Alx9r's Sample Setup
Alx9r's Sample Setup |
In May 2008, I began building a LinuxMCE test system. I wanted to see if I could replicate at least part of what I saw in the Video. The test system system would hopefully become my main working home theatre system.
AV gear-wise, I started with a completely clean slate here as I had nothing: No TV, no speakers, no receiver, no remotes -- a blank canvas.
My criteria for the design of this system is as follows:
- Wherever possible use known-compatible and mainstream components.
- Wherever possible follow recommendations from forums, reviews, Video and wiki.
- Use components in the price/performance sweet spot.
- Aesthetics should be living-room friendly.
- Keep it simple, but still test the broad capabilities of LinuxMCE.
I intended to document the design and results from this system as completely as I can. That way, it would hopefully serve as a reference for others to replicate or at least learn from.
Probably the best overview of the stages I went through to set the system up is by using the Navbox at the bottom. It is shown more-or-less in chronological order.
Alx9r's Sample Setup | |
---|---|
Materials | Network Gear · Hybrid Core (living room) · AV Gear (living room) · Orbiters · Glue |
Preparation | Router Setup · Aquos TV Power-on |
Hybrid Core pre-LinuxMCE Setup | Assembly · BIOS Tweaks · Hardware Testing · NAS Media Drive Setup |
Hybrid Core LinuxMCE Installation | Bare-metal Install · AV Wizard · Sarah (Setup Wizard) · Special Steps · PVR-150 Remote · Aquos TV · Denon Receiver · Media Drive Setup · Laptop Orbiter · Webpad Orbiter |
Hybrid Core Additional Software | Bittorrent · Synergy |
Toolkit | Laptop · telnet/ssh client · Remote Mouse and Keyboard · Partition Tools |
Design Rationale | Network Topology · NAS |