Hi,

I've just started reading out making your own Tivos, and I'm interested in
the possibility of having a single beefy computer as the center of all
audio/video media for my house.

We will have 4 digital TVs, with some HD and some not. We have Comcast as
our cable provider (outside of Cleveland, Ohio).

Is it feasible to think that a decent machine could handle live TV playback
for all 4 TVs, and also serve up Internet on the TVs as needed, and possibly
play a selection from a Ripped DVD library?

I'm thinking this is what I would like to see happen.

Thank you for any help you can give. Recommendations for sites where I can
read up would be appreciated, too!

-- Kent Iler
------------------------------*------------------------------*----------
k...@iler.NOSPAM.com
Please CC: all replies via e-mail
Remove .NOSPAM from e-mail address

Currently, for this scenario, you would need a Media Center PC with dual analog and dual HDTV tuners (recommendation). Media Center does not currently support HD over cable, although this is expected in the Vista operating system release. In order to stream your video, music and etc. to multiple TVs, you would require one or more Media Center Extender devices. These can be the Linksys Extenders or XBox extender kits, which do not support streaming HDTV to remote TV's, or the XBox 360 which has built in Media Center Extender capability and will support streaming HD content. As for your ripped DVD library, all versions of the extender only support certain formats, so ensure that you rip to a format they can support.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"Kent P. Iler" <kent@iler.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message news:YaednU48psQdIyXenZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Hi,
>
> I've just started reading out making your own Tivos, and I'm interested in
> the possibility of having a single beefy computer as the center of all
> audio/video media for my house.
>
> We will have 4 digital TVs, with some HD and some not. We have Comcast as
> our cable provider (outside of Cleveland, Ohio).
>
> Is it feasible to think that a decent machine could handle live TV playback
> for all 4 TVs, and also serve up Internet on the TVs as needed, and possibly
> play a selection from a Ripped DVD library?
>
> I'm thinking this is what I would like to see happen.
>
> Thank you for any help you can give. Recommendations for sites where I can
> read up would be appreciated, too!
>
> -- Kent Iler
> ------------------------------*------------------------------*----------
> k...@iler.NOSPAM.com
> Please CC: all replies via e-mail
> Remove .NOSPAM from e-mail address
>
>
>
>

I believet that the bandwidth to support 2 HDTV video streams and 2 SDTV
video streams is probably beyond the capability of any current wired network
using MCE. In additon MCE currently does not support Surfing the Internet
or other PC applicatios using MCE Extenders.
Watch closly for announcements at this weeks Las Vegas CES show for
announcements by vendors of other possible solutions to your situation some
of which might involve network connected Cable or Satellite STBs to handle
the Internet Surfing along with TV reception with PVR capabilities.


"Doug Knox MS-MVP" <dknox@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:eXew4G2DGHA.472@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
Currently, for this scenario, you would need a Media Center PC with dual
analog and dual HDTV tuners (recommendation). Media Center does not
currently support HD over cable, although this is expected in the Vista
operating system release. In order to stream your video, music and etc. to
multiple TVs, you would require one or more Media Center Extender devices.
These can be the Linksys Extenders or XBox extender kits, which do not
support streaming HDTV to remote TV's, or the XBox 360 which has built in
Media Center Extender capability and will support streaming HD content. As
for your ripped DVD library, all versions of the extender only support
certain formats, so ensure that you rip to a format they can support.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart
Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"Kent P. Iler" <kent@iler.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message
news:YaednU48psQdIyXenZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Hi,
>
> I've just started reading out making your own Tivos, and I'm interested in
> the possibility of having a single beefy computer as the center of all
> audio/video media for my house.
>
> We will have 4 digital TVs, with some HD and some not. We have Comcast as
> our cable provider (outside of Cleveland, Ohio).
>
> Is it feasible to think that a decent machine could handle live TV
> playback
> for all 4 TVs, and also serve up Internet on the TVs as needed, and
> possibly
> play a selection from a Ripped DVD library?
>
> I'm thinking this is what I would like to see happen.
>
> Thank you for any help you can give. Recommendations for sites where I
> can
> read up would be appreciated, too!
>
> -- Kent Iler
> ------------------------------*------------------------------*----------
> k...@iler.NOSPAM.com
> Please CC: all replies via e-mail
> Remove .NOSPAM from e-mail address
>
>
>
>

A good site to start learning is www.htpcnews.com