[RScogland]

If I rip all my DVD's to my PC (located in my home office) and I want to play them on my 48" TV (located in my basement) over my wired home network (the wiring already exists) what would be the least expensive option to play the VIDEO_TS .VOB's on my TV from from the PC's harddrive? Do I need another computer? (can't afford to right now) Modding my Xbox? (don't trust myself to not fry it) Does another cheap product already exist?

 

[impeyr]

Hi:


Take a look at the PrismiQ MediaPlayer. It can stream VOB files over ethernet. It's not great, for example, at the current time, the MediaPlayer does not understand about menus. (At least not for me!). Also no DD 5.1 support at present.

 

[jflatt]

Modding your current Xbox would be cheaper. There are even ways to do it without opening it up. I guess that's not exactly modifying. MS is also coming out with their Media Center Extender for Xbox. The homegrown Xbox Media Center can play the main movie from a dvd image, but no DTS pass through right now, and no menus. The developers update it weekly and add new features, and it's come a long way. Check these sites out:

Xbox-scene

Xbox Media Center

 

[DAVE2]

Get a dual head ati 7500 video card, $50, and run a vga cable, $30, from the home office to the tv. Use a gyration mouse $50 to control home office pc.


I currently run from my master bedroom pc 50' to the pj in the family room. I use the gyration mouse and keyboard, I surf with the keyboard, and control theater tek on the pc with the mouse only.


dave

 

[RScogland]

Moddin' my Xbox may work if I don't need to open it, but I don't think I can use MS's official Media Center Extender because it only works with Media Center PC's (which I don't have). The Xbox-scene website can take some time to dig thru, but I may do just that.

 

[dokworm]

You should be able to find a guy to mod your xbox for under 20 bucks, and then you can stream the files to it after setting up various software apps. Check out xbox-tribe.com as well.

You can do it with just a conductive pen, it really is very easy - but I'd get on the forums at xbox-scene if I were you, and check out xbmc (xbox media centre) etc.