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[lachesis]

I'm thinking about building a pc for playing various media formats on my TV with multi lingual function - namely Korean. I've been thinking about it for quite some time, but I can't seem to come up with any feasible solution due to my limited knowledge.

The media that I'm to play are mostly Dvix files, but for some reason, my momitsu DVD player have some problems with certain types of avi files and do not seem to support .smi subtitle file - although I can change it into .srt file format, but it doesn't seem to support Korean languange.

So, I have few options.

1. Buy a 2ndary Xbox with a mod (I do not know much about mod chips) , - but does WMP for Xbox support multi-lingual subtitle support?

2. Build a PC and connect it to my TV via DVI input

3. Buy my wife a new laptop and use her laptop (old sony P3 Vaio) for playing media files, although since this doesn't have a DVD rom, nor huge HDD, I will have to network my DVD-Rom (where I back up most of my dvix files) and play on network or buy yet another DVD rom for it.

4. or just re-code the divx into mpg2 format and burn them on DVD, but i really do not want to do so, since it's so time consuming.

All of them are doable, but I just wanted consult some of your opinion - Any input would be appreciated.

lachesis

 

[Ecrofirt]

I'd probably go with an Xbox and a cheap modchip. Put Xbox MediaCenter on there, and you can network your Xbox to your PC and pull any files from there. Alternatively, you could also burn your media to DVDs/CDs (but make sure your Xbox reads that type of media first. Easiest way I tested that was to try and copy the music from a burned audio CD with my MS Dashboard. If it copied the music, I knew the media worked.) OR you could get a cheap HD, and install that in your Xbox, and save all the files right onto your new Xbox HD.

For more info, check out www.xbox-scene.com

And I'm not sure if XMBC supports Korean subtitles, but you could probably find out very quickly from www.xboxmediacenter.de

 

[lachesis]

I see. I just checked, and Xbox media player do support multi-language, and .smi files. Only thing is, I'm pretty much a newbie on mod scene, and xboxscene.com seem to be just quite so.. overwhelming. (perhaps I need to study some more.)

Thanks for your input though. It's been very helpful.

lachesis

 

[Marty Chinn]

I just built a new PC for my g/f and as a side effect, I decided to play around with it on my HDTV since it would be the first time I could really experience HDTV quality video. I must say that the experience wasn't so great in using it. Once I finally got everything together, it wasn't easy to set it up to display properly. Picking the right resolution and getting a video to play wasn't so bad, but not a great interface either. I wouldn't say it's hard to do, just the experience wasn't pleasing when I knew I had XBMC to fall back on which still impresses me to this date. I would just go the Xbox route unless you really really wanna research the HTPC concept. I thought the HTPC scene was far more developed than it turned out to be. Even in the game department where people brag about how great it is, I was disappointed to see how few games actually support widescreen resolutions.

 

[lachesis]

Thanks, Marty. (always helpful. )

Anyhow, XBMC might be the easiest way, it seems. (Urge to get my Xbox modded or get 2ndary Xbox rising...)

lachesis

 

[DaveH]

Go the XBMC route. It plays XBox games, it's cheap, it's simple, and it works. Even the cheapest HTPC you build is going to be two or more times expensive than a modded XBox... which is going to do 90% of what you want a HTPC to do and probably do a lot of it better/faster. IMO, the only argument for a HTPC is if you start going high-end where it doubles as a TiVo and DVD-ripper/copier/burner and if you dislike the looks of the XBox... even then, you might be better off just getting a modded XBox and a modded TiVo.

Actually the best case for a HTPC is if you already have a good machine that you're not using so you decide to convert it into a HTPC... then the cost isn't really a factor.

Just my 2 cents.

edit: btw, I know for a fact Korean movies work on XBMC... watched My Sassy Girl, Spy Girl, and other sappy Korean love movies with passive males and aggressive females on it.