So getting all this
hardware to do our bidding requires equally great
software. Our OS of choice for both the server
and the HTPC is Windows XP SP3. This allows us
to get up to speed as quickly as possible. We
are most familiar with this OS, application, and
driver support are superb with XP as well.
Other software installed are as follows, in the
following order:
Now, which media center
front-end shall we choose? SageTV of course!
But first, we have to have the latest version of
Java.
SageTV offers so
much functionality and customizability. It
will utilize our HDHomerun and the
1394-connected cable box as tuners on the server
side. Furthermore on the HTPC side, SageTV
plays back just about every file type and format
possible. It will utilize hardware
acceleration of your GPU, let you browse through
all your pictures and home movies, provide IMDB
info on movies, etc...............there's just
too many to list.
No doubt that
configuring the OS and all the software is the
longest and most tedious part of the process.
With thousands of music files, hundred of
movies, and countless photos, organization is
key. Hence, we search for more software
packages and databases to aid us in this effort.
So this marks the
end of our hardware discussion on our 2008 HTPC-server
system. We have achieved all our goals -
power consumption, quietness, performance, and
ease of use. There are certainly other
components which may do the job just as well,
but that's the constant thing about IT, it
always changes. Maybe in a couple months
we will see yet another shift in our HTPC
mindset caused by a new OS, new technology, or
new content sources. Regardless, we here
will always be doing our best to chase it down.
See you again in 2009!
