Topic: HTPC Stuff

[gpw11]

So, my roommie and myself made the decision to get rid of cable pretty recently, considering it isn't that cheap and we usually end up downloading shows and watching them off of the PS3/Media server combination anyways.  But the one thing we really will be missing out on is live sports.  Having looked into it a bit, I decided that the best course of option (at least on a trial basis) would be to get some sort of HTPC going and find a way to stream sports, even if the quality isn't great.

Not wanting to spend any money, I'm in the process of conditioning an old notebook for this.  It isn't fast (1.5Ghz Intel Merom...which I believe is a very early Core2Duo mobile chip) and rocks Intel integrated graphics.  I was a bit worried it wouldn't be able to keep up but it seems to be doing fine streaming videos in 720p from sources such as youtube and the like.

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what to actually use as a media center program.  I've been running XBMC, and that seems like the best bet, but am totally open to suggestions.  Also, any plugin suggestions or tips would be badass.

[W7RE]

I don't have much experience with HTPCs myself, but there's a megathread for them on NeoGAF with some decent information. Might specifically want to check out this post near the end, which is from July of 2012 (so still fairly recent). He goes over his whole setup, and even has a video to show it all off.

[gpw11]

Awesome, that's huge - thanks.

[Xessive]

XBMC is far and wide the best option for media management, scraping, and playback. Plus the new version (Frodo v12 currently in RC3 stage) will include PVR options in case you decide to keep your cable/satellite TV.

I'll fill you in with more details when I get the chance (still at the office right now).

UPDATE:
Alrighty, sorry for that extended delay.

Re-purposing an aging system as an HTPC is a fun project, I especially love seeing it perform with a flashy front-end interface. Getting teh hardware up and running is the first challenge. I highly recommend setting a wireless kit (Keyboard with trackpad, KB+mouse, or a remote control), that will definitely make it convenient to sit back and take control. On the software end, as I mentioned, XBMC is the best option all-round. Great interface and support for remote controls (plus in v12 RC3 there is support for gamepads as well).

The next challenge is managing your library. The critical part is making sure all your files are in the right places; basically keep TV shows, movies, and music separate. When you begin adding sources to your XBMC library it will automatically scrape for the info from online databases (defaults: TMDb for movies, TheTVDb for shows, and AllMusic or Last.fm for Music).

Aside from that, adding in some video add-ons will really enhance the experience. I don't know about you, but the Youtube website is usually a pain to deal with especially if I'm just using a keyboard; the YouTube add-on in XBMC makes it more TV-friendly too. The Vimeo and GiantBomb add-ons work fairly well too. I know there are some Sports video add-ons in XBMC but since I don't use them I can't really vouch for any.