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What do you think!
#330709 - 08/27/14 06:11 AM
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Thinking of putting together an HTPC rig, media + Steam gaming on very big screen [LED projector with built-in Smart TV]. Question is choice of OS... Should I go Windows 8.1? I have no experience with 8.1, at all.
I can use Seven, or I can obviate the whole HTPC and punch a hole through the wall and run HDMI from my existing Win 7 box. Kind of like the idea of having a dedicated box though, especially since I rent and holes in the wall may be frowned upon. Plus, it's an excuse to build a new computer.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330711 - 08/27/14 06:37 AM
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: Vas Crabb]
#330712 - 08/27/14 06:39 AM
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> Orc is a bast.
There is a reason that this option was excluded from the poll.
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| Sune |
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> What would you do?
> Windows 8.1
> Windows 7
> Punch hole in wall
> What?
[ATTACHED IMAGE - CLICK FOR FULL SIZE]
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330725 - 08/27/14 10:22 AM
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I've not had much luck with any Windows and streaming media. I added media center to my Win8 machine and it doesn't stream everything I want (I want to be lazy and stream from a VIDEO_TS directory copied straight from a DVD (I have anydvd).
On the server side of the house, people seem to like Linux more, but that's not one of your options. Perhaps you should take a poll of streaming software instead of OS?
XBMC is one that comes to mind. Both Linux and Win IIRC...
even streaming is best with a hole punched in the wall... run a CAT 5E or 6 cable instead of wireless for the best results with the least issues.
Then again, if you really just want to build an HTPC and aren't worried about streaming, just put the new system in your entertainment center and connect directly to the TV. You can FTP from your main rig or whatever and not have to worry about streaming. You can also put in a cable card and work it like a TiVO.
Your options are many, but your poll is flaccid...
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330743 - 08/27/14 05:54 PM
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> Your options are many, but your poll is flaccid...
I think that's why he didn't put "Orc is a bast" in the poll. With only one reference to him it's more than enough ^_^
I sometimes wonder where he is. I still have the DVD he sent me with two music clips of his band. HOW THE HELL HE DARES TO TRY TO LIVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE BIN.
Ah well, back to the thread... I use Serviio (the free version) with Win7 and I'm pretty happy. It has lots of options for streaming but I don't really know much about them as I don't use them. I connect the PC to my bluray player via ethernet, with ZERO issues. I used wifi before but it was a bit more slow when loading new vids.
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Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey / Oh, since I set my eyes on you. / I tell you the truth.
I can't get it right / Get it right / Since I met you...
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330751 - 08/27/14 07:15 PM
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8.1 without a touchscreen just pretends to be 7, and sucks at it.
Agree with other comments to go "wired", rather than "wireless". -JW
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330765 - 08/27/14 09:17 PM
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I simply connected a laptop with HDMI to a plasma, and stream everything WiFi (or torrent it and watch it). I guess you could do the same with a desk top and get a WiFi adapter, yeah?
Also, doesn't your smartTV have its own wireless transceiver and in-built navUI for connecting to your network?
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Scifi frauds. SF illuminates.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: Pi]
#330774 - 08/28/14 02:14 AM
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I'd love to read more about serviio, but every link on the FAQ page leads to a 404...
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330781 - 08/28/14 03:38 AM
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> I'd love to read more about serviio, but every link on the FAQ page leads to a 404...
I appreciate all the info you folks have given me, especially URherenow. I did intentionally keep the poll choices limited because I was really interested in the OS question more than anything, and we all know already that Orc is indeed a bast (bonus point to Vas).
Everywhere I've looked, I've seen really mixed commentary on 8.1 for htpc use. The Metro interface looked like it might have been a good thing for a big screen, but the more I read, the more I find that there are media and remote control limitations in 8.1/Metro that are not present in Seven. Since I already know exactly what is needed for Seven, I think I'll be going that way.
I have been using Plex and Nero media servers for native streaming to the projector (MCE is also supported, but I don't really use it), and a mirroring arrangement for desktop access. This has worked well, but gaming was out of the question due to latency, since the mirroring function is via wireless. A dedicated htpc box will solve the latency problem and allow me to ditch mirroring. I'll be looking into XBMC too.
Thanks fellas.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330784 - 08/28/14 03:50 AM
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I'd like to say "for the last time", but I know this will go on forever... Do not judge Win8 solely on Metro. Most desktop users never use metro; they use the desktop. With many free applications that bring old views/functionality to the plate (I just stick to classicshell), there is little to no difference between 7 and 8. 8 is a pretty darn solid OS.
I tend to believe that ANYTHING that works in 7 will work just as well on 8. I've yet to see an example that proves otherwise.
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330785 - 08/28/14 03:58 AM
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> I'd like to say "for the last time", but I know this will go on forever... Do not
> judge Win8 solely on Metro. Most desktop users never use metro; they use the desktop.
> With many free applications that bring old views/functionality to the plate (I just
> stick to classicshell), there is little to no difference between 7 and 8. 8 is a
> pretty darn solid OS.
>
> I tend to believe that ANYTHING that works in 7 will work just as well on 8. I've yet
> to see an example that proves otherwise.
Good points and well taken. I'm still leaning 7 on a cost/benefit basis. 7 would save about $70-$80 bucks, and if I end up using classicshell, wouldn't I effectively be in the same place UI-wise?
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330786 - 08/28/14 04:28 AM
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> I'd like to say "for the last time", but I know this will go on forever... Do not
> judge Win8 solely on Metro. Most desktop users never use metro; they use the desktop.
> With many free applications that bring old views/functionality to the plate (I just
> stick to classicshell), there is little to no difference between 7 and 8. 8 is a
> pretty darn solid OS.
You really shouldn't need to depend on a 3rd-party UI hack to make your OS usable. That's not a recommendation in my book.
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+1 thumbs up like favorite retweet etc. (nt)
[Re: Vas Crabb]
#330798 - 08/28/14 07:03 AM
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> You really shouldn't need to depend on a 3rd-party UI hack to make your OS usable.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330807 - 08/28/14 01:07 PM
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> wouldn't I effectively be in
> the same place UI-wise?
Yes, but I'm just assuming that Win 7 will stop getting updates, patches, and fixes before 8 does.
And I was smart and jumped on it back when the upgrade from 7 was $15 
Of course that was for my laptop. I knew I was close to building a new desktop (which I have done) so I grabbed a system builder's copy for like $95. Still the cheapest I can ever remember paying for a new MS OS
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: Vas Crabb]
#330808 - 08/28/14 01:09 PM
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It's not required. Never was. It's just that people get used to a certain interface and don't want to change it. I was using classicshell on Windows 7 as well. I like the XP start menu much better.
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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| R. Belmont |
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: JWJr]
#330813 - 08/28/14 10:01 PM
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> 8.1 without a touchscreen just pretends to be 7, and sucks at it.
Actually, for gaming/emulation, it's superior to 7. Boots faster, with more free RAM, and less CPU being sucked up by background processes. Hate on Metro all you like, the actual kernel, Win32, and DirectX stacks *are* improved in 8.1.
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| R. Belmont |
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Cuckoo for IGAvania
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330814 - 08/28/14 10:06 PM
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> > wouldn't I effectively be in
> > the same place UI-wise?
>
> Yes, but I'm just assuming that Win 7 will stop getting updates, patches, and fixes
> before 8 does.
Your instinct is not wrong. DirectX 12 will *not* be coming to 7, for instance; MS *really* wants gamers to run the upcoming Win 9. Expect cheap upgrades once again when 9 launches to help that happen.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330822 - 08/28/14 10:57 PM
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> It's not required. Never was. It's just that people get used to a certain interface and don't want to change it. I was using classicshell on Windows 7 as well. I like the XP start menu much better.
I liked the whole regular blue and all set-up....but I, amazingly, have gotten over it. Now I'm sporting purple on my main rig, and deep blue on my theatre rig, and - while I especially loved the rounded task bar buttons of XP - am now able to differentiate the task bar buttons despite the corner shading stuff.
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Scifi frauds. SF illuminates.
_________________
Culture General Contact Unit (Eccentric)
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Heh heh....he said plate.......
[Re: URherenow]
#330823 - 08/28/14 10:58 PM
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> With many free applications that bring old views/functionality to the plate.....
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: R. Belmont]
#330830 - 08/29/14 03:08 AM
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> > Yes, but I'm just assuming that Win 7 will stop getting updates, patches, and fixes
> > before 8 does.
>
> Your instinct is not wrong. DirectX 12 will *not* be coming to 7, for instance; MS
> *really* wants gamers to run the upcoming Win 9. Expect cheap upgrades once again
> when 9 launches to help that happen.
I'll update to 9 when there's official vendor support for the stuff I need for serious work, but I think 8 is safe enough to skip for me.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: R. Belmont]
#330831 - 08/29/14 03:11 AM
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> > 8.1 without a touchscreen just pretends to be 7, and sucks at it.
>
> Actually, for gaming/emulation, it's superior to 7. Boots faster, with more free RAM,
> and less CPU being sucked up by background processes. Hate on Metro all you like, the
> actual kernel, Win32, and DirectX stacks *are* improved in 8.1.
And that's what pisses me off about new Windows and OSX as well. There's no denying there are big improvements under the hood. But the shell UI in Windows and the Apple-supplied applications in OSX are now bad enough to turn me off the OS entirely.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: Traso]
#330855 - 08/29/14 11:01 AM
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You've been able to change backgrounds and windows colors for like 20 years or more... I'm talking about the layout of the menus.
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: Vas Crabb]
#330856 - 08/29/14 11:04 AM
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if they do it like win 8, you want to jump on it as soon as it comes out. Even if you want to wait to install it. You just can't beat a $15 MS upgrade without turning entirely to Linux, which is still lacking in support for many games and programs I like using (more than half the games on GoG and STEAM, for instance)
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: jeremymtc]
#330859 - 08/29/14 03:52 PM
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I picked 8.1 (as I picked what I already did). As when I got it it was 30 dollars cheaper than 7.
If you are thinking of using steam in any way it is a good choice. If you are not sure if you will be using steam openelec is a MUCH better choice and you can always buy it later. http://openelec.tv/
Remember this is an HTPC so you should not see the GUI which is windows 8's biggest shortcoming. I set it to auto login so I see the login swipe screen -> desktop -> xbmc. I could get more fancy and just cut the GUI out all together and have it go straight to xbmc. But it is a windows box and I do need to use the GUI to install drivers and patches. I may have to touch the GUI about every other month.
The biggest factor in picking an OS for HTPC rig is time to watching a movie (another reason I picked 8 over 7 as the os IS faster). For me I have 2 spots that are 'slow'. First up is the power on cycle that I described above. That is about 30-60 seconds. Which is actually way too long. I am considering moving xbmc/kodi start out of the 'startup' folder and into something that hooks into the GUI login. Just has not been that big of a deal to deal with as I usually use hibernate. A linux distro like openelec would be on the order of 15-20. My next biggest 'wait' is spin up time on the NAS. The drives take about 2 mins to fully spin up and serve up data.
I picked an intel nuc. Bit pricy but dead easy to setup and is fairly capable at playing most mame stuff. It also had a built in IR which worked out of the box. I paired it up with an intel 802.11ac chipset. Get 30-50MB per second wireless which handles HD streaming with ease. You can do better on the price if you go DIY or recycle an old box. It already has paid for itself though using nearly 1/10th as much power as the box it replaced.
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Allergic to life
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: R. Belmont]
#330861 - 08/29/14 04:44 PM
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> > 8.1 without a touchscreen just pretends to be 7, and sucks at it.
>
> Actually, for gaming/emulation, it's superior to 7. Boots faster, with more free RAM,
> and less CPU being sucked up by background processes. Hate on Metro all you like, the
> actual kernel, Win32, and DirectX stacks *are* improved in 8.1.
So, my system serves me now only for:
* Browsing Internet.
* Downloading stuff like movies.
* Work (some lightweight programming, and graphic programs like Inkscape and Gimp).
No gaming, no emulation, and I rarely use all my RAM (I only have 8 GiB).
Right now I'm using 7. But, would I be better using 8.1 with Metro disabled?
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Re: What do you think!
[Re: URherenow]
#330883 - 08/29/14 10:54 PM
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> You've been able to change backgrounds and windows colors for like 20 years or more... I'm talking about the layout of the menus.
I was saying I liked the whole of XP (blue) out of the box. The only thing I changed, eventually, was to classic view to get that left side bar out of the way that I never used. Don't use it on 7, either.
And, in particular, on XP I liked the rounded task bar buttons and start menu. Rounded corners, and 'economical shapes' in anime, in the 80s has left an enduring impression on me.
But, after spending my wad in tantrum enough, and because it just wasn't worth it any more, I....changed.
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