What OS do you use for your HTPC?

0ptional

0ptional

Don't Trust Your Friends with Your Decanter
Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
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I want to know, considering an HTPC build for myself and am wondering (after checking the stickies and stuff) which OS you guys use and what guides you used to get everything up and running.

Is Linux the HTPC king or has Windows MCE found it's place on your boxen?
 
I switched from MCE 2005 to Vista Ultimate. TV looks better on Vista, but I like the menu set up for videos better in MCE. I don't think one is better then the other.
 
maddude0025 said:
I switched from MCE 2005 to Vista Ultimate. TV looks better on Vista, but I like the menu set up for videos better in MCE. I don't think one is better then the other.
Click to expand...

I totally forgot about vista...

Also; what TV cards are you guys using?
 
I'm using Arch Linux and MythTV. It's not the easiest way to go, but it's much more customizable than just about anything else out there. If you know your way around linux, it's the best solution available. If you're not quite so savvy, I'd say go with MCE.
 
Well I've been doodling in Ubuntu lately, picked up Kubuntu to give KDE a try and decided I like Gnome better so what options are there for Ubuntu?

MythTV is where it's at for Linux options eh? then of course there are the windows alternatives.
 
Currently running XP MCE 05, using two Theater 550 Pro PCI's. I like it a lot, as its very easy to use, the 10FT GUI is nice and simple, and was easy to set up. I've played around a little with the Media Center on my Desktop (Vista Ultimate x64), and like it so much that I've already ordered the parts for my next HTPC, which will run Vista Home Premium x64.

Even with how much I enjoy my Microsoft based system, which I use for TV, DVDs, x264 content, emulators, checking the weather, etc., I know that I will always long for a client/server system, with several tuners and massive storage in one box and several clients around the house, which is very possible (dare I say easy?) to do in Linux.
 
Linux and MythTV for me -- someone described me once (in WoW) as a "tight arse". I'll probably never change to Windows MCE of any flavour -- I don't like the idea of trying to make everything work in Windows (as opposed to letting it do what some American corporate programmer thought it should do), and I've heard that MCE only supports one DVB-S card at a time. I have two.
 
Using XP MCE in my current 'old school' HTPC. It does standard def content perfect. (see signature for details)

My next HTPC is going to be built pretty soon. It will be for 720p/1080i/1080p content only. I'll stick a Blu-ray and HD-DVD drive in it, and maybe a HD OTA tuner. Going with Vista Home Premium since Vista plays HD content much better than XP in my opinion. I already got my copy of Vista Home Premium and the black Vista MCE remote from CompUSSR for $5. :D Next comes the Antec NSK2400 case.

Here's the general specs of what it will be..

Antec NSK2400
Corsair HX520 watt
MicroATX AMD board
65nm Brisbane
8600GTS silent pipe III
Sound card that will output optical DTS
Blu-ray/HDDVD combo drive
VL System MCE VFD Screen
Vista Home Premium
All silent fans. ^_^
 
Ubuntu 7.10 [Gutsy gibbon, pre-alpha] and Elisa [alpha/beta] here. No DVR functionality yet, though. If I do pick up a tuner, I'll probably switch to Myth for a while.
 
I'll take a pic of it.. one sec. It comes OEM.. I don't think its supposed to be for sale individually.
 
Here it is.. now that I look at it, it's supposed to come with a Gateway machine with Vista Home Premium.. lol.
IMG_2440.jpg
 
w1retap said:
Here it is.. now that I look at it, it's supposed to come with a Gateway machine with Vista Home Premium.. lol.
Click to expand...

Very cool. Although it doesn't look like its functionally different than my MCE 05 remote, which came with my Theater 550 Pro.
 
Yea, its the same remote. I have the 05 MCE remote as well. This 'vista' colored remote even works with the 05 XP MCE. My friend was lucky and scored the HP one for $5 at CompUSA as well.. the HP remote has a little more functionality. It looks similar to this..
m7580n_hp_remote.jpg
 
If you run mythtv, you'll have no need for any of the glitzy window managers. It runs fullscreen. I use fluxbox.
 
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