A while back I mentioned that I was in the process of possibly switching from MythTV to SageTV. I want to keep the main server running Linux because I feel it is a more stable environment than Windows. Plus, due to the low OS overhead, it allows me to continue using an older PC. The down side to all […]
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With the latest beta release of SageTV 6.4.6 along with a beta version of the HDHomeRun software and firmware, it is now possible to natively tune QAM channels. This means that the artificial 68 channel limit imposed by the previous mapping method is no longer an issue. For those with a HDHomeRun that would like to pursue native QAM […]
Read moreThis guide is a repost of my original guide over at HTPCNews.com. Broken links have been updated, no other real changes have been made. This repost is brought on by a resurgence of firewire related questions in my PM box so I thought I should bring this back up and also remind people that it’s 2 years old. Some improvements […]
Read moreHere’s an oldie but a goodie I brought over from the HTPCnews days, it’s still relevant today because of the limitations of S/PDIF and the high resolution audio tracks found on the next generation formats (Blu-ray/HD DVD). So with that in mind there are some quick changes to modernize the information. What is S/PDIF? S/PDIF stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interface. It is […]
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For some people, sound can make or break a home theater. For others, they just want to set it up, have it work and generally sound decent. Today I’m going to step through some of the critical factors in determining how to connect your Home Theater PC to your audio system. Hopefully the information will allow you to determine the […]
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I was recently looking at my development system and wanted to load Windows as a boot option to a system primarily running Linux. This got me to thinking. What if I did something that corrupted or overwrote the boot sector on my hard drive? What if I could no longer boot into Linux as I had intended? What if I […]
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Sometime ago, we had a few readers request an update to our build guides we published shortly after we started the site. I will remind our readers of a couple important points. Ultimately we pick a piece of hardware because we feel it offers the best bang for the buck. I would imagine that there will be a lot of […]
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We’ve covered a slim CentOS install, converted to using a flash drive, and even enabled SSH and VNC remote administration. Now it’s time to do some optimization and customizing of your install. We will learn about how to speed up the boot process, tweaking Xfce’s start up time, and even some adjustments to Xfce’s look and feel. Interested? Then let’s […]
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PCs = Noise. No matter how you stack things up, it seems there is always something clicking, buzzing, humming, or whooshing in your ear. Whether it is the fans keeping the system cool, the hard drive grinding away, or even the clicking of the keys and mouse, noise is ever present. While there are many guides about reducing fan noise […]
Read moreSo you have a Blu-ray or HD DVD drive, and it comes with Power DVD, but how to make it integrate with Media Center? The process it two fold: 1. Have it launch from Media Center and 2. Make the MCE remote work properly with Blu-ray pop-up menus. The first part is very easy now thanks to Media Center community […]
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