There are some coax connections on the back of my Time-Warner
General Instrument Cable Box that loop from one port on the back of the CB
to another port on the back of the CB. What do these do? Is there anything
fun/usefull that can do done by rearranging these cables/connections?
The GI CB doesn't have a separate cable card/slot that I remember previous
CB/DVRs having. I seem to remember the Motorola DCT6412 and the
ReplayTV 5080 having similar cable loop connections, but I could be wrong.
Nobody's been able to copy recordings or add larger hard drives to the
DCT6412 yet have they? Bummer... Still gotta love that ReplayTV!!!!!
I just set up a 2007 Mac Mini Media Center with an EyeTV Hybrid USB Tuner
which will more or less replace my ReplayTV, Yamaha DVD Player/HTC and
Cable box.
I tried out the WD TV Live Plus; which was ok. Nice because it had Hulu and
NetFlix, Composite TV Output for my crappy old CRT TV. Nice that is would
serve as a file server to store Video and Audio on an external drive.
BUT it wouldn't serve as a Audio or Video Server to other Macs ala iTunes.
A big thing for me is to be able have one copy of my music and Video in one
place and be able to share/play it anywhere else. Also the WD TVL+ didn't
have an iPhone remote app!!! Big Minus! I tried the WDXLTV Hack, which
gives you a web interface, bit torrent client, etc. But then you lose NetFlix
and Hulu; Big Minus!!!
Then I found out there's a hack to allow the AppleTV v1 to output composite
video to my crappy old TV. So I got an AppleTV to play around with. Applied
all the common upgrades and hacks to it. Much nicer interface!!! Tried
XBMC and Boxee... Which have some interesting content channels.
But the AppleTV still wouldn't let me play Hulu and Netflix content!!! And
amazingly would not act as an iTunes server!!!! I did get it set up to use an
external hard drive, and AFP/SMB/FTP File Server, etc.
So I bit the bullet and
bought a 2007 Mac Mini because I was tired of hooking my laptop up to the
TV. I would have liked to get a 2009 Mac Mini, but never found a good deal
on one. The 2007 is 2x2ghz Intel, 2gb, with a new 320gb hd. It would have
been nice to have the 2009 DisplayPort and mini-DVI instead of just DVI
video output (and FW800)
Now I know you are asking, why don't you get a real TV??? Because the
current TV is in an antique cabinet that my wife is attached to that is painted
colonial blue to match the rest of the room. It can't really fit a larger/wider
TV so there's no point in buying a new TV untill this one dies!
So, I have the Mac Mini with the EyeTV Hybrid on Time-Warner Cable. I
have XBMC and Boxee, iTunes and Front Row, and we'll see which program
wins out. I'd like to use iTunes exclusively, I like the DJ Random Playlist
feature. Frontrow is easy except it doesn't have the DJ feature. I don't like
XBMC and Boxee because you have to tell it where your stuff is and it has
to search it before you can use it. I'm still having troubles importing video
into iTunes...
I'll use the Mac Mini to run Transmission as a ********** client to download
stuff, since it will be 'on' all the time as a server anyway. I tried a bunch
of iPhone remote apps, and so far RowMote is far away the best. I use the
physical Apple Remote a fair amount as well.
But I digress...
So I can replace three big boxes: CB, DVD/HTC and ReplayTV with one little
Mac Mini ( MaxMini ) The only thing I will lose is the FM receiver in the
HTC and the Digital channels; the EyeTV will only receive the analog Cable
TV. Not a terrible loss for me. And I'll save $20-$30 a month by not renting
the CB, and the ReplayTV Guide Service. I still have to get the TVGuide
service set up on the EyeTV/Mac...
Did I miss anything? What else can/should I do? Questions?
It's been Fun! The only thing that would make me rethink the set up is if I
could get a usefull DCT6412 where all the interfaces worked. I was really
bummed that I couldn't get the AppleTV to do what I wanted it to. I really
think Apple is going in the wrong direction here!!! Which is not easy for me
to say!!! The iPod would not have been a runaway success if you could only
buy the music from Apple. I'd hate to see a repeat of Ken Olsen not being
able to get his mind around the idea of a PC!!! I'm dating myself here!!!
Thanks, Jaimes Beam.
General Instrument Cable Box that loop from one port on the back of the CB
to another port on the back of the CB. What do these do? Is there anything
fun/usefull that can do done by rearranging these cables/connections?
The GI CB doesn't have a separate cable card/slot that I remember previous
CB/DVRs having. I seem to remember the Motorola DCT6412 and the
ReplayTV 5080 having similar cable loop connections, but I could be wrong.
Nobody's been able to copy recordings or add larger hard drives to the
DCT6412 yet have they? Bummer... Still gotta love that ReplayTV!!!!!
I just set up a 2007 Mac Mini Media Center with an EyeTV Hybrid USB Tuner
which will more or less replace my ReplayTV, Yamaha DVD Player/HTC and
Cable box.
I tried out the WD TV Live Plus; which was ok. Nice because it had Hulu and
NetFlix, Composite TV Output for my crappy old CRT TV. Nice that is would
serve as a file server to store Video and Audio on an external drive.
BUT it wouldn't serve as a Audio or Video Server to other Macs ala iTunes.
A big thing for me is to be able have one copy of my music and Video in one
place and be able to share/play it anywhere else. Also the WD TVL+ didn't
have an iPhone remote app!!! Big Minus! I tried the WDXLTV Hack, which
gives you a web interface, bit torrent client, etc. But then you lose NetFlix
and Hulu; Big Minus!!!
Then I found out there's a hack to allow the AppleTV v1 to output composite
video to my crappy old TV. So I got an AppleTV to play around with. Applied
all the common upgrades and hacks to it. Much nicer interface!!! Tried
XBMC and Boxee... Which have some interesting content channels.
But the AppleTV still wouldn't let me play Hulu and Netflix content!!! And
amazingly would not act as an iTunes server!!!! I did get it set up to use an
external hard drive, and AFP/SMB/FTP File Server, etc.
So I bit the bullet and
bought a 2007 Mac Mini because I was tired of hooking my laptop up to the
TV. I would have liked to get a 2009 Mac Mini, but never found a good deal
on one. The 2007 is 2x2ghz Intel, 2gb, with a new 320gb hd. It would have
been nice to have the 2009 DisplayPort and mini-DVI instead of just DVI
video output (and FW800)
Now I know you are asking, why don't you get a real TV??? Because the
current TV is in an antique cabinet that my wife is attached to that is painted
colonial blue to match the rest of the room. It can't really fit a larger/wider
TV so there's no point in buying a new TV untill this one dies!
So, I have the Mac Mini with the EyeTV Hybrid on Time-Warner Cable. I
have XBMC and Boxee, iTunes and Front Row, and we'll see which program
wins out. I'd like to use iTunes exclusively, I like the DJ Random Playlist
feature. Frontrow is easy except it doesn't have the DJ feature. I don't like
XBMC and Boxee because you have to tell it where your stuff is and it has
to search it before you can use it. I'm still having troubles importing video
into iTunes...
I'll use the Mac Mini to run Transmission as a ********** client to download
stuff, since it will be 'on' all the time as a server anyway. I tried a bunch
of iPhone remote apps, and so far RowMote is far away the best. I use the
physical Apple Remote a fair amount as well.
But I digress...
So I can replace three big boxes: CB, DVD/HTC and ReplayTV with one little
Mac Mini ( MaxMini ) The only thing I will lose is the FM receiver in the
HTC and the Digital channels; the EyeTV will only receive the analog Cable
TV. Not a terrible loss for me. And I'll save $20-$30 a month by not renting
the CB, and the ReplayTV Guide Service. I still have to get the TVGuide
service set up on the EyeTV/Mac...
Did I miss anything? What else can/should I do? Questions?
It's been Fun! The only thing that would make me rethink the set up is if I
could get a usefull DCT6412 where all the interfaces worked. I was really
bummed that I couldn't get the AppleTV to do what I wanted it to. I really
think Apple is going in the wrong direction here!!! Which is not easy for me
to say!!! The iPod would not have been a runaway success if you could only
buy the music from Apple. I'd hate to see a repeat of Ken Olsen not being
able to get his mind around the idea of a PC!!! I'm dating myself here!!!
Thanks, Jaimes Beam.