Iconoclast
23rd May 2004, 12:58 AM
OK, this all started because I'm tired of always having to buy more and more CD racks as my music collection grows. I was in JB HiFi a couple of weeks ago and found this (http://www.sony.com.au/homecinema/catalog/product.jsp?categoryId=22048#MID1.jsp?textview=fal se&productId=CDPCX455&categoryId=22048,LHS1.jsp?textview=false&productId=CDPCX455,MENUITEM3) Sony 400 CD changer. Cool, I can keep all my CDs in this thing and play them on demand without having to load and unload a CD player. Now, Sony also makes one of these things that can also play DVDs as well as CDs and MP3s, but it appears they only built an NTSC, Region 1 version so won't be selling it to markets other than USA. Bugger.
Then, I realised I was attacking this problem from the wrong angle. Someonce told me that "computers are the future.... man", and while some may say it's too early to tell, he's probably right. Now there's a few so-cool Media Centre PCs available like this (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/slim_pc/slm/pro_slm_detail.php?UID=431&MODEL=MEGA651) amazing HiFi PC, and some amazing new sound cards like the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum Pro (http://www.soundblaster.com/products/Audigy2ZS_platinum_pro/). This last package has a PCI Sound Card that supports 24bit DVD audio as well as CD audio, MP3, and WMV, and will spit out 5.1 channels on an optical connector that'll plug straight into my Home Theatre Receiver. Then it has a separate controller that sits in your home theatre cabinet to control the PC, and a remote control to control the controller. Lovely. So if I put one of my obsolete PCs into a silent case along with the Sound Blaster, a big hard drive, and a video card with TV out, I can bring up all my stored music on my TV screen so I can sit on my ass and decide which CDs to play and in what order.
Now -- there's an actual question coming up -- the software that comes with the Sound Blaster is fine for using with a keyboard at a computer, you can setup complex playlists and do searches and pretty much every other media management task you'd care to name, but the interface seems far too complex for when I've done all that and I just want to select some music to play using my remote control.
So, I thought I'd like to write my own application that displays all the music available on the TV screen. Since all my Home Theatre stuff at the moment is made by Sony I can control it all with a single remote control. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone sells a PCI card that is nothing more than an IR remote receiver that comes with an SDK that will convert the incoming IR signals into (say) Sony remote control commands which I can use with my custom software. If I go this route I can use a lower spec (and cheaper) Sound Blaster card. Has anyone here played with Media PCs or can give any advice on where to get an IR receiver card?
Then, I realised I was attacking this problem from the wrong angle. Someonce told me that "computers are the future.... man", and while some may say it's too early to tell, he's probably right. Now there's a few so-cool Media Centre PCs available like this (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/slim_pc/slm/pro_slm_detail.php?UID=431&MODEL=MEGA651) amazing HiFi PC, and some amazing new sound cards like the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum Pro (http://www.soundblaster.com/products/Audigy2ZS_platinum_pro/). This last package has a PCI Sound Card that supports 24bit DVD audio as well as CD audio, MP3, and WMV, and will spit out 5.1 channels on an optical connector that'll plug straight into my Home Theatre Receiver. Then it has a separate controller that sits in your home theatre cabinet to control the PC, and a remote control to control the controller. Lovely. So if I put one of my obsolete PCs into a silent case along with the Sound Blaster, a big hard drive, and a video card with TV out, I can bring up all my stored music on my TV screen so I can sit on my ass and decide which CDs to play and in what order.
Now -- there's an actual question coming up -- the software that comes with the Sound Blaster is fine for using with a keyboard at a computer, you can setup complex playlists and do searches and pretty much every other media management task you'd care to name, but the interface seems far too complex for when I've done all that and I just want to select some music to play using my remote control.
So, I thought I'd like to write my own application that displays all the music available on the TV screen. Since all my Home Theatre stuff at the moment is made by Sony I can control it all with a single remote control. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone sells a PCI card that is nothing more than an IR remote receiver that comes with an SDK that will convert the incoming IR signals into (say) Sony remote control commands which I can use with my custom software. If I go this route I can use a lower spec (and cheaper) Sound Blaster card. Has anyone here played with Media PCs or can give any advice on where to get an IR receiver card?