WholeHome

Currently available on Newegg for between $219 and $269

Why review this item?

Primarily because it is currently the lowest cost security DVR available and many have been wondering if it worked and whether it would accomplish their goals. Turns out it is also a good opportunity to see how one of these DVRs works and the various options and features available.

Out of the Box experience:

Good packaging – this is the first device that has ever come “fully wrapped – in fact vacuum sealed. Packaging was in normal Styrofoam – and it all appeared “safe” – which is all you are really looking for. First impression was that there was an unusually small amount of documentation – everything must be on the CD?

8 Channels for around $200 is a great deal almost no matter what quality it really records or what the UI looks like, but let’s dive in, starting with the hardware and contents:

The CD

– what can I say except that the first impression is that I’m in trouble – no label of any kind – someone just bought generic cd-r discs, burned them, and threw them in the package. OK a little leniency because of the price point, but for the extra $.02 they could have at least labeled it to look professional:

Rest of the contents – looks good – I really like external power supplies – gives me maximum cord control and keeps some of the heat away from the rest of my components – check!

Simple Remote control – well laid out and English is all correct – check!

Very nice front and back panels – well laid out, controls as well as lights are easy to see and understand and it all matches the remote. Inputs and outputs on the rear panel are also well laid out and easy to read.

The alarm input/output is also industry standard, so anyone that has ever purchased a DVR will immediately recognize the layout.

Very nice to have a mechanical power switch as well as both VGA and S-Video outputs. Note that this particular DVR has the option of 720p out – seemingly pointless given security camera resolutions, but nice to have the option nonetheless.

My first mechanical issue, however, was that the front panel came partially detached – it appeared to be snapped on, but regardless of what angle or pressure I applied, it would not snap back on. Upon closer examination, it appears that it is actually screwed on with two small plastic straps that both broke in transit. Having done a considerable amount of mechanical engineering recently on BOCS, I can say with authority that this particular attachment system is highly flawed – the strength of these particular straps is clearly not adequate to securely hold on the faceplate in transit. My plan is to simply glue it in place later – it is imperative that it be secure since the DVR will be controlled by buttons on the faceplate.

Moving on to internals:

500GB hard drive included – SATA – and a WD at that.

It is interesting that the VGA output is laid out as if it were an option – a small plug in card that sits over the main board – not sure why – VGA seems like the industry standard for dedicated DVRs although in a home application, composite video and network control are beginning to dominate. Only concerning thing is that the video encode chip only has a stick on heat sync with a body fan that does not even blow directly on it. So, either this is going to be some not so great video or heat will be a long term issue – stay tuned.

Functionality:

Boot: fast – approximately 20 seconds from power to video display. Irritating that the alarm buzzer sounds for a bit while booting, but after hooking up a couple cameras and applying power, I immediately got video. As you can see, it comes up by default in full grid mode (to a monitor plugged into composite video out right next to the DVR) – that is my basement and upstairs living room on cameras 1 and 2.

Video quality locally is pretty good – small window, tiled, but all the features can be made out – keep in mind this is local video and pre-compressed though.

This means that as a simple tiler, it is doing well. It can easily be hooked into the BOCS system and whole-home security cameras on every TV is merely one wire away. It will be great to be able to see the front door, 4 or 5 rooms, and a couple pics of the backyard all on one screen on my 50” plasma and the bedroom TV simultaneously. CHECK!!

UI:

A collection of UI captures are below – overall, not bad. Everything is intuitive and fast to set up. IP address and all the network details are easily set up from the remote control. Frankly, better than most US companies. I’m impressed.

Even the motion detection screen is straightforward – you go to any particular camera view, place the cursor in the top left of the area you want to select for motion detection, hit select, then move it to the bottom right corner of the preferred area and hit select again – the system draws a nice box for your motion detection area. Simple, yet in many applications you have unusual or multiple areas on screen you want to detect – My favorite is a grid system where you get a nicely gridded selection on screen and you select any area(s) on screen you want to detect. This is especially helpful when you want to exclude specific moving things but include many other distinct areas on screen. So a + for simplicity, but a big – for flexibility.

Dynamic DNS!!

Motion Detection “Block” selection

One more note on functionality – something not well documented, at least on the newegg site: This DVR supports Dynamic DNS – and can be set up right from the remote control.

DDNS is a nice little system that will let you get to this DVR from the internet even if you are a Comcast subscriber and your IP address changes every day. It maintains a link with a free outside service and allows you to set your own domain name and assign it to the dynamic IP of your broadband connection. Very nice. Normally, you have to run this on another PC in the house, but for standalone applications, this makes everything easier.

The PC application:

Initial installation is straightforward and comes with both a real application and an active-x control so you can access the DVR from any web browser. Within, seconds, again, it was at least up and running.

Right off the bat, though, a few problems:

1) You have to manually connect every time you open it or switch to the viewer from the DVR function and re-enter the password. It would be really nice to have some way to save the password at least. Picky? Perhaps.

2) Controls basically mimic the remote control – you cannot click on the menu/popups onscreen – this is basically just a pipe of the video output and a relay of the remote control. This makes things easy to understand but a pain to control. Pressing right 6 times to enter a password seems a real pain given that I have a mouse and keyboard (neither of which is recognized)

3) DVR playback controls – none are functional – unless you install the right player – there are 4 included on the CD with no instruction as to how to choose the right one.

4) Playback is straightforward as long as you choose not to record all the time and rely just on motion detection. Then when you playback it only displays the camera where motion was detected and only for the motion duration plus the delay (I had 10 seconds set) – nice but a couple of skip buttons would have made finding the events much easier. Poor interface on this one.

5) Stabilty – Out of the box, the unit (mine anyway) was completely unstable. It would lock up and reboot almost every time it began a recording (motion detection or manual). I solved this by reformatting the hard drive. It apparently does a quick format as it only took about 30 seconds, but that solved all stability issues.

Video Quality:

For network connection as well as DVR recording, the system uses motion jpeg – not the best encode type, but with good cameras and putting record quality on high (no problem with motion detection and a 500GB drive) it is good enough to catch a good pic of that intruder. License plates, for instance, might be tough to pick out without careful camera aiming, and good lighting.

For a basic system, this is about the best you are going to get under $500. In fact, the next better quality system I’ve seen runs in the $1500 range. I would say that meeting expectations

Whole-Home distribution:

My next step was to route the video signals home-wide so I could see all the cameras on any TV. The BOCS system is ideal for that – with composite video output right from the DVR as well as the DVR being capable of receiving IR signals, it allows whole home viewing AND control (so I can scroll back and see intruder events from any TV. )

General qualifier here, I work for a company that distributes the BOCS system although I would have used it regardless…

The hookup is pretty simple, BOCS takes composite video in (you need a BNC to RCA adapter) and the system comes with a little stick-on IR emitter that attaches to the front of the DVR so the BOCS remotes can control it.

So, the end result is all the cameras on every TV in the house – here is the resulting picture displayed on my 50” plasma – note that for this review I only have two of the cameras hooked up. Unfortunately, my camera does not seem to be able to capture a good (non-washed out) picture of the plasma screen, but the quality is really good. I’m headed to put the other 6 cameras up this week.

Due to popular request, I’m posting (as time allows) the “PreWire your Home” eBook -

Home systems and entertainment continues to evolve

20 years ago, a daisy-chained RG59, or worse yet a flat twin lead wire, was sufficient to carry the aerial antenna signal from your roof to every TV. Most homes had, at best, one or two phone lines run to central locations. Interestingly, we were all happy.

The World, however, has changed. High speed internet, on-demand movies, and a need for both hundreds of live channels of content and most recently, dynamic in-home media content to every TV is catching many a homeowner off guard and causing a lot of extra wire retrofits.

Make no mistake; trying to get wires to where you want them after walls are already finished can cost thousands of dollars and in some instances be nearly impossible. The best plan is to prepare during the building process, but even the up front process of thinking through every future option can be daunting. Luckily, there are a lot of great resources to help you through the whole process, and this guide is a good start.

The problem is that unless you are regularly keeping track of technology advancements, it would be difficult for you to predict and plan for what you will want or need 5 years from now. The people that seem like on-the-edge geeks are pioneering new technologies and methods and determining what will become mainstream. The truth is, you cannot possibly completely future-proof your home, but you can certainly plan the next 5 or 10 years, greatly increase the value of your home, and have a great time doing it.

Get more help online:

When you are ready to jump into your own project, however, we highly recommend joining one of the online forums where literally thousands of talented folks are eager to help you through specific issues, such as right here at the Shack!

If you really get in a jam, there are lots of professionals that would be happy for you to hire them. In general, look for installers that are members of CEDIA ( www.cedia.net has a nice way to locate dealers by zip code). Prices and skill-sets vary widely but wherever you live, there is always a backup.

A couple of tips if you want professional help:

• Some dealers are big home theater companies – meaning some specialize in $50K plus jobs, some dealers are closer to home handymen – make sure you match their skills to your particular job.
• Inquire about their specific experience with your specific system. You should not pay for them to learn.
• Make sure they are bonded, if they get hurt on your property you don’t want them coming after you or your insurance company.
• If you are having electrical work done (real wall outlets, switches etc) that is a specialty – have a licensed professional do that for you, the low voltage guy should not just “throw it in”

Hiring and directing a professional in this area is much like going to the Doctor – being informed and knowing what you want before you step through their door is your best way to get good results. All of us in this business definitely want happy customers, but it is a business and if we can talk you into the next better system or “just a few more upgrades” we will – lovingly. Professionals tend to be opinionated about systems and methods and a great source of detailed information but any one that tells you something is too hard to explain, or not willing to take your direction and input should be a contractor you walk away from immediately.

If you are actually building your own home or using a custom builder, you are all set because you are in charge, but if you are buying from a semi-custom or tract home builder you need to carefully plan your approach.

Some tips to keep in mind as you arrange your project:

• Builders are schedule driven and paid bonuses based on completion rates on a schedule – any project like this threatens their personal pocketbook.
• Everything is negotiable – but you have to find the right person to negotiate with and do it at the right time. The sales person is the place to start. They are incentivised with making the sale and are generally willing to work out a deal to give you access if you lay that out up front.
• Get your agreement in writing. Make sure that the limits of your actions are clearly spelled out, how long you need to do the work, your agreement to hold everyone involved harmless in the event of injury, your responsibility for damage, your agreement to follow and be held accountable to local and national codes.
• Be prepared to smooth the way with the builder as well – as cheesy as it sounds, a case of beer is usually a good choice (end of the day, not cold so they don’t consume while they are working on your home). A couple pizzas a the opportune moment is also a good gesture. What you want is for the builder and his crew not to resent you – they need to call you to tell you if there is anything that is getting in their way or will interfere with inspections. Clear communication is key.
• When you get the chance to actually do the work, speed is key. Take a couple days off work and get it done, don’t drag it out over multiple weekends. You are looking for the few days in between the framing inspection and when they come in to insulate.
• While there are no specific codes that hold low voltage wiring to the same stringent levels as electrical, you should follow a few basic principles so as not to draw attention to your work. It should look as if a professional installed it under the direction and supervision of the builder:
  • All boxes should be standard height (match switch or outlet heights)
  • All wires should be secured (stapled, tied or hung) within 6” of a box, supported horizontally every 2’ and vertically every 3’.
  • All wires should be out of the way of drywall installers and with large bundles or close to the surface, metal plates installed.
  • At the media cabinet, wires should be neatly gathered and coiled and secured like you did at the boxes. Finally, be sure to plan the finish work. The media cabinet does not have to be completed prior to final inspection if it is not in a finished space, but all room boxes at least need a blank cover plate. If you are responsible for phone/TV outlets as part of your deal you need to terminate those using keystone plates prior to final inspection.

So, what can go wrong?

I’ve had plenty of folks say their builder (or home company) was not willing to work with them or insisted that they only allow work from a licensed professional. Low voltage wiring requires no license or certification from the government so the excuse is hollow. The best advice I can give is that you MUST be prepared to walk away from the deal. I’ve never had anyone tell me they could not come to some arrangement although there are a lot of painful stories.

A good negotiating technique is to volunteer to take on the network, phone and cable labor and materials if they let you do the rest of the low-voltage pre-wire. That can be worth $1000 or more to them as they have to pay a low voltage company to come in and do the basics.

My own experience with my last home was particularly distressing. I ended up paying extra for basic structured wiring (2 RG6, 2cat5) to each room through the builder, but clearly I couldn’t stop there. So I went in one night with the “general knowledge” of the builder and installed just a little extra wire. 3 1000’ spools of Cat5 and 4 500’ spools of RG6 later I was done. Unfortunately I had to go off on a business trip for the next week, intending to finish, secure, and tidy up my work the following weekend. I returned to find all my wire neatly coiled in the middle of my living room floor along with a note from the builder that they had to do an inspection while I was gone and they failed because the city electrical guy objected to all the loose hanging wires in the basement. The builder had left me a message (which I missed) and ended up having to get his electrician in to clean it up. The cleanup was catastrophic to my plans. As insulation was the very next day, I had no time to renegotiate and get back in there. The best I could do was to get permission to put in a couple of conduit chases so I could get wires to the different sections of my home from the basement. What did I learn? Communication, smooth the waters with the builder, do not get in their way, and always keep in mind what incentivises them.

But, in the end, it is your home, they all work for you. Do not back down.

You have been following the new “Build-your-own-DVR” project(s) faithfully, I’m sure, but beyond all the subtle little things you are learning about how to put one of these cool toys together, I’d bet you are wondering where to get all the cool stuff…

Allow me to share some of my favorite online guides and software – I’d even go so far as to say that before taking on any project like this, you should definitely at least browse through all of these places. As always, the full eBook is freely available at http://www.bocsco.com/dvr

BOCS – THE standard for whole-home distribution of your new HTPC solution. (Yes, yes, a shameless plug, and first in the list, but really – it’s COOL)

PreWire Guide – Wanting to put in low voltage A/V wiring for audio/video distribution, understand matrix switchers, or just prepare for the future.

Hardware Guide: For hardware configurations – choosing which processor, motherboard, case, memory, and other accessories, there is no better online source than renethx’s thread on AVSforum. He regularly publishes details and recommendations for low, mid, and high performance systems both Intel and AMD based. That thread is also THE best place to post your chosen configuration for comment and get great hardware tips. Go to the thread, find a post by renethx, and in his signature will be a link to the latest hardware guide.

HDTV tuner and software reviews – Good research site. Hdtvtunerinfo.com

Afterdawn howto guides – hundreds of well done guides on just about any DVD, audio/video, and HTPC topic.

Link list (AVS) of just about anything you will ever need for an HTPC

Powerstrip – a utility to allow custom resolutions to compensate for overscan/underscan and correct strange behavior of video cards.

Karnis’ Custom Resolution Guide for PowerStrip – AVS Forum thread for powerstrip

Reclock – Critical utility that fixes most jitter, audio/video sync issues, and smooths playback of most video files. Excellent.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack – Good core codec pack for your PC

MPEG codec(s) – If your computer does not already have an MPEG2 codec, check the Cyberlink.com website. PowerDVD9 is the latest all-in-one MPEG codec pack – MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264, and full BluRay support, but you can get just the MPEG2 codec for ~$20

XVID codec – Really, you need this – Xvid is da bomb…

Ffdshow – codec/filters for playback and decode of virtually any format.

Ffdshow FAQ – AVS Forum ffdshow FAQ thread

Remote Control – THE forum that focuses on jp1 enabled remotes (UEI based) – tools available to customize most remotes with custom codes, macros, and special setups.

Broadcast mapper – planning on putting up an antenna? This site lets you map your location and find out exactly what is available in your area.

Autologin – Running windows XP and want the computer to skip the login screen and boot right into yor DVR program? Here’s how

DVD Ripping – Lots of programs out there, my favorite is DVDFab

TightVNC – free remote control of any PC – from anywhere – in our out of the home.

GSpot – audio/video codec information appliance (show the codec used for a file)
HIP from ByRemote – “Driver” that accepts IR and can translate it to just about any program – VERY handy
TV-Cards.com – information on TV tuner cards & PVR software (6/12/04)
XBMC Media Center – excellent media center/front end (11/25/08)

Titan TV – the most definitive source for what is on TV

SchedulesDirect.com – Online TV schedule EPG source

And – my favorite software packages (See eBook for details):

Boxee – Absolutely THE BEST front end for online media – not a DVR – an Internet connected TV

GB-PVR - a FREE PC-DVR program – excellent stability and features

knoppmyth – for the daring – a linux based PC-DVR package – again – free

More? feel free to send me a note with others I’ve missed (I’m just trying to share the really core-critical ones)

David

Got something really cool working this weekend that I wanted to share: I can now use my BOCS remote (you know, the one that already controls all your home A/V stuff and works all over your home) to control my lights, drapes, and adjust the temperature in my home.

I’ve always had everything hooked up with X10 controllers (www.x10.com) and activehome running on my home server (so I can control my devices on a schedule, run macros that activate when I get home, and control everything from my phone), but over the weekend, I was able to tie it all into my BOCS remote.

Why? Now I have a SINGLE remote that does everything – all over my home – AND since the range on the BOCS remotes is so much better than what I get on the standard X10 remotes I am in control regardless of where I am at home.  The system is much more reliable since the BOCS remotes know if an RF signal got through and keep trying until it does – so a button press ALWAYS turns my light on – no more hit and miss!!

OK, so I’m a little excited, but this is so easy. Just contact amperordirect.com to get a BOCS-to-X10 interface – all the instructions on how to implement this can be found at www.bocsco.com/x10

And – combined with the new macros available on the remote, you can hit a single button on the remote to fire up the tv, turn down the lights, close the drapes, and start a movie – your significant other will be secretly impressed even while she is rolling her eyes at you – I promise.

D

As you know, we decided to go open source on the firmware – and that is huge for the remotes as this is the only remote on the market with both full IR local (yawn) and TWO-WAY RF capabilites. The BOCS unit itself is a very capable basestation that has routable IR outputs and is all controlled by the 900MHz BOCS remote (repeaters also available) …

So – a customer has already taken us up on this and added full macro capabilites (yeah – just like a Harmony remote) – so now you can program sequences and even completely reprogram the function of the BOCS buttons. More info can be found on the AVSforum thread HERE.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1218246

Programming is very simple – you know you need a new weekend project!

My last blog post received so much feedback and requests for more information, I was able to get my company as well as our North American Distributor to sponsor a full eBook on the subject.

Frankly, questions about what wires to put in walls before your home goes up are the most common inquiry we get at home shows, and other public forums. It is a universal desire to at least be prepared for the future.

I’ve published the first 4 chapters and you are welcome to get a copy by going to www.bocsco.com/prewire

I’m also looking for help – I’ve already got folks from AVSforum and cocoontech contributing, but I’m looking for the following:

• Pictures of your home installation – pre-wire, lighting systems, audio systems, home automation systems etc. Credits given on pics.
• Someone to write a chapter on home automation
• Someone to write a chapter on whole-home lighting systems
• Someone to write a chapter on home theater control systems

The table of contents (subject to change as we get going) is as follows:

• Seriously, Why bother?
• Can I actually get away with this?
  • Some tips to keep in mind as you arrange your project:
  • So, what can go wrong?
• The Absolute Minimum – and Why…
  • Bottom line – the list first:
  • Where to get supplies:
  • Details Outside-In:
    • 4RG6 for Satellite 9 2RG6, 1Cat5e to the Cable TV Demarc point
    • 2 Cat5e to the phone demarc point 10 Details Inside the Home:
    • 2-RG6, 3-Cat5e: From the media cabinet to each room
    • Dedicated line to Cable Modem:
    • 2 RG6: 11 3 Cat5e:
    • Surround Sound
    • Good general rules for speaker locations:
    • Doorbell and Basic Security System Planning:
    • The Official Standard TIA-570
    • Wire Types, Uses and Substitutions:
• Future Proofing Coming Soon
• The Actual Installation Coming Soon
• Overall Considerations Coming Soon
• Coordinate with your Electrician: Coming Soon
• Home Systems to Consider Coming Soon
• Things to avoid Coming Soon
• Home Distribution Systems Coming Soon
• Home Automation Systems Coming Soon
• Home Security Systems Coming Soon
• Problems you will encounter Coming Soon
• I forgot a wire – Retrofitting Coming Soon
• A Room by Room checklist Coming Soon

I look forward to any inputs yall can provide – this will end up being a great resource for the technical community.

DF

One of the most frequently asked questions is “What wires should I install in the new home I’m building?”

Keep in mind that most builders are pretty touchy about you meddling in their project. In fact, I spent two full days pulling extra wires all over my own home right after it was framed, only to come back the next day to see all my extra wires pulled out and neatly coiled on the living room floor. So a couple of suggestions: don’t try to sneak it, buy your builder a case of beer, tell him exactly what you are going to do, and make sure you get his blessing. If you are building a two story home with a basement, make absolutely sure that there is a chase of some kind from the attic to the basement or install a good sized 2 or 3″ conduit or you will be sorry later. And finally, if you are working with the builder, make sure you strap all your new wires properly – according to local code. It has to look like it was professionally done or the inspectors might cause the builder trouble and make that case of beer less valuable.

Absolute Minimum:

As for wiring, if you are going for absolute minimum, my recommendation is (2) RG6-quad shield coax, (1) Cat5e for phone, (2) Cat5e or 6 for Ethernet and a spare for video, and (2) 16GA lamp cord for in-room speakers. Everything but the speaker wire should go to a single “mudring” (orange box frame for low voltage wiring). The Speaker wire should go to a “switch height” box near the room entry and then continue to optimal in-ceiling speaker locations so you can later put in volume controls. And don’t forget pre-wiring your living room and/or home theater location for surround sound. 2 rear, 2 side, 2 front, center, and sub locations – for the sub, I would double wire with speaker wire (same 18GA lamp cord) plus an RG6 coax in case the output you choose is RCA.

One extra upgrade:

Consider running one more cat5 to the location where you put the speaker control in each room – this will allow for future upgrade to a keypad that allows you to choose sources for the room.

So – where should all those wires go?

Telephone (one cat 5), TV (Coax), and Ethernet (Another Cat5) should all go to a single wiring panel – usually centrally located to minimize run lengths – closet, basement or preferably somewhere with attic, ceiling, chase access so you can run more wires later if needed. On-Q/Legrand and Leviton both make very nice cabinets that fit between studs and have nice snap-in modules like telephone punch blocks, cable splitters, and even ethernet switches.

My setup is not as well dressed as it should be, but I have everything in one place –

Audio may or may not go to the same location. If you invest in a switch that lets you put all your sources down in the basement and control everything from keypads in each room, you can run all those wires to another panel right next to the phone/ethernet/cable one. In my home, I ran all my speaker wires to my second story loft, where I have a Mac-mini running into a stereo amp (cheapest possible stereo audio receiver I could find at Best Buy), that feeds a multiroom switch. In all cases, I recommend putting in a switch so that the system is balanced, and if you choose to turn off a room, it does not change the volume in the rest of the rooms.

For the more advanced users – futureproofing…

A much more comprehensive guide, including hookup details, wiring for other major systems, proper wire dressing etc, there is an exceptional guide (broken up into three parts) from Cocoontech.com that I’ve save HERE for your convenience. It is a big read, but worth it if you are starting a new project.

And for your convenience, I put together a simple reference table – There are about 100 other services you could plan for, but if you take these into account you are easily 90% covered.

And what post would be complete without a plug for BOCS – home video distribution has never been easier than with our all-in-one system that any homeowner can tackle. www.bocsco.com

Another great combination – and for those of you with a Media Center, using it on one TV is great, but having access to it all over my home and NOT having to put a computer under every TV is most definitely the way to go.

So, I thought I’d share some great things I’ve learned as well as a few common problems I’ve noticed people have with Windows Media Centers… Me, I’m straddling the line as I have Media Center, TiVos, and an HDX1000… This is my home setup

Yeah – a little messy, but that is OK since it is all socked away in a corner of my office and not out in the main living room where appearance matters.

On the right is my “primary” BOCS – the slim set top box with the Red/Green/Blue lights on the front

• Red = Windows Media Center – you can see it on the left – the HP box with the two door open – it has 1TB internal, and as you can see another 4 TB of external shared storage. It holds my entire repository of movies, music, pictures, and also serves as my home server for software, as well as having two tuners – so this provides two recording options – but it is not hooked up to a cable box, so it primarily records network programming off Comcast cable
• Green = “Adult Tivo” – that would be the series 1 Philips tivo on the bottom right stack – Again, no cable box – so my wife and I record CSI and other things that we tend to watch together – it has a big hard drive so any time there is a movie we want to keep, we record it there as well
• Blue = “Kids Tivo” – the Humax (Silver) box in the right stack. It is unique in that it controls the Comcast (Motorola) set top box on top of it using a serial cable connection – AND it has a bilt in DVD burner. When a kid wants to watch a movie, this is where they run and put the DVD in so they can go to any other TV and watch it.
• (Just for reference, the other two devices on top of the right stack is a gigabit switch and on top of that the USB-ethernet adapter for the Humax Tivo)

On the Left is my “Secondary BOCS” – I have more than three sources so I put a second BOCS unit in my home – on a remote I get to the first three channels just by pushing the Red, Green, or Blue BOCS buttons. To access the secondary unit I use shift-Red, Shift-Green, or Shift-Blue. So, Hooked up to that is

• Shift-Red = HDX1000 – It can access via ethernet all the same movies/music/pitcures that are on the Media Center, but this provides me a low cost way to have another source – in case the kids are using the media center, I can still get to all that content on Shift-Red. Plus it has internet connectivity for other online sources – very nice.
• Shift-Green = I usually leave this one open – with a little A/V switch, I can switch it to my home security system (See the 12 cameras I have up), switch to an open input in case I want to plug in my video camera and watch a kids soccer game, etc.
• Shift-Blue = Sony DVD changer – This is a 400 disc DVD changer… Yes, I tend to rip all my movies, compress to 1.5GB and store on the media center, but you know how it is… That takes time and there are always a lot of DVDs “waiting in the queue”. So they all go there. It does a mediocre job of self-labeling but hooking up a keyboard makes it simple to add a title to a new disc.

Why the 2X4 s ? The Media center gets pretty warm – but the weird thing is that if it gets hot, it kicks its fans on high and it makes a lot of noise. The two 2X4s keep enough circulation that it rarely goes to high – ugly but functional.

And you might notice the sling box peeking out – This is one of the first generation ones – two inputs – so I can watch the media center or the Humax Tivo remotely – frankly I used it a lot at first from overseas, but not sure it has been activated in about 6 months.

So – the biggest issue with Media Center and BOCS? Getting the video out right. Depending on the PC you have, which video cards, and how you have it set up, it could support only one monitor, or one analog one digital, or be more flexible than that. This particular setup can support one digital and one analog. It is important to note that BOCS takes a composite input – analog. And VGA is ANALOG – so while you can hook up HDMI, or DVI, you have to unplug the VGA before you boot so the composite gets activated. Just a little tip.

Can anyone beat this setup??

So you have a movie collection – where it came from and the subtleties of what you can and cannot do with your huge DVD collection is your business – but you have a big collection. Cool, but being stuck watching it on just one TV or having to hook up a windows media center and netowrk in a bunch of slaves is a real pain – so how do the “rest of us” do it?

Yep, there is, in fact, a marriage made in heaven – an Xtender (to get your collection all over your home) and a media player. Check out the HDX1000 from Amperor Direct http://www.amperordirect.com/pc//audiovideo-HDX_1000.html  Yeah you could pay hundreds up to about $2000 on a media center and all you need to play movies, or just hook up this $249 device to a portable or internal hard drive and you are set. It plays pretty much any file type codec I’ve seen – even media center recordings, VOBs, and Xvid/DivX, comes with a really snazzy interface, and pretty much makes you look like the high tech cool guy on the block even if you aren’t.

I’ve been using one of these on one of my spare Xtender channels for a couple months and it really works well. The one I have gives me internet connectivity to news/video sites, lets me download torrents, and plays all my digital collections.  I’ll provide a detailed writeup on how these two work together in a soon-to-come blog update, but wanted everyone to be aware of this product.

Let me briefly run through the leaders and what I’ve seen so far:

Media Centers:

Pros – very versatile, easily updated codecs, unlimited storage as you can always add more, nice integration to online video rental sites

Cons – uh – it’s Windows, it crashes, it eventually becomes unstable, did I say it’s Windows already?

WD-TV

Pros – Low cost ~$100, pretty good codec stack, simple interface – intuitive

Cons – one USB port so storage is limited, no clear way to network storage, VOBs play kind-of (you have to play each chapter manually and frankly that sucks)

HDX1000

Pros – Reasonable cost, excellent codec coverage, excellent online uses, torrent integration – very cool, multiple USB ports AND internal drive bay, easily NAS’d

Cons – My humble opinion is that the user interface coule use a little updating, page up/dn, jump or fast search etc. but upgrades come all the time

Dlink/Linksys/Other Media center/expanders

I’m from the wireless industry and it truly is my first love, but running a bunch of video around the home wirelessly just don’t fly – and I don’t know many folks to have ethernet at every TV in the home, or are willing to invest in a new $250+ box for every TV so I’m not going to even bother with the pro/con list for these.

Watch for the under the hood review of the HDX1000 -