Re: Pinnacle ShowCenter + PVR

["keyvan2r" <keyvan@xxxxxxx>]

I forgot to say, on the storage/server front, I am going with a=20
quality & big (24/36 bay hot swap) enclosure and the 3ware sata RAID=20
controller. I only have about 150 dvd's - at approx 6Gb per movie=20
(full quality vob) -that's 900 Gb so a 1.2Tb array will be my=20
starting config. I will start 6 or 8 200Gb drives and add more as I=20
need and prices come down. I know the initial outlay for the 12 port=20
RAID and enclosure is not cheap, but it is a fraction of the high=20
end !?? stuff from AMX (see their MAX range of equipment - about=20
$50K starting for a video server setup). So I guess the price may be=20
a comparative issue.
=20
--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "keyvan2r" <keyvan@e...> wrote:
> Tony & Graham
>=20
> It looks like we are looking around for similar solutions all=20
round=20
> with the key starting point being a ripping & storage strategy
as=20
> this has proved  to be a pain to us all in the past. I too started=20
> out with a lossless (wma)as my standard for audio due to quality=20
> issues and now wish I had gone with .ape.
> The same is true of dvd's. I fully agree that the time investment=20
is=20
> probably the biggest outlay and commitment to a standard you are=20
> going to have to live with in the medium term. (I hate having to=20
do=20
> the same thing over & over). I too think the highest quality
must=20
be=20
> the one to go for, but the ripper & player(s) used must be an=20
issue.=20
> Going the Showcenter way means you need to go to mpeg2. I think=20
the=20
> quality is the same as DVD but then you do not get the whole DVD=20
> menu and extras and other stuff - do you really want it?
> The PC way is more expensive, probably higher maintenance but of=20
> course more flexible for choice on players etc.
> Then there is off air recordings (PVR) and home movies too.
> MPEG2 seems the way to go... may be ??
>=20
> I am going to experiment with some dvd's and may be get a=20
showcenter=20
> to try it out. I am sure I will need to use a 3rd party ripper for=20
> dvd's (I am sure Pinnacle would not be brave enough to bundle any=20
> rippers which defeat CSS - fearing legal action from Macrovision=20
> under DCMA legislation). My favourite ripper, DVDShrink does not=20
rip=20
> to mpeg2. So I need to look for a good (quick & easy) DVD to
MPEG2=20
> ripper. Any suggestions??=20
>=20
> Then there is the whole business of the player and a remote=20
control-
> capable front end for selection and playback. I really like the=20
> Lobby stuff from Cinemar, but showcenter won't handle that and=20
pc's=20
> work as better clients in that setup. So which way to go ???
>=20
> Keyvan
>=20
> --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Graham Howe" <graham@s...>
wrote:
> > --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Tony Butler <lists@a...> wrote:
> > > Quoting keyvan2r <keyvan@e...>:
> > > > > I would be very interested to know what you think
of the=20
> > > > ShowCenter,
> > >=20
> > > Not arrived yet :(
> > >=20
> > > > > > cat5 wired), but this one made me stop and
reconsider. I=20
> am=20
> > > > building a 2 Tb server to rip my dvd's onto.=20
> > >=20
> > > Nice!  Would you say disk prices have dropped enough to
make=20
> this=20
> > viable?  I=20
> > > was gonna do that about 6 months ago, but it was still
too=20
> > expensive to rip @=20
> > > dvd quality.  Am thinking of highest quality DivX or XDiv
at=20
the=20
> > moment for a=20
> > > lot of stuff (ie swmbo's and the kids!) as it does seem
fairly=20
> > acceptable, with=20
> > > full strength DVD rips for proper films lit
alien/t2/american=20
> > beauty :)
> > >=20
> >=20
> > I am waiting for drives of at least 250Gb to hit =A3100 and
then=20
> I'll=20
> > buy 10 of them for my server. I also considered ripping to
Divx=20
at=20
> > high quality, but came to the conclusion that this was false=20
> economy=20
> > if I took into account my own time. Even with a fast machine,
I=20
> > belive that ripping to high video quality, maintaining 5.1
sound=20
> and=20
> > ensuring there are no sync problems is a time consuming task.=20
Lets=20
> > say for the sake of arguement that it takes an hour to do this=20
(it=20
> > probably takes a lot longer), and I would save 5Gb of storage=20
(may=20
> > well be less than that for high quality divx). That means I am=20
> > saving less than 3 quid an hour, that's below minimum wage and=20
> even=20
> > though I am no longer a stinking rich contractor, I still
don't=20
> work=20
> > for that ;-)
> >=20
> > > > > How are you planning to use Showcenter??
> > > Music + dvd's mainly - dunno about the picture side of
things.
> > > I know what you mean about ripping the dvd's to one format
and=20
> > then needing=20
> > > another one - I had that problem with my audio
collection.=20=20
> > Initially ripped in=20
> > > WMA because I found I preferred the sound and the
Audiotron=20
> > supports it=20
> > > natively.
> > > Had to go through an exercise recently to re-rip because
not=20
> > everything=20
> > > supports wma natively.  What I have done now is rip=20
an "Archive"=20
> > of WMA=20
> > > lossless files, and then batch converted them to MP3 for
day=20
to=20
> > day use.
> > > I also have low bitrate MP3 of some of the collection for=20
> playing=20
> > on my PDA....
> > > The price/space requirements of audio mean this doubling
up=20
> > doesn't cost=20
> > > significantly more, and I can convert the lossless files
to=20
any=20
> > format I like=20
> > > in the future....
> > > DVD-wise is a different story altogether of course :( 
Dunno=20
wot=20
> > to do yet.
> > >=20
> >=20
> > I keep meaning to re-rip my music collection to a lossless=20
format,=20
> > probably FLAC as I use DDARs at home. At the moment I hav=20
> everything=20
> > ripped as MP3 @ 192 which is fine for my ears, but I am=20
concerned=20
> > about future conversion to other formats. It is however
another=20
> > reason why I am going down the full rip path for DVDs.