Viewing Video Via PC Client/Extender: I'm Confused

[gkar]

I've done quite a bit of research into the best setup for watching video off an HTPC to a remote screen ie. a secondary monitor/LCD-TV in a bedroom, & I'm bl*&%y confused

Apparently, it is a mission to setup a simple PC to act as a transceiver (client/extender) to relay the viedo/audio, if you want to use the MCE shell, to the remote location because of Microsoft's desire for you to use their XBox360 as an extender. This has its faults: I have all my XVids AVIs contained inside Matroska for easy chapter movement within the file. I'm not interested in the work-arounds like TVersity or other variants.

There are other applications like GB-PVR, which I used to use before I installed MCE2K5. But I have issues with the MCE drivers for my 2x 150MCE tuner cards & I don't want to go down that road again. I tried installing it as an option to MCE but with the 150MCE drivers installed the cards aren't even recongised within GB-PVR.


Why can't this be done:

1) plug the LCD-TV/monitor into the spare VGA port on the HTPC graphics card. Set up your HTPCs graphic's properties to single display & use the default cntrl+D hotkey to switch to the beroom display.

2) use an extender like http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView....Max=&SUBCATID= to use your MCE remote to control your HTPC from your bedroom. I probably would not even need this as I have an RF cordless keyboard.

Thinking about it, I would use a separate remote with Girder.

The audio is where it starts to get complex:

I have all my sound SPDifed to my single zone Denon AVR-1803 AV receiver. So I need to find a solution to this arrangement. Can you successfully split a co-ax audio signal?

My thinking is to have a digital set of PC speakers in the bedroom with a master control, then when I want to watch the bedroom's screen I do the following:

1) cntrl+D to the b/room screen
2) use my bedroom MCE remote to mute my lounge AV receiver using one of the learning keys (all the ones on my lounge remote are required for other tasks.
3) turn up the volume
4) crawl into bed; no! you don't have to visualise this part of the procedure
5) use the RF keyboard (or another remote using Girder) to my preferred video file location & start it up using my favourite media player -Zoomplayer.

AAAAAAARRRGGG!!!!!!!! that won't work, because of my graphics card's resolutions being low for my 29" CRT TV. There must be a way to save & load profiles without a great deal of effort. Any ideas or links I should look at?

There is a lot of muddled thinking out loud here. All ideas & reasons why/why not are greatly appreciated.

I would {eventually} build a basic PC to act as a client & ethernet my way around the main HTPC. This would probably happen sooner rather than later given some of the issues that have arisen since I began writing this post.

[DDH]

gkar,

I think your ideas are all possible with a bit of tinkering. But take it from someone with a couple of MCEs, far easier to build a second small box (tunerless if need be) and connect a LAN (or just a back to back cross over cable).

Far more flexibility, either way you are going to spend $. IMHO better to spend them on gear that has a future use.

[gkar]

I think your ideas are all possible with a bit of tinkering. But take it from someone with a couple of MCEs, far easier to build a second small box (tunerless if need be) and connect a LAN (or just a back to back cross over cable).

DDH -took your advice & built a 2nd unit running Sempron 3000+ AM2 CPU & Asus mATX mobo inside Silverstone TJO8 case. After reading a thread by one of the locals here I bought the case & used the standard CPU cooler. Man, is it quiet; twice as compared to my desktop & that's using a Zalman 7000balcu cooler.

Haven't decided on which way to go yet concerning a display screen: monitor (PAL 50Hz issue through panel)? or LCD-TV? And, of course, speakers' setup.

Oh, & I'll need to get an ethernet switch to control my network.

[DDH]

gkar,

Great to hear!

You can get small (5 port) switches at 1Gbit that will network you quite nicely for not too many $.

What can I say, an LCD with built in speakers is a setup that makes my smaller MCE and I very happy. Mine is a Benq 37" (VA371).

[gkar]

Mine is a Benq 37" (VA371).

Waaaay too big for my small bedroom. I went with the Samsung 226BW (22"). Wasn't htotally happy with the issue of LCD monitors not supporting 50Hz but what can I do; as stated here or elswhere, there are no real options for WS LCD-TVs in the smaller screen size.

As it obviously does not have integrated speakers I went with Logitech's X-530 5.1 setup as they had good user reviews & not expensive.

I got a TPLink 5-port ethernet switch for some NZ$90 & is working out of the box. Have one issue but that is for another thread Hopefully, not to hard to rectify).