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Topic: xmas present question (Read 5278 times)
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Oz
Terracotta Army
Posts: 353
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present idea for wife... We currently record TV shows on PC with windows media center XP, which our PS3 can't access. I'm currently debating between getting her:
1.windows media extender ($200)
2.xbox360+wireless adapter ($300)
since its for my wife, i'm gonna ignore the whole "can play games" in my decision. we have netflix account, so i guess i'm debating paying an extra $100 to be able to watch netflix on the HDTV...
Thoughts? opinions? Is there free TV streaming (somehow) with the 360?
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Merusk
Terracotta Army
Posts: 27449
Badge Whore
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If you're seriously going to completly ignore the gaming aspect, I'd go with the media extender and the netflix viewer for the same cost. However, I'd go ahead and blow the extra $100 (if you have it) and get the 360, since the 360 can act as a windows media extender itself.
As for TV, with either solution you'd be doing it on the PC via your web browser and using the device as your hub to the HDTV.
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The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
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Oz
Terracotta Army
Posts: 353
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I wouldn't say i'm completely ignoring the gaming aspect. That's just what i'm telling my wife. (even though i think the 360 will be exactly what she needs/wants, i have a sinking feeling that this is going to be the gaming version of buying my wife a bowling ball...) at least that she'll take it that way. hehe.
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Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440
2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST
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Surprise her with a new vacuum cleaner.
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Why am I homeless? Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
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fuser
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1572
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present idea for wife... We currently record TV shows on PC with windows media center XP, which our PS3 can't access. I'm currently debating between getting her:
1.windows media extender ($200)
2.xbox360+wireless adapter ($300)
Thoughts? opinions? Is there free TV streaming (somehow) with the 360?
How about an arcade(199 you should be able to find some deals for about ~179) + wireless bridge(buy a $50-75 wifi router and use it in client mode + 1ft cat5 to your 360). Notes: HowTo guide for bridge choice/setup with dd-wrt newegg wrt54g2 for $39 DD-WRT install with VxWorks killing instructions. |
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« Last Edit: December 17, 2008, 09:51:19 AM by fuser »
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Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440
2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST
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wireless bridge(buy a $50-75 wifi router and use it in client mode + 1ft cat5 to your 360).
This has recently crossed my mind. Have you done this? Is it tasty? I have three consoles that all live in the wifi ghetto, and I'd like to know if I can do something less extreme than drill holes in my house. |
Why am I homeless? Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
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fuser
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1572
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See above notes  |
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Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440
2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST
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I appreciate the links, but let's pretend for a second that I already have a WRT54GL with dd-wrt and have happy-fun-time with multiple wifi clients. I am specifically wondering if, say, changing my PS3 to use the RJ-45 to another WRT54GL which then communicates to the other router would be faster and/or more reliable? I jacked up the watts on my transmitter but it occurs to me that I cannot do the same for the wireless clients and probably do not see any benefit. I like the 360 NetFlix client, and it's partly because I don't have to fuck around with a media PC. This thread is still for Oz's benefit.  |
Why am I homeless? Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
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bhodi
Moderator
Posts: 6817
No lie.
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I appreciate the links, but let's pretend for a second that I already have a WRT54GL with dd-wrt and have happy-fun-time with multiple wifi clients. I am specifically wondering if, say, changing my PS3 to use the RJ-45 to another WRT54GL which then communicates to the other router would be faster and/or more reliable? I jacked up the watts on my transmitter but it occurs to me that I cannot do the same for the wireless clients and probably do not see any benefit. I like the 360 NetFlix client, and it's partly because I don't have to fuck around with a media PC. This thread is still for Oz's benefit. Yes and no. I'm currently operating two dd-wrts configured in a WDS mesh network between them. You are going to see improvement, definitely. I don't know if it's enough, since you're still transmitting wirelessly. However, using a WDS mesh between two routers seems to boost the signal strength of your entire house - the microwave and other random shit used to interrupt my connection (breaking all my putty ssh links, so it was really annoying). I got a second router for downstairs, set them up in WDS, and now my connection doesn't drop whether I'm up or down. You seem to be more resistant to interference with two transmitters, and I know that your connections can transparently hop between them as you move around. I used this tutorial and am running a WRT54G downstairs and a buffalo upstairs (which is hooked into my wired internet). It's met all of my needs, and you should try it out. Make sure, as it says, that you're using a wired connector for things that matter (streaming video), otherwise your bandwidth is cut in half. |
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« Last Edit: December 17, 2008, 11:48:18 AM by bhodi »
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Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440
2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST
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A quick read of the link you gave leads me to believe that the WDS setup is for increased robustness, but I'm looking for a straight-up speed increase since my household interference is rather low... especially since I upgraded my gigahertz phones from the old 2002 vintage set. I might be able to get some speed off of putting a router near my ceiling -- and therefore far closer to my primary router -- but I would need to justify the investment. I haven't conjured up the balls to drill my floor/ceiling yet, but that would be the best route for speed.
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Why am I homeless? Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
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Nerf
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2421
The Presence of Your Vehicle Has Been Documented
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Why can't the ps3 play the recorded tv? I watch almost all of my downloaded movies on the ps3, it won't pick up .mkv's though.
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Oz
Terracotta Army
Posts: 353
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I use windows media center xp to record the TV shows. the format can't play on my PS3 and I don't really care to go through the effort of converting all our files...
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bhodi
Moderator
Posts: 6817
No lie.
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A quick read of the link you gave leads me to believe that the WDS setup is for increased robustness, but I'm looking for a straight-up speed increase since my household interference is rather low... especially since I upgraded my gigahertz phones from the old 2002 vintage set. I might be able to get some speed off of putting a router near my ceiling -- and therefore far closer to my primary router -- but I would need to justify the investment. I haven't conjured up the balls to drill my floor/ceiling yet, but that would be the best route for speed.
Yes, exactly. I wasn't sure what was causing the issues; if you had interference that was causing the slowdown WDS would be a solution. There's no way I know of to get flat out more bandwidth out of a wireless network, no way to bond multiple interfaces or anything. If 54 Mbps isn't fast enough, your next step is wired. |
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Salamok
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2803
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stuff
If 54 Mbps isn't fast enough, your next step is wired. I thought the new dual band wireless-n routers + dual band card was in the 200+mbps range. Then again my info was from an over eager sales person trying to talk me up from a 54mbps model to replace my last one that poofed. Anyhoo I passed on that because not much point in having that kind of speed if the only thing you use your network for is accessing the internet via cable modem. |
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bhodi
Moderator
Posts: 6817
No lie.
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It must be a new tech, then. I admit I haven't been keeping up in the latest and greatest of the wireless world. I'd do a little digging, of course. Theoretical numbers are often very different from actual ones.
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squirrel
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Speaking of marketing, we're out of milk.
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NiX
Wiki Admin
Posts: 7770
Locomotive Pandamonium
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Why can't the ps3 play the recorded tv? I watch almost all of my downloaded movies on the ps3, it won't pick up .mkv's though.
360 won't pick up MKV's either. PS3 is the easiest to convert them for though because the shell is very close to another format the PS3 supports. |
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Signe
Terracotta Army
Posts: 18942
Muse.
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That's because it didn't have a ball like mine. I love my vacuum cleaner! Sometimes I get all misty-eyed thinking about it. |
My Sig Image: hath rid itself of this mortal coil.
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Yegolev
Moderator
Posts: 24440
2/10 WOULD NOT INGEST
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You just like balls.
Admit it.
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Why am I homeless? Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
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