Windows Media Center - Extenders

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OhPinchy

Registered User
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Hi,

I’m renovating my house and am just about to plasterboard the walls and ceilings this weekend and I have decided to install a Windows Media Center setup with the intention of using on PC in the sitting room to send audio and visual data (e.g. play films, listen to mp3s) around the house. I need to figure out exactly what cables need to go where asap.

The confusing thing for me is Windows Media Center Extenders – does anyone know anything about these and can they be used to have one person watching one film (pulled from the Windows Media Center PC in the sitting room) in one bedroom while another person watches another film from the WMC PC in the sitting room?

I’ve heard mention of using an Xbox as an extender – does this require anything to be added to a normal xbox and is the functionality the same as a normal set top extender (which seem very expensive)?

Extenders can be wired or wireless it seems, but for performance I would go with wired seeing as I can run the cables now easily – what cables would I need to install to setup a network – would cat5 be the right ones?

It seems that you need an extender and TV to access the menu to control it in each room in which you want to pull audio or visual data from the WMC PC in the sitting room….is there no way to just have a set of speakers in a bedroom that are fed from the WMC PC below without actually having to have a TV in that room?

Many thanks for anyone who can assist with this cos itll help me greatly as now, before the walls get slabbed, is the right time for me to sort this out but unfortunately I don’t have enough time to research due to working full time and having to do the renovations in the evenings and weekends, so any assistance much appreciated.
 
I would be inclined to use power sockets as a guide. In other words, wherever you see a socket it means that something needing a network connection could be plugged in there some time in the future. So wire everything back to your utility room where you'll have a switch. I'm not saying route the cables along with the power. I'm just proposing that as the logic. Where possible the network cable should follow a different route. Failing that, at least make the job of installing cables easier whenever the need arises. Maybe you could plan something around the skirting boards? Try to go with CAT 5E cable for use with gigabit ethernet too.
 
cat 5E (Gigabit) cables from a point or two in each room (eand each side of each fireplace) to a point in the attic would be neatest I'd say
 
But then you've to have power in your attic. You never know when/if you've got to go near a hub/switch to muck around with cables, replace it, turn it on/off, etc. If I was doing something like this I'd put it somewhere easy to get at and easy to look at (to see the nice flashing LEDs).
 
you need power in attic anyway, TV amps and stuff , a lamp
 
just looking for any updates on MCE's.
saw a couple of threads on this but mainly around xbox360 as a media center extender.
are there alt's to xbox ? as not interested in gaming at all.
linksys hardware comes up on the web search but not sure if available or compatable in ireland.

really just looking for extending family pics, music library from main desktop with MC edition 2005, have also eircom netopia router with wireless.
desktop is in office upstairs.
would like to view&listen on downstairs livingroom main tv & dvd 5.1 system.

think xbox360 looks a little overplay for these needs but don't know latest options in this area. might be a guru outthere who has setup similar.
 
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