Looking to use Xbox360 to connect to media server - Any advice?

I'm getting an itch to work on a fall DIY project. I currently have a Series 2 Tivo (No HD) that is not getting too much use right now and I was thinking about building a media server with an HD video capture card to replace it.

Also, I'm interested in using my XBOX360 as the "extender" to serve all of the content to my TV/Receiver. I'm currently using my Xbox (through Windows Media Center) to serve my music library, but don't have any video sources hooked up (computer is in another room and is hooked up to my XBOX by my LAN).

I'm pretty comfortable with computers, but this would be my first build from scratch. I'm also open to buying a bare-bones system and upgrading the necessary components.


Here are some of the questions I have off the top:
1) Is this something that's even feasible? Has anyone used an XBOX360 with WMC as a server for HD content? I realize that it won't be as user friendly as a TIVO, but as long as I (and probably more importantly, my spouse) can do it with minimal hassle then I'll be happy.
2) What's this going to cost me? I've been doing some research on this and feel like I should be able to do this with $500-$600. Is this realistic?
3) What should I plan for from a space standpoint? I was thinking 500-750GB.
4) Video/tuner cards - I was planning on starting with a tuner card with a coax input and a QAM tuner, but may want to hook it in to a cable box at some point. Anything I need to be aware of here?
5) What else am I missing?


Thanks in advance for replies . . . this is still a series of random ideas and would love the help to clarify.

1) Is this something that's even feasible? Has anyone used an XBOX360 with WMC as a server for HD content? I realize that it won't be as user friendly as a TIVO, but as long as I (and probably more importantly, my spouse) can do it with minimal hassle then I'll be happy.
I would think a minimal HTPC would be a better choice. Something with a small boot disk, good video card, like the nVIDIA 8500GT and at least a 3.2 MHz hyperthread processor so you could add a Blu-ray drive later. Trying to shove Blu-ray over the network is really going to be a challange. As far as the xbox route, I just don't know.

2) What's this going to cost me? I've been doing some research on this and feel like I should be able to do this with $500-$600. Is this realistic?

The HTPC should be in this range. Won't play xbox games though.

3) What should I plan for from a space standpoint? I was thinking 500-750GB.

For your central server I would say that is minimum. I use USB 2.0 external drives and between the internal drives on my HTPCs and the external drives I have a couple of TB.

4) Video/tuner cards - I was planning on starting with a tuner card with a coax input and a QAM tuner, but may want to hook it in to a cable box at some point. Anything I need to be aware of here?

A card with a QAM tuner may have questional results for you. I use an outdoor antenna with the ATSC tuners on mine. The problem with QAM here is two fold. First, the only channels you can receive will be those that are in the clear. Second, the cable companies have a habit of moving channels around on their QAM assignments. Makes recording difficult. As far as hooking a cable box into the HTPC there will be no joy for you. Only SD will be possible and I call that no joy.

I would think a minimal HTPC would be a better choice. Something with a small boot disk, good video card, like the nVIDIA 8500GT and at least a 3.2 MHz hyperthread processor so you could add a Blu-ray drive later. Trying to shove Blu-ray over the network is really going to be a challange. As far as the xbox route, I just don't know.

I may have misspoke up top - I'm not looking for the XBOX to serve the material - I was going to buy/build a new server (and put it in my office) and stream the material through my LAN to my XBOX (using Windows Media Center). The XBOX is in my living room and is connected to my TV and receiver. It does a great job streaming my music files from my office pc, and has options for video, I just don't have a way to capture video with my ancient pc.

For your central server I would say that is minimum. I use USB 2.0 external drives and between the internal drives on my HTPCs and the external drives I have a couple of TB.

Are the speed of external hard drives adequate to serve video? What speed do you need (is USB 2.0 with 7200RPM enough)?

A card with a QAM tuner may have questional results for you. I use an outdoor antenna with the ATSC tuners on mine. The problem with QAM here is two fold. First, the only channels you can receive will be those that are in the clear. Second, the cable companies have a habit of moving channels around on their QAM assignments. Makes recording difficult. As far as hooking a cable box into the HTPC there will be no joy for you. Only SD will be possible and I call that no joy.

That's dissapointing to hear. :( Are there any video/capture cards that allow you to control a cable box (and with component or HDMI input)? What about cable cards - Are they an option? I probably won't do this if I'm not able to record and view HD content.

Rbinck - Thanks for all your input . . . very much appreciated!

I may have misspoke up top - I'm not looking for the XBOX to serve the material - I was going to buy/build a new server (and put it in my office) and stream the material through my LAN to my XBOX (using Windows Media Center). The XBOX is in my living room and is connected to my TV and receiver. It does a great job streaming my music files from my office pc, and has options for video, I just don't have a way to capture video with my ancient pc.I was talking about the minimal HTPC being at the HDTV in lieu of the xbox. You can give the xbox a try with HD. You can download some video clips to give that a try even with an ancient PC that can't display it, it will probably be able to serve it to the xbox. But since you have the xbox already you could also wait until you get your new HTPC server as well. I use a HTPC at the HDTVs and control it with my laptop using remote desktop.

The reason I was suggesting a minimal HTPC at the HDTV was for the possibility of being able to add a Blu-ray drive in the future. You can get the HD DVD drive for the Xbox, but its usefulness may be short lived as far as new movies are concerned. Adding a Blu-ray to your central server would allow play at that location, but streaming that to the Xbox may not be possible. I cant stream from my Blu-ray drive over the network and even if I could, it is in another room for loading discs.
Are the speed of external hard drives adequate to serve video? What speed do you need (is USB 2.0 with 7200RPM enough)?Yes they are fine. Mine are My Book, IOmega, and some HP Personal Media Drives that plug into my HP media center. They even work for ripped Blu-ray files.

That's dissapointing to hear. :( Are there any video/capture cards that allow you to control a cable box (and with component or HDMI input)? What about cable cards - Are they an option? I probably won't do this if I'm not able to record and view HD content. Someone does make a HTPC with cable card capability. I forget who it is that has them, but probably a google search will provide that. Problem there is you will have to purchase the HTPC complete from them. There is not any commercially available method for inputing HD video into a computer via HDMI, DVI or component video because of the copy protection requirements. Probably won't be any in the near future either.

ATI makes an external tuner with cable card support.

Are you saying you don't want to use an antenna? I record most of my HD via the ATSC tuner. Movies that I want to save I use VideoReDo to strip the commercials and store them on an external drive.

Edit: I did find this: http://projecthtpc.wordpress.com/2007/05/21/vista-cablecard-pc-roundup/

right now there isn't any elegant way to record HD with a HTPC. The people I know that record encrypted QAM use something like the Hauppauge HD-PVR (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116030). It just takes in component video and connects to the PC via USB. The downsides are many - you can't control the cable box, you have to use its remote to channel change. The box has to be tuned to the channel you want to record. The PVR is external, which I don't prefer. It's also very expensive.

There are only one or two video cards that take cable cards and decrypt QAM channels, but they are very expensive, external, and they arn't available to the general populous. You can only get them if you purchase an entire PC from a major manufacturer (Dell etc) and I think the prices for everything are around $2000.

So, people that make their own HTPC's are currently SOL. I was really bummed when I discovered all of this. Hopefully this will change in the next few years.

As far as your other questions, USB has plenty plenty bandwidth to transmit video and audio. I prefer just having a central server with the extenders connected via network. Network speed has never been a problem for me on HD mkv movies or blurays (althought I'm wired in, not wireless). The way you don't have to lug any drives around.

Right now the chipset of choice for HTPC's is the 780g. It has ATI's HD3200 integrated graphics. You don't need a super fast processor or graphics card to play HD content. As long as the software playing it can utilize hardware acceleration, it can handle it without breaking a sweat. Now if you plan on watching TV while recording, a 3.2ghz might be nessessary. The best mobo for this is this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128341). The one I have as step older than this one, but it plays Bluray movies with 20% CPU usage on my 2.5ghz dual core. Integrated graphics boards are prefered because you'll be using less power, making less noise, and generating less heat. To top it off it's cheaper than getting a mobo+graphics card. You can easily build one from the ground up for $400, $550 if you want a bluray rom drive as well.

Also see: http://ati.amd.com/products/tvwonderdigital/index.html
and
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01342980&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Also see: http://ati.amd.com/products/tvwonderdigital/index.html
and
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01342980&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Thanks everyone for the information. It looks like HD video capture and playback is still in it's toddler stage (at least if you want to get all of the channels you get on digitial cable).

I may hold off for now and continue to make do with my Tivo, although I will keep an eye on the tuner that rbinck listed. In reading through the specs on that one it specifically lists support for XBOX playback. The problem is that it doesn't look like you can just buy one of these and hook it into your setup.