XBMC/Apple TV for ripped DVDs

Looks slick! Over the weekend I saw 2TB drives for $159! I can't believe how cheap the storage medium has gotten recently.

Doug
 
tdappleman said:
That Archos tablet looks like a cool little gadget. One thing they left off is being able to use it as a remote control. Be a nice way to control all of the devices. That level of control is one thing which has kept me away from doing this - It has to be simple enough for the family to control and use or they'll just ignore it. The Harmony remotes have made it possible for mainstream devices - but I haven't tried to control a media PC with one yet.
Click to expand...

Long time since I visited this thread, sorry for the late reply. Actually, an Archos remote control comes standard with the docking station. It is infrared, but works great it seems to work even bouncing off the walls. However, I think I'm going in a different direction. See next post...
 
Well, I've played with XBMC running on my Mac Mini. I like it very much, but I think I've found something I like more.

I'm going with one of the new slim PS3s for the boat this summer. I have an older 40gb PS3 at home and love it, but the new ones are thinner, quieter, have dimmer LEDs (the old LEDs are so bright they'll keep you awake unless you paint them with nail polish to dim them...), and the new $299 base version comes with a slightly bigger HD at 120gb. I realize this isn't terabyte size, but you can also stream from other sources or USB hard drives.


Why I like this though is because:
  • it adds a BluRay player on the boat
  • with an HDMI splitter, it can feed multiple HD tv's
  • it adds a great gaming device
  • it can play music and display photos like other media centers
  • it has an optical out for audio
  • it plays ripped DVDs
  • and it also works with Netflix - meaning if you have marina wifi or a 3G connection, you can stream all the Netflix content, offering a virtual unlimited source of decent content (I get it that it isn't necessarily all (or any) 1080p content though...)
  • for $25 you can add a Bluetooth remote that works anywhere on the boat
So, for $299 for the system, $25 for the remote, maybe $150 in HDMI cables and a splitter, the 3 HD tv's on my boat will be all hooked up to the PS3. Throw in $8.99 a month for Netflix, and it seems like a winning combination for me.
 
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I have a Netflix account and we also have a PS3 at home and used the disk for the Netfix HD... The problem with Netflix (HD or not) is that it adjusts the streaming based on the speed of your Internet access... I've had nights where it looks good and nights where I couldn't watch it. My experience with wifi connections in marinas is fairly poor... I doubt I could watch a streaming product.

I now have 1.2TB of movies ripped on my Mac mini media center... and counting... I love that thing... and besides, try and get your PS3 to be a DNS server.
 
Were you able to train your dogs to rip your DVDs? That is the biggest problem for me - I don't have the patience!!

The Netflix PS3 stream is definitely dependent on your internet connection speeds for HD (it looks like you need 6mb down for HD), and I doubt I'll get the 720p stream on the boat. But, like most everything else, it is an issue of tradeoffs...

What's the issue on Four Suns with DNS? On my Win-based laptop, I use host records to define local sources on the boat (ie: my NMEA serial to ethernet bridge) to make it easier to access them.
 
That thing looks useful. I've got a 12V 3G Kyocera wifi router on board now to use when marina wifi isn't working or available... but this would be better.
 
Gary- A year has passed and I am thinking of adding the Mac Mini. Any reflections after having used it for a while?
And why didn't you use the Apple software for watching movies - didn't quite understand - was it a compression/quality issue or something different?

Many thanks.
 
I'm very happy with the whole mac mini thing. I actually just use the DVD software on the mac. The Mac Mini's have an HDMI port so plugging into an HD TV will solve most of the issues I had. I had issues trying to get the thing to component video for my video router (an Audio Authority AVAtrix).

It's kinda the default thing people use on the TV now. The Apple wireless keyboard has great range and you don't have to fire up a laptop to get to real computer to go to a web site (checking weather, buying w!ngless toys for the dogs, etc.). However, I have the thing tied into a sophisticated network and a VPN connection to my house so I can tie into insecure crappy wifi systems and still do online banking, pay my wife's $5M Talbots bill, etc.

This thread shows how I built it into the boat:

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/30047-My-new-WiFi-Cellular-Network-Design?highlight=wifi

I would say it's probably the "coolest mod" on the boat.... Since everyone uses it now.
 
I use www.slysoft.com which gives you the ability to create a true DVD image without quality loss of the movie (.ISO format files). The same software lets you rip viewable files for your iPad, iPod and other gadgets. The software I bought was about $175 or so. Bought the WDTV Live box for about $100. Then for storage 2TB myBook WD drives from staples when they go on sale for $99 each. I have a set of drives for the boat and a set for the house that are mirrored. Works well.
 
All...

Wanted to revive this thread because I am going this route with a streaming media player. I need some BASIC information on how to convert DVDs to a digital format and what format is best. Most of these newer units play all of the formats.

Ask, what about torrent files?

This is all new to me to speak slowly...:)

Thx!
 
You can use a program called "Handbrake" to rip CD/DVD's into *.mp4 files so you can watch them when underway and/or in port. :)
 
Yeah there has been some major advancements in the tech since the thread started. I'm looking to see what the options are now. I have been ripping my DVD's to mp4 and putting them on SD cards to watch in the vehicle so I'm sure it can be done to an external drive of some sort.
 
Any new updates? I'm ready to finally ditch the DVD's and down size.
 
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