Is there a Ubuntu or Linux HTPC distro?

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guitarguy6

[H]ard|Gawd
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Oct 29, 2007
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I'm looking to setup another media center on the 42" HDTV I have in the bedroom. Is there a linux distro that would just boot up into an interface that shows all my movies and that's it?

The PC will have an AMD 4200+ dual core, 2GB ram on an Asus M4A785T-M/CSM and I'd like to use the hdmi out on the mo-bo for video and audio.

Thanks
 
Not a distro on it's own, but you could try Ubuntu with XBMC. Easy enough to install. I even set it up so XBMC starts up automatically. I love the fact that I can turn it on in like 10 seconds (the part that takes long is POST as it keeps trying all the different resolutions for the TV) and turn it off in like 3 seconds. I got a remote for it too which I had to fight with a bit but was not too bad, all info I found through google searching and it was not that deep.

for reference, this is the remote I got: http://www.rosewill.com/products/1508/productDetail.htm
 
guitarguy6 said:
I'm looking to setup another media center on the 42" HDTV I have in the bedroom. Is there a linux distro that would just boot up into an interface that shows all my movies and that's it?

The PC will have an AMD 4200+ dual core, 2GB ram on an Asus M4A785T-M/CSM and I'd like to use the hdmi out on the mo-bo for video and audio.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Why not strip Windows XP down with Nlite? You can strip it down to 300mb with only the essential services that you need with drivers.
 
7andabit said:
Why not strip Windows XP down with Nlite? You can strip it down to 300mb with only the essential services that you need with drivers.
Click to expand...

Because XP sucks compared to the media capabilities of Win7.
 
CrimandEvil said:
Because XP sucks compared to the media capabilities of Win7.
Click to expand...

I think your confused answer me this

Q:How can I play DVDs in Windows Media Player?

Then Windows 7 comes bundled with decoders for several video formats, including H.264 and Xvid. These decoders from Microsoft are used by default by most DirectShow application, including Windows Media Player and Media Center.

XP ---->Klite Codec PAck

Some videos play very pixelated on Windows 7
A workaround is to change the preferred H.264 from Microsoft to ffdshow. You can do that with the Win7DSFilterTweaker tool. You may also need to disable Media Foundation. = Klite Codec Pack

Which players are capable of using DXVA?
It depends on the video decoder if it is capable of using DXVA. At this moment only few of such decoders exist.
Media Player Classic Home Cinema contains internal DXVA decoders for H.264 and VC-1 video. =Klite Codec Pack

Most players use DirectShow for playback. DirectShow is a system that uses multiple DirectShow filters as building blocks to construct what is called a DirectShow graph. A file is a root of this graph and the audio and video renderers are the leaves of the graph. During playback data flows from the root to the leaves. Each filter in the graph performs a subtask of the whole process. Typical elements in the graph are a source filter, also called a splitter, and decoders for the audio and video. A source filter is responsible for reading the file format and feeding the data to the other filters downstream in the graph. During graph creation, if DirectShow finds multiple filters that are able to perform the same subtask, then it will typically select the filter that has the highest merit. The merit of a filter is simply a numerical value that indicates the preferability of the filter. Tools exist to alter the merit of a DS filter. Advanced players are often able to manipulate which filters are used in the graph, allowing for example to block or prefer certain filters. If no suitable DirectShow filter can be found to decode a certain audio/video format, then DirectShow is able to fall back to using VFW and ACM codecs (see below) through special wrapper filters.

XP can still use the features that sound devices provide. Windows 7 dont. MS has stopped the audio with DX. Everything is being done via software with emulation.
Dx 10 wasnt great it was a developers release bringing aero to us. Well the Dx 10 for XP works.
I dont see where the media capabilities of XP is lacking in fact its got more features and not a half abonden sound API like 7.
They both use Direct Show Codecs. Unless you can explain to me otherwise
 
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