64-bit Media Center: If You So Want ...
The media center is a symbiosis of a computer, a multimedia entertainment center and smart home management solutions.
Over the past few years, I have been asking myself, why the hell did I need to install 64-bit whist for myself? Before that, I really had 64-bit XP, so at first the transition was pretty smooth. The problems started when I connected a TV to my computer to make a full-fledged home media center with remote control and other goodies out of it.
But first things first.
Under the 64, I had an ATI Radeon video card with all the conveniences, like duplicating overlay video onto the entire second monitor (TV) screen, hotkeys, and, of course, a first-class video image. One problem: a small cooler on it was very poorly susceptible to noise reduction, and with the transition to whist, I wanted to try "a little n-view." For this, my decision, I later also scolded myself repeatedly: everyone remembers what happened with the GeForce drivers under whist immediately after its release.
')
Yes, the new video card with a massive radiator (I turned the passive cooling back into an active, quiet 120mm cooler) and finally made the computer "silent". But at first she refused to display on TV via S-Video (the most important thing I needed then). Only after a couple of driver versions in the control panel, a working TV-Out option appeared. Only the problems did not end there, now it was necessary to set up switching of the active monitor between the LCD monitor and the TV itself: I don’t like to work at the computer with a desktop extended to 2 monitors. That cursor, then the window at the edge of the screen will carry. Every time turn on the TV to find Winamp flying away to him? I will not torment the reader with a description of a long search of different video prills (most of which, at that time, didn’t work in whist): I could only force the UltraMon to switch the OS between monitors. Everything turned out to be simple with him: two “display profiles” are created (in my case, LCD and TV, respectively) and are switched by double clicking on the icon. Voila, the work computer turns into a TV set-top box with one mouse click!
Of course, in addition to profiling UltraMon has a whole coachman of various functions, but their description is beyond the scope of this article.
Here I made a rather unpopular, but forced decision: I used the standard shell of the media center in Vista x64 Ultimate. Someone, of course, would prefer MediapPortal and others like him, but with my video card (again this video card!) For some reason only the standard shell was able to set the normal display mode with overscan. I tried almost everything, but, unfortunately, either the specific implementation of TV-Out, or the individual properties of my config ...
One way or another, whists had to get along with the media center, and for this it had to be finished in some places, namely:
The case was not limited to 32-bit Vista Codec Package or kLite , to view DivX and XVid in the media center shell you need to install VistaCodecs x64Components or a similar version of kLite.
Previously, to watch a DVD-video from a folder on a computer, it was tedious to finish the system in the registry. Now for this appeared the utility "TweakMC" and "MCE_Customizer_for_Vista". In fact, only one thing is required of them: activate the “DVD-catalog” option in the registry, so any one will do. The only difference is that the first does not require installation.
Yes, you heard right, DVD-video in the media center whists from the folder can not be watched, only in a special section "DVD-catalog." No wonder they said "WOW is now" ...
For reference, an exhaustive list of media center shell shortcuts can be found here: http://www.byremote.com.au/Hip/mce_remote_faq.htm#MCE%20keyboard%20shortcuts
This list helped me a lot to set up the remote, but more on that in the next section.
And for dessert:
Finally, what is this media center without a remote control? Remote control is definitely needed. The question of choice, of course, is worth it, but not so acutely: each option has its pros and cons. The console, for example, which comes with a top-tuner Beholder, allows you to turn on the computer without any ACPI. I chose the native console from Microsoft, which, unfortunately, does not know how to turn on the computer (or I could not make friends with my motherboard Asus P5B-E?) However, this console has one special treat that makes it stand out from the rest. These are two whole transceivers, about which later.
First we need to make friends with our console with the OS and teach it to all the necessary commands. In my case, he, of course, earned it this way, but controlling one single shell from the console is somehow not Habrow-like. So you need to reconfigure.
To configure the remote in Windows programs a lot. The most popular are WinLirc, Girder, Interception and HIP. These programs are very good, but one thing unites them: in 64 bits (at least at the time of my testing) they refused to work. Saved the father of Russian democracy soft, developed in the framework of the same project MediaPortal - IR Server. With her, unfortunately, without finishing the registry, too, it wasn’t enough, but it’s all clearly and intelligibly described in the manual, I don’t consider it a drawback of the program. After editing the registry, the OS stops responding to the console in general, and we remain face to face with the IR Server program.
In the spirit of the traditional open source program, this program is not a program at all, but a conglomeration of, in fact, a server and individual utilities for setting up and bonus functions. Everything here is more than transparent: “Input Service Configuration” for selecting a console, “Keyboard Input Relay” for supporting events from a regular keyboard, and most importantly: “Translator”. It is “Translator” that hangs with a green tray icon and provides a front end for programming any remote control button and keyboard.
The most delicious program, of course, lies in the sections "Macros" and "IR-Blast". The latter turns the computer into a programmable learning control panel. If desired, you can control from the computer all the consumer electronics in the room, even the lighting, if it is controlled from the IR. In the macros, respectively, you can use the infrared transmitters of the console from MS in full, not to mention the Keystroke'ah and other launches of any programs with any parameters.
After all the shamanism in me, for example, when the computer boots, the receiver automatically turns on and the necessary A / V input is selected, and when it is turned off, the sound is de-energized, respectively. When you press the “GreenButton”, the miracles in general take place: the monitor turns off, the TV turns on, the media center shell starts (and the folder with the torrents opens right away), the sound is added to the speakers. And all this, I repeat, by pressing a single button. By pressing “GreenButton” again, the telly is turned off, the subwoofer is muffled, and the computer is turned back into a working machine.
That is, in fact, all that I had to tell you about the media centers, successful video views!
PS: PPNH obviously :)
Over the past few years, I have been asking myself, why the hell did I need to install 64-bit whist for myself? Before that, I really had 64-bit XP, so at first the transition was pretty smooth. The problems started when I connected a TV to my computer to make a full-fledged home media center with remote control and other goodies out of it.
But first things first.
Video card for media center - UltraMon saves us
Under the 64, I had an ATI Radeon video card with all the conveniences, like duplicating overlay video onto the entire second monitor (TV) screen, hotkeys, and, of course, a first-class video image. One problem: a small cooler on it was very poorly susceptible to noise reduction, and with the transition to whist, I wanted to try "a little n-view." For this, my decision, I later also scolded myself repeatedly: everyone remembers what happened with the GeForce drivers under whist immediately after its release.
')
Yes, the new video card with a massive radiator (I turned the passive cooling back into an active, quiet 120mm cooler) and finally made the computer "silent". But at first she refused to display on TV via S-Video (the most important thing I needed then). Only after a couple of driver versions in the control panel, a working TV-Out option appeared. Only the problems did not end there, now it was necessary to set up switching of the active monitor between the LCD monitor and the TV itself: I don’t like to work at the computer with a desktop extended to 2 monitors. That cursor, then the window at the edge of the screen will carry. Every time turn on the TV to find Winamp flying away to him? I will not torment the reader with a description of a long search of different video prills (most of which, at that time, didn’t work in whist): I could only force the UltraMon to switch the OS between monitors. Everything turned out to be simple with him: two “display profiles” are created (in my case, LCD and TV, respectively) and are switched by double clicking on the icon. Voila, the work computer turns into a TV set-top box with one mouse click!
Of course, in addition to profiling UltraMon has a whole coachman of various functions, but their description is beyond the scope of this article.
The shell for the media center
Here I made a rather unpopular, but forced decision: I used the standard shell of the media center in Vista x64 Ultimate. Someone, of course, would prefer MediapPortal and others like him, but with my video card (again this video card!) For some reason only the standard shell was able to set the normal display mode with overscan. I tried almost everything, but, unfortunately, either the specific implementation of TV-Out, or the individual properties of my config ...
One way or another, whists had to get along with the media center, and for this it had to be finished in some places, namely:
CODECS
The case was not limited to 32-bit Vista Codec Package or kLite , to view DivX and XVid in the media center shell you need to install VistaCodecs x64Components or a similar version of kLite.
SETTINGS
Previously, to watch a DVD-video from a folder on a computer, it was tedious to finish the system in the registry. Now for this appeared the utility "TweakMC" and "MCE_Customizer_for_Vista". In fact, only one thing is required of them: activate the “DVD-catalog” option in the registry, so any one will do. The only difference is that the first does not require installation.
Yes, you heard right, DVD-video in the media center whists from the folder can not be watched, only in a special section "DVD-catalog." No wonder they said "WOW is now" ...
For reference, an exhaustive list of media center shell shortcuts can be found here: http://www.byremote.com.au/Hip/mce_remote_faq.htm#MCE%20keyboard%20shortcuts
This list helped me a lot to set up the remote, but more on that in the next section.
And for dessert:
Media Center Management "one button"
Finally, what is this media center without a remote control? Remote control is definitely needed. The question of choice, of course, is worth it, but not so acutely: each option has its pros and cons. The console, for example, which comes with a top-tuner Beholder, allows you to turn on the computer without any ACPI. I chose the native console from Microsoft, which, unfortunately, does not know how to turn on the computer (or I could not make friends with my motherboard Asus P5B-E?) However, this console has one special treat that makes it stand out from the rest. These are two whole transceivers, about which later.
First we need to make friends with our console with the OS and teach it to all the necessary commands. In my case, he, of course, earned it this way, but controlling one single shell from the console is somehow not Habrow-like. So you need to reconfigure.
To configure the remote in Windows programs a lot. The most popular are WinLirc, Girder, Interception and HIP. These programs are very good, but one thing unites them: in 64 bits (at least at the time of my testing) they refused to work. Saved the father of Russian democracy soft, developed in the framework of the same project MediaPortal - IR Server. With her, unfortunately, without finishing the registry, too, it wasn’t enough, but it’s all clearly and intelligibly described in the manual, I don’t consider it a drawback of the program. After editing the registry, the OS stops responding to the console in general, and we remain face to face with the IR Server program.
In the spirit of the traditional open source program, this program is not a program at all, but a conglomeration of, in fact, a server and individual utilities for setting up and bonus functions. Everything here is more than transparent: “Input Service Configuration” for selecting a console, “Keyboard Input Relay” for supporting events from a regular keyboard, and most importantly: “Translator”. It is “Translator” that hangs with a green tray icon and provides a front end for programming any remote control button and keyboard.
The most delicious program, of course, lies in the sections "Macros" and "IR-Blast". The latter turns the computer into a programmable learning control panel. If desired, you can control from the computer all the consumer electronics in the room, even the lighting, if it is controlled from the IR. In the macros, respectively, you can use the infrared transmitters of the console from MS in full, not to mention the Keystroke'ah and other launches of any programs with any parameters.
After all the shamanism in me, for example, when the computer boots, the receiver automatically turns on and the necessary A / V input is selected, and when it is turned off, the sound is de-energized, respectively. When you press the “GreenButton”, the miracles in general take place: the monitor turns off, the TV turns on, the media center shell starts (and the folder with the torrents opens right away), the sound is added to the speakers. And all this, I repeat, by pressing a single button. By pressing “GreenButton” again, the telly is turned off, the subwoofer is muffled, and the computer is turned back into a working machine.
That is, in fact, all that I had to tell you about the media centers, successful video views!
PS: PPNH obviously :)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/37383/
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