Turning PC to DVR

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by waryuser, Aug 12, 2007.

  1. waryuser

    waryuser Private First Class

    Hey guys...I was wondering what you guys thought about turning my old PC into a DVR like this article. http://www.makezine.com/extras/4.html


    The article is kinda old. Do you think its worth it to do this? If so what suggestions do you recommend?

    this is the PC that im working with...:major

    Dell dimension 4100

    Intel Easton D815EEA motherboard
    intel P3 700 MHz
    512 of Ram
    Windows XP
    one 38 Gb hard drive and one 186.3 Gb harddrive
    Samsung DVD-ROM (apparently doest read dvds with windows XP tho looked it up no new drivers :(

    I think that is it for the specs.

    what you guys think
     
  2. gimpster123

    gimpster123 Bring out the Gimp.

    wow, great article, i think that will be my next project. The remote access is also pretty awesome.

    Your specs look allright, except you might want a faster processor if your mother board will take it. Some more hard drive space couldn't go wrong either.
     
  3. waryuser

    waryuser Private First Class

    Thanks...will this computer do pretty much what windows media center does?
     
  4. gimpster123

    gimpster123 Bring out the Gimp.

    I'm not to familiar with windows media player, from what i've heard its jst an over glorified version of xp.

    This computer in the article, i imagine does much much more then windows media center edition.

    Using it as a server, so u can get at any media from anywhere, as well as the game emulators are definatly NOT stock on windows media player.

    For your operating system, I recomend XP pro. Vista may not have the driver support u need, and the freeware programs, since they are older, may not work on Vista.
     
  5. ItsWendy

    ItsWendy MajorGeek

    I've done something similar. I gone through several computers doing it, a 400Mhz is the absolute bottom of the specs, and while the VooDoo 3500 worked the ATI Rage series work very well. Nowdays I'm using a 1.8Ghz Radion 7500 AIW.
     
  6. hugh750

    hugh750 MajorGeek

    Buy your self a ati all in wonder video card they have a built in tv tuner, that would help in making your pc a dvr.
     

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