. Again easy to arrange. :)


In my case, I use a Nebula Electronics TV card. Good quality, but hard to find now due to the company dieing. Haupage[sp?] are the obvious name to think of in this business, but lots of little cheapo Chinese devices around as well.

Also need to arrange for a TV Aerial to connect to the back of your PC. Ideally from a good quality roof aerial - but it depends on signal quality in your area


The TV out bit again is easy - just a case of getting the correct cables. And because I was using older hardware (that GeForce 5500) the main trick I learnt was about driver versions and forcing the output to be S-Video to be compatible with my TV. :)
 
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