Anyone Have Experience With Msi Wind Desktop
02-25-2009, 12:50 PM
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I have been thinking of taking some of my other computer parts and putting them together for a simple file server/ media server. While looking for little components that I would need to get extra I came across the MSI Wind PC Barebone.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16856167032
Its $140 and comes with everything I need except optical drive and memory. Added a 22x SATA DVD burner and 2gb PC2-5300 ram and its looks very enticing at only $205 shipped to my door. I have a 500gb SATA drive that I currently use for additional storage that I would put in it. The MSI Wind PC has8 channel audio and the graphics are capable of outputting HD resolutions. Seems perfect for a media server/center, and since its the size of a book I can place it next to my tv with ease.
So for my question. I know the atom processor has been out for about a year now being used in the asus, acer, msi, dell, hp, etc... netbooks. How do you guys think this will hold up/ handle say playing videos every now and then, working as a simple file/media server and possibly by getting a usb HD tuner card a home DVR?
Like I said I haven't had much experience with the new atom processors, and since they are only really in netbooks they are not being used for the applications I listed. So if anyone has any useful info on these things post it up!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16856167032
Its $140 and comes with everything I need except optical drive and memory. Added a 22x SATA DVD burner and 2gb PC2-5300 ram and its looks very enticing at only $205 shipped to my door. I have a 500gb SATA drive that I currently use for additional storage that I would put in it. The MSI Wind PC has8 channel audio and the graphics are capable of outputting HD resolutions. Seems perfect for a media server/center, and since its the size of a book I can place it next to my tv with ease.
So for my question. I know the atom processor has been out for about a year now being used in the asus, acer, msi, dell, hp, etc... netbooks. How do you guys think this will hold up/ handle say playing videos every now and then, working as a simple file/media server and possibly by getting a usb HD tuner card a home DVR?
Like I said I haven't had much experience with the new atom processors, and since they are only really in netbooks they are not being used for the applications I listed. So if anyone has any useful info on these things post it up!
02-25-2009, 01:26 PM
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do you have vga in on your tv? what os are you going to be running?
I use mythtv for my dvr setup. Actually I use mythdora and like it a lot. How techie are you on a scale of 1 to 10 though? I wouldn't recommend it to any one under.. say a 7. Do you have linux experience?
edit: btw, 1 tuner is quickly going to become insufficient. What happens when you want to watch live tv and a show your wife watches comes on to record?
I use mythtv for my dvr setup. Actually I use mythdora and like it a lot. How techie are you on a scale of 1 to 10 though? I wouldn't recommend it to any one under.. say a 7. Do you have linux experience?
edit: btw, 1 tuner is quickly going to become insufficient. What happens when you want to watch live tv and a show your wife watches comes on to record?
02-25-2009, 04:06 PM
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Well right now I'm single, this is going to be connected in my room so having someone else wanting to watch a different show...tough sh!t.
Linux, yeah I run Ubuntu on my 4th partition (1st = XP Pro, 2nd = Win 7, 3rd = Mac OSx 10.5.2, and 4th = Ubuntu 8.10).
I am still undecided as far as what OS I would run. For what I'm going to be using it for Ubuntu would work fine as its not going to be a machine with games played on it. If I don't run uBuntu its going to be Linux MCE (runs on top of kubuntu) or XP Pro. Never knew about mythdora but its looks pretty good as well.
As far as VGA, yes I have VGA input on my TV.
Most of my reasoning for posting this is to see if people have used the atom processors and know how well they preform. I have a 1.6ghz Pentium M in my 5 year old dell and it runs OK, but I wouldn't run a mini media center on it.
On a techie level I would give my self a 8.5-9.
Also, what tv tuner do you use and do you like it?
Linux, yeah I run Ubuntu on my 4th partition (1st = XP Pro, 2nd = Win 7, 3rd = Mac OSx 10.5.2, and 4th = Ubuntu 8.10).
I am still undecided as far as what OS I would run. For what I'm going to be using it for Ubuntu would work fine as its not going to be a machine with games played on it. If I don't run uBuntu its going to be Linux MCE (runs on top of kubuntu) or XP Pro. Never knew about mythdora but its looks pretty good as well.
As far as VGA, yes I have VGA input on my TV.
Most of my reasoning for posting this is to see if people have used the atom processors and know how well they preform. I have a 1.6ghz Pentium M in my 5 year old dell and it runs OK, but I wouldn't run a mini media center on it.
On a techie level I would give my self a 8.5-9.
Also, what tv tuner do you use and do you like it?
02-25-2009, 04:51 PM
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On my media center/desktop PC I run a dual screen monitor setup. I use one screen for PC and the other for TV. I have a single tuner card, Hauppage WinTV HVR-1600. It's a HDTV tuner. While it's a good card, I'd really consider a dual tuner card for an extra $40. It's annoying to only have 1 tuner and 2 shows on prime time that you'd like to watch or not being able to use Picture In Picture. This would be the card I'd choose http://registration.hauppauge.com/webstore...product=hvr2250
That computer you picked looks like it may be too thin for internal upgrades. You may need to go with a USB soloution. like this http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc...a_hvr950q.html or a set-top box soloution like this http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc...a_hvr1950.html I do not know of any USB type dual tuners though.
I run windowsXP because I had problems the first time I tried to install Vista. If you're running XP, then here's some additonal software and hardware you might want
For my viewing application I threw away the TV Tuner program that came with the actual tuner, in favor of SnapStream Beyond TV. Beyond TV has a great program guide. BeyondTV comes with a free remote control which you can use for controlling the mouse from your couch or simply changing channels and volume. BeyondTV cost $99. They have an excellent forum for technical support as well. Here's the trial program link http://www.snapstream.com/download/beyondtv/
Another good option would be to go with windows media center edition. However, you have to buy a new version of windows and the remote costs $30 extra.
That computer you picked looks like it may be too thin for internal upgrades. You may need to go with a USB soloution. like this http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc...a_hvr950q.html or a set-top box soloution like this http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc...a_hvr1950.html I do not know of any USB type dual tuners though.
I run windowsXP because I had problems the first time I tried to install Vista. If you're running XP, then here's some additonal software and hardware you might want
For my viewing application I threw away the TV Tuner program that came with the actual tuner, in favor of SnapStream Beyond TV. Beyond TV has a great program guide. BeyondTV comes with a free remote control which you can use for controlling the mouse from your couch or simply changing channels and volume. BeyondTV cost $99. They have an excellent forum for technical support as well. Here's the trial program link http://www.snapstream.com/download/beyondtv/
Another good option would be to go with windows media center edition. However, you have to buy a new version of windows and the remote costs $30 extra.
02-25-2009, 05:02 PM
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Honestly i hate the atom for anything but for a streaming media server. Don't get me wrong it's fine in a netbook for reading email or browsing. Here is a good article on it ATOM BUILD. I run mythbuntu on my media server, if i was going to rebuild i would use Media 2005 thou.
02-25-2009, 07:28 PM
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^^are you using myth in a server client setup? Thats when it really shines.
I've got a server in the basement with a terabyte on raid 5 with three hauppauge pvr-150 cards and just a small xpc in my entertainment center.
The server doubles as a file sever, torrent server (torrentflux), etc. Through the built in webpage I can stream tv to any laptop or destop in the house or download an episode to the pc to take with me. I've only used media center a little but they are kinda weird about that. You can also backup episodes to dvd for archiving. I've done that a little but I haven't used it as much as I thought I would. Through this method all the frontend pc has to do is stream video. The atom should be fine for that, I'm not sure how it would handle recording, streaming live and pausing...
Plus it's all legal, I did my setup for pretty cheap without having to buy a few copies of media center edition.
edit: btw, I'm using the streamzap remote, it works really well if you go the mythtv route. (I've heard good things about mythbuntu, just better things about mythdora)
I've got a server in the basement with a terabyte on raid 5 with three hauppauge pvr-150 cards and just a small xpc in my entertainment center.
The server doubles as a file sever, torrent server (torrentflux), etc. Through the built in webpage I can stream tv to any laptop or destop in the house or download an episode to the pc to take with me. I've only used media center a little but they are kinda weird about that. You can also backup episodes to dvd for archiving. I've done that a little but I haven't used it as much as I thought I would. Through this method all the frontend pc has to do is stream video. The atom should be fine for that, I'm not sure how it would handle recording, streaming live and pausing...
Plus it's all legal, I did my setup for pretty cheap without having to buy a few copies of media center edition.
edit: btw, I'm using the streamzap remote, it works really well if you go the mythtv route. (I've heard good things about mythbuntu, just better things about mythdora)
02-25-2009, 07:38 PM
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Currently just the mythbuntu box, I started down the client-server route but gave up. The build i have of mythbuntu is terrible, half of the function in it no longer work, and have the audio files crash the player if used for too long. I have a write up of the install, and configuration somewhere around here.
FYI.
A great route to go for a cheap remote is one from an HP machine with Media center. You can configure it to work in linux, and they are dirt cheap.
FYI.
A great route to go for a cheap remote is one from an HP machine with Media center. You can configure it to work in linux, and they are dirt cheap.
02-25-2009, 07:44 PM
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blacktibby thanks for the link on the atom bulid, got some useful info from there.
Supercow: Thats basically all I was going to use it for. Its just gonna sit there, hold files(probally set up either a ftp or sftp server) and if I want to stream some stuff off of it I would. TV Recording is all I would be using the tuner for, then again I say that now :-P
So all that stuff that your talking about is being done through Mythfedora? Gonna have to look into that OS a little more, seems like it would be what I want.
Space is limited and the fact that I can place it on top of my cable box makes it even more appealing to me.
The thing with remotes for me is I have SOOO many i don't want another. I used to work for Universal Remote Control (http://www.universalremote.com/ and have about 6 of there professional remotes, of which I use 2. So i gotta find a receiver for a remote that in there database and I'll be golden.
Supercow: Thats basically all I was going to use it for. Its just gonna sit there, hold files(probally set up either a ftp or sftp server) and if I want to stream some stuff off of it I would. TV Recording is all I would be using the tuner for, then again I say that now :-P
So all that stuff that your talking about is being done through Mythfedora? Gonna have to look into that OS a little more, seems like it would be what I want.
Space is limited and the fact that I can place it on top of my cable box makes it even more appealing to me.
The thing with remotes for me is I have SOOO many i don't want another. I used to work for Universal Remote Control (http://www.universalremote.com/ and have about 6 of there professional remotes, of which I use 2. So i gotta find a receiver for a remote that in there database and I'll be golden.