WDTV/ Roku Streamers

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bho

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Intrinsic_sl said:
Agree on Prime snob. In face, I'd say the only reason I went ahead and pulled the trigger on ordering was because of Prime and it'd be here by today. Otherwise the weekend would have come and gone and my impulse would have gone away.
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hah, I am in the *EXACT* same boat. I just called onsale (maybe the same people that shipped it to you?) and apparently they shipped it yesterday even though my amazon status said shipping soon. i would give them a call. curious to hear how your install goes this weekend as I will be doing the same.

Side question: After I get all of this up and running, is there any way to have the HTPC or remote be able to control the TV (volume/power)? Presume I Need an IR blaster...can i get this as a USB plug and somehow control it via my bluetooth keyboarD?
 
Void

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bho_sl said:
hah, I am in the *EXACT* same boat. I just called onsale (maybe the same people that shipped it to you?) and apparently they shipped it yesterday even though my amazon status said shipping soon. i would give them a call. curious to hear how your install goes this weekend as I will be doing the same.
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That's exactly my situation (think you quoted Intrinsic when you meant to quote mine?). It says not shipped yet, from onsale. I'll just hope they did the same thing with mine as they did with yours and it shows up tomorrow.

If I get the drive tomorrow I'll be doing setup too, so I'll post how it goes. I already made my Win 8 install USB drive, so I should be all set when it gets here.

No idea on your remote question, but I would assume you are on the right track with needing an IR blaster. With the prevalence of bluetooth shit nowadays I wish they'd make more remotes that instead of IR. So much more convenient. I have a bluetooth dongle that I'm probably going to plug into the back of the NUC and see if I can't re-purpose my old PS3 remote until I snag one of those flirc things. Or just stick with the PS3 remote if that works well enough I suppose.

As my own aside, I finally got Diamond Digital to email me back about returning the Popcorn Hour, and they asked that I please try a beta firmware update first, since apparently it fixes a bunch of shit and everyone that has asked to return it has kept it after installing it (sounds doubtful). I emailed back that I would try it, but I doubt any of it will matter, because of most of the reasons I documented earlier in this thread. They didn't fix stuff like playing from rar files, network shares having to be the root directory of a drive, etc. so it won't make any difference. Going to box it up and bring it in tomorrow anyway I think.
 
Zodiac

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bho_sl said:
Side question: After I get all of this up and running, is there any way to have the HTPC or remote be able to control the TV (volume/power)? Presume I Need an IR blaster...can i get this as a USB plug and somehow control it via my bluetooth keyboarD?
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logitech harmony best choice but most any programmable remote can do this
 
Chanur

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I am looking at the WD Tv hub with the 2TB drive. I just want something that i can put movies on, or run through to my tv. The only other thing im looking for is something to watch Netflix on possibly Amazon on. Not sure i really see the advantage of a full HTPC when the WDis 250. Please tell me what im missing, im sure there is some huge functionality that im missing that makes the extra cost of an HTPC worth it.
 
Zodiac

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Chanur_sl said:
Not sure i really see the advantage of a full HTPC when the WDis 250. Please tell me what im missing, im sure there is some huge functionality that im missing that makes the extra cost of an HTPC worth it.
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yeah, i'm not sure why people build expensive pc gaming computers when you can play most all games on the xbox.
 
Intrinsic

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Whoops, two small set backs.

- Didn't realize the NUC didn't come with a power cable, was a little surprised at that, but figured it was something I just overlooked in the in the 15 minutes it took me to buy it after the post on here. Luckily just got a new laptop from work and ordered extra power supplies for travel, so stole one of those.
- Only keyboard I have in the house is a XArmor Mechanical which is PS/2, so no way to go through the damn setup. Will have to steal a regular USB keyboard tomorrow from the office and set it up.

Can you use the Logitech IR sensor that works on the PS3 for this thing? Where the hell did I put that thing....
 
Chanur

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Zodiac_sl said:
yeah, i'm not sure why people build expensive pc gaming computers when you can play most all games on the xbox.
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Not sure i get your terrible analogy considering pc and xbox are not necessarily the same games and a pc is alot more powerful. My question was what does the HTPC give you that something like the WD cannot?
 
Void

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Chanur_sl said:
Not sure i get your terrible analogy considering pc and xbox are not necessarily the same games and a pc is alot more powerful. My question was what does the HTPC give you that something like the WD cannot?
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Short answer is, not really. Even my Boxee Box at around $170 does pretty much everything I needed it to. Honestly I probably won't get full value out of the HTPC myself and could have made do with yet another Boxee if this one fully died. The main advantages I would see over a pre-built device would be significantly better internet browsing experience (Boxee browser fucking blows goats, to be fair) if you have the right setup, access to a larger selection of streaming options (which most of us will never fully use either), and the ability to customize everything exactly the way I want it via mods or even the program I choose. And of course better capability to handle changes in the way things are handled, flexibility to change, etc.

You can also use it for playing less demanding and/or older games via emulators and such too, since it is technically a full-fledged PC. I doubt I will ever use it as such myself.

I'm sure there are other aspects I'm forgetting (essentially anything a PC can do, it can do if it doesn't require a beefy video card); however, none of those advantages are really deal-breakers if all you are looking for is what you described. It is more a matter of me being tired of using the same old thing and feeling the need to upgrade (hence my attempt with the Popcorn Hour). I would say if it is your first foray into media streamers, you really can't go wrong with what you've chosen. Well, I assume so anyway, I haven't actually used the one you're talking about.
 
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Zodiac_sl said:
logitech harmony best choice but most any programmable remote can do this
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He's asking if he can somehow make his bluetooth keyboard, which he's going to control the HTPC with, also somehow trigger an IR signal to his TV. No bluetooth remote sends IR as well, that I'm aware of, so that's where his dilemma lies. Can the HTPC be connected to an IR blaster somehow to interpret the bluetooth signal for volume and send it to his TV?
 
Chanur

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Thanks Vvoid that's exactly what I was wanting to know. Sounds like you get a lot more flexibility with the HTPC. This is my first foray and I think I just need something basic(don't we all think that at first).
 
BrutulTM

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Vvoid_sl said:
He's asking if he can somehow make his bluetooth keyboard, which he's going to control the HTPC with, also somehow trigger an IR signal to his TV. No bluetooth remote sends IR as well, that I'm aware of, so that's where his dilemma lies. Can the HTPC be connected to an IR blaster somehow to interpret the bluetooth signal for volume and send it to his TV?
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Yes, you can use an IR blaster with your PC. It's how everybody uses media center if they have a cable box.

http://www.amazon.com/HP-REMOTE-CONT.../dp/B004PXJGXU
 
Zodiac

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Vvoid_sl said:
He's asking if he can somehow make his bluetooth keyboard, which he's going to control the HTPC with, also somehow trigger an IR signal to his TV. No bluetooth remote sends IR as well, that I'm aware of, so that's where his dilemma lies. Can the HTPC be connected to an IR blaster somehow to interpret the bluetooth signal for volume and send it to his TV?
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I guess i read the question wrong

is there any way to have the HTPC or remote be able to control the TV (volume/power)?
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I just know that with the harmony you can control your htpc/receiver/sat-cable box and tv with the same remote. You do need a cheap IR receiver hooked into a usb port on your HTPC.

As a temp workaround you could set (and leave) your TV volume and use the windows volume control but that's really not a good solution.
 
Void

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BrutulTM_sl said:
Yes, you can use an IR blaster with your PC. It's how everybody uses media center if they have a cable box.

http://www.amazon.com/HP-REMOTE-CONT.../dp/B004PXJGXU
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Hah, this isn't even my question, but I feel the need to clarify since no one is answering it the way he means it. Let me see if I can explain it better. My apologies if it sounds like I'm being overly simplistic, but it is obvious no one else caught what he wants.

He is going to use the Logitech bluetooth keyboard/mouse device to control his HTPC. That is all that device emits, a bluetooth signal.

He would like to be able to ALSO control the volume on his TV via that bluetooth device. The TV only receives IR signals.

Therefore, we need something on the HTPC that will interpret the BLUETOOTH signal from his Logitech, understand that it is meant for the TV, and send an IR signal out.

The device you linked is an IR receiver, which would allow someone to use an IR remote with the HTPC, obviously. It won't EMIT an IR signal (*I'm wrong, see edit), only receive one. He needs to emit one. He also needs some sort of program to interact with his HTPC to decide when to emit that signal.

I am not aware of any such solution. But that is his question, not how to get an IR remote to work with the HTPC. He's basically asking if there is any way he can avoid picking up a second remote to change the volume on his TV.

EDIT: As I posted, Zodiac posted as well, and understands the question correctly now. Of course, I could be the one not understanding correctly, but I think I get what he wanted.

Further EDIT: My apologies to BrutulTM. That is in fact an emitter as well as a receiver, so I misspoke. However, it still doesn't receive bluetooth so won't do what he wants. But it is in fact an emitter, so I just wanted to clarify that point.
 
B

bho

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Vvoid_sl said:
Hah, this isn't even my question, but I feel the need to clarify since no one is answering it the way he means it. Let me see if I can explain it better. My apologies if it sounds like I'm being overly simplistic, but it is obvious no one else caught what he wants.

He is going to use the Logitech bluetooth keyboard/mouse device to control his HTPC. That is all that device emits, a bluetooth signal.

He would like to be able to ALSO control the volume on his TV via that bluetooth device. The TV only receives IR signals.

Therefore, we need something on the HTPC that will interpret the BLUETOOTH signal from his Logitech, understand that it is meant for the TV, and send an IR signal out.

The device you linked is an IR receiver, which would allow someone to use an IR remote with the HTPC, obviously. It won't EMIT an IR signal, only receive one. He needs to emit one. He also needs some sort of program to interact with his HTPC to decide when to emit that signal.

I am not aware of any such solution. But that is his question, not how to get an IR remote to work with the HTPC. He's basically asking if there is any way he can avoid picking up a second remote to change the volume on his TV.

EDIT: As I posted, Zodiac posted as well, and understands the question correctly now. Of course, I could be the one not understanding correctly, but I think I get what he wanted.
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Appreciate the help vvoid. Thats exactly what i was thinking but its sounding like that isn't possible. The other way of looking at it would be to find a keyboard that could emit IR (this could be picked up directly by the TV and indirectly by the HTPC using the IR receivers posted above). Does this exist? The only controls I have seen that can, in some way, control both the TV and the HTPC are hte logitech remotes with RF (to be picked up by the HTPC with some type of adapter) and IR (to talk directly to the TV). Maybe I end up getting that as well as a bluetooth keyboard for times when I need to type.
 
Void

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Well, if you get an IR USB dongle like that flirc or the one BrutulTM linked, you could probably program any universal remote to control your TV as well as the HTPC. I mean, it's the same thing as the Harmony in use, just a boatload cheaper. That RCA remote I bought for under $9 is fucking awesome, to be honest. Obviously I haven't used it with the HTPC yet since I haven't set it up (and that flirc dongle won't be here for another week or two), but setting it up to control my TV and receiver was a breeze and works every bit as good as my old Harmony did...without devouring batteries hopefully. You can even do macros with it like the Harmony, so I can theoretically press one button and turn on both TV and receiver, set input, and turn on my game system/blu-ray player/HTPC/whatever. Haven't done it yet, but the instructions seem easy enough.
 
Intrinsic

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Any links to a real low profile IR Receiver that I can put on the front USB port and use my Harmony?

Edit: To add, if I go grab that Logitech K400 wireless keyboard, will it work on boot to F2 / F10 in to BIOS and install Openelec? Or do I have to do that with a physically connected USB keyboard?

Edit 2: Yep, K400 works out of the box and Openelec / XBMC was like 5 minutes worth of setting up. Now trying to get everything configured. Claims to have an IP address but won't fetch weather info, etc... Not a bad little program so far, I'm sure there are easy fixes for these things.
 
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mSATA drive won't be here until Monday
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Fuckers.
 
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