Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with htpc

2.26Ghz vs. 2.66Ghz Mac mini for HTPC—worth the extra money?

DakotaPaul — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:12:08 -0800

2.26Ghz vs. 2.66Ghz Mac mini for HTPC—worth the extra money? I'm thinking about a Mac mini as a HTPC. My thought is to rip all my DVDs on it, then install Plex to watch them and TV from Hulu and other sites

Assuming that this will be my HTPC for at least the next four years, and that I might someday try to figure out how to rip my Blu-ray discs for HD playback, will the 2.26Ghz model be adequate? Or would I be better off spending the extra money for the 2.66Ghz model (assuming comparable RAM and hard drive specs)? Would the extra speed make that much of a difference in HD playback, or anything else? Thanks!

Keyboard for my HTPC setup?

petah — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:17:11 -0800

Recommendations for a good HTPC (home theater PC) keyboard? I've got an old laptop I've hooked up to my television, and I'd like to be able to browse the web and operate my computer from the couch.

I was wondering if there were any dedicated keyboard/mouse combos for this task?

Wireless keyboard for a home theater PC?

thewalrus — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:30:24 -0800

Please suggest a quality wireless (RF) keyboard that has an integrated touchpad, trackpoint or trackball for use with a home theater PC setup. There's a lot of different things available from Newegg ($35 to $150+) and the other usual sources, but I'm wondering about some first-hand experiences... I'd like to keep the cost to the lower end of the price range if possible, without getting something that is a total piece of junk. It seems that wireless keyboards designed specifically for desktop use usually don't include a pointing device. I don't want to have a separate mouse and keyboard, the pointer should be integrated.

How should I set up my new HTPC's Hard Drives?

soy_renfield — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:30:07 -0800

How should I set up my new HTPC's Hard Drives? I just built an HTPC. It has room for four internal hard drives. I intend to run Windows 7 on it and cram it full of music and videos which I will access through Windows Media Center. I currently have three 1 TB hard drives installed in a RAID 5 array. My question is which one of the following three ways should I set up the system:

1 - One partition on the RAID 5 array. This partition will include the OS and the data files. Pros: It will be very easy to expand this in the future by simply adding a fourth HD to the array. Cons: Doing a full OS reinstall will be nearly impossible without buying a very big external Hard Drive for backing up the data files.

2 - Two partitions on the RAID 5 array. One smaller partition for the OS and the larger one for data. Pros: Doing a full OS reinstall will be easy. Cons: Adding space to the data partition will be difficult, possibly needing a big external HD for backup.

3 - One partition on the RAID 5 array and a smaller separate Hard Drive for the OS that will not be a part of the RAID array. Pros: Doing a full OS reinstall will be easy. Cons: There will be no more internal HD bays available, making expanding the RAID array more difficult.

I am leaning toward option three, but I need to know if I can simply replace the drives in the RAID array one by one in order to expand the storage capacity without wiping the data completely. IE: replace disk 1, allow the RAID to repopulate that drive, then replace disk 2, etc...

Am I missing something? What would you do?

Getting new Win 7 Laptop this weekend for Home Theatre PC setup. Advice?

jcmilton — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:46:07 -0800

Best setup for a Win 7 laptop as HTPC? Currently we have a simple setup of an HDTV and a DVD player. No cable or antennae and frankly we're not interested in getting (and paying for) cable. But we do like watching Hulu/Netflix on the computer and since Win7 is coming out this week I thought we'd get a laptop with HTMI output so we can watch stuff on the "big screen."

Any suggestions for setting up a laptop to maximize our enjoyment and ease-of-use for using a Win7 laptop as a HTPC? I've heard that the Win7 Media Center is pretty good, but I've never used any version of Windows Media Center so I don't know what's possible.

Also, if you have suggestions for specific makes/models that would be great. Budget is around $700. But please no suggestions for a Netbook. For other reasons I need a 17+ inch screen laptop.

Help me plan my HTPC

Zed — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:17:13 -0800

Old-school SD TV with only coax and composite video inputs seeks modern HTPC for MythTV and maybe light Hulu. Can this relationship work? I ♥ my modded Xbox with XBMC, but I find myself wanting to do some things it can't handle. If I'm to build a new HTPC, I need to keep it cheap. Toward that end, I don't want to replace my TV. I'd expect a new HTPC will probably natively have DVI, and maybe S/Video output.

What's the easiest/cheapest way to bridge the gap between those outputs and my TV's inputs? (You can assume I know a fair bit about computers, and not much about A/V.)

Can anyone lend me a hand in designing my new home network computer setup?

decrescendo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:54:03 -0800

Can anyone lend me a hand in designing my new home network computer setup? I have two computers right now.

1. Macbook Pro from about a year ago. In awesome shape. Bought it new. I currently use it mostly on travel and in my living room when I'm watching TV and browsing the net.

2. Desktop I built myself in 2006. I use this computer to store all of my music and listen to said music through speakers that are hooked up to it. I also have tons of pictures and videos stored on this machine. 3 harddrives, around 1.5 TB of space I believe.

I'd really like to make this Macbook Pro my primary computer. I spent too much money on it to use it for browsing the net in my living room. I want to be able to have access to the videos, pictures, and music that are currently on my desktop wirelessly while I'm on my Macbook.

How would I best go about this? I can see retiring this desktop or using parts of it to create a server. I envision this server living in my closet somewhere with a lot of storage and backup capability. I'd like to be able to access the data on this server wirelessly via my Macbook anywhere in the world.

And if I have speakers in my bedroom and a 7.1 system in my living room, how can I "beam" music on my server to these seperate speaker setups via my Macbook (basically it would sorta function as a remote control). I don't want to listen to music THROUGH the laptop or speakers connect to the laptop; I want it to come through other setups.

Also, would swapping out my laptop for a new one in a few years be an easy way to tech refresh this system since the server probably wouldn't have to be built from the most up-to-date components? The laptop is going to be what accesses the internet and edits video and what not.

So can I make this setup work and is it easy? (And does anyone have any good resources for building this server?)

Ready for CableCards?

medarby — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:14:47 -0800

What is the current state of CableCards? Is it worth adding to my HTPC? I came across this article on Gizmodo regarding CableCards. I've only done cursory reading on the tech as it always seemed to be not well supported (or promoted) or mature enough yet. Is this still the case, or is it time to start looking into it? Anyone have any experience with CableCards or a primer for us newbs that they'd like to share?

I don't want my MTV.

nushustu — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:42:25 -0800

I want to dump cable, but I still want to be able to watch particular shows. Can I do this? I don't want to pay for cable any more, but I still want to watch Mad Men and a few other shows on my tv. Plus, I'd like to be able to record certain shows from the networks. But I'm completely overwhelmed with the possibilities on how to do this. I would rather not shell out thousands for an HTPC, nor do I have the time to build my own for cheap.

If I hook up a new non-apple laptop with internet access to my SDTV, will I be able to watch hulu, or shows I've purchased via Amazon, etc.? Also, if I wanted to record shows off of PBS without a VCR, would I be able to subscribe to tivo and have that happen without cable access? Will the quality of these shows suck? Again, we're only talking standard definition tv right now. I just want to be able to watch shows w/out jaggy, stuttery playback. Should I buy an Apple TV?

I'm completely flummoxed by the possibilities. If someone has a step-by-step guide on how to do this, I'd appreciate it.

Zero to HTPC in 700?

itesser — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:59:47 -0800

Going crazy trying to figure out my HTPC/media server options from scratch. Yes, I've been reading other threads but I'm a unique snowflake so there's My husband and I are a couple of nomads with a handful of computers (desktops and laptops, 3 Win and 1 Mac) who will be getting our first real TV/stereo/etc when we move into a new apartment late next month.

I want to...
- Stream Netflix to our TV
- Watch other internet video on the TV (and stream Pandora?)
- Play locally stored video / music on the TV/stereo
- Have all our music (~200 gigs) in one place, plus long-term expandability
- Keep important files in one location for frequent backing up to/from multiple computers
- I don't care to watch network or cable tv

My budget is somewhat flexible, but I'm aiming for solutions around $700 for the media-serving part of the set up.

After several hours considering my options (though I admit I'm not experienced at this, plus it's way past my bedtime), I think my current best bet is: xbox360 + XBMC on an XP system* + (Free)NAS. Would 3 machines be overkill?

* I like the iphone remote! and for a few other reasons

Or ditch the NAS and put a bunch of HDs in the XBMC system?
Or ditch the XBMC and stream directly from NAS to 360?
Or replace the XBMC with a MacMini+Plex?

Windows Based PVR Software

backwards guitar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:51:33 -0800

I'm looking for free PVR software, preferably for Windows XP. Criteria:

- Free

- Ideally able to run on Windows XP, but Ubuntu would work if absolutely necessary

- Able to setup programming remotely using web, VNC or remote desktop (iphone would be an added bonus)

- No need for HD

- Just need the ability to record programs. Ability to select a program and select "RECORD ALL NEW EPISODES OF THIS SHOW"
or "RECORD ALL EPISODES OF THIS SHOW"

- Will be playing files on an xbox running XBMC over a wired network

- Nice to have: Auto-conversion from MPEG2 to xvid/divx or similar (compatible w/ XBMC is the main requirement)

- Nice to have: Removal of commercials.

I used to have Snapstream's Beyond TV which did most if not all of this (not the iphone stuff, but this might be supported now). Had a massive hard drive failure a couple of years ago, and am pretty sure I lost my registration information at the same time. I'm going to see if I can recover it, but in the meantime if there's something else out there... I've read previous threads on HTPC / PVR setups, but for different reasons they didn't fit my criteria, and I imagine there's been new stuff released since.

I'm using a Hauppage 150 I believe. Thanks.

HTPC web browser?

smackfu — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:37:27 -0800

Is there a web browser for your home-theater PC that works like Opera on the Wii? Something where I can sit back on the couch and navigate using the remote would be ideal.

old mac Mini is too Mini for TV

penciltopper — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:06:44 -0800

I have an old G5 PowerPC Mac Mini that would be just right to repurpose as a DVR/HTPC. But the weak onboard graphics are preventing joy. Is there a way I can offload the graphics processing workload to an auxillary device? It's an old G5 powerpc mini, still works just fine; but it's an orphan at the moment, with no purpose in life.
So I thought I'd try hooking it up to my TV and using it as a HTPC of sorts.

DVI output to my TV at 1080i works for DVD player, torrented .AVIs via VLC, etc.

But if I try to watch Hulu through it, the picture is choppy if it works at all. Especially for 480p streams.

I'd also like to use something like Elgato's EyeTV to capture over-the-air HD TV broadcasts and play them back later. (Watching the signal live is unnecessary, but would be a bonus.)

But I'm pretty sure the Mini can't handle that processing load?

Elgato seems to have a couple of devices like the turbo.264 that mention that they do the transcoding/processing of the video, offloading it from the attached Mac's processor.

Would this help? If not, is there some other kind of external graphics card or add-on device I can use to externalize the graphics processing workload, so the old hardware in the Mini isn't crippling?

Desired end state is that I am able to watch recorded OTA HD shows and "live" Hulu/other video streams

I have a NAS drive to hold recordings, and an XBox 360 (all three are on same wired network) if that helps.

1080i preferred, HD only (I can skip analog)
$250 max budget (so I'm not just going to buy a new Intel Mini)

Anyone have any experience or suggestions?

Help me mouse from the couch.

ocha-no-mizu — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:09:02 -0800

Recommend a wireless mouse with a good range. I just got a Logitech V320 wireless mouse to use with my new Mac mini, and the range is disappointing. I suppose the "for notebooks" in the product name should have tipped me off. I'm looking for a good alternative.

I'm using the Mini as an HTPC, so normally I'll be using my Harmony remote to control Plex, but I'd also like to be able to do the occasional mousing from my couch, which is (I'm guessing) 6 to 8 feet away. If I lean forward a foot or so to the coffee table, the V320 works perfectly, but mousing slightly further away on the couch is a frustrating exercise with only one in several mouse clicks registering. I've tried different surfaces, so I'm quite sure the signal is just not strong enough.

I got an Apple Wireless Keyboard at the same time, which works beautifully from the same distance. Is the issue here that RF doesn't have as good a range as Bluetooth? I've had a hard time finding definitive information about the range of different mice.

So, any recommendations? I don't need too many bells and whistles, just left and right click and a scroll wheel would be fine. RF or Bluetooth, as long as the range is good. I do have a strong aversion to the Mighty Mouse, but I've never used one long term.

HTPC, xbx360, External monitor - is there one display to rule them all?

bartleby — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:27:47 -0800

AVfilter: Have XBox 360, Mac, and HTPC/cable box - need one display, 25 inches or larger, to use with all 3. Should I be shopping for an HDTV (no tuner req'd) or a Computer monitor? So I'm going to lose the big ol' CRT HDTV I've grown fond of.
And I'm probably going to be moving to a smaller place.
So I'm looking for a single LCD display that can handle all my display-type needs:

Big external monitor for Mac and/or PC laptops (=DVI input)
Screen for an XBox 360 (=HDMI or Component input)
Screen for watching HDTV, either cable or more likely from a HTPC of some type, capturing/playing OTA HDTV/torrented files/DVDs/hulu, etc. (=DVI, HDMI, possibly component inputs)
Sounds like my ideal box has one each of DVI, HDMI, and Component.

I really am going to be using this as the "main" monitor for the computers I use, so it has to perform very well up close.

I don't know if HDTV LCD panels and computer monitors are pretty much interchangeable these days or what?

Set me straight, hive mind!

(TV Tuner I have taken care of on the computers, sound is a whole 'nother issue. Just looking for box that makes with the pretty pictures and the showing of them.)

Trying to get PC/TV AND PVR functionality to merge onto my 42" lcd

prodevel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:08:14 -0800

Is there a PC tuner card that can read from my Comcast digi-set-top box that I can control w/a wifi/bluetooth remote from 20-30 ft.? So after getting a graphics card with an hdmi adapter and a 30' cable to my living room, bluetooth keyboard, I'm in heaven - hulu.com 1 second, ReplayTV (Tivo type box) the next. The ATI DVI card and HDMI adapter somehow carry the sound... Well.

So now I want to replace my ReplayTV that I pay $13/mo for with a pctv card that will accept bluetooth/wifi remote signals from the living room. I'd like to use either SageTV or GBPVR for the software, but I'm somewhat open.

Also, If anyone has experience with a mouse that'll do 20/30 ft. reliably, that'd be awesome.

Thanks in advance.

Sanity check my Mac media center.

swift — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:50:09 -0800

Please sanity check a possible Mac Mini HTPC/media center setup. Before I start spending money on additional components, maybe the community can review my plans for a Mac-Mini-based media center and HTPC. I've done lots of reading online, and based on some other AskMe threads, I'm not alone in being a little confused about the best setup for my needs, until someone invents a box that does it all.

I have:
- an HDTV with resolution up to 1080i
- an Intel Mac Mini with OS/X 10.4, but no remote
- a home theater receiver with speakers and lots of input options
- a NAS with tons of music, and some movies
- an Xbox 360
- a VCR
- a Netflix account, which I use to stream movies to the Xbox
- at the moment, cable
- a laptop

I want to:
- ditch cable and get HD programming over the air
- watch whatever programming I can get via the Internet
- watch streaming Netflix movies
- transfer VHS tapes to the NAS
- browse and play music and movies from the NAS
- use Tivo-like capabilities like pausing, recording, and browsing on-screen listings
- control as much as possible with a single remote
- play games

Right now I'm planning to go down a route similar to mr. obsession, using a HDHomeRun tuner, some kind of antenna, and EyeTV software for the TV end, and Plex for the media center end (which would require upgrading the Mac to Leopard).

Has anyone used a similar combination of these pieces? Do you think there's a better way to do it?

Also (and this is really my "original" question), since I've lost the little white Mac remote, is there a universal remote that works with the Mac? Controlling the Mac via the laptop (or getting a wireless keyboard) is certainly possible, but it's not ideal if I just want to flip channels and browse media.

Thanks in advance!

HTPC + DVD ISO + automounting = WIN: Show your work

Ritchie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:36:44 -0800

Looking for a media center solution (not necessarily a Media Center solution), that will automount DVD images (ISO files) for playback. I stayed with my brother over the holidays, where he showed me a media centre he'd built running Vista and Media Center. I in turn showed him how to rip his DVD collection to his hdd so he could put his DVDs into storage. While we were tinkering, I wondered aloud if it would be possible to get Media Center to mount ISO files and play them as if it were a regular DVD.

Short answer: theoretically it's possible, but I couldn't get it to happen.

Supposedly, Webguide + Daemon Tools is one way of making this happen. I Installed both, but some piece of the puzzle was missing, and despite configuring and reconfiguring until I was blue in the face, there was no joy. My brother didn't care - he was overjoyed to find that Webguide would stream music and video over his network.

Anyway. I'm home now and looking to set up my own media center thingy. And I'd really like to be able to automagically mount DVD images just by selecting a movie from a menu - not for every disc, but definitely some of them. But I need to know if there's anyone out there who has actually succeeded at this. There are plenty of people who say on various forums, for example 'oh yeah, XBMC does this' but I'd like to hear from somebody who has really done it. Describe how you set it up.

What is the best HTPC software?

jpdoane — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:46:27 -0800

What software (or set of software) should I use on my new HTPC for both DVR functionality and streaming internet video? I have a new homebrew PC dedicated as a HTPC that I will be setting up tomorrow. I plan to use it for watching and recording over the air TV, as well as streaming content from Hulu, Netflix, etc. I also may use it for watching DVDs or playing other sorts of media (music, videos, photos), but this is secondary. I have a copy of Home Premium Vista for this machine, which I hear works great as a DVR.

Is there some software that seamlessly integrates all the functionality I'm looking for? If I can't have it all, what is the best combination of packages? Is there a way to painlessly switch between programs with the remote?

I have looked around a lot, but most programs seem to either be DVRs or fancy video players. Boxee seems promising as it streams online content, but it only runs on mac/linux. Perhaps something like boxee+sage tv on linux? Is there a good way to watch hulu/netflix on Vista without using a browser?

Free is great, but I'm willing to spend a little $

n00b htpc 3850 dvi to hdmi with audio

prodevel — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:45:20 -0800

I've got a Gigabyte HD3850 w/dual DVI outs and 1 Svid out.I went n00b and got a dvi to hdmi 30ft cable to my 42" LCD TV. Help?! E6850 duo + 2GB all overclocked and running flawlessly. Before you judge, it's only oc'd to 3.6 ghz and the gfx card was oc'd via it's auto tune....

I've got this for what it's worth: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/toms-reference-system,1748.html

Being a replaytv/dvarchive user, I realized that after moving to a new address, I could connect my puter and 42" lcd to each other. I purchased a dvi to hdmi cable @ 35 ft.

No sound. I immediately assualted google and found avforums, et al. again... I've spent nearly 3 hours reading posts and posting 1 other myself.

I'm suspecting I need an ati dvi to hdmi adapter and a long hdmi(-to-hdmi) cable.

Otherwise I would be stuck with the svideo to svideo/component adapter included w/the product.

I would love love love to get the dvi-hdmi cable to work since it's strung. Darn bulky, some are. I'm suspecting that it just might be a one-off, though.

I'm a unix guy but I know my fair share of M$

BTW already tried realtek, ati, bios settings combos........ many, many combos...

Thanks

Does anyone have experience with using PlayOn! with an HP MediaSmart Server running Windows Home Server?

anotherpanacea — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:28:47 -0800

Does anyone have experience with using PlayOn! with an HP MediaSmart Server running Windows Home Server? I see how it works with a regular media center PC, but I'm not quite sure how it'd work in a Home Server OS environment.

htpc recomendations needed

toocan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:58:14 -0800

im looking to build a htpc that will be able to play 1080p content and output HD Audio over HDMI. my main requirements are that i would like it quiet and energy efficient. Im also hoping to put a couple of HD satalite cards in there im not sure if this would make a difference to what hardware i should select. could someone point me in the direction of either some recomended componenets or a pre built machine

What type of capabilities should I look to include in a computer I'm planning on building within the next few months?

decrescendo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:06:15 -0800

What type of capabilities should I look to include in a computer I'm planning on building within the next few months? I would like to make sure I'm prepared for future technology. I don't want to build totally for the present. I'm having some trouble sorting out what type of capabilities I want my next computer (or computers) to have. I have some ideas, but I'm curious as to what you all would be sure to include in this day and age.

A few things about my current set-up:
1. I have a Macbook Pro and a desktop PC that I built 2 years ago
2. I have a TON of music and videos already on the HDs of my desktop
3. I have a lot of DVDs that I would like to have on a computer for backup/playability
4. I'm a big audio guy. I'm going to have a 5.1 system in my living room and hopefully some very nice speakers in my room. This means 2 places for audio playback.

But, what I'm looking for is not specifications, but what this computer should be able to pull off. From there, I'll be then looking into hardware.

So if you were a big media guy, what type of computer would you build in the next few months? What would you want it to do in order to take advantage of soon-to-be-adopted technologies or current technologies?

Would it be a desktop? Would it be a HTPC next to the TV? Would it be a server in the closet that would talk well with my Macbook Pro? I'm looking to define capabilities at this stage.

What's the best option these days for building a home theater PC (HTPC)?

twiggy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:09:48 -0800

HD-capable HTPC advice / help? I'm overwhelmed here... XBMC, Boxee, MythTV, Windows Media Center, CableCARDS, Popcorn Hour, Apple TV -- too many options! What should I build to fit my needs within a reasonable cost? I should start by saying I'm plenty tech savvy. I'm not overwhelmed by the terminology. However, I've been putting off building an HTPC for a long time now and the longer I do, the more crazy software/boxes show up that muddy my idea of what I should do!

So, in my ideal world, here's my needs:
- Absolutely HAS to decode 1080p video without dropping frames -- from what I've heard a Mac Mini can't handle 1080p. I'm guessing then that a hacked AppleTV (which I see you can now install XBMC or Boxee on) is also not an option?
- I'd like it to serve as a DVR - I have Comcast Digital Cable, so I may need CableCARDS for this, right? I do have a Comcast DVR, and could live with using that instead, but I can't "copy off" my programming and archive it which sucks.
- I'd like it to also serve as a great media player -- I use XBMC on an original Xbox and I love that...
- Assuming I build something myself - I have no idea what a good video card is that has HDMI output and is reasonably priced. I don't really have much interest in playing games on it, so I don't need the craziest card out there...
- While looks aren't super important (it'll be in a cabinet behind frosted glass), it should at least have a case that will keep it running quietly (unlike Xboxes, which are loud as crap!)
- Future expandability is a big plus, but not 100% necessary as long as it fits today's needs. I love that XBMC is continually updated, has cool plugins, etc, but I'm not 100% married to it.
- I have a Logitech Harmony 890 remote that I love. I've got to at least be able to hack something together to control it with that.

Basically, a machine that runs XBMC and can decode 1080p, combined with a DVR, would be perfect. I just don't know what the ideal way is to build that for a reasonable price.

Then the HTPC world gets more confusing -- there are boxes out there like Popcorn Hour, AppleTV, etc that look like they either do a lot of this, or are hackable to do this stuff.. am I better off going with one of these? I see Popcorn Hour will even act as a NAS and a BitTorrent downloader, which is fantastic, but it doesn't seem to have any recording capabilities.

Any help would be sincerely appreciated - the vast array of options has become too much for even the finest google-fu given my lack of available free time.

Help me upgrade my DIY HTPC without it becoming a PITA

genial — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:58:00 -0800

With digital OTA coming in February and the possibility of dipping into HD in the near future, help me give my 2 year old HTPC a facelift. I'm working with a ASUS P4S8X-MX board at 3.0Ghz and 2GB of memory. I have a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 MCE in there and a fairly lowend videocard because a needed a way to get TV-out (I believe it's a Radeon 9250 but don't quote me on it).

Here's what I'd like to do. I'd like to have this thing be able to receive OTA after the digital switch. We don't get or want cable or satellite and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Instead of spending my money and government coupons on digital boxes that I then have to route through the computer, can I purchase a card that will do that?

I am also looking at the fact that HD is becoming more popular and a nice TV could be purchased in the next 6-12 months that could take advantage of some of that OTA HD stuff. What does it take to support HD recording?

Last and final question. When we set this up we were on XP MCE 2005. We since upgraded to Vista and while we like the interface, I can't help but drool at some of the other software options out there like Plex, Mediaportal, et. al. Something that is easy for the wife to use is of utmost importance but I'm getting a lot more content online these days and adding it to the box (because of a lack of cable/sat) and the Vista Media Center seems less focused on media other than photos and personal videos. Any good recommendations on the software front?