[Tfug] STB's et al.

[Bexley Hall]

Hi, Paul,

--- On Thu, 6/4/09, Paul Lemmons <paul at lemmons.name> wrote:

>>> I bought a "Popcorn Hour" and put a 1TB HDD in it and I love it.
>>> Does HD Video, Music, pictures and more.  It can also serve up
>>> media shared via CIFS or NFS. I give it 5 stars.
>   
>> But, your description sounds as if it is a "single point" solution?
>> I.e., I would like to put all of the "software" (using that term
>> to refer to "content") on a server hiding somewhere and let
>> N "clients" connect to that server.  So, these would be *thin*
>> clients -- no rotating media needed (since they would only
>> need to buffer enough to account for variations in network
>> latency) It sounds like what you are describing is a TiVo on
>> steroids?

> Do look it up. It really does sound like what you are describing. If I
> understood the original request, you want to be able to watch you
> digital media on a real TV and listen to the same on your Stereo
> system. That sounds like one TV and one Stereo with the ability to be
> the means by which you enjoy your digital media. I guess I am not

Yes.

> seeing how a TV can be a "Thin Client". So, I am assuming the Popcorn
> Hour (PCH) would be the client.

Yes (though I suspect we'll be seeing TVs with this functionality
built in).
 
> The PCH is not in the same class as a Tivo. It is a media server.
> Without a hard disk (which is totally optional) it would be
> configured to find its media on the network hosted by a computer or
> computers. The computer(s) can be sharing via CIFS or NFS. The PCH 
> would be connected to the Network, your TV and your Stereo. When the
> PCH, TV and Stereo are on and the TV and Stereo are set to the right
> input, the remote control allows you to select the digital media to 
> play and plays it.

OK.  Though it still sounds like you end up (in this config)
exposing the NFS shared filel system directly to the user
(i.e., he "browses" a list of files/folders viewed on the
TV acting as the "monitor").  That's acceptable.

> If you have multiple TV's you would have multiple PCH's. So, if the PCH
> is the client you get your "N" this clients that way. 

Exactly.  I guess it's just a bit *more* than I was looking for
(in that it has the ability to store "software" internally -- if
so equipped)

> ** You may want to get a pencil and try to draw this for it
> to make sense**
>
> In my setup, I have: 
> 
> - A Linux box. 
>    - It has two external HDD's on it. 
>       - One is formatted ext4 
>       - The other NTFS (Not used at this time) 
>    - I also have a Windows XP session running as a VM with a 
>      bridged network. 
> - The PCH is an A110 (it has a very small form factor)
>    - With a 1TB HDD in it. 
> -Both are on a 100MB network
> 
> - I store TV shows on the PCH HDD
>    - Accessed via NFS or CIFS
> - I store Movies on the ext4 external HDD
> - I have PlayOn install on the Windows VM
> 
> The movies are accessed via an NFS share off of the Linux server
> The TV shows are accessed directly off of the PCH

Ah, OK.

> PlayOn allows me to watch NetFlix and others through the PCH
> (I have used it to stream data off of a Windows share with equal success)
> 
> When I turn on my TV I set it to the correct video input
> I then turn on the Stereo for sound (Cuz it is better than
>    the TV sound)
> Then I turn on the PCH
> (My Logitech Universal remote makes this easy: One Button)
> 
> The screen on the TV shows a menu that allows me to select
> the source of my media and the media itself. There are no spinning
> cubes. No keyboard. No operating system you have to concern yourself
> with. No mus, No fus. Even my wife can use it :)

<grin>
 
Yes, this sounds like an excellent place to start.  Thanks!
--don