I have finally got my HTPC built and Freebox installed. I "tweaked" the Chablis Blue Skin to use for the 7" touchscreen (800x600 and bigger buttons). here are a few pics of the HTPC and some of the screens. I will be putting this in my stereo cabinet with the rest of my components. I am currently ripping movies to DIVX/XVID to have on the box too, so it will be a Movie and CD Jukebox. Each movie is around a gig, so I'll be able to fit a few on my 320 gig HD....
(http://www.category5prod.com/images/HTPC1.jpg)
(http://www.category5prod.com/images/HTPC2.jpg)
(http://www.category5prod.com/images/HTPC3.jpg)
(http://www.category5prod.com/images/HTPC4.jpg)
wow, i like that. i originally started with a 7" t/s and it really wasnt that bad. but now that ive experienced the 19" i'll never look back. :D
after incorporating it with the rest of your stereo, couldnt you just use the dvd tray to watch movies instead of fillling up the harddrive?
anyways, looks good!
.
Thanks... Yep I probably could just play the movies via the tray, but the movies don't take that much space (~1 gig) so I can fit all of my current movies on there, I guess the real reason is the same as why I like having a Jukebox with all of my CD's on it, I don't have to go looking for the CD to play... I guess I'm just getting lazy :) Thanks....
I think its pretty slick looking. Post up some Tv shots when you have it running.
Thats Awesome EIST !! GOOD JOB, very clean.
All Freebox has to do now is get the ripping interface built and you guys will have a marketable product.
How much do you have invested in the unit? What are the specs? CPU,HD Size,RAM,ect ect.
Hey I just had a thought, even if Barcrest would just include a way for freebox to read Mp3's from the CD Rom or DVD and add the new songs to freebox library would be better then nothing at all.Seems there are many rippers like Itunes out there available for free which can export to mp3 format.Still would mean a customer would have to have a computer in addition to the jukebox, but I think most have a PC or will soon enough, especially those familiar or using mp3's.
Fish
Fish how did you get on with coding your software? We've not heard from you in ages....
Hi Barcrest,
Sorry I have been busy with the Academy but been keeping an eye on the threads.
You have been doing an awesome job with the project and your dedication is very admirable.
After a study and input from the industry it would seem a complete project build for just a MP3 player would not live long enough to pay for itself, or make it profitable within the time frame needed for investors.As you know the technology industry moves very fast and obsoletes even faster.
There is a market for home entertainment systems but owners will have to able and capable of using their current mediums or be able to convert their media without computer expertise or a contract with a company to manage the updates for them.Its very complicated to explain other then saying the general consumer is not going to except another medium or a system contract with monthly fees to update there systems with the latest movies and music.Its a tough market with very small profit margins.
Thanks for a great program, I use it at home all the time and my Harley Davidson Jukebox is always a big hit with new visitors.Keep up the good work and hope it becomes profitable for you.
Fish
That is a real nice system...could really see that in an entertainment system full of goddies..seeing this project along with all our large juke builds..and of course the introduction of wireless (which draginit and others are using..) then could freebox be put into a handheld unit..size of a psp or even an i-pod/i-phone style remote. controling music and video and all applications from your hand? Now it just hit me..voice control. that may be far away but that be sweet.
Hey, Eist-
Nice job, man! Looks good- too good!
Wife saw this and now she wants a tiny-monitor media center pc in the living room instead of a fullsize juke. Naturally, she decides this after I bought a 19" touchscreen. ::) Oh, well, guess that means I get to build the fullsize machine for my gameroom instead. 8)
But first, I've gotta get the living room squared away. I've already got an 8" touchscreen I bought for a carpc project (guess that one's cancelled :() that I can use. Have you got a link to that case you used? Maybe the manufacturer makes something similar with a larger screen opening.
Also, would you mind sharing that skin you did for it? This touchscreen isn't super-accurate, and the picture isn't super-crisp, either. The bigger buttons and font would be a big plus.
Thanks for any help, and again, nice job!
-Kremmit
Here is the store I bought my case from:
http://www.pcalchemy.com/index.php/cName/htpc-cases?osCsid=ac7083d78c49f1e21205696636c25f7b
The one I bought was $349 and there is a 12" touchscreen HTPC case on there but a pretty steep price $1099. I will send the skin to Barcrest to be added to the list for touchscreen use. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks
Hahahaha............ ;)
Eist , pretty cool dude.
Here are some pics with the HTPC connected to my 55" TV using the dual screen option in Freebox. You can see in the first pic the full screen visualizations while playing music, and the second a movie playing through Freebox.
(http://www.category5prod.com/images/visual.jpg)
(http://www.category5prod.com/images/movie.jpg)
55" I hate you ;)
I used to have a Seleco 3 gun CRT projector that was projecting an image 12ft across, not diagonal.... It wasn't HD but it was freakin awsome for watching stuff on. I used to have freebox hooked up to it as the second display.
that had to be close to life size
The resolution sucked for games but it was fine for movies and music videos. Adult movies were often a little off putting...
Quote from: eist1 on November 19, 2007, 06:47:52 PM
Here is the store I bought my case from:
http://www.pcalchemy.com/index.php/cName/htpc-cases?osCsid=ac7083d78c49f1e21205696636c25f7b
The one I bought was $349 and there is a 12" touchscreen HTPC case on there but a pretty steep price $1099. I will send the skin to Barcrest to be added to the list for touchscreen use. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks
Thanks for the link- sadly for me, it looks like they all come with the touchscreen already integrated. I've already got an 8-incher I plan to use, so I guess I'll just have to roll my own case. Actually, I've already started on that, but I'll move the rest of that to my own project thread.
And thanks for the skin- Barry, is that available somewhere yet?
kremmit,
Just sent you the skin via email, check it out. Thanks
Wow, I have a 62-inch Mitsubishi. I should give that a try.
Are you running them as divx or Xvid files?
I am currently using DIVX, but have also tried XVID, but to be honest could not tell the difference in quality, and the DIVX is much quicker to convert. I'm using #1 DVD Ripper which had the most options, and can choose many different preferences, which I am using HD. Try it out, it works really well. I'm splitting them into two different files, only because right now in Freebox you can fast forward or rewind, so once you have a movie started, you have to watch the whole thing, so at least if I stop I'll only have to watch 1/2 of it.