Building your own Media Center Extender -how to control with a Rem

Hi, i'm in the process of buying all the components I need to build my own
Media Center extender with a Windows 7 O/S.

This extender will NOT be connecting to any Sat-Top-Box, it will mainly be
used to stream my DVD videos, music and will act as my DVD/Blu-Ray player in
my family room.

Question: What product do I need so that I can use a Remote Control to
navigate the Windows 7 Media Center application without having to use a
Keyboard or a mouse?

More importantly, should I buy a media center case that has a built-in
IR-receiver, or does that not matter. Techincally i'm trying to understand
what steps need to be done to configure the Remote Control and how it
connects to the motherboard, etc...

Thanks for any help you can provide!!

You cannot use a computer as an extender.wrote:Barb BowmanMS-MVPhttp://www.

You cannot use a computer as an extender.


Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.digitalmediaphile.com
http://digitalmediaphile.wordpress.com

You may be confusing terminology/technology.

You may be confusing terminology/technology.

An extender is a device that streams content from a MC PC to another
location, it does not connect to a cable/Sat box (the MC computer does
that). As Barbara pointed out, you cannot "build" an Extender per se, you can
only buy one. They are typically small, silent, purpose-built hardware
devices made by specific manufacturers, they are not full-featured
computers.

There are several ways you could use a PC to mimic some of the features of
an Extender (like placing the media in a shared network folder) or there are
some 3rd party solutions (such as Webguide,
http://www.asciiexpress.com/webguide/), but it does not support Windows 7
currently.
--
James
Bart: "According to creationism, there were no cavemen."
Homer: "Good riddance! Their drawings sucked and they looked like hippies."

and currently, other than the Xbox 360, all the vendors that produced

and currently, other than the Xbox 360, all the vendors that produced Vista/W7
compatible V2 extenders other than D-Link (DSM-750) have discontinued their
products. Many audio/video enthusiasts find the 360 too noisy.


Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.digitalmediaphile.com
http://digitalmediaphile.wordpress.com

Barb Bowman Why You cannot use a computer as an extender?

Barb Bowman Why You cannot use a computer as an extender?
Do you Know till us!!!!!

Because you cannot.----

Because you cannot.

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Jaime you say:: you cannot "build" an Extender per se, and only buy one!!

Jaime you say::  you cannot "build" an Extender per se, and only buy one!!
came on someone build the one you can buy mmmm


Gabriel say:: Technically I am trying to understand what steps need to be
done to configure the Remote Control and how it connects to the motherboard,
etc...

Gabriel you need a TV Tuner Card For your PC (motherboard) they come as a
TV Tuner Card or TV Tuner Card Video adapter Card to
start with when you get we be here to Help you!!!!
My a TV Tuner Card Video adapter Card by:: 3dfx Voodoo 3 TV/FM Video adapter
Card!!

I told Gabriel that "he" could not build one.

I told Gabriel that "he" could not build one. I did not say that they can
not be built.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

Your posts for the most part so far have been pointless, unless you

Your posts for the most part so far have been pointless, unless you have
something useful to contribute maybe you should find something else to do
with your time.

--


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AFAIK there are specific hardware interface commands between the MCE hostand

AFAIK there are specific hardware interface commands between the MCE host
and the MCE extenders and the interface is patented protected by MS.  This
prevents unlicensed vendors/manufacturers from building MCE extenders since
they patent protected.

Jaime I told BILL that you can not build windows Software in aIBM

Jaime I told  BILL Microsoft that you can not build windows Software in a
IBM PC that is DOS
Now Look were we are to Day Hmmmm

Thanks for the information Jaimie and everyone else.

Thanks for the information Jaimie and everyone else.

Maybe I should not have called it an "extender" that I wanted. But basically
what i have going on in my house is i have a master server which contains all
my movies that have been digitized. The movies will be created on the server
to work with the "My Movies" software
http://www.mymovies.dk/products/windows-media-center.aspx

I want another very small (noiseless) PC preferably in a media center
pc-case that blends right-in with my sterio equipment. This pc will be able
to connect to my master server so that my master server streams the DVD
content to my my TV.

I know for a fact, this works already. When I launch the Microsoft Media
Center application in Windows 7 on my laptop, I configured it to scan my
master server to see all my available DVD movies. Which streams it perfectly
to my laptop.

If it can stream to my laptop, it definately should be able to stream to my
TV if I built a custom pc to do it.

My main question on this thread was, what additional hardware/product would
I need, to be able to use a remote-control to navigate the Media Center
application without using a mouse or keyboard.

Windows Media Center in Windows 7Dam we all here Know Windows Media Center in

Windows Media Center in Windows 7
Dam we all here Know Windows Media Center in Windows XP
LOOL

Maybe you Know more then the Group you in (Gabriel)

You have a couple of options, the simplest is to buy a MC remote kit,

You have a couple of options, the simplest is to buy a MC remote kit, which
will include a remote, an IR Receiver, and one or two IR Emitters
(blasters). The receiver will plug via USB into the PC (the emitters, if
needed, would plug into the receiver and then be attached to cable/sat box)

Here is and example at newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880121001

There are other variations floating around, just make sure it work for the
version of MC you have. I believe the the newer MC versions will work with
all remotes, but the newer remotes do not work with the older versions of MC.
Many of the remotes that come with tuner cards are not MC compiant.

Once you have a proper MC IR receiver, you also could use many of the
universal remotes as well to lessen clutter; I use the Logitech Harmony
remotes with my MC computer and Linksys Extender.

There are also MC wireless KB available that have full KB functions, along
with a built-in mouse/track/pad, and have the special MC buttons.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey!"), FL

Your a moron, go out and play hopscotch with your girlfriends----

Your a moron, go out and play hopscotch with your girlfriends

--


--

This newsgroup is for the support of the Media Center application runningon

This newsgroup is for the support of  the Media Center application running
on any version of Windows
Many of us are running and providing support of Win7 MC in this newsgroup.

TypoJaime you will told BILL that you can not build windows

Typo
Jaime you will told  BILL Microsoft that you can not build windows Software
in a
IBM PC that is DOS
Now Look were we are to Day Hmmmm

Thank you so much Jaime for the feedback.

Thank you so much Jaime for the feedback. It was extremely helpful and a
time-saver... so that i did not buy all these products that I may not need.

The link was even more helpful as a picture can say a thousand words. LOL!

Looks like al i need then is this remote kit and the receiver if all i want
to do is operate in the Windows Media Center environment.

Your the best!
Many blessings!

Then we need providing support for (Gabriel)to say You cannot use a computer

Then we need providing support for (Gabriel)
to say You cannot use a computer as an extender. is not support or help at
all
or to say Because you cannot .. is not support or help at all too!
we all need support or help at time and I one know a good supporter when I
see one!
so you are right Curious keep up the good work. For we all need to hear a
word of support .
Thank you
Curious

As they say in Costa Rica - "con mucho gusto!

As they say in Costa Rica - "con mucho gusto!"
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

I think it may just be a terminology issue.

I think it may just be a terminology issue. Sounds like what the OP is
building is an MCE (Media Center Edition), not MCE (Media Center Extender).
Even with out a tuner Win 7 makes a pretty nice media interface. If there is
another media machine in the house, you can get virtually all the media off
that other machine using the Media Center Interface by assigning network
shares, drive letters and pointing the Win 7 machine at those sources. It is
pretty darn close to being what we understand is a 'dedicated hardware
MCExtender'.

I think what you are looking for is something like this,
http://www.xpcgear.com/remotevista.html, though just Binging Media Center
Remote Control gets tons of hits. I must say that my favorite is
http://reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/gyration-media-center-pc/4505-3134_7-32331445.html.
The remote has mouse capabilities which most do not, and the wireless
keyboard is very handy for typying searches, or when you drop out of the 10
foot experience.

Go away troll----

Go away troll

--


--

But youDavid B." <mail@nomail.

But you
David B." <mail@nomail.net> have  no mail
if you E-mail me it would go in to my Junk e-mail and the item will be
Deleted

Maybe one day we will have a Junk Newsgroups Box so that  nomail.net  will
have a past to go  Hmm

David B is Newsgroups Junk  so Deleted

Idiot----

Idiot

--


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I bet you get a lot of SPAM in your mailbox.--CSM1http://www.carlmcmillan.com--

I bet you get a lot of SPAM in your mailbox.

--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

Personally I was disappointed to find that the Linksys DMA2100 and DMA2200were

Personally I was disappointed to find that the Linksys DMA2100 and DMA2200
were discontinued because I own several of each and have found that with a
few additional pieces of software that they work quite well in a mixed
Windows Vista/Windows 7environment. I particularly like how quiet they are
and the price point (I paid $79 for the DMA2100 and $99 for the DMA2200). I
also think that the product quality was outstanding.

I have tried to use my XBox360 as an extender, but as you mention, it is far
too noisy to be placed in a serious environment for watching progamming and
it also is fairly power-hungry when compared to the stand-alone extender
boxes.

-Pete

Hi Pete,I agree the yearly $$ for running 360's is also not pretty.

Hi Pete,
I agree the yearly $$ for running 360's is also not pretty.

But I am curious as to what additional software and tweaks you have added to the
mix ;-)


Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.digitalmediaphile.com
http://digitalmediaphile.wordpress.com

I use many of the "standard" media tools on the system such as AnyDVD

I use many of the "standard" media tools on the system such as AnyDVD and
DVDShrink. I use many of the specific MCE tools that other folks on TGB have
been using and advocating as well.  I have also got a couple of small
applications that I have personally written -I 'm a software developer and
cannot help myself! ;-)

-Pete

sounds cool ;-)wrote:Barb BowmanMS-MVPhttp://www.digitalmediaphile.

sounds cool ;-)


Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.digitalmediaphile.com
http://digitalmediaphile.wordpress.com

The cool part (or the difficult part depending upon how you look at it) isthe

The cool part (or the difficult part depending upon how you look at it) is
the fact that I am running an AD domain *and* a WHS within my network! There
are a variety of reasons for using a full domain (testing, use of Team
Foundation Server and domain group policy + roaming profiles) and for using
WHS within it (image backups, tv archive, development platform).

PS: Thanks for your blogs and articles Barb. I have really enjoyed them over
the years!

-Pete