Using spare Laptop in Home Cinema - Media Server.

[russy01]

Evening Chaps,

Bit of a random one here, but basically I have a spare laptop. Its not bad, its a Tosh i5 with 4gb running either XP pro or 7 Pro.

Instead of putting it in the cupboard for a rainy day I wondered whether there is anything clever I can do with it.

I have a budget home cinema I put together last year,
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I was pretty skint at the time of doing it so I really saved costs on the AV equipment (will upgrade AV equipment next year probs)
I currently use -
Optoma PJ
3DXL
PS3
Humax Freesat Box
Samsung 5.1 all in one.

Can I add anything with the Laptop - i.e is there any neat box which I can connect all my gear to and hook it to my laptop so I can control it all from the laptop (and therefore over the network etc)

Cheers,

Russ

[Bullett]

1.The laptop can act as a media server which can serve content up to the PS3 via DLNA (have a look at PS3mediaserver) rip all your content to the laptop (you might need more storage) then watch via the PS3.

2. Depending on the Laptops outputs, connect it to your amp and run XBMC or PLEX on windows or as an appliance on Linux. Rip all content to laptop. Control via an ipad or smart phone of somekind.

You can also control the laptop via a plug in IR adapter and use a universal remote like a Harmony One.

[russy01]

Thanks for coming back to me, I already use it with ps3 mediaserver, have a lot of films etc I stream over the network.

As for the remote I've been looking at a harmony 900 (ideally want rf).

I might just go crazy and put all my media on it and connect it up full time, I have a TB and then 320 gb on the ps3 so I should be ok storage wise for now. Might have to get on the torrent sites and get some more films!

Cheers.

[Bullett]

Are any of your devices controllable via RF? PS3 is blue-tooth and a special case, most things are IR.
All my kit is in a closed cabinet and controlled via RF extenders, works 100%.

[russy01]

Logitech have a rf adaptor for the ps3 - this should do the trick.

[Bullett]

Ah ok, I have the adapter which I use with ir didn't realise it also supports rf.