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View Poll Results: Can linux compete with Windows Media Edition?
Yes 5 38.46%
No 2 15.38%
It already does 6 46.15%
In the near future 0 0%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 13. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 02-21-2004, 04:44 PM   #1
Vincent_Vega
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Can/Will linux compete with the Media Center Edition PCs?


I just bought a loaded out Sony Vaio and it's incredible! Unfortunately it makes me think that linux is going to quickly lose ground as a viable home computing OS.
What are the other opinions about this? I would love to use linux only but for what I can do now with Windows Media Edition (watch TV, record TV, burn DVDs from TV, view on line TV guides, etc...) it just doesn't seem realistic. I'm curious to hear everyone else's thoughts.
 
Old 02-21-2004, 05:53 PM   #2
trickykid
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Moved: More suitable in our General forum, not Linux - General. Regards.
 
Old 02-21-2004, 07:47 PM   #3
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Its a neat idea, but there is aready a Linux project or two that have done that. I think it depends on what you wanna do with it and whether you want to stop spending money. I have found that Windows Media pc is a great way for the consumer to do what s/he does best. Remember that the whole media pc thing has one flaw: you have no tv or computer. If you have each seperately, you at least have one if the other breaks. Perhaps the best media PC is the one that doesn't exist.
 
Old 02-21-2004, 07:51 PM   #4
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Media PC is nice, and all platforms either do or will do that. But sometimes I wonder about all this, media and games on PC. Isn't that what stereos and game decks and TVs are for?
 
Old 02-21-2004, 07:55 PM   #5
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A swiss-army knife can cut. It can be used as a fork. You can pick your teeth with it. You can cut your nails with it. You can saw down a tree, after a fashion. It can do a lot of things acceptably, but not as well as the individual tools can. I agree with you.
 
Old 02-21-2004, 10:22 PM   #6
twilli227
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quote:
What are the other opinions about this? I would love to use linux only but for what I can do now with Windows Media Edition (watch TV, record TV, burn DVDs from TV, view on line TV guides, etc...) it just doesn't seem realistic.

I just got the book "Linux Toys" and one of the projects is "Building a Television Recorder/Player". Haven't tried it yet, but it sounds like you can do that:
Watch TV on your computer
Display television listings
Select shows you want to record
Store and organize recorded shows
Play back the shows when you are ready
 
Old 02-21-2004, 11:51 PM   #7
jtshaw
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I personally don't like watching TV on my PC because my PC is on my desk, not in my cabinet with my 16:9 HDTV in front of the comfortable couch. However, a TIVO DVD-recorder does fit nicely into my cabinet, has a good remote, and integrates better with the TV service. And might I add... it runs linux.
 
Old 02-22-2004, 07:14 AM   #8
vectordrake
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Heh heh. That was link # 2.
 
Old 02-22-2004, 11:24 AM   #9
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I have a 50" Panasonic HDTV that has a connection for a PC to make the tv my monitor. I can plug this computer straight to my tv, use the wireless keyboard and mouse and do everything on my tv from the comfort of my couch! That's a feature worth considering when buying a new tv.
I'll read up on that "Building a Television Recorder/Player" project. I've seen that book already in the store. That would be nice to figure out how to make that work.
 
Old 02-22-2004, 12:04 PM   #10
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Mythtv looks like a cool project that will turn your box into a media pc. I haven't tried it, but it looks really well done.
 
Old 02-22-2004, 12:17 PM   #11
Vincent_Vega
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The only problem with the TiVo DVD recorder is the price. I looked into them and the best I could find was around $800. Not too bad but there's also a monthly fee plus an activation fee (or a lifetime fee of $200?). Anyway, for that money I think the new PC serves many more purposes and is just as capable as a Tivo, don't you think?
 
Old 02-22-2004, 12:52 PM   #12
witeshark
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Yeah, that's a good point, for recording purposes. BTW Pulp Fiction rocks!
 
Old 02-22-2004, 01:25 PM   #13
Vincent_Vega
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Pulp Fiction does rock!! Never leave your uzi on the counter while indisposed!!
As for the Tivo comparison, this also allows pausing, stopping and rewinding of live tv just like tivo. I'll definitely have to look into some of the similar linux projects out there.
 
Old 02-22-2004, 03:42 PM   #14
vectordrake
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Quote:
Originally posted by busbarn
Mythtv looks like a cool project that will turn your box into a media pc. I haven't tried it, but it looks really well done.
That's actually the project I was trying to think of in the first place. I know that the concept has been around for a coupla years. Just didn't recall what the project was.
 
Old 02-22-2004, 07:41 PM   #15
SciYro
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with linux you can turn you pc into anything you want, (might require oyu amke a few programs or so yourself but still..), while you guys pay like 1000 dollars on some stupid meda center, you can buy a pc, a tv monitor and hard drive and amke one yourself that can do all fo that, or you can take your pc you have and do that (altho it might be slow, those dual processor thingy are expensive but would let you make a hall media center, like dvd buring, and even image manipulation, like amke it black and white in real time?
 
  


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