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All great tips, John! I know the biggest issue most of us have is that we can’t really “test” the system out without implementing it. Many of us don’t have multiple TV’s, receivers, and coax cable runs to use. So, it’s implement, test, try to fix, remove from service until the next opening. But, the worst thing you can do is to leave a non-working or only partially working setup hooked up to the TV and expect others to TRY and use it. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending quite a bit more unexpected time with the hardware now that you’re sleeping on the couch! ;D
That said, I think the thing which a lot of people make the mistake of is putting an HTPC in the living room and focusing too much on the PC side, rather than the HT piece. While it may be nice to be able to play games and surf the internet, the HTPC is primarily going to be used for viewing TV.
That said, you will get a much better reaction if it works like the DirecTV receiver or the cable company’s STB. What I mean by that is when someone wants to watch TV, it should be a simple thing to do. Press a couple of buttons (preferably just ONE, a la the Harmony series of remotes) and you’re done. No mouse should be required, nor should a keyboard. In the end, it comes down to this: they shouldn’t be presented with the Windows desktop when they want to watch TV.
Sage makes this very simple in that if Sage is already running and EventGhost tries to load Sage again, it just wakes it up and brings the GUI into focus. Between my Harmony 880 and EG, one button on the remote brings Sage front and center whenever someone chooses the “watch TV” activity. The last command I send is to make Sage fullscreen.
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