[mkstevo]

Sorry all if this post is off topic , but I'm hoping someone can help point me , if not in the right direction , in the direction to ask the right question ...

I want to take a locally generated web page , which comes from a Hifidelio music server and feed it ( at UHF ) into my UHF distribution amplifier to be displayed on standard PAL televisions around the house . If I could do this in such a way that the Humax PVR9200T that would be the icing on the cake .

The web page is automatically refreshed every 15 seconds or thereabouts so I can't just use a static JPG viewer , it comes out on both an ethernet and WiFi network port .

I was hoping to get something like the old Bush Internet TV box to work , but I don't think they had ethernet connections . I thought an XBox might do the trick , but I am told they are noisy ( and rather expensive for this one task - I don't play games ) . The same applies to putting a TV out card in a PC too , and I didn't really want to lose too much space in the living room , I'm trying to make room - not lose it .

I then came up with the idea of using a Netgem i-player ( or BT equivalent ) or a Nintendo Wii . With the Wii as the current favourite ( due to the Opera Browser facilities ) , once they drop a bit in price .

Has anyone got any better ideas ? Is it possible the Humax would record such a signal ? Could I get someting to format the signal in a way that the Humax could record ?

Answers on a postcard or a stuck-down envelope to ...

[Guinness2702]

The only thing that the hummy will record is standard digital (i.e. DVB-T). I'd be very surprised if you could get a PAL to digital encoder, as it is not the sort of thing people would expect demand for.

[mwillett]

Originally Posted by mkstevo

Sorry all if this post is off topic , but I'm hoping someone can help point me , if not in the right direction , in the direction to ask the right question ...

I want to take a locally generated web page , which comes from a Hifidelio music server and feed it ( at UHF ) into my UHF distribution amplifier to be displayed on standard PAL televisions around the house . If I could do this in such a way that the Humax PVR9200T that would be the icing on the cake .

The web page is automatically refreshed every 15 seconds or thereabouts so I can't just use a static JPG viewer , it comes out on both an ethernet and WiFi network port .

I was hoping to get something like the old Bush Internet TV box to work , but I don't think they had ethernet connections . I thought an XBox might do the trick , but I am told they are noisy ( and rather expensive for this one task - I don't play games ) . The same applies to putting a TV out card in a PC too , and I didn't really want to lose too much space in the living room , I'm trying to make room - not lose it .

I then came up with the idea of using a Netgem i-player ( or BT equivalent ) or a Nintendo Wii . With the Wii as the current favourite ( due to the Opera Browser facilities ) , once they drop a bit in price .

Has anyone got any better ideas ? Is it possible the Humax would record such a signal ? Could I get someting to format the signal in a way that the Humax could record ?

Answers on a postcard or a stuck-down envelope to ...

I'm afraid you're going down the wrong route with the Humax. The Humax is a decoder and hard disk. I like what you're trying to do and I image there's a lot of comparies and us all trying to do something similar (Microsoft Media PC, Apple TV, TiVo hacks).

My solution was to buy a secondhand laptop (very quiet, very small) with WiFi and connect to my TV. One press and I can view the web, use Skype, etc. However, it still cumbersome and clunky compared to a nice remote control interface.

Perhaps the Topsfield has the ability to do this ?
I have a DVD recorder than can do analogue and Freeview TV - could that help ?

I'd imagine the next Humax will have an ethernet connection or WiFi.

Let me know if you get it working with the browser on the Wii - sounds interesting.

Mike

[mkstevo]

Thanks for your input so far .

The main thing I need is to display the web page on a TV , it needs to be a standard video signal ( not VGA or DVI or even S-Video ) so I can put it on a UHF modulator and send it to three other TV's in the house simultaneously . Recording it would be a bonus , but is not essential as I could do this on the DVD recorder if I need to .

[nwhitfield]

A media streamer like the Helios X3000 or X5000 will let you do the web browsing, and you could connect a modulator to one of the video outputs, similarly with other video streamers.

But if you just want a web page on a TV, surely the simplest thing is a cheap laptop or PC with TV out? Or with a video out and a modulator.

Nigel

[SeanJ]

I've done something that might be similar to the setup that you are describing. The hardware used for the web browser was the BT version of the Netgem i-player.

Restriction here is that the BT version of the Netgem i-player does not have an RF modulator. (I don't know whether the same applies to the non-BT version.) I had to feed the output of the i-player into a separate RF modulator unit from Maplin and then into the household RF distribution system.

Cheers,

Sean

[SeanJ]

PS - If you go for the BT version of the Netgem i-player then you will also need to get a USB network adaptor that is supported by the i-player firmware.

[mkstevo]

Originally Posted by SeanJ

I've done something that might be similar to the setup that you are describing. The hardware used for the web browser was the BT version of the Netgem i-player.

Restriction here is that the BT version of the Netgem i-player does not have an RF modulator. (I don't know whether the same applies to the non-BT version.) I had to feed the output of the i-player into a separate RF modulator unit from Maplin and then into the household RF distribution system.

Cheers,

Sean

As you see , I did consider that option , but didn't see much point having a second freeview box in the front room , and was a little concerned about getting the correct USB/Ethernet setup .

Looks as though the Wii is the best option ...