I recently swapped out my old home cinema audio system (a Yamaha DSP-E800 and a Denon stereo receiver) connected via USB DAC ve 6 channel analog for an Onkyo TX-SR605 which has HDMI audio connections. In most ways this was an instant upgrade but one issue really frustrated me — volume…
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Posts Categorised: Misc Media Software
0Keeping your HTPC clock in sync
I’ve had a long-standing issue with my HTPC where it loses a minute or two every day. If I leave it switched on for weeks on end, with only standby utilised, I find that it starts missing the start or end of TV programmes due to having the wrong time. I’ve tried modifying the windows time service settings to make it update regularly, but this hasn’t worked. Thanks to an article on LifeHacker I recently stumbled upon I’ve now had an accurate clock for a couple of weeks.… Read Full Article
0How to burn files to compliant DVD-Video
As I’ve documented well on this blog I run all my TV through a server and Windows Media Center. Occasionally I want to archive some recorded TV to DVD. Not a DVD of data-files, but a standards-compliant video DVD that will play in set top players. This isn’t always straight forward as proper DVDs have to conform to various standards, including being encoded in MPEG2 and having a PAL or NTSC resolution (480p or 576p). Most of what I have recorded is 1080p and I also have some 720p, and most of this is encoded using H.264. So turning these files into a standard DVD video means both recoding and resizing the videos.… Read Full Article
6DVBLink 4.5 & Server 2012 media server
In the last 6 weeks 2 major updates have totally changed the media server landscape. DVBLink server 4.5 and Microsoft Windows Server 2012 in combination look to offer an ideal windows-platform for a home media server.
0March-2012 Updates
There have been quite a few updates in March that we’ve not had time to write about, below is a quick summary… Read Full Article
8TheHTPC.net — Down for the count? No
Sad news — for the last few days TheHTPC.net has been showing a Server 500 error. Now the owner (another Jon) has put up a message saying the site is broken and he may not be able to find time to fix it. I for one am very much hoping to see TheHTPC.net back in the near future. If that is not to be then I hope we will be able to source and provide a mirror of some of the outstanding resources that were previously available there. RIP.
14MC-TVConverter: An alternative to MCEBuddy?
I’ve been following the development of MCEBuddy for a while now, as it was the only free way to transcode WTV files to a more compatible format. It is still in Beta however, and whilst it works it has 2 downsides to my mind. It transcodes the video which means an inevitable loss of quality, and this also means it takes a long time to transcode each recording. Around 4 hours for a 1Hr BBC HD recording on my Sempron LE-1100 server.… Read Full Article
0Planning a new networked home media setup
In the coming months I will be buying a new property, and to go with my new home, I’ve been reading up lots on how I might integrate a new home media setup. In recent months several exciting new options have become available, which finally makes the sort of setup I have always desired a real possibility.… Read Full Article
4Copy files from Humax PVR 9200T to PC
I own a couple of Humax PVT-9200T dual freeview PVRs, both of which are now quite full with recorded programs. Humax have provided a program called eLinker, but it isn’t very good. A good alternative is Humax Media Controller but unfortunately it doesn’t work with Windows x64, as Mike Dimmick explains. Thankfully, Mike has also created a solution by patching some of the files, so that Humax Media Controller can now be used successfully in Windows 7 x64. The only issue is that Windows must be booted with Driver Signing Enforcement disabled.
Update Apr 2024
Mike’s site is still up but the link to HumaxPVR.zip that he offered is now dead.
I found a copy of Humax Media Controller with Mike’s driver added that I downloaded and e‑mailed to someone around 14 years ago still intact in my old gmail and have now rescued it.
You can download it directly here
0Flash Player 11: Official 64bit
Adobe Flash Player 11 has been released. It finally brings official 64bit support in an all-in-one installer for both 64 and 32bit. Hardware acceleration is also now included. Good work Adobe, lets just hope there are less security issues than in the past.
“Hi James I realise it has been a long while, but I just checked this on windows 11 (build 23H2)…”