MCE = Media Center Everywhere

I posted some new photos of our home MCE setup to My Flickr page tonight. These are some pictures of how we use Windows Media Center around the house. All of our media files (music, pictures, recorded TV and HD, DVDs, and downloaded video) is stored on a media server in the basement and accessed from the MCE interface on a PC like in the master bedroom or my wife's office or from one of the TVs in the house. This setup makes MCE = Media Center EVERYWHERE!

The TVs don't use Media Center Extenders to access the MCE interface and content. The s-video output of the video card and the sound output of the sound card of our media server running MCE 2005 goes into a Leviton modulator that outputs the MCE audio and video as a channel, 78 in our case. The incoming cable signal provided by Comcast has a Leviton notch filter on it that blocks channels 75-80 of the cable feed to allow for some space for the modulated channels to be added. The signal from the MCE on channel 78 and a signal from another DVR (TiVo Series 1) running into another modulator set to channel 80 are combined with the digital cable signal using a Leviton 3x8 video module. This allows all devices connected to the cable feed to see the MCE on 78 and TiVo on 80.

So, how do you control it? The IR is relayed to the IR receiver on the media server using X10 Powermid transmitters in the TV locations and one Powermid receiver in the basement. The output of the powermid is connected to a dual output emitter (one emitter goes on the eye of the MCE receiver and the other to the remote eye on the TiVo). We use Home Theater Master MX-500 remotes on the main and top floors with the MCE remote codes programmed into them and both remotes are setup with the same button layout so the contols are pretty seamless from floor to floor.

This setup is really flexible and can serve up your MCE content (or TiVo or ReplayTV or any composite input with audio) all over the house to any of your TVs or PCs with a TV tuner. The other nice advantage is being able to use the picture in picture function on your TV if it has the feature. The main picture can be the video in from your digital cable box and the PIP window can be the modulated channel - really nice! The main drawback is that all TVs are seeing the same output of the MCE, but you could always add an extender if you need to see different sources.

I have a few more notes in the photos on Flickr.