cyberManor Wins Microsoft Media Center Install Contest

Tue, Sep 9, 2008 | Jim Clark

Microsoft concluded it’s 2nd annual Windows Media Center Ultimate Install contest for custom integrators at CEDIA. The winner: cyberManor.

Read about it here, and check out the install schematic below. About all I can say is WOW!

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Jim Clark - who has written 50 posts on We Got Served.

Hello. I’m from the heartland of U.S. Lots of corn and beans, although Iowa is a lot more than just farmland. It also has a few computer enthusiasts (no, not me!). I’ve been around PC’s since I got my 1st PC XT aloooong time ago. WGS is one of the first sites I found centered around WHS. And the best. Every once in awhile, I do get away from the KB and enjoy time with and my wife and our 4 kids. And I do have a day job.

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4 Comments For This Post

Marty Says:
September 9th, 2008 at 5:38 pm

Very nice install, with lots of tech components.

However, it would be interesting to get more details about just how integrated this system is and how all the components actually work together, esp. the Media Center elements. For instance:

- There is a Touchsmart computer shown running Media Center. However, as far as I know, the Touchsmart computer can’t work as a Media Center extender, so it would not have access to any of the TV (live or recorded) from the “Niveus Media’s n9 media server with four CableCARD tuners”. So, the Touchsmart computer would effectively be an “island” in this system. The only way to watch TV (live or recorded) on the Touchsmart computer would be to connect additional CableCARD tuners directly to it, if it is even possible to connect CableCARD tuners to a Touchsmart computer (but in any case, it would still be an “island” component in the system).

- The diagram shows several XBox 360s running as Media Center extenders. However, as far as I know, there is no way to stream DVD movies via Media Center to a Media Center extender, so it is not clear how “A Niveus Ice Vault to store the family’s DVD movie collection” would allow the family members to watch this centralized DVD collection on the Media Center extenders using Microsoft Media Center.

So, on the surface, this looks like a great system, with lots of integrated components running Microsoft Media Center and Media Center extenders, but it leaves one wondering about the details of just how Media Center is actually used in this system, esp. since this is a “Microsoft Media Center Install Contest” winner. How many Media Center “islands” are actually present in this system? Is Microsoft Media Center really the “center” of this “Media Center Install Contest” system, or is Media Center just a “part” of the system, where there are lots of other products that actually provide functions like the DVD streaming, TV watching, etc.

Just curious…

Reply - Quote

merdzd Says:
September 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

fully agree with Marty.

do not understand how you can
manage the Media Center at living room and master bedroom.

Reply - Quote

SCP Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 9:25 pm

Give this one the ‘he got served’ award for the least informative (and hence least interesting) presentation/feature so far on this site. Could we know how much the poor guy paid for all this ‘functionality’?

Sorry - I shouldn’t be so negative, but this really wasn’t up to the usual standards on here.

Keep posting this stuff though - it’s nice to see what people are trying to do.

Cheers

Simon

Reply - Quote

Jim Clark Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 10:38 pm

Cool. An award!

In lieu of copy/pasting from the original source, I felt the schematic was rather intriguing in itself. I take it you did not click on the link to see the rest of pictures? I guarantee you, it is quite impressive.

Reply - Quote

Marty Says:
September 9th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Very nice install, with lots of tech components.

However, it would be interesting to get more details about just how integrated this system is and how all the components actually work together, esp. the Media Center elements. For instance:

- There is a Touchsmart computer shown running Media Center. However, as far as I know, the Touchsmart computer can’t work as a Media Center extender, so it would not have access to any of the TV (live or recorded) from the “Niveus Media’s n9 media server with four CableCARD tuners”. So, the Touchsmart computer would effectively be an “island” in this system. The only way to watch TV (live or recorded) on the Touchsmart computer would be to connect additional CableCARD tuners directly to it, if it is even possible to connect CableCARD tuners to a Touchsmart computer (but in any case, it would still be an “island” component in the system).

- The diagram shows several XBox 360s running as Media Center extenders. However, as far as I know, there is no way to stream DVD movies via Media Center to a Media Center extender, so it is not clear how “A Niveus Ice Vault to store the family’s DVD movie collection” would allow the family members to watch this centralized DVD collection on the Media Center extenders using Microsoft Media Center.

So, on the surface, this looks like a great system, with lots of integrated components running Microsoft Media Center and Media Center extenders, but it leaves one wondering about the details of just how Media Center is actually used in this system, esp. since this is a “Microsoft Media Center Install Contest” winner. How many Media Center “islands” are actually present in this system? Is Microsoft Media Center really the “center” of this “Media Center Install Contest” system, or is Media Center just a “part” of the system, where there are lots of other products that actually provide functions like the DVD streaming, TV watching, etc.

Just curious…
Reply - Quote
merdzd Says:
September 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
fully agree with Marty.

do not understand how you can
manage the Media Center at living room and master bedroom.
Reply - Quote
SCP Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Give this one the ‘he got served’ award for the least informative (and hence least interesting) presentation/feature so far on this site. Could we know how much the poor guy paid for all this ‘functionality’?

Sorry - I shouldn’t be so negative, but this really wasn’t up to the usual standards on here.

Keep posting this stuff though - it’s nice to see what people are trying to do.

Cheers

Simon
Reply - Quote
Jim Clark Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Cool. An award!

In lieu of copy/pasting from the original source, I felt the schematic was rather intriguing in itself. I take it you did not click on the link to see the rest of pictures? I guarantee you, it is quite impressive.
Reply - Quote

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