W7MC as server?

[SJMaye]

I have grown weary waiting on MS to integrate streaming apps directly in MC. Now I hear MC is dead going forward. As much as cable's days may be numbered I still have need to record shows. So I need to both stream and record cable tv. I want them in the same ecosystem. The only solution I see is to turn my media center computer in to a server (if I am using that term correctly) and use XBOX 360s as extenders at every tv. I have tried this before, but found the XBOX to have sluggish remote response. I see no other choice but to try again.

Can anyone offer some thoughts to improve performance? An alternate hardware/software scenario?

[adam1991]

Something's wrong with your setup if you see sluggish remote response on an XBox.

Anyway, what you describe isn't so much "turning your media center computer into a server" as it is simply using the Windows Media Center functionality as it was designed from the beginning: one place where TV is tuned, and it is either sent out in real time to extenders or recorded on that one PC. Recordings can then be viewed on extenders.

The key is that all TV activity happens on that one computer. This is beneficial because it allows copy protected cable recordings to be handled properly according to the content owners' rules, while still allowing you to view them on multiple remote TVs.

Trust me when I tell you, viewing TV on XBox extenders--be it live or recordings--is superb. Look to your network to resolve problems; "sluggish response" isn't at all how it goes.

[glugglug]

Crazy as it sounds, sluggish remote performance may actually be an issue with the remote.

I have a Linksys DMA2200 in addition to several XBOX 360 extenders. For a long time, we thought the DMA2200 was just ridiculously slow. Actually, the remote it comes with is!!. The same Linksys responds several times quicker to remote button presses from a Harmony 300 than to the remote it came with. Not all RC6 remotes are created equal!

Now, there are certain situations where the response is slow, especially on extenders, regardless of which remote you are using. Particularly, browsing any library folder with hundreds of files is slow. And something about these views in media center does not scale well, like it is n^2 relative to the number of files, not linear, and the fact this is worse on extenders (and much worse on MoCA than just ethernet) means whatever loop is happening there is likely requiring many round trips through the network. The Recorded TV view slows down a lot with a huge number of recordings as well, but is still much faster than cable company DVRs with over 2000 recordings.

There is also a pause for awhile with the spinning circle thing going about 10 seconds after the extender connects, and the duration of that pause increases with the size of your libraries.

[3rob3]

My Xbox 360 Slim has horrible IR reception. This makes it seem like the UI is sluggish because it often doesn't receive the button presses. I did not have this issue with my white 360's. I must have a particularly bad one because my brother's Slim doesn't have this issue.
Mine is so bad I am contemplating this mod:
https://valkyriemt.wordpress.com/2010/0 ... %93part-2/

[DavidinCT]

My Xbox 360 Slim has horrible IR reception. This makes it seem like the UI is sluggish because it often doesn't receive the button presses. I did not have this issue with my white 360's. I must have a particularly bad one because my brother's Slim doesn't have this issue.
Mine is so bad I am contemplating this mod:
https://valkyriemt.wordpress.com/2010/0 ... %93part-2/

Yea, agreed, I have a SLIM where one of our extenders are. the IR port sucks on it. If your off angle just by 15% it does not work.

The original Xbox (old 20gg model) was better but, no where near a cablebox (or other consumer IR based device) or even the IR blaster for the MCE machine...

[Doctor Feelgood]

I have two 360 extenders tied back to one PC... The host PC and the network overall have beyond the required specs for good performance, except one extender is a bit sluggish. I know it is because it is on a powerline adapter and not hard wired with CAT6 like everything else in the house. The powerline setup is rated for 2000Mbps, and does fine for Internet streaming (close to 100MB/s down real world), but it lags a bit on send / receive requests on the extender. I have swapped locations for the extenders, and the problem does not follow the device - it stays in the same location. I messed with remotes for a while, and now all TVs use the same model (URC WR7), so I can bring them to any other system in the house and see that they are not the problem. I did try an IR repeater thing so I could hide the XBOX in the one room, but that was horrible. I need to get that CAT6 run up to my room.

What is your network setup?

[SJMaye]

Guys,

I spoke wrong. IR performance is fine. I was really trying to say the extender reacted sluggishly to the remote control. It clearly received the signal, just the XBOX 360 extender had the screen animations not as smooth as the MC PC and the content seemed to load slower. I assumed related to connecting back to the server,

[3rob3]

We understood what you meant, and were just trying to say you may be misinterpretting sluggish UI with the remote commands not always being received.

If you are certain that IR is not the issue then refer to adam1991 above. Something is wrong/misconfigured with your network or NIC.

[mike_ekim]

Can anyone offer some thoughts to improve performance? An alternate hardware/software scenario?

I pledged on SiliconDust's recent DVR kickstarter. You may want to check it out. It won't be available until the fall but when it finally arrives it offer OTA or cable (including cable card/copy once protected) DVR capabilities. Right now there are more questions than answers (i.e. specific hardware and specific capabilities) but if you can wait a few more months there will be one more option that might do what you want.

Android TV supports Netflix, Plex and Kodi; HBO is on the way. If a few other services like Amazon Prime comes to Android TV, and if it ends up with OTA/Cablecard DVR capabilities via SiliconDust, then a Nvidia Shield with it's moderate gaming capabilities may finally be the one device that does everything I want. Or maybe it will be a dud. But I'm definitely interested.

[SJMaye]

"may finally be the one device that does everything I want"

You know for all the grief MS gets for being behind Android and Apple Media Center was doing all this back with Vista. I know VIsta and early W7MC had streaming video built right in to the programming guide. And after all that they drop it. Pretty sad. MS has done almost nothing to it since Win7 and yet it still is ahead of everyone else.

[DOS4EVER]

"may finally be the one device that does everything I want"

You know for all the grief MS gets for being behind Android and Apple Media Center was doing all this back with Vista. I know VIsta and early W7MC had streaming video built right in to the programming guide. And after all that they drop it. Pretty sad. MS has done almost nothing to it since Win7 and yet it still is ahead of everyone else.

Completely agree. The interface still outperforms all other platforms and I've tried them all lately. So glad I got my Media PC working again. I won't be switching anytime soon unless the Silicon DVR is better.

[gary94080]

are the PC and xbox hardwired to the network?

any issues with the router?

[w84no1]

I installed Windows to a SSD and that sped up the responses with my Xbox 360s considerably.

[Haba]

High speed quality hardware including SSD, wired gigabit network make a big difference.