Re: plea for help with "convergence" product

["Timothy Morris" <timmorris@xxxxxxx>]

Sounds like an impressive product. I assume that you have seen the DVX8000
that Philips sell in the US, which does about 80% of what you want?

Tim.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: paul gordon [mailto:paul_gordon@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 28 April 1999 16:43
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: [ukha_d] plea for help with "convergence" product
>
>
> This might be a "little" off-topic, but I don't think its
_too_ far
> out...
>
> I'm intending to build a "convergence" PC (just LOVE those
> buzzwords!")
>
> What I basically want is a state-of-the-art WINTEL PC to live in my
> AV rack in my lounge, along with the hi-fi / TV / VCR's etc.. The
> intention being for it to perform several functions, and replace
> several other seperate boxes:
>
> 1) Games playing - replacing the Sony Playstation
> 2) DVD movie's - removing the need to buy a consumer DVD player.
> 3) Web-TV - via my ISDN line, for browsing, banking, shopping, online
> gaming, TV guide, etc.. AND for accessing by home intranet which will
> be the front-end for my MP3 jukebox.
> 4) MP3 jukebox player - replacing my current CD player.
> 5) Remote control of other PC's in the house via PC-Anywhere
> 6) Possibly some HA control as well??
>
> The existing 33" TV will be used as the monitor, via a S-video
> connection, the keyboard/mouse will be wireless, so only a base unit
> will need to live in my rack. I've already specified most of the
> parts, and already sourced some of them as well. BUT, my main problem
> is this:
>
> I _REALLY_ don't want a beige PC in my living room!! - I'm having a
> pretty hard time sourcing a base unit that's black (I mean really
> black, rather than a sort of muddy dark brown!), and black-fascia'd
> drives to go in it...
>
> So I'd be REALLY greatful if all you helpful guys and gals would let
> me know if you hear about anywhere I can get any of these items:
>
> Black DVD-ROM drive (zone unrestricted, latest 5X / 6X etc.)
> Black CD-ROM drive IDE or SCSI, latest 32X / 40X etc.
> Black ATX (slimline or full) desktop case (not midi/mini/full tower)
>
> I could probably dispense with a dedicated CD drive, if the DVD drive
> gives good enough audio CD playback (dual-pickup?) - the reason being
> that my wife hasn't "quite" come around to the idea yet, so
I've had
> to promise to leave existing CD playback functionality available
> alongside the MP3 jukebox facility.
>
> The idea would be that this PC would be 'always on' - IE available at
> least as quickly as any other consumer equipment, so it'd have to
> conform to the ACPI power-management spec, and the "OnNow"
spec, so a
> mere press of the front panel sleep/resume button gives me a useable
> computer in about 5 seconds, and I'd want to be able to wake it up
> automatically by selecting the appropriate TV channel as well,
> (somehow), so in practice, all I do is pick up my URC, select the TV
> channel number for the PC, and after a few seconds, I see my intranet
> homepage, which has links for all the services offered by the PC....
>
> I'm not in any hurry - I'm planning on using Windows 2000 as the OS
> on this machine, so we're unlikely to be putting it together until
> Q4, so I'd really appreciate it if you could bear this in mind in the
> coming months.
>
> If anyone's interested, my planned spec for this machine is as
> follows: (subject to change!)
>
> Intel P111/500Mhz
> 128MB RAM
> 10GB  Wide-ultra SCSI disk
> 3COM 10/100Mb Ethernet card (running at 100Mb)
> Creative SB Live! soundcard
> RIVA TNT-2 AGP 32MB 3D graphics card with S-video out
> Adaptec AHA2940UW PCI wide-ultra SCSI controller
> 5X SCSI DVD-ROM drive. - Black!
> 32X /40X SCSI CD-ROM drive. - Black!
> As yet undecided MPEG2 decoder card for DVD-movies (open to
> recommendations!)
> Infrared cordless keyboard/mouse.
>
> Here's hoping someone can help me.
>
> Thanks y'all
>
> Paul Gordon.
>
>
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