Windows 7 Meets XBox Media Center Extender

Chapter 1: Windows 7

I've always been an early adopter of new versions of Microsoft's operating systems. I had Vista installed the month that it was released, and although it never really caught on as a corporate replacement for the old, reliable Windows xp I've enjoyed using it for last couple of years with very few complaints.

Now comes Windows 7 this year and the tradition continues. I had a chance to do the upgrade to Windows 7 Business about a month ago, shortly after it's release. And even though it didn't seem to have very many new features or capabilities over Vista, the installation went smooth with no major problems.

Chapter 2: A bit of networking...

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. I've been pondering purchasing either a Netflix Roku, or a new BluRay DVD player with network capabilities so we could stream Netflix movies to our TV without having to wait for discs to arrive.

Regardless of the selection of hardware, I knew I'd need to run CAT5 cable from the router in Justin's room, to our TV in living room. I took stock and found I had enough cable, and just needed a couple RJ45 jacks to do the install. Long story short, I drilled a few holes in the walls and floor, crawled under the house and ran the cable, bought a 2-jack panel for Justin's room, and used his old wall plate in the living room to finish a nice, clean network extension.

Chapter 3: Choosing the Hardware

Now the research began. I knew we wanted to do Netflix thing, and I needed to choose between the follwing applicable solutions:

1) Roku, going for about $100 it just did Netflix. It would get the job done but how boring. The DVD players did other neat stuff like YouTube and Pandora playback.

2) Network Bluray players, namely by Samsung and LG were my first choice. Going for $150-$300, they'd give us BluRay capability, Netflix access and a few extras like YouTube or Pandora depending on the player.

3) We already had an XBox 360, and I knew XBox Live had a Netflix client avaialable. I was only luke warm on the desire for being able to play BluRay movies, and $50/year for XBox Live was very attractive compared to $150-$300 for a BluRay player.

Bottom line, $50 for XBox Live was the cheapest solution to get Netflix content streaming to our television, so that's what I went with. Who'd know just how cool it would really be...

Chapter 4: XBox Live

It was a quick setup plugging the XBox into the new network jack, updating the Xbox to the lastest version of the dashboard, choosing a new gamertag, entering billing information before we were rolling on XBox Live.

I quickly found the NetFlix client available for free download and install under the Video Marketplace menu, and had 'A Christmas Story' streaming on the TV with "Ooos" and "Ahhs!" from the family only about an hour after starting signing up for Live.

Chapter 5: Media Center Extender

The next day, still excited about the new family toy, I started exploring the other options available in the XBox 360 Live dashboard and came across "Media Center". I was moderately familiar with Media Center from playing around with it on Vista, but having very little use for it at the time.

I wasn't expecting the Windows 7 Business installation I'd recently done to have Media Center as part of it, but decided to check anyway. Come to find out it did. So, after checking out the client on the XBox, I was given a 6-character code which would authenticate the XBox with the Media Center software on the computer. So I jotted the code down, went to the computer, and opened a browser to the xbox.com/pcsetup setup site, ran the installation, entered the code and had the link setup.

I then opened Media Center, and ran it's setup. This allows you to tell Media Center where you keep your personal photos, music, and videos. With Windows 7, this actually adds these folders your 'Libraries' which appears to be a new indexing feature with Windows 7.

Finally, returning to the TV and launching the Media Center Extender, I had access to 1) play slide shows of my photos, 2) play and search music, and playlists (which is a bit slow and cumbersome when you have a large music library), play home videos (with our digital HDD camcorder, all our home videos are already in MPG format on the computer), and of course play any downloaded videos or media from the Internet.

So for a total of about $65, that $15 for a network wallplate, and $50 for Live, I not only can play games online with others, and play movies from NetFlix, but now I NEVER have to wait to encode or burn a DVD to play on my TV. This has already saved me countless hours! So if you're at all tech savvy, and have an XBox 360, and a Windows PC with Media Center on it, this is a very cheap way to enhance your TV viewing capabilities.

Chapter 6: The future

We've been enjoying the Netflix and Media Center extenders for a couple weeks now and I've make a couple changes to the setup.

First using your XBox controlller in lieu of a remote control has a couple disadvantages. First, you have to turn the controller on every time you want to change what you're watching, fast-forward, rewind, etc. This means that the XBox controller is left on for very long periods, which in turn means you start going through batteries a lot quicker. Solution: for $20, you can purchase the XBox IR remote control which uses an normal IR signal rather than the active radio connection that the conroller uses, which saves batteries, is always 'on', and has very clear buttons for doing common operations like loading Media Center, fast-forwarding, rewinding, etc.

Second, using your XBox as a Media Extender, you'll quickly learn that the 360 is REDICULOUSLY loud. This is due to both a loud stock fan, and a loud DVD drive. After some research I came across the Talismoon Whisper fan, which I just purchased online for about $20.

Please note, that during the process of replacing your stock fan, it does void the XBox warranty. I'm not particularly worried about it, as I've recently already voided the warranty after repairing a red-ring of death using the 3-penny heat-sink replacement, and overheat reset 'trick'. Which are beautifully, and very clearly documented on YouTube.

So happy holidays and I hope this helps someone with their decision on Media Center setups. It was a lot of fun doing the setup.

Fall Home Projects

It seems with the gain in popularity of micro-blogging, and my lack of time due to having a 10 month old baby I haven't been blogging for shit lately. But I'm breaking that trend today...

Removing Some Bushes...

So the last two months or so I've been delving into two notable home projects. First, last month I got sick of pruning three large bushes on the side of the house. Well.. I'm not sure if they were bushes, trees, or just really gnarley weed-trees; all I know is they were of two different varieties, and they all grew about 6-feet, mostly vertically per month, during the summer months.

So I figure it would be a nice area for a clean birch tree, a bench and maybe a swing for the baby later on. So I went out one day and cut them all down at the base and piles them nicely next to the fence to cut up later. Then I see that these bushes have lifted the sprinkler system out of the ground by their roots.

"Okay I think, I just need to dig out the roots and relay the sprinkler system underground."

Much easier said then done. Long story short: I ended up buying a 16" chainsaw, going through 4 chains, buying an 8lb axe, breaking a shovel, buying a new 'The Excavator' titanium alloy shovel, borrowing a neighbor's pick-axe. It literally took me three weeks of going out about 3-4 times a week working them before I finally got all the roots out. So finally, last week I got it all out, and was able to buy new PVC and re-lay the sprinkler line. I still need to level the ground, and replant lawn seed before I'll be ready to buy a new tree for the area. Realistically I probably won't plant a new tree until spring to give it a good chance to take hold.

New Genie Garage Door Opener

So when I bought the house I quickly learned that though the existing, old-ass, chain-drive Sears/Craftsman garage door opener was working, neither of the remotes worked.

After doing some diagnosis, I came to realize that the receiver board in the opener must be bad. If I remember correctly the necessary board was out of production, and the few sites you could order one from were ridiculously expensive, compared to simply buying a new garage door opener.

But alas, I had never installed a garage door opener, and being that we use the garage mostly for storage anyway and it push-button still worked I wasn't about to pay someone $300+ to install a new one at the time.

Fast-forward to last week. I go out to blow off the driveway, push the button and, "ENNNGH!", nothing. It just started making a buzzing sound and doing nothing when I pushed the open button. It was dead. This was in the middle of my Last Hurrah getting the aforementioned roots out of the ground, and I was about 2-seconds away from just calling someone to come out and install a new one.

However, Saturday I found myself at Lowes and I figured I price them and perhaps try to install one as much as I could, myself. I opted for the Genie screw-drive that was on sale for $160 or so. I got the old garage door opened down and dismantled, and I got most of the head-unit, and main rail put together on the new one that night. Sunday we stayed home from church and I used the time to really attack the project. I was able to stack boxes to help me elevate the unit and finally get it mounted; installed the Safe-T eye sensors and new button.

It was a helluva lot of work and consumed a huge portion of the day but ultimately I got a new opener installed, with working remotes finally, didn't have to pay an installer, and learned a thing or two about how these things work.

Back From Disneyland

So Friday we took off early in the AM and dropped Marley off in Manteca and did the drive to the Disneyland Hotel; a great view on the 10th floor of the Wonder tower. We were right above the area where they have weddings and got to watch one as soon as we arrived.

Saturday we hit the parks for the first of three days. This day: Disneyland. We did most of the major rides: Indiana Jones, Finding Nemo, the Matterhorn, and Star Tours where Justin managed to lose his lanyard with his 5-day hopper pass, and which was covered with fancy pins from the souvenir shops. We went back 10 minutes later and it was already gone; not at the ride's lost & found; not at the parks lost & found. So from then on, we had to stop by the Guest Relations desk each day for a replacement 1-day pass for him to get in. We go pooped around 4PM or so, and headed back to the hotel for some pool time and rest for the baby. Then later that evening we went back into the park to watch the fireworks show on Main Street. Very, very cool. Now it was late, and all the family-friendly restaurants were closed but we found a Torilla Jos Express for some burrito-goodness.

Sunday we did California Adventures, and hit most of the major rides there: Soaring over California, Screaming over California, the Grizzly Rapids, etc. Then we spent a good amount of time toward the back of the park at the Midway games and having lunch (and a Grand Margarita for dad :oP From there we waited in line for Aladdin and in the meantime I was able to go on the Tower of Terror. The Aladdin show was fantastic! Afterwards we had a great dinner at Naples; unfortunately Andrew was pissed by this point and made it a rough dinner. From there back to the hotel... pool/spa time... and watching the Main Street fireworks from our balcony.

Monday was back to Disneyland, but only after having the Character breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen and getting lots of pictures of the kids with the different characters. We were absolutely exhausted by this point, but made it through ToonTown, the Haunted Mansion, Bugs Life, and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. We had lunch in Critter Country before Lisa split with the baby to go shopping at Sephora while Justin and I did a few rides. Justin and I took the Monorail back to the hotel where Lisa and the kids watched TV, relaxed, and Justin played with a new Lego Agents set the Lisa bought him in Downtown Disneyland. In the meantime I got to checkout the Fitness center. The fitness center requires that you sign a waiver at the front desk to 'activate' your key to get in, and nobody under 14 is allowed in; as such there was NOBODY in this fairly well-equipped gym. I enjoyed that for about 45 minutes, then went back to the room for Justin and headed to the pool (after getting a Rob Roy at the bar :o).

After an hour or two in the pool we went back up to the room, ordered room service, started watching Life As A House which I Netflixed before we left. We were able to connect the portable DVD player to the TV. We caught the Main Street fireworks one last time that night.

Tuesday (yesterday) the fun was unfortunately over. It was all packing, loading the car, getting a quick bite to eat and hitting the road.... a quick stop in Manteca to pickup Marley, who'd only done minor damage to the sitters home :o(. As much fun as we had, it was REALLY NICE finally being home!

Weekend Update

Pauls 40th BDay Party
Originally uploaded by davidremerson

Friday

After work Friday I went to Mike and Jens and helped setup for Paul's BDay extravaganza.

Saturday

I took care of the baby while Lisa worked until about 3 or so, then we packed up and headed to Mikes for the party. Had a great time. Drank a million horns.

Sunday

Yesterday we went to Christina's baby shower and had a great time. We didn't have Justin this weekend. Afterwards, we got home and Lisa and I BBQ a couple steaks and watched a couple movies.

Independance Day Weekend

We had Friday (7/3) off from work. We cleaned house for part of the day then headed to Stockton for Mikey's 28th birthday party. I had a cool time hanging and BSing with him and Ryan, then Mikey, Justin, Ayden and I enjoyed their pool while the women played with all the babies (they just had a little girl, Rinoa)

So Saturday morning we woke to my mom and grandparents who were coming by. I went and picked up Starbucks for everyone, and I helped my mom with typing a paper for her class while the grandparents got to enjoy baby time with Andrew.

Saturday afternoon we spent a bit of time over at Trish's pool with the neighbors and had a cool time before leaving to our ultimate July 4th destination. The Dermal Clinic girls all got together with all the kids for some pool fun and fireworks. We BBQed some burgers and dogs; good times.

Sunday we chilled out most of the day. We watched the old movie Starman which I'd Netflixed, made some meatloaf for dinner and then watched a disc of Malcolm in the Middle.

Father's Day Weekend

Friday

We took the family and met Mike, Jen, Bella, and Jen's mom at Rosewood for dinner. We had a great time and afterwards took the kids to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for some candy apples.

Saturday

We took Justin to Sequoia's birthday party around noon, then headed up to Bill and Olaya's for some Father's Day fun with Lisa's sister Susie, David, and their new little one Judah. Michelle, Lisa's old neighbor, was there with her husband and new little one as well. Bill BBQed some ribs and sausage. We all enjoyed the pool and spa and had a great ole time...

Sunday

We had my whole family over for Father's day: Eddie, Justin, Grandma, Grandpa, my mom, Mike, Jen, and Bella. I BBQed some bacon wrapped steaks from Costco and we enjoyed a pony keg of Heineken while watching the masters golf game.

We followed that with the new Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie on OnDemand, and hung out at the neighbors pool last night to polish off a pretty killer weekend.

Hunt Picnic 2009

The annual Hunt Picnic was Saturday. We didn't have Justin this weekend so we didn't partake in the typical attractions like the Mickeys Grove Zoo, FunLand, or the Japanese gardens. We did have a good time, and got to spend a lot of time with the family. Everyone wanted baby-time as this was Andrew's first Hunt Picnic. We stayed for about three hours, had some good eats, and Lisa and I made it into the 5th round (or so) of the balloon toss.

Hunt Picnic 2009
Originally uploaded by davidremerson

Hunt Picnic 2009
Originally uploaded by davidremerson

Hunt Picnic 2009
Originally uploaded by davidremerson