I am going to attempt to create a YARD SALE media client (can play audio media files) based on the LIVE CD method of getting LINUX to run.

If successful I should be able to play my MPEG video collection via remote control of a $30 (maximum cost) Yard Sale PC; with a cheap wired or wireless ethernet card; and cheap video and audio card or on board audio and video.

Need to find a D5 client software (if you know what D5 is). Also need to see about some remote control (maybe simple TELNET) software to control the YARD SALE media client.


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Has this been done? I know the trend is to do an HTPC at $300 (or more with legal software, but I will not get into that). This is so much less, and may be a whole lot more practical for these projects.

A p1 150mhz will play MPEG/VCD AND MP3s - make shure to have lots
of memory if you will use a boot CD - A lot of live linux CDs
load into memory - and need a faster computer than a p1 -

try to find a p2 350mhz - you will be able to play most DIVX files
and even DVDs with a low end ATI video card or Nvidia


This link may be some help - and might not
http://movix.sourceforge.net/
This link may be some help - and might not also
http://bogmog.sourceforge.net/document_show.php3?doc_id=30

thanks will. I see you point about memory. I think I am better with just using the built in hard drive. Trying to use Linux UBUNTU last night for the first time. I got it to install, but no wifi card activity yet.

Are you using LINUX? or do you have lots of experience with it?

oh, I get it. I looked at the MOVIX site, and that might work. I just need to read more about it. Looks like a real possibility.

This is what I found so far.

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Okay here is a short story for the technology geeks out there.

I have been considering switch from microsoft windows (98,2k,NT,XP)
for a while, to some version of LINUX. You know that real geeky
software system that everyone has heard about but never seen.

BOTTOM LINE: It can be done, you need to rate a 7 on a scale of 1 to
10 in your geek aptitude to install it (if you can partition a drive,
burn an ISO image file to a CDR, and you know how to tweek settings
in CONTROL PANEL then you have the skills install it). It will do
everything that WIN XP PRO with MS OFFICE XP installed does, for
absolutely free!!! I would suggest a computer that is no slower than
a pentium running at 250 Mhz, but read the documentation on the web
site.

There is only one version of LINUX to try. Use MEPIS (pronounced
MEMPHIS). Go to www.mepis.org for a copy. It is a graphical based
version of LINUX, that is completely free.

I did an install this weekend. It actually worked!! But, I screwed
up my partitioning so it took longer. I connected to my WIFI network
(to the internet) and I was playing DVDs with no problems. It has so
much extra built in software and tools, that you will never run our
of the ability to tweek some more.

If you want to try it, I will give you advise on it.

Okay I found this list

http://digitalboy.mythtvtalk.com/files/LinuxTvTunerGuide.pdf

So eventually I will be able to try Myth TV. As long as I have the right BT chipset on the TV tuner card.

On www.newegg.com I find the Sabrent TV Tuner Card that needs 366MHZ CPU with a VGA card that has 8 megs of video ram. It works under Linux.

I also have read that I can use a Creative DXR3 card to play DVDs through, as this is a hardware decoder. It also has Linux drivers available.

So here is the cost so far.

Yard Sale PC (needs to be 366MHZ or faster, and have a DVD drive) - $30
Creative DXR3 card - hardware DVD decoder card - $15
TV Tuner card - for $35 (maybe much cheaper via ebay)

TOTAL is $80 !!! That is one cheap HTPC setup!!!

Okay I looked a little closer at what I need to buy.

I was able to get a wifi 802.11G card for $25 shipped via ebay.

I need a TV tuner card, and the most generic seems to be the Hauppauge wintv-go card for about $25 shipped.

I love linux but still use Winxp Pro - I have to
but the day of windows will soon be at a end

I am going to collage to get Computer Network Technology degree

Sadly I have yet to learn the command line and shell script stuff
in linux - But I am taking a Unix class now - I have installed linux
20-30 times and even once over a network but I stay in the GUI
but yes I know the real power is in the command line

"(needs to be 366MHZ or faster, and have a DVD drive) - $30"

With a good dvd decoder card a 150MHZ computer will play
DVD - I saw a 486 with a DVD player that worked - but
it had a $400 dvd decoder card in it and I am sure the DVD
drive at the time cost lots to

If you want to record video - on a low end computer
you need a TV tuner card with a hardware encoder
- that may cost some $$$

The Hauppauge wintv-go only does mono sound -
on the card you get make sure Linux suports
the remote some times there is only suport for the card

I've been following this with some interest...

I have a P3/1GHz that I will use as an HTPC. Currently the plan is WinDVD and whatever reasonable TV tuner card will give me acceptable TV quality. Support for Windows is pretty much assured in that configuration.

If I can do it in Linux that would be good. I like the idea, as long as it can be put into practice without me having to give up too many features. By preference, I'd like to give up NO features, and gain some. At the end of the day, I want my wife (the Technophobe) to be able to use the projector, and get TV or DVD to play without complication. For that to happen, it has to be at least as easy to use as our VCR.

Features and ease of use has to be the bottom line. Setup can be as complicated as it needs to be, I'm no stranger to Unix installation, and know my way around a complier and source code editor. But once it's up and runing, I want to fire up the machine, press "TV" or "DVD" on the remote, and have it display a menu. Yes, this is going to mean circumenting system security and running the HTPC process at system startup, but that's what it's GOT to be if this is going to work.

Tried MOVIX this morning. It booted on my hardware, but I have no sound yet. Will take a little more work, obviously. It did see my network, but I could not figure out how to do a FILE URL for the server on my network downstream (a WINXP box).

Lucky this is a hobby!!! So I am willing to work the issue.