Pc in place of standalone dvd player?

Consumer Electronics
#1

I’m just wondering if anyone has tried this (probably not) or has any thoughts/ideas. I was looking through the various standalone dvd players on videohelp that can play divx/xvid etc. I have been interested in one for a while. Every one of them seems to have problems with some files or even a lot of files, especially the cheap ones.
So here is the idea. Take an old rarely used computer, put it next to the tv, wire a remote control to it, and use it as a standalone dvd/media player.

Here is what I have

The computer is an old pos emachines (a pretty small microatx based unit) with a celeron 900mhz, 256mb sdram, a 20 gig hard drive (I have several others if I wanted biger), a soundblaster 512 or a mad dog that is similar, whichever of my 3 burners or 2 dvd roms I decide to use (the aopen burner is a pos dvd burner anyway).

I figured that thier has got to be some kind of ir remote for a computer out thier. Shortly after starting to search for one, I found a shareware program for pc remote control that would work with several devices, including the remote control and serial ir sensor that came with my avertv tuner/capture card so I already got a remote control that will work if this software is any good. Here is the software.
http://www.pcremotecontrol.com/info.html

Here is the problem. The motherboard has onboard video, I also have two pci videocards but neiter has a video out. One has what looks like a midi port. I’m guessing none of these could be easilly/cheaplly adapted to a tv. The computer only has two pci slots (no agp or I would use one of my agp cards that has rca out). So I guess I need a cheap pci vid card that has a video output.

So does anyone think that this halfbrained stupid idea of mine will work? Any thoughts or sugestions?

#2

Just another thought. How far can you extend a serial cable? An athlon xp2500@3200 with a pelt cooled radion 8500 might do a little beter. My main computers are in the same room as the tv, but I would have to wire the remote sensor to a more idea location as the computers are on the far oppisite side of the room. I hate switching displays as it squishes the screen on my computer and requires reboot, but I already have rca wires ran. If I could get the remote to work well enough, in an automated fashion, that might work?

Opps, just ran into a little problem. I just found the remote, and turns out it goes with my pinacle caputure/tuner card (the aver was specifically listed to work with the shareware I found). I guess I’ll have to try it and see what happens.

#3

Here is a Player you could actually consider “everybody” seems to like it oppodigital it has really good reviews on vcdhelp oppoplayerreviews

#4

Is that avalable in the US? I didn’t find too many people carrying it (plus it was kind of pricey)?

#5

Amazon has it yeah a bit Pricey but for quality as people claim and for what type it is it could be worth it but you could always do ‘furthur’ research.Hope it works for you. :slight_smile:

#6

i have one with a 38" monitor
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showpost.php?p=1097689&postcount=323
the video card is an ati all-in-wonder and works awesome.
the components:
http://s90263375.onlinehome.us/gallery/album14
the remote is pic 13 of 15

some tv tuner cards (happage or however it is spelled) will also do tv with your current video card and the more expensive ones will have the remote included:

http://registration.hauppauge.com/webstore/hardware1.asp#wintv401
14.95 for the remote and your choice of video board depending on what features you want:

The new Haupauge remote can be used with the WinTV-PVR-250, 350 and USB2, plus any WinTV PCI board which comes with remote control support. The PVR functions for both HardPVR and SoftPVR are conveniently placed in the middle of the remote.
the card i got for my GF daughter was 17.99 including shipping and i would be money that the $15 remote would work for it

#7

even better $29.99 w/* FREE Shipping for the card and remote:
http://www.surpluscomputers.net/store/main.aspx?p=ItemDetail&item=CRD10158
although i am not familiar with this brand

Newegg has it for $33 and change
their website here
geekshas it for 24.99 but i would bet there will be shipping. butthere is a yr 1warranty where everyone else is 90 days

#8

I already have two tv tuner/capture cards, a aver tv stereo and a pinnacle. The pinacle has a little cheasy remote (basic function only) but I’m not sure it works. The remote seems to work but I think the ir sensor might be dead. It didn’t work with that shareware program that could make it programable anyway. I need to find wher I put the software for the pinacle and try the remote with the actual card.
That setup is defantally what I was envisioning. I wouldn’t mind spending a little money If I knew I would be happy with it. How do you deal with media like dvd’s, avi’s burned to dvd etc. with reguards to the remote. Can your remote handle playing media frm disks?

#9

the ati software plays everything except dvds. you can use the remote to play anything but doubleclicking with the remote is a pita so the mouse probably gets more work than the tv remote.