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Ok, i'm not 100% sure about how to go about this, but i've been thinking of it for quite a while now. I want to Run just about everyting i have in my room that isn't conected to the computer through a computer of it's own. I have a whole heap of Spare parts that i nick when i upgrade people's computers from them (not really nick, i just offer to take them away and they sort of build up). and i want to use as many of these as i can to do this. I have a case with a P3, about 750Mhz, that i think would be ideal for this. That means i have a PSU, 300W, 1 Case, 1 64Mb PC133 RAM, 1 Mobo (it's a crappy dell part though) and the aforementioned processor. What i want is to Use my large Television as an output. It has 1 Scart and one plain ol' TV Antenna port. I have a VCR and a DVD Player, a Gamecube, and a N64. I also have a large Hi-Fi system with a broken CD Player. As mostly everything i own is second hand, and therfore doesn't work properly, i want to have as much of it fixed as i can by combining things. For example, my VCR plays only. With a computer and a TV Capture card i could record to HD. The CD Drive on my Hi Fi doesn't work. This way i could play my MP3's on it along with any other game stuff. I havn't got enough room for a second monitor or i would have done this allready, and figured it out on my own. So what i want: The television to work as a monitor, the Hi-Fi to work as speakers, and the DVD Player/Gamecube/N64/Video Player/Terrestrial Antenna all to go into the input of the computer. So i get a sort of home entertainment system. I was thinking i could run the XP Media Centre on it, if it's any good (havn't looked into it yet). I know i'd have to upgrade the RAM to 128 to meed XP's min, but i can probably find a 256 stick lying around here somewhere (i've been converting to DDR). So any ideas on the Hardware and software i'd need for this task, including the cables and connectors? Ir would you not touch this question with a 60 foot barge pole?

I'm trying not to be unrealistic, but if you think it will never work, hey, just tell me.

-Dave

all you need is one home automation kit with four sockets for your devices, one video out to scart adaptor (price varies insanely..be careful), one audio out to phono in lead (goes to aux channel on hi fi), a dv in or a tuner card and the lead for that plugged into a three way splitter and you should be good to go, add a couple of cheap 160gig hd`s and you can record most stuff as well (audio or video),cheers.

Mentor.

It should work no problem, xp isn't really ideal for old hardware as it needs more ram is slower and takes up a lot of diskspace. Proberly better to use win98 or linux depending on what you are more comfortable with.

I think the only part of the plan that is a bit unrealsitic is using the pc as a video recorder unless you have a big fast drive.

You might be easier and cheaper to get a video card with tv out rather than a vga converter.

I don't really watch TV these days, it would be more to sort out all my wiring hells and give me a guest computer. I could shove Linux on it, then i could do a couple more thing i hadn't mentioned, but then again...i don't fancy putting 98 on it, as much as i like it i would only put it on to Dual boot it. I have a 6GB HD i can use to test this out if i decide to build it in the next few days. I also found a daft little sound card, with the usual outputs. Everything i want to hook up to the computer i've had hooked up before, with the exception of the Gamecube and the N64. I could always consider using an old monitor instead of a Telly though...(yeah, i have a 'plethora' of old parts...couple of RM chuckies in my cupboard)
Anyway, anyone with ideas post here please-ta.