# New to HTPCs - Can I get a push in the right direction?



## Cream (Oct 13, 2010)

I have been reading through threads and threads but I feel like I am now more lost than when I started 

So I am in the process of planning my first Home Theater (I have a few threads in design and projectors) and I went to talk to someone at Admit One Cinema here in Minneapolis to get some more information about setting up the room.

While I was there they showed us a demo of http://www.kaleidescape.com/ which is basically a Commercial HTPC Movie Server. While it was pretty awesome, it also costs about $7k.

So I was decided that I wanted to do something like this for my home on my own. 

So.. my needs: Movie server to multiple TVs in my home (including the HT Projector). I do not care about TV shows, Music or streaming anything off of the internet. The one and only thing I want to do is to catalog all of my Blu-Ray movies (currently about 100 of them) onto a server so that I can then run them to my TVs.

Here is the thing, my wife's only desire is that it is a simple to use and has a very attractive looking interface. If you look at this link you can kind of see what Kaleidescape looks like http://www.kaleidescape.com/products/overview.php

So what I have done so far is to start setting up Media Portal on an extra PC that I have. It easily fits the system requirements and I do think that this solution would work fine using the HDMI Out from the PC to the Projector. However, that leaves me with how do I get the movies to my other TVs. I see that other people are using streamers (Playon!HD, Popcorn Hour), etc..

I am now second guessing myself if I want to go a different route.

I should also note that I will want to have these available to about 5 other TVs in the home. 2 of them will only be available via wireless access if I go to some sort of a streamer.

Maybe use a combination of the Media Portal for the HT room and then have some sort of streamers to the other TVs? Any other recommendations for something like this on my PC other than Media Portal? I just really like the way it looks, but have not had a chance to actually use it yet.

Any thoughts, suggestions or recommendations would be very welcome..

Thank you in advance!


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## nholmes1 (Oct 7, 2010)

The reason Kaleidescape is so expensive is the fantastic user interface and ultra reliable units with great support. I am a big proponent for HTPC/Media servers but I have yet to have one that is as close to the ease and reliability of KScape. 

Media Center can work, Media Portal is another good option. Cinemar used to make a nice product but I haven't kept up on them at all recently so no clue about Blu-Ray support.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

I have not come across anything that is simple, easy to use and inexpensive either. The last version of Media Portal that I tried, I found it to be a bit confusing; can't remember which but it was quite some time ago. Before you make a decision I'd suggest you look into a media streamer. 

There are quite a few folks here at the Shack who are using them (media streamers), hopefully they'll join the thread and provide you with some first hand experience.


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