Techie Thread. Streaming Media

[AlexfromLA]

Okay so I need some advice from some fellow techies.

While i'm in Argentina I watch alot of streaming media from the States. I have DirectTV but it doesn't get all the US programming here and movies usually take an extra 2-3 weeks to show up in theaters also. So I have a megavideo and megaupload account where I can stream tv shows and download new movie warez.

Anyway, I used to use my PS3 to get all of this done, but a couple months ago with Sony's two latest firmware updates they eliminated the Other OS feature effectively erasing my Ubuntu and with the 3.4 firmware update they came out with about 4 weeks ago they eliminated support for most streaming websites like Megavideo youtube zshare etc.

So now i'm in the process of setting up my HTPC but i'm not too sure which is my best option.

My choices are as follows :

Eee Box

AsRock

Zotac MAG

and the Aspire Revo

I've scoured the interwebs trying to get reviews but I am getting a mixed bag. Does anyone here have any experience setting up an HTPC media center for the specific purpose of watching US media here in Argentina and if so, which option did you choose, how did you make your choice and how where the results ??

Thanks in advance.

 

[davonz]

The biggest problem for these units are the video, i have not used any of the above machines, but netbooks have the same problem.

Do any have HDMI out put, suppost HD video ?

 

[BKK to BA]

if you can explain that in English it would be most helpful

Actually all I want to watch is True Blood tonite,so if anyone knows where its streamed live please advise.

 

[gunt86]

I wrote an answer to your question that would have been very helpful for you as i do a lot of streaming media.....but then i remembered your behavior on other threads in this forum, so i erased my answer.

 

[AlexfromLA]

They actually all have HDMI out and 7.1 audio coax Nvidia Ion and they all run on the Atom n330 so it will play 1080p but it's not the optimal set up for it. But I plan to use both the PS3 for gaming and true 1080p bluray playback. I just need the HTPC for the warez mostly and the 720p streaming from sites like megavideo. So for what i'm using it for it's more than enough.

I think in a year or two they will come out with more capable options and then i'll just upgrade, but for the moment the options im looking at are the best.

I just don't know which one will work best for my needs out of those mentioned.

The biggest problem for these units are the video, i have not used any of the above machines, but netbooks have the same problem.

Do any have HDMI out put, suppost HD video ?

 

[AlexfromLA]

if you can explain that in English it would be most helpful

Actually all I want to watch is True Blood tonite,so if anyone knows where its streamed live please advise.

I'll pm you a link as soon as I find one but you can always try the shack.

 

[SaraSara]

Does anyone know how to watch PBS? I miss Masterpiece Theatre and Nova.

Please, plain English and whole words only - I'm a certified cybermoron and all that technical lingo is like Sansrit to me.

 

[BKK to BA]

I'll pm you a link as soon as I find one but you can always try the shack.

Shack...??? Sorry mate idk what that is.

 

[pauper]

I just recycled a dead windows desktop that we were about to try to sell or throw away. Its a pretty ugly looking thing behind the tv but for the moment functionality is the priority. It runs Freevo media centre software on Ubuntu which accesses local media from a hard drive on the LAN in our office, the only drawback is it has a crappy old hard drive thats noisy but I'm looking at installing everything on a CF card and using a CF to IDE adapter so there will be no noise. We play local music and movies, stream radio and video and have incorporated a web browser, and a few retro game emulators and its all controlled by a wii remote - if you can get hold of an infrared light source this makes a very useful mouse.

I guess the advantage of a standard desktop PC is that its much more flexible in terms of upgrades over time but I guess the netbooks would work out cheaper initially unless you can source some cheap hardware thats no longer cutting edge but still up to the job.

Freevo can be a headache to configure but its really flexible - and it runs well on low spec machines, there are sexier alternatives out there like Boxee, Enna and Linux MCE.

 

[AlexfromLA]

Shack...??? Sorry mate idk what that is.

I pm'd you the link