Flipping the "What HTPC Setup Should I Get?" Question on Its Head.

So I promised my dad I would build him an HTPC for storing and playing back DVD rips and the occasional DVD rentals. Although he has quite a few CD's, we're going to leave that alone for now. I'm familiar with building and using my own set-ups, having had some experience with serviio (Ubuntu), XMPC, Windows Media Center (though it's been a while since I've played with it), plex, and (mostly Windows) tools like handbrake, DVD Shrink, etc.

However, my dad has NO experience with computers, so I'm trying to find the simplest solution for him to:

1. Back up his DVD's by simply inserting them and running a profile--basically no categorization and they can just go into one folder (e.g., stick in disk--dialog box comes up that asks whether to proceed, and he clicks yes=rips and eject disk).

2. Play these DVD rips or other media files I provide him by navigating through a menu or two.

I'm looking at re-purposing a Windows 7 Ultimate computer with 3x500GB drives in RAID (not sure if I'm going with striped or 5), the specifications aren't important, but which suffice it to say has enough horsepower to do what he wants (will hook up to his TV through DVI-to-HDMI converter).

Any ideas, especially for requirement 1? This has got to be really, really straight forward.
Edited by chowyungfatso - 9/15/12 at 3:09am

Thanks. You guys are awesome. I just checked back in after an all-nighter trying to get some work out, and playing with my Asus RT-N66U. I will check out the MyMovies suggestion and also look at Auto Rip n' Compress.

Most likely I'll stick with WMC, but WOW, things have changed since I've last looked into this (4+ years?), but I think I still have an old WMC remote somewhere.

I presume I'll have to look through this to familiarize myself again:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1250607/windows-7-media-center-setup-guide-knowledge-base-support

MediaPortal looks interesting too, but since I already have WMC, it's just as well I don't try to mess around too much with something new...for now...and for him, haha.

Yeah, I hear ya. I bought him a fax machine a while ago and put numbered stickers as to what button to press. A few weeks ago I was at the house and I noticed he got a new fax machine:

Me: "What's wrong with the fax machine I bought you?"
Him: "It broke, and won't send out faxes."
Me: "Show me how you send out a fax."
Him: [Turns on speakerphone, dials number, hears receiving fax machine and then hangs up WITHOUT PRESSING SEND.]
Me: "Sigh."

I'm at my parent's almost every week, plus the ex's place to pick-up/drop-off kids, and after 4 hours of troubleshooting 3 networks (including my own), fixing various computer issues at my parents' and the kids' place--just the other day I thought about figuring a way to have everyone live together just so it'll be easier to manage one set of network, computer, etc.

Wonder what the fiancée will think about that.

As for my mom, I found a Chinese version of the iPad manual for her, and it's helping ... when she's willing to RTFM. (Her: "It's too many pages! Just show me.")

Oh yeah. Should have probably said something.

So, I've briefly used WMC and MyMovies. Have to say things have moved along quite a bit since I've been away.

I may have to find a non-Windows solution for the movie/media cataloging features, as I'd like to be able to share data with my dad's box--I'm running Ubuntu on my server and, as you all know, MyMovies is Windows only.