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Best Solution for this setup
jetsetwilly74
21-04-2008
I'm planning on moving house in the not to distant future and will need to change my current home setup.

Much of what I watch is on the home pc which is currently just around the corner from the cinema setup and just connected via an svideo cable and coaxial digital.

When I move house the pc is going to be further away and I want to move to a slightly better solution to running around the corner to press play or pause !

I might also take the opportunity to replace the mammoth Panasonic 36" CRT with something a little thinner and if I do then I would like to be able to play hi def stuff on the new screen too.

So I've started digging into an area I know very little about and I've been drowning in choice !

The options I've come across are along these lines.

1. Windows Media Centre with a Windows Media Centre Extender.

Downsides - Current pc is XP Pro and fairly old so I'm not sure it's up to an upgrade to Vista/Media Centre. Potentially need to by a new pc and the extender so a very expensive option

Positives - Seems to have an excellent overall interface when using the tv. I want to be able to browse 15000 odd MP3's as I would in Windows Media Player, and not just folder by folder.

2. Stand alone wireless media player.

Downsides - From what I've seen the interfaces look poor and I'll not get what I want on the music side. I don't want to have to find a particular song by navigating through countless folders. I may be doing these a disservice so if there is something out there that can do this then do tell !

I assume this would really need a wired connection to play Hi Def content ?

Positives

Probably the cheapest solution and fairly simple.


3. Playstation 3

Downsides as per number 2.

Positives

Obviously gain a blueray dvd player and a games machine !


4. Laptop

I could simply purchase a laptop and keep it it the lounge connected to the cinema.

Downsides:

Potentially expensive solution
Control through the laptop not the tv.
Not sure how I connect the laptop to the tv. Do they ouput 5.1 DD and hdmi ?

Positives:

Gain a laptop !
Relatively simple solution


So that's where I've got to and I'm no nearer making a decision !

Have I missed any alternatives ?
Anyone else gone through a similar process ?

Any advice greatly appreciated !
niall campbell
21-04-2008
PS 3 and x-box will do the same job however ps 3 got blu ray... however blu ray players look as if they are coming down in price


get a NAS external hard drive and hook up ps 3/ x box to that

then either use wireless or wired connections

with the NAS external hard drive you dont need the computer switched on

read this

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=779463
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