If you could design the perfect HTPC frontend software, what would it look like?

To me, the holy grail is a singular interface that shows my local media and the media choices from all the websites that I choose; Netflix, Hulu, etc... I don't want to access them through a separate plugin or resource. I want to choose between every movie and tv show that I have access to.

Google TV was suppose to do a lot of this, including the last part. Unfortunately it's not there yet. I really think HTPC's will become an even smaller niche once set-top boxes become faster and more functional. It still seems like a while off though. I hope google doesn't abandon the project, because it has a lot of potential. I tried a Sony google TV box (the NSZ-GT1), but its biggest problem was that it was too darn slow.

Need to option to watch movies, TV recordings, and live TV from the server on the iPad, iPhone or Android. Also to be able to watch it from a DLNA enabled device with on the fly transcoding (yes I know a cheap dedicted HTPC for each TV in the house is the ideal solution but why add extra devices if you can get away with it).

For those of us with children, parental control over content is something that is important, not only on a content basis but also by device.

Are you familiar with Plex? It does exactly this, just not for live TV.

I've said this already, but for me the best frontend software would be Windows 8, but only if Windows Media Center was heavily modified.

All they have to do is split out the parts to be pinnable to the Start screen, so I could pin Recorded TV, Live TV, Guide, etc. to the Start screen. Then I'd have a heavily configurable user interface that would look great on the TV, but also let me install apps for third-party content. For example, in my mind we've got a much better chances of seeing a Spotify Metro-style app (or any other service of that sort) than we do of seeing a Spotify Windows Media Center plugin. Just do that and make everything fully controllable by remote, and it would be perfect for me.

Definitely. Too bad we won't see live TV in Plex anywhere in the near future.

The biggest problem with the googletv is that most every content provider has blocked access.

The problem with set top boxes is DRM and the likes limits what they can play back.

Well the Sony can play blu-ray discs. It can also playback blu-ray rips if you remove the drm first (using makemkv for example), which is what many htpc users do anyway. The only thing it doesn't do is play full bluray ISO/folders.

For me XBMC is getting close. All they need (IMHO) is:

- Improve\\perfect live TV\\PVR
- Better implementation of external filters\
enderers
- a more streamlined client\\server solution for whole home sharing including play states for resuming where you left off.
- jRiver type audio options (multi-zone, room correction,etc)
- A better way of modifying skins than .xml editing. Every skin I fall in love with has one drawback or another that keeps me looking. Whether it's a missing view type or a poor OSD.

I've spent a ton of time with it since Eden final came out and I'm very impressed. I've completely migrated from WMC\\MB and haven't looked back.

I actually don't use it for live tv, I'm in Canada and we have pitiful OTA and no cable card whatsoever, only option for HD is an STB so I cut the cord. Just figuring that would help it become the "perfect" media center.

...SageTV was well on the way of having most of the items on your list until they were "Googled".

Once J River is supporting cable card tuners then it will become the ultimate Swiss Army knife. The development pace of that software is relentess.

...Good luck on getting CableLabs to certify that.

My needs are simple:

- Play 1080p 24fps ripped Blu-ray content from ISO, folder structure, or MKV.
- Bitstream "core" and HD audio, including DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.
- Have a reasonably user-friendly interface, that makes it easy to add sources and scroll through playlist. I don't require a flashy eye-candy interface. I'd rather have a basic usable interface, with development time spent on making the other requirements actually WORK.
- Handle subtitles (in ALL forms) flawlessly. And I mean FLAWLESSLY, just like a hardware BD player. Whether they're embedded in video, marked as forced, or however else subtitles are encoded, they should JUST WORK.

That's it. If I could find something that just does those things, and does them well, I'd be happy.

I knew Plex works well with tablets but I didn't realise it could stream to DLNA enabled TVs. I've been using serviio for this task so I might give the Plex media server a test and see how it goes.

I'm pleasantly surprised how well the i3 handles transcoding multiple video streams on the fly to various other devices, play back via HDMI and running quite a few other services all at the same time.

Fyi, the DLNA function just came out and is in beta. Also, there are only profiles for a few devices right now. It's coming, but it's not quite there yet. It's kind of amazing what they're doing though. For instance, on the PS3 and Xbox 360 (and other devices presumably), it presents posters. It also organizes TV shows with season folders, etc.

HD Homerun works great. I have two hooked up. I don'tt use a Hauppage but I believe they are supported.

Actually, Sagetv is/was able to do all of that. Although some of it was 3rd party plugin and a little janky as a result (required the use of Play On to access Netflix/Hulu) but there were sage plugins that made it possible to sort your Netflix queue in with your recorded and ripped media.

-Suntan

It has its own scraper