I need help to narrow down what I need, and get my jumbled thoughts sorted out. I've got an idea what I want and the skill to build and configure stuff which helps. I haven't much real idea what I'm actually looking for or what software to look at.
The house is gigabit wired. There's a modern Windows 8 based server that's overpowered and underused; it currently plays video files/DVD/BR/audio (via standard audio/HDMI outputs) in the living room. Right now that's all it does, we've never looked into more. I want to add digital TV/streaming/PVR/HTPC capabilities and probably choose some suitable media/TV/PVR (client/server?) software. The hardware's easy - it's about to get a TBS6281 dual DBV-T/T2 card as soon as I know what else to set up with it.
People in the house mainly watch the standard UK free TV/radio channels. Frankly I don't even have more than a vague idea what's usually watched (I'm not a TV watcher, I'm doing this for the family, hence my problem!). I think at the moment they watch and sometimes record broadcast TV/radio (usual Freeview stuff, BBC + other TV, BBC radio, etc) and saved media (video files, MP3, DVD/CD/BR). I don't think that will change.
The "shopping list" shows my confusion. The kind of features they need include -
I don't have a software preference yet, except to avoid Windows Media Player. Crossplatform (including mobile/tablet) would be nice but isn't essential. Open source would be nice but also not essential. Being actively developed and enduring is pretty important. I've heard of MediaPortal, Argus TV, TVHeadEnd, MythTV, XMBC, VideoLAN, DVBViewer, NextPVR, Media Player Classic, but that's a lot to check out. I also don't know whether I still need the TV card manufacturer's software as well, or if the HTPC software uses the drivers directly and replaces it.
Beyond the list above, I don't really know which features are common or rare, or if they are poorly implemented in some HTPC client/server s/w. I don't really even know what else I ought (probably) to consider looking for.
It's a bit of a "shopping list" right now. I'm lost what to choose, as I don't watch TV much. Please help me onto the right path!
The house is gigabit wired. There's a modern Windows 8 based server that's overpowered and underused; it currently plays video files/DVD/BR/audio (via standard audio/HDMI outputs) in the living room. Right now that's all it does, we've never looked into more. I want to add digital TV/streaming/PVR/HTPC capabilities and probably choose some suitable media/TV/PVR (client/server?) software. The hardware's easy - it's about to get a TBS6281 dual DBV-T/T2 card as soon as I know what else to set up with it.
People in the house mainly watch the standard UK free TV/radio channels. Frankly I don't even have more than a vague idea what's usually watched (I'm not a TV watcher, I'm doing this for the family, hence my problem!). I think at the moment they watch and sometimes record broadcast TV/radio (usual Freeview stuff, BBC + other TV, BBC radio, etc) and saved media (video files, MP3, DVD/CD/BR). I don't think that will change.
The "shopping list" shows my confusion. The kind of features they need include -
- Use as TV substitute for LAN computers: People at computers round the house would like to use their computers as a TV+digital radio substitute and not be tied to the rooms with TV. This includes watching DVD/saved media/PVR and live TV across the LAN, ideally using a single unified interface.
- Usual TV/video/PVR capabilities: People want whatever is "usual" in TV/video capabilities -- the usual "whats on" and TV guides, watching TV (P-in-P would help), record "live" or set off TV/radio, or record multiple programs or in advance, using the TV card/server.
- Different PCs watching different stuff at same time: Different people often want to watch different programmes or media from others, at the same time.
- Different PCs watching same stuff at same time (sync. viewing): But also, people in different rooms often want to watch the same TV or media, sort of streamed across the LAN "in sync", if possible. (Ie, if playback can be streamed, or clients can view a video, in such a way that multiple clients see the same in sync whether the stream is playing or stopped.) Example situation, some people watching in the living room, others are watching in the kitchen while making a meal, or it's paused in one room, they don't want to miss it or get "out of sync" whenever they walk between the two rooms.
- PVR/recording on the server not on each PC: TV/radio recording ideally centralised and handled by the server. That way, if someone sets a program to record, the recording isn't done on their own PC/laptop (which might be off, out of the house, heavily in use, low battery, inadequate CPU, low disk space or whatever). It'll also mean we can see what's been set to record and manage it all in one place which is easier. I understand a DBV card lets you watch and record multiple programmes on the same demux or channel, will that help us?
- Monitor recording/scheduling from LAN PCs: People will want to monitor PVR from their own PCs, to check what's recording or scheduled, or watch a PVR recording (P-in-P) along with a live programme.
- Advert skipping/scheduling change handling: Ideally some kind of advert skipping option, and also handles or at least notifies us if programme times change for something set to record.
- Bitrate/quality setting: Also ideally, we'd like to be able to set the bitrate/quality "per recording" (for some things, high quality matters more than size, others it doesn't), and perhaps if there's a choice of recording/container format, that would be nice too.
- Subtitles: Some video files have .srt or .sub subtitles, so it needs to be able to handle those.
- Watching 1st half while 2nd half still recording: Ability to begin watching a programme while it's still recording (ie if we come in the door 20 mins after a programme started recording, we can begin watch from the part already recorded, even while the 2nd half is still being broadcast and recorded.
- Media library: Needs to handle a large-ish media library for saved media (and not be sluggish!)
- Software quality/interface stuff: The software needs to be reasonably reliable, stable and good quality, actively developed, hopefully not proprietary rubbish/bloat. It needs a sort of "niceness" or polish to the interface, and good quality playing and recording. I can configure it technically, and any customising needed, but it's got to work smoothly for everyone. It also needs to have an interface that works well in a desktop window as well as full screen, so someone can have it on, or check the TV guide, in the corner of their monitor while browsing or whatever.
- Mobile/web? Some kind of basic web-based interface or Android/iDevice client, to let people set/check recordings or view the TV guide when away from their PC. (If there is a media client for Android/iDevices that works with it, so people can watch moving round the house, that'd be pretty useful.)
- CD/DVD/media and external devices: Ideally handles playing/streaming CD/DVD/BR across the network as easily as it plays/streams live TV or saved media files. I can't rule out DLNA or external USB devices, but we don't have any DLNA audio devices at the moment and USB device handling (eg friends' iStuff) might be standard on all HTPC.
I don't have a software preference yet, except to avoid Windows Media Player. Crossplatform (including mobile/tablet) would be nice but isn't essential. Open source would be nice but also not essential. Being actively developed and enduring is pretty important. I've heard of MediaPortal, Argus TV, TVHeadEnd, MythTV, XMBC, VideoLAN, DVBViewer, NextPVR, Media Player Classic, but that's a lot to check out. I also don't know whether I still need the TV card manufacturer's software as well, or if the HTPC software uses the drivers directly and replaces it.
Beyond the list above, I don't really know which features are common or rare, or if they are poorly implemented in some HTPC client/server s/w. I don't really even know what else I ought (probably) to consider looking for.
It's a bit of a "shopping list" right now. I'm lost what to choose, as I don't watch TV much. Please help me onto the right path!
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