[Psyphin-X]

I'm going to be building my first htpc in a couple of weeks here and I was wondering how would igo about adding a second tv? The second tv would be too far away tio add a second hdmi out.

Any suggestions?

Also, would there be anyway to play 2 different videos at the same time without any issues?

[eskro]

well, if you HTPC supports 2 monitors i mean, yeah u can,
but since your TV is far, you'll need a second HTPC.

[argh!]

How far? You can get some pretty loooong video cables.

[Vampirebat]

im not sure how well it works as i dont own one but this hdmi over Cat6 has decent user ratings
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6812797004
this is assuming your HTPCs vid card has dual Hdmi otherwise you might try an hdmi splitter such as
http://www.monoprice.com/products/produc...1&format=2
that doesnt solve your multiple instances of xbmc on one media pc issue tho...i dont think thats possible you would need a second media pc for a different feed to the second monitor.

[Psyphin-X]

What about getting a boxee box for my second tv and use the htpc as a sort of nas drive?

Would I be able to stream different shows at the same time?

I'd rather not have two htpc's with duplicate videos on them.

[eskro]

well, technically, that can work

[Orclas]

Or you do it "properly":

One machine as fileserver, located within network reach, preferably somewhere where it's not heard, which can be allowed to be bulky'ish in order to allow good cooling and flexibility/expandability. Alternatively an off the shelf NAS. Details/performance according to skills, ambition level and budget. This machine is left on 24/7.

2x small, nice looking, power efficient and quiet (+inexpensive'ish) playback HTPCs, both streaming content via XBMCbuntu/XBMC Live/OpenELEC from above fileserver/NAS. These can independently be shut down or suspended when not in actual use. This could be Boxees I guess, but there are other alternatives as well.

Add appropriate functionality for sharing "content watched" etc stuff/tags/properties if desired (never looked into it, but I think the keyword is "SQL").

Eskro's excellent stickies provide good inspiration and idea's on the specifics.

[XMBC_FREAK]

I agree with ORCLAS all the way.

ALSO You do not have to spend a lot to get something you will be happy with. I purchased ahem a few gateway slim pc's ( I have 30 or so left ). They have been great and they play 480 and 720 out of the box with a $40 dollar pc card you could do 1080 easily.

I made a few threads regarding XBMC clients and how cheap you can put a system together. I personally have a very large file server with over 1200 movies, 52 Tv SHows, Over 500 cartoons and episodes plus it runs home automation gear and security cameras. That is what make it worth having a file server since I can access any of the media or streams from each XBMC Client.

I am currently ( Installing at my Parents Home Hopefully finished this weekend ) setting up two XBMC clients and a server for under $400 including 4 tb of storage. IMHO I believe in setting up a server that runs 24/7. I don't know how many people will do this but it allows me to ftp to and from the server, copy to and from locally, run certain apps remotely and I do not have to worry about the client being on or off. Another reason to run a server is for SQL shared DB. This feature makes it so easy to stop a movie in say the living room and start it up where you left off on another XBMC Client lets say a bedroom system or lounge.

Hope this info helps you toward you goal. GOODLUCK and don't forget to post your setup after your done.

[Orclas]

That is what make it worth having a file server since I can access any of the media or streams from any network computer.

Fixed

You bought "a few" Gateways and have "30 or so left"? Haha, do you buy your gear by the pallet?? :confused2:

[Psyphin-X]

I have about a $700 budget. Is there any way to set upa file server with two htpc's that can play 1080p for that?

[Orclas]

All of it and half decent for $700 might be tough, particularly since HDD prices are still quite high.

Assuming you already have some sort of PC (not laptop), my suggestion would be to focus on getting two HTPCs suitable for your needs and use the PC as file share. Either you have the space already, or you just expand the machine with a large'ish HDD and share it on the network. A variation on that theme is to follow my example and reuse an old scrap computer (in my case a Dell P4 consumer PC) and fit it with a number of drives and a software of your choice and based on your needs (FreeNAS, unRAID, Linux with shared folders etc).

Then do some research and figure out what you prioritize from a playback machine (looks, size, noise etc), as well as decide about build-from-scratch or barebone. One good path could be to buy two barebones and run OpenELEC on them (XBMC on top of a custom built Linux), which makes for good performance on simple hardware and also saves you some money since it's built to run off a /quality/ USB stick.

Anything from Atom D510+ION2 can stream full 1080 (at least on XBMC Live or OpenELEC), so it's not like you need fancy hardware. I know this since my own HTPC has exactly that configuration.

For inspiration about hardware choices, see this thread (DIY components). As for barebones, I know that Zotacs are popular and I myself am very content with my Shuttle XS35GT (particularly since it's fanless and thus completely silent with an SSD).

[XMBC_FREAK]

Orclas "You bought "a few" Gateways and have "30 or so left"? Haha, do you buy your gear by the pallet?? "


YES SIR! I got a great deal on a pallet full!

I am actually going to look into another auction coming up soon for slim pc's and see if there is anything XBMC worthy. Most of the ones I have left are 3.0-3.2 HT GHz DVD 160gb Sata. I have tested OpenElec,XBMC Linux,XBMC Live, and Windows Versions all worked great so far. I have a lab in my home anyway as I dedicated a room just for electronic lab, smd rework station and a few lil toys for Repair work.

Its keeps my Brain busy while the soon to be Wife is out.

[Psyphin-X]

I was looking at a build someone built and i'm looking at going that route, http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=104372

A file server and htpc in one using the hp n36l. And then the shuttle Xs35gt as my htpc on my second tv.

I think I could do it for around $800-$900. A little over my budget but not too bad.

[Orclas]

Could also work. Then if you feel the HP is too noisy or bulky later on, you can always keep it as file server and add another HTPC.

[Psyphin-X]

Ok, a little off topic from my original post but...

I've been looking at openELEC for my htpc but, if I do would I still be able to browse the internet with it on my tv?
Or Play any sort of games?

It seems like it's more for just a dedicated media center using xbmc, and nothing more.