2012-02-18, 05:29
Heard about XBMC in September 2011. Downloaded installed and played with it for a few weeks. Read XBMC forums for months after that. Discovered and use Makemkv as the movie file format. Use Media Companion for all the “pretty” stuff (fanart, thumbnails, etc). Heard of Ember media manager, just never played with it. Currently using my Gaming system as the “test computer” after I discovered XBMC and have learned a lot! I am starting with a blank slate and read numerous stories of how media wasn’t scraped/found/etc and opted to have each movie inside separate folders like this.
Ex. Jaws (1975)
Folder.jpg
Jaws.mkv
Jaws.nfo
Jaws.tbn
Jaws-fanart.jpg
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Folder.jpg
Reservoir Dogs.mkv
Reservoir Dogs.nfo
Reservoir Dogs.tbn
Reservoir Dogs -fanart.jpg
I think I am ready to go down the HTPC build arena but feel like there are 17 forks in the road!
The Lian Li "cube" seemed to grab my attention but I am at the beginning phase of planning so all options are on the table.
1) According to Eskro’s Builds I am a #5 (no need for 3D movies and I don’t understand what bit streaming audio is anyway, nor do I care at this moment. Maybe another time for that).
2) Must be windows machine. I believe there is MUCH more flexibility with linux but I am a rookie at linux and if I understand eskro’s builds correctly streaming Netflix is a “windows only” thing so no linux, correct? (remember I am a rookie at linux “tweaking”.
3) Must boot up in equivalent time to turning on Blu-ray/DVD player the “Manual way”. (Ex, opening drive, put in movie, close drive, let it spin up, let menu pop up, then hit “PLAY”. Turned out to be about 30-35 seconds.)
4) Now I am “ASSUMING” that if I were to build any one of eskro’s builds (which are friggin awesome by the way), I can fit only 1 to maybe 3 HDD’s inside the case? I am lost when you need more storage space and need to expand. What do you do then?
5) I am ASSUMING that when storage space expansion is an issue it is time to build a bigger machine (This is why I ask these stupid questions now to save a step and maybe just build a bigger machine now?)
6) So far I have about 300 movies (all Standard Definition) and about 5 TV shows that have almost filled a 2TB drive. I am going through my collection slowly getting them in digital format and have come up to the 2TB limit of the current drive. This is why I am at this point of expanding and looking to you guys for input. Total current space/needs are approx 700 Movies in total and 8 TV shows all greater than 5 seasons. Of those 700 movies about 100 are blu-ray.
7) When I watch movie then go to bed I TURN OFF the TV and Blu-ray player. With a buy off the shelf HTPC or one of eskro’s HTPC builds are they “always on”? I just need a understanding of how much it costs to leave things “always on”. (ex. Are we talking an Extra $5/month vs extra $25/month in electricity depending on the cost of electricity in your area)
I read the forums a lot to try to figure it out myself but after a while it is like youtube…you watch one 30 sec clip then 4 hours later you wonder where you started and forgot how to get back to what you were looking for.
You see why I feel there are 17 forks in the road?
Ex. Jaws (1975)
Folder.jpg
Jaws.mkv
Jaws.nfo
Jaws.tbn
Jaws-fanart.jpg
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Folder.jpg
Reservoir Dogs.mkv
Reservoir Dogs.nfo
Reservoir Dogs.tbn
Reservoir Dogs -fanart.jpg
I think I am ready to go down the HTPC build arena but feel like there are 17 forks in the road!
The Lian Li "cube" seemed to grab my attention but I am at the beginning phase of planning so all options are on the table.
1) According to Eskro’s Builds I am a #5 (no need for 3D movies and I don’t understand what bit streaming audio is anyway, nor do I care at this moment. Maybe another time for that).
2) Must be windows machine. I believe there is MUCH more flexibility with linux but I am a rookie at linux and if I understand eskro’s builds correctly streaming Netflix is a “windows only” thing so no linux, correct? (remember I am a rookie at linux “tweaking”.
3) Must boot up in equivalent time to turning on Blu-ray/DVD player the “Manual way”. (Ex, opening drive, put in movie, close drive, let it spin up, let menu pop up, then hit “PLAY”. Turned out to be about 30-35 seconds.)
4) Now I am “ASSUMING” that if I were to build any one of eskro’s builds (which are friggin awesome by the way), I can fit only 1 to maybe 3 HDD’s inside the case? I am lost when you need more storage space and need to expand. What do you do then?
5) I am ASSUMING that when storage space expansion is an issue it is time to build a bigger machine (This is why I ask these stupid questions now to save a step and maybe just build a bigger machine now?)
6) So far I have about 300 movies (all Standard Definition) and about 5 TV shows that have almost filled a 2TB drive. I am going through my collection slowly getting them in digital format and have come up to the 2TB limit of the current drive. This is why I am at this point of expanding and looking to you guys for input. Total current space/needs are approx 700 Movies in total and 8 TV shows all greater than 5 seasons. Of those 700 movies about 100 are blu-ray.
7) When I watch movie then go to bed I TURN OFF the TV and Blu-ray player. With a buy off the shelf HTPC or one of eskro’s HTPC builds are they “always on”? I just need a understanding of how much it costs to leave things “always on”. (ex. Are we talking an Extra $5/month vs extra $25/month in electricity depending on the cost of electricity in your area)
I read the forums a lot to try to figure it out myself but after a while it is like youtube…you watch one 30 sec clip then 4 hours later you wonder where you started and forgot how to get back to what you were looking for.
You see why I feel there are 17 forks in the road?