Using the following old (with some new) gear, I finally started my first WHS build:

• Motherboard: ECS NF650iSLIT-A (V1.0) LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel
• CPU: Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 2.66GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache
• RAM: Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300)
• Video Card: PNY Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
• Hard Drives: Two Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA HDDs and six Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA HDDs
• Other: SANS DIGITAL TR4M 4 Bay SATA to eSATA (Port Multiplier) JBOD Enclosure, which will contain four of the six Seagate HDDs mentioned above

Trying to get WHS to install on my OS drives in RAID 1 (Mirror) proved to be more difficult than I thought.  At the beginning of the Windows Setup portion of the WHS install, l kept getting the BSOD with Error Code 0×0000007B.  Thanks to this post on Microsoft’s WHS Forum, for my MCP51 (nForce 430) chipset, I copied the contents from the sata_ide and sataraid folders from Fernando’s ‘”NF4-5 non-AHCI WHQL Driverpacks” for XP (32/64bit)’ onto the root of a floppy disk (NOTE: the same idecoi.dll file is in both folders, only copy one of them over), plugged in an old Floppy Disk Drive to the WHS mobo, and when Windows Setup appeared, hit F6 and loaded the SATA Controller drivers.  WHS loaded as advertised from this point on!

As of tonight, all of the drivers are updated, including Fernando’s better performing ‘”Special WHQL Performance Packs” for XP (32/64bit)’ NVIDIA nForce drivers (located in same link as above) and I’m running Windows Updates (from the WHS Console)!  UPDATE: In the WHS Console, I could not add the hard drives to the Storage Pool.  I upgrading the SATA controller drivers with the official NVIDIA nForce 15.26 drivers, and then I could add the hard drives to the Storage Pool.

Following this article, next up is to install the WHS Connector software, but before I do that I need to upgrade all my PCs to Windows 7.  Fun, fun!

UPDATE: Upgraded first Media Center PC to Windows 7 Professional, installed latest WHS Connector software on it and captured my first backup on WHS.

Installed WHS Disk Management and Advanced Admin Console Add-Ins.  In WHS Disk Management, created Wireframe for my Hard Drive physical layout in WHS PC and on top of PC in 4-bay external enclosure.

For antivirus, I’ll probably go with the free Avast Home Edition I have running on my other PCs.

I don’t normally just simply post another website’s link, but if you’re looking to integrate your Hauppage HD-PVR with Windows 7 Media Center, this Geektonic article is the one to read!

Also, 1geek1tool.com’s DVBLink for HDPVR Instructions were also recently updated.

Since my DIY Media Center Cablecard solution has been rock solid, I have put working on the HD-PVR Media Center integrated solution on the backburner.

Windows Home Server Power Pack 3, which contains MUST HAVE capabilities for Windows 7 integration, will be available Tuesday, 24 November. I will finally do my 1st WHS build, installing it on a DIY PC with the Sans Digital TR4M-B 4-Bay SATA DAS Enclosure (with four 1.5TB Seagates), which WeGotServed wrote a Hands On article about a few months ago.

The Heatwave Media Center Plug-In now works with 7MC. It’s my favorite plug-in for viewing weather forecast information. More information and 32-bit / 64-bit download links are thegreenbutton.

A new plug-in called MadeForMediaCenter is out there and provides a capability that’s simple, but could be revolutionary. It’s basically a plug-in that will let you download/install plug-ins from within Media Center! Check out MissingRemote’s interview with Andrew Cherry, one of the developers, for more information.

Media Browser 2.1.3.0 (Phoenix) is released and can be downloaded from thehtpc.net. A full review of it is on mediasmartserver.net. This is one of those plug-ins I’ve been dieing to try out, but just haven’t had the time.

For those that need to remote access the Media Center PC while the family is watching TV on it, or whatever, MissingRemote has the script with instructions to enable Concurrent Remote Desktop sessions on Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate

Times are REAL good for Media Center enthusiasts!

The ATI DCT firmware update is available via Windows Update now.

A new “Digital Cable Advisor” is in the Media Center “Extras” gallery for “linking” the ATI CableCard Tuner/CableCard with Media Center…running on a DIY PC!!!

All the details at Engadget HD.

Hulu Desktop is the easiest, most powerful, way to watch Hulu videos on a Media Center PC.  Unfortunately, being a Flash based application, it doesn’t work on Extenders.  Use PlayOn / vmcPlayIt for Hulu on those!

Using Tecknoworks Hulu Desktop Integration 1.0, you can seemlessly launch Hulu Desktop from Media Center, and exit Hulu Desktop to go back to Media Center.

Check out this excellent demo video of Hulu Desktop.  The way the remote is used to watch videos and navigate the slick Hulu menu system is REALLY simple and impressive!

There’s pretty much four choices for home networks these days: Traditional Wired Cat-5e/6, Wireless G/N,  Powerline, and MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance).  I’ve been hunting for a solution that isn’t too expensive, which will allow for smooth streaming of HD video from my Media Center PCs to my extenders (Xbox 360 and two DMA-2200s).  Here’s my train of thought, and plan:

- Traditional wired Cat-5e/6 is way too expensive…too much time running cable, and too much money for drywall repair

- Wireless G doesn’t have the throughput to stream HD video with no artifacts like pixelation or stuttering

- Wireless N is too costly (I’d have to buy multiples and bridge them), and doesn’t guarantee smooth streaming HD video

- I cannot find where anyone has successfully streamed smooth .dvr-ms or .wtv HD video across the Netgear Powerline HD Adapters

So, by power of elimination, and from reading (and watching) many success stories, I’m going to give the MoCA network a shot.  Verizon FIOS is my ISP so I already have the MoCA capable Actiontec MI-424WR Rev E Router.  I just purchased two more MI-424WRs (Rev C), and will put one in the living room with the other in the master bedroom, then configure them as Bridges using xnappo’s instructions on AVSForum.  Click on the image thumbnail above for my planned MoCA network wiring diagram.

As always, I’ll report back with the results!

Lifehacker’s Adam Pash posted three great/informative articles on “new” capabilities in Windows 7 Media Center:

1) Internet TV: It’s a newer version of the native Internet TV, now providing CBS content

2) Native Netflix in Media Center: Can now stream Netflix programs more easily on the Media Center PC, but no HD streaming!

3) Hulu Desktop Integration Application: Launched from Media Center, it cleanly closes Media Center and opens Hulu Desktop…and vice versa when you’re done

UPDATE: EngadgetHD’s Ben Drawbaugh just posted a detailed article on setting this up!  Thanks a ton Ben!

UPDATE 2: MissingRemote’s Mike Garcen just posted a detailed article on setting this up in a CableCard environment!

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Thanks to Andy Van Til’s post on Missing Remote, I just purchased a copy of Dragon Global’s ShowAnalyzer for $20.

Basically, if you purchase ShowAnalyzer prior to v1.0 being released, you pay $20 one time and get free lifetime upgrades.  And it sounds like v1.0 will be released this Thursday…the same day as Windows 7’s official release.

ShowAnalyzer is THE BEST software out there for identifying when a commercial exists in a television program.

Another amazing, and FREE, piece of software is Andy Van Til’s DVSMSToolbox.  It “leverages” ShowAnalyzer, and when running in the background, will automatically skip commercials in Media Center recordings (.dvr-ms, .wtv, etc.).  The ShowAnalyzer/DVRMSToolbox combo can also automatically remove commercials and convert the resulting video file to a more desirable format (e.g. MPEG-2).

So, after I upgrade my Windows 7 RC to Windows 7 RTM and install the new ATI Digital CableCard Tuner firmware version 1.19.12, on my to-do list is to install ShowAnalyzer/DVRMSToolbox and:

1) Enjoy watching TV without having to reach for the remote during commercials

2) Remove commercials and save my favorite HD movies (and kids movies) to my remote file share…which will eventually be on a WHS

Very exciting! Hauppauge will be releasing a CableCard Tuner later this year too. The latest ATI Digital CableCard Tuner (DCT) firmware will use the copy protection flag so content that isn’t copy protected (which is most TV programs) can be freely viewed on any Media Center PC / extender on the network, not just the Media Center PC (and connected extenders) where they are recorded.

Get all the details at the Digital Media Zone here!

Over on one of my favorite websites, Slickdeals.net, the PlayOn $20 deal was posted, which has led to a forum thread full of excellent discussion on how people are streaming Netflix, Hulu, etc. to DLNA and UPnP capable devices…and Windows Media Center.

With broadband being more and more prevalent in the home, so is the the wave of streaming internet content into the home.  But instead of sitting at your computer watching a video in a web browser, you can install and run DLNA/UPnP server software that “routes” internet content (videos, music, pictures, etc.) to DLNA/UPnP compliant devices.  Some of the DLNA/UPnP server software can also stream video and audio files stored on your computer.

Check out this thorough comparison table of DLNA/UPnP server software.  It looks like PlayOn, TVersity, and the PS3 Media Server are the favorites.  I haven’t tried any of them yet.  A few years ago, I was avidly using the free Twonky Music UPnP Server, which worked flawlessly, to provide internet radio and stream my mp3 collection to Netgear MP101.

Now for the DLNA/UPnP compliant devices, which more and more Home Theater devices are becoming every day.  There’s gaming consoles (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, XBMC running on the classic Xbox), televisions (Many Samsung LCDs/Plasmas, Sony LCDs), A/V Receivers (Denon, Yamaha) and more!

And even though it sounds like it’d be really easy to setup and run with, just like most of these Windows software A/V solutions, each combination has its own set of limitations and issues.

Now onto Media Center!  Out-of-the-box, Windows Media Center does not contain a DLNA/UPnP client.  But, there are two plug-ins out there to provide that capability: vmcPlayIt and tubeCore.  vmcPlayIt connects to the PlayOn server software, while tubeCore can connect to PlayOn, TVersity or Twonky Media to provide audio/video/pictures to Windows Media Center.  vmcPlayIt/PlayOn can even provide internet content (Hulu, etc.) to the Linksys DMA-2100/2200 extenders!  Here’s the active TheGreenButton thread on VMCPlayIt and tubeCore.  Looking through that thread, it looks like both solutions unfortunately have their share of problems.

Lastly, as a side note, when scouring the web for information on DLNA/UPnP with Windows 7, I ran across the REALLY interesting article by Barb at Barb’s Connect World, where she used the new Windows 7 Play To DLNA-based technology to push media to her Samsung TV.