Yes, it has no trouble acting like a media server, but it depends on how you want to hook it up to a router. You can use a normal Cat 5 cable, if you don't mind a wired setup. If you want to go wireless, you have to buy a wireless adapter, and it either has to be a wireless bridge or the MS XBOX 360 adapter (~$99). One of the advantages the PS3 has over the XBOX 360 is that it already comes with a built in wireless adapter.
I thought setting up the XBOX 360 to share files with my PC was really easy. It plays almost all major video formats. It plays regular DVDs fine, although I have had some issues with some burned ones. Apparently you can get it to play itunes playlists and itunes movies, but I haven't messed around with that yet.
The best place to get a 360 or PS3 is from Dell.com. That's where I got mine. Every so often, Dell will discount their gaming systems from 10-15% off, much cheaper than you can find at a brick and mortar store. They had a sales on X-mas and I jumped on it. My 360 came in like in 2 days from UPS.
Another thing you might want to consider is that after you spent hundreds on the gaming system, games, accessories, online play subscription (XBOX), etc... you could have built yourself a pretty decent home theater PC, where you can surf the internet, watching shows from hulu.com, have DVR, play games from emulators, etc...
If you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a gaming system or HTPC. You might want to consider getting this for about $100. I know that Best Buy has them. You can hook up media from USB thumbdrive or an external HD and it will play almost all formats. It also has HDMI connection for HDTVs. It's pretty basic, but it could fit your needs.
yeah my original idea was to build a media server and run mythtv
but really the only real plus i can see to that is the dvr recorder and i'm not really a tv junkie... in fact the standard dvr from the cable company would probably be enough or maybe i slap a tuner into my computer now and just have it save to a central hard drive? say put a terabyte in the living room and connect that to the router? then run my actual computer wirelessly?
then i get the xbox 360 and have a couple real games.
i'm leaning towards the xbox right now. although i've always wanted to build a media server
I thought setting up the XBOX 360 to share files with my PC was really easy. It plays almost all major video formats. It plays regular DVDs fine, although I have had some issues with some burned ones. Apparently you can get it to play itunes playlists and itunes movies, but I haven't messed around with that yet.
The best place to get a 360 or PS3 is from Dell.com. That's where I got mine. Every so often, Dell will discount their gaming systems from 10-15% off, much cheaper than you can find at a brick and mortar store. They had a sales on X-mas and I jumped on it. My 360 came in like in 2 days from UPS.
Another thing you might want to consider is that after you spent hundreds on the gaming system, games, accessories, online play subscription (XBOX), etc... you could have built yourself a pretty decent home theater PC, where you can surf the internet, watching shows from hulu.com, have DVR, play games from emulators, etc...
There are some good forums on it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s&forumid=26
http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?s=5cbac8cc90c5fbd0560f053afdba0c4c&f=103
Do some reading on it.
If you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a gaming system or HTPC. You might want to consider getting this for about $100. I know that Best Buy has them. You can hook up media from USB thumbdrive or an external HD and it will play almost all formats. It also has HDMI connection for HDTVs. It's pretty basic, but it could fit your needs.
http://gizmodity.com/home/gizmodit/public_html/wp-content/uploads/pth/mainpostimagewestern-digital-wd-tv-hd-usb-based-media-player.png
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Here's a review.
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/14/review-western-digital-wd-tv-hd-media-player/
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but really the only real plus i can see to that is the dvr recorder and i'm not really a tv junkie... in fact the standard dvr from the cable company would probably be enough or maybe i slap a tuner into my computer now and just have it save to a central hard drive? say put a terabyte in the living room and connect that to the router? then run my actual computer wirelessly?
then i get the xbox 360 and have a couple real games.
i'm leaning towards the xbox right now. although i've always wanted to build a media server
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