computer/DVD/Internet access through home theater

Posted by Carl Chapman [IP: 153.34.79.107] on May 15, 1999 at 09:37:59
Using Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; MSN 2.6; Windows 95):

In Reply to: computer/DVD/Internet access through home theater posted by Chris Walsh on March 31, 1999 at 20:02:36:

I have installed what you are describing. I bought the PC Cinema from Tiger Direct. At the time it had 32 meg and an AMD 200 chip with 4.3 GB drive. The Video card is the ATI pro rage with TV out. DVD is handled by a REEL Magic hardware decoder.

I have since upgraded the motheboard, processor (Celeron 300 overclocked to 400) and 64 meg ram.

Playback is same as regular DVD players. Scan conversion is a little dissappointing but good enough for big screen surfing on my 61" Proscan (like I am doing now). Some problems with DVD playback are caused by having many programs running in the tray (especially CleanSweep) with audio and motion skipping as if a layer change has occured. With those programs closed everything is OK.

Another drawback is not having "hard" buttons that control everything on the DVD player. If you want to use a universal remote (I have the Pronto) there is only so much you can do because the transport mechanism for DVD is almost all pure software controlled with no equivalent IR codes.

I chose not to build my own unit from parts because I figured that the integration could be very frustrating and not worth the hassle. Tiger Direct no longer sells this model (I don't think) but you can check the link below for info from the original manufacturer.

I am replacing the DVD with a Toshiba 3109 so that I can take advantage of a wider range of IR commands. But I beleive that I will keep the PC in my rack system and use it for surfing and home automation and control.

Its acutally a pretty fun thing to use! You could build your own by buying best of breed decoder and TV out VGA card (ATI Rage Fury comes to mind) and installing IR reciever in the box. But you end up having a computer looking thing in your stereo rack, and having to spend a whole bunch of time on integration. I figured it would be easier to use one that was already built so I could just send it back if didn't work perfectly.

HTH

• Base Technologies - PC Cinema

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