Re: Whole House Audio / Video....Am I asking the Earth! Please Read

["Andy Laurence" <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

darren_karp2001 wrote:
> As you probably know by now I'm trying to find a suitable solution
> in providing whole house audio / video streamed from a central PC to
> rooms in the house, selectable and searchable front end on either
> touchscreen or TV with IR remote....

Yup, seems like a few of us are trying to do that.

> So, far I've had a number of replies none of which seem to fit all
> my criteria....am I asking the earth here?

Well, my last sentence should explain that ... a few of us are TRYING to do
that!  My solution revolves around multicasting Freeview from a server to
the clients.  As a TV distribution system, it'll be fine, but as a media
player (DVD, MP3, etc.) it doesn't work.  Herein lies the problem -
integrating a media player with a TV element.  The options I can think of
so
far are (in no particular order):

1. Windows-based, multi-software.
Front end, such as Xlobby or myHTPC on each screen covering the media
aspects.  Shelling out to a player such as VideoLAN or the Nebula software
for TV.  TV is streamed (multicast or unicast) by something like VideoLAN
or
the Nebula software again!

2. Linux-based, MythTV
MythTV does a great job of playing your media collections, and scheduling
recordings of live TV.  However, it's a PITA to setup, and near-on
impossible if you've no experience in Linux.  I have little Linux
experience, so i gave up and opted for option 1 as it's simpler for a
Microsoft-based IT engineer like myself ;-)

Cheers,
Andy
--
http://ha.andylaurence.co.uk
http://projects.andylaurence.co.uk