What is possible with a htpc?

[new boy]

Hi Guys.

Before I start spending too much time researching, I wanna make sure the following is possible.

- Full freeveiw hd PVR replacement

- Can I use nowtv on it?

- standby / sleep

- easy enough for the mrs to use once I've set it all up.

- all controlled through a remote including switching between now tv and freeveiw?

Thanks

 

[DragonQ]

- Full freeveiw hd PVR replacement

Yes.

- Can I use nowtv on it?

No. NowTV is a Sky product so I doubt they'd ever cooperate with getting it working on media centre software.

- standby / sleep

Yes, although in my experience this is never issue-free. I have my TV tuner cards in a separate always-on server to avoid issues with the cards and/or tuner software not always working properly after resume. However, even now I have issues when resuming from sleep sometimes (e.g. no sound, requiring a GPU device reset, or slow/unresponsive video requiring a reboot).

- easy enough for the mrs to use once I've set it all up.

Yes...but it's a PC. There will always be problems occasionally, even if it's just sorting out Windows Update. So if she's not comfortable with, say, rebooting the box and restarting the media centre software, then it's a bad idea.

- all controlled through a remote including switching between now tv and freeveiw?

You'll not be able to get away with only having a remote control, IMO. You'd need at least the ability to remotely login via TeamViewer/VNC/etc.

You can always leave your NowTV box connected via a different HDMI socket and switch between the HTPC and that. I do 99% of stuff via my HTPC but I use my TV's built-in apps sometimes.

 

[yet72]

"- easy enough for the mrs to use once I've set it all up."

This is the part you will have problems assuming the mrs isn't a techy.

From my experience a HTPC will never be as easy to use as a tailor made solution e.g. sky box, apple tv ect.

Having said that i'm really happy with my set up due to the options that open up for viewing content and also streaming games.

 

[new boy]

Thank you for the reply.

I'll have a think about whether these limitations are going to be a problem or not.

 

[lude1962]

'- easy enough for the mrs to use once I've set it all up.'
With my openelec (kodi) box I've 'trained' mine to use a generic mce remote,
I've also got a pulse 8 cec adapter plugged in so I use the tv remote

would you be using it for playing back your media collection - music, dvd/br rips?

 

[new boy]

'- easy enough for the mrs to use once I've set it all up.'
With my openelec (kodi) box I've 'trained' mine to use a generic mce remote,
I've also got a pulse 8 cec adapter plugged in so I use the tv remote

would you be using it for playing back your media collection - music, dvd/br rips?

Sort of. Initial thoughts were to have a small ssd for windows / the programs, then a mech drive for media. Really cant be bothered to network everything up though, so it would only be playing whats on the htpc, rather than pulling files from a nas box or similar. Maybe one day i'll do the nas box thing, but wired network isn't going to work in my house, so that's putting me off.

 

[DragonQ]

Sort of. Initial thoughts were to have a small ssd for windows / the programs, then a mech drive for media. Really cant be bothered to network everything up though, so it would only be playing whats on the htpc, rather than pulling files from a nas box or similar. Maybe one day i'll do the nas box thing, but wired network isn't going to work in my house, so that's putting me off.

That is the setup I had initially. Now I only have the SSD because all of my archived stuff and current recordings are stored on separate servers.

 

[lude1962]

I was running openelec off a 8gb usb stick, windows isn't needed,
my box is a bit longer than this one
YOUR BASKET
1 x Silverstone SST-SG06B Sugo USB 3.0 inc. 300W PSU - Black £94.99
Total : £103.69 (includes shipping : £7.25).


it has an small ssd for the os and 2x2tb drives (400 dvds 1000 mp3's, 1200 tv shows), with room for another. Connected to the tv via hdmi.
Most htpc's need a network connection to download the film info, clip art etc for your stored media. You can always connect with wifi.

So if you've got an old pc and a couple usb sticks download openelec and give it a go, see if you like it.
Generic mce remotes are about a fiver or you can use an android app.

 

[archer_dan]

if you got a PulseEight CEC adapter you might be able to use the one TV remote to control the HTPC and switch input to the Now TV box. Wouldn't know if NowTV accepts CEC commands though.

 

[Glaucus]

I run a htpc. I have it set to never go to sleep. It's not power hungry anyway.
You can do everything even nowtv. Bit it's not slick. Requires a mini keyboard and switch between TV, and webpages for nowtv/amazon prime.

Be much better if everyone had apps for windows 8, but they don't. Such a good interface for a htpc.

 

[Confused Stu]

I've been running a basic self-enclosed HTPC for a few years now, and once set up it's pretty low maintenance. The most important thing I've learnt is that if it's working, don't try to improve it as I've always ended up causing more problems than I solve!

Mine is a simple MicroATX running an IvyBridge i3, set up in an Antec Fusion case, with 2x2TB "green" drives and an 80GB SSD for the OS, a BlackGold TV tuner to provide 4xFreeviewHD tuners, and a Hauppage for SCART input from the Virgin cable box (the BlackGold is technically capable of doing this too, but it never worked reliably for me), running Windows 7 Media Centre. I've found Media Centre to be very family-friendly and wife & kids are happy navigating round it using a standard MCE remote (replaced with a Logitech Harmony 700 a couple of years ago). I've never tried any other software as the kids use Xbox360/One's in their rooms as Media Centre Extenders, so I can't speak for how well other systems work.

The only thing I did have issues with was NetFlix, which I couldn't fire up from within Media Centre. In the end I spent £10 on an "eSynic KB05" mini keyboard & touchpad and it's been brilliant. It makes searching NetFlix so much easier than a remote and so we just have that and the Harmony in the front room and simply switch depending on if we're watching TV/Blu-ray/films or NetFlix/internet.

It's certainly nowhere near as easy to set up or maintain as a Sky+ or Virgin/TiVo box, but this is like saying a laptop is more complex than a DVD player - yes it is, but in the right hands it can do SO much more. I love having an HTPC as it means I have one central system for whatever I want to watch/do, rather than switching between the Sky Box, Smart TV menu and Blu-ray player/music amp.

 

[DragonQ]

I run a htpc. I have it set to never go to sleep. It's not power hungry anyway.
You can di everything even nowtvv. Bit it's not slick. Requires a mini keyboard and switch between TV, and webpages for nowtv/amazon prime.

Be much better if everyone had apps for windows 8, but they don't. Such a good interface for a htpc.

I use MediaPortal as a front-end and that supports numerous online video services, including Amazon Prime Instant Video, iPlayer, YouTube, etc. so it is possible to stick mainly to a remote control. Like I said before though, no NowTV.