UGN Project - Networked DVR (Beyond TV)

Well, this project is kinda fun, and replaces needs for a tivo and builds many many extra options which are unavailable through other products...

A networked (gigabit) DVR will record from a central location and be able to stream data (over the network) to other machine's (hooked up to other televisions around the house).

The primary connection to the televisions are over a gigabit network, pc's streaming from the DVR will be over a standard 10/100 network and over wireless (802.11GS).

The Network:
Cable Modem -> WRT54GS...
WRT54GS -> Vonage AP Adapter
WRT54GS -> 16 Port 10/100 Switch
WRT54GS -> Gigabit Switch
16 Port Switch -> PC's around the house.
Gigabit Switch -> DVR's

The Server:
1.4GHZ Processor (AMD Athlon XP 1700)
1280mb DDR333 Ram (2 512MB + 1 256MB)
Hauppage TV Tuner (with FM Radio input)
256MB GFX Card
500GB Hard Disk (2 planned, 1 for starters)
DVR Suite: Beyond TV
Media Readers: 2 DVDRW's, Media card reader.
(Pictures to come upon completion)

1 hour = 2GB; so 250 hours (or so) per 500GB hard disk.

Link DVR's (2 planned):
Processor: 1.2GHZ Processor (planned)
Ram: 512MB
Graphics: 64MB Video

Connection from DVR's are over SVideo/Composit adapters to the televisions.

The Server will have 2 Playstation2 controllers connected through frontside USB (utilizing a $12 adapter), ROM's will be able to be played using the PS2 controllers as joysticks.

So far, the server itself is almost complete (need hard disk and DVDRW/Media Card reader); I'll post more as info arrives/is finished.

Any questions?

Damn man that should be pretty cool, for the time being I'll stick with my Tivo, less work for me

Quote:

"After war and famine have been stricken from our world, our species will give itself a purpose: To build an incredibly massive space craft that bends the laws of physics, enabling our species to travel faster than the speed of light. We will visit alien worlds, catalogue their life-forms, and catch up to our old television broadcasts. By firing our intergalactic engines at just the right moments, it may also be possible to pause and rewind live TV."
-- Scott Smago, FUTUREBOOK 2000, 1958

Anything's easier than that...

Quote:

Originally posted by HighLander:
Damn man that should be pretty cool, for the time being I'll stick with my Tivo, less work for me

'eh Tivo can't give me:
Remote radio streaming of FM Radio/MP3's/CD's
Ability to play old video games on my TV
Ability to burn data from my DVR to DVD directly (or to two DVD burners at once)
Ability to stream from one DVR to another

It's been a long standing interest of mine, and something that I think would make a killer project (once finished), grante it is MAJOR overkill; but immagine the bragging rights...

Doesn't the 10/100Mbps switch make the gigabit switch pointless? Also I don't understand where you're getting the tv signal from in the first place.

The TV Signal is from my Dish Network reciever; it's left out of the diagram as it doesn't much deal with the network.

Also, the Gigabit switch is just for the DVR's; the "outside" network won't require access to the DVR so there isn't much reason to extend the gigabit... The only thing the "outside" network will use is the music stream.