Best Media O/S?

[[R-DEV]Rhino]

I'm wondering if any one knows of any good media operating systems out there for playing movies, music etc on? Me and my bro have been considering replacing out old crappy TV with basically my old computer parts and just get a TV card for it etc and getting a nice big flat screen, afew huge hard drives, a nice sound system and just keeping all the media we want on it and playing it how we like etc

Would need to really be just for media, short start up time, simple to use, good file system etc, any one know of anything abit like this? cheers!

[[R-DEV]Masaq]

Windows Media Center Edition springs to mind? Never used it, but it claims to be everything you want?

[Dr2B Rudd]

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]Masaq

Windows Media Center Edition springs to mind? Never used it, but it claims to be everything you want?

Damn thing is just annoying- however I've not tried watching TV with it.

[[R-MOD]Dylan]

My father uses XP Media Center Edition to great effect. We run it on a plasma though. It runs similarly to Tivo, and you can record anything you want on a season pass IIRC. It runs pretty good, though a little slow because the PC is from 2001/2002.

[[R-DEV]Cheeseman]

All Windows Vista copies except for Business come with Windows Media Center. It is a very good program in my opinion. Does mostly what you'd expect from a media application to perform. Hers a video:
YouTube - Windows Vista Media Center

[[R-DEV]Rhino]

cheers for the replys.

Originally Posted by [R-CON]Cheeseman

All Windows Vista copies except for Business come with Windows Media Center. It is a very good program in my opinion. Does mostly what you'd expect from a media application to perform. Hers a video:
YouTube - Windows Vista Media Center

from the looks of things its not a O/S since its running though vista, with vista being the O/S

I need a O/S that 100% dose media and not much else too keep things running smoothly and fast with it, want a start up time of a TV etc

[[R-DEV]OkitaMakoto]

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]Masaq

Windows Media Center Edition springs to mind? Never used it, but it claims to be everything you want?

I own one. But I bought it for the 250 Gig HD, the Dual core 2.8 Ghz Proc and [then] 1 gig of Ram.

That media center thing was cool, but I use other things to play videos and music. [itunes and WMP/VLC]

THe TV tuner was kinda cool, I used it to get a VHS onto my computer to burn to a DVD for a teacher, but the quality was pretty bad... you have to like, connect it to your VHS and TV and theres all these crossing wires... just turned into too much, for me at least.

Aside from that, the media center comes pretty beefed up to deal with burning CDs and DVDs, editing video and audio, and the like. Im actually quite glad I bought it.

Very unprofessional review, but at least you got another vote for it

OOhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *EDIT*

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]Rhino

I need a O/S that 100% dose media and not much else too keep things running smoothly and fast with it, want a start up time of a TV etc

Your best bet would probably be
Here

Honestly I know nothing about a quick starting, Media only, operating system... I thought those were just called TV's and CD players... *shrug*

[Ti_GER Niqo]

You might laugh, but one of the best solutions to this is the xbox. Not the 360 (dunno about that one), but the 1st generation upgraded with a chip and a larger HDD. It uses the XBMC, which is the best piece of software for media purposes I have seen so far.
XBMC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From what I've seen the XBMC has been ported to Win XP and some other O/S as well, but I have no experience for that.
I use my Xbox almost only as a media station in my livingroom, connected to the LAN, so I can listen to music or watch movies from my PC. A friend of mine uses it with a small NAS box where he stores his music/movies. Works perfectly. You could use your old computer parts for a small server, and in your livingroom you'd only have your telly and the xbox.
Oh, and I almost forgot - you can play games on the xbox as well!

[Bamboo]

We just had a thread about this
HTPC HD Upgrade? - Tactical Gamer

The OS talk is on the 2nd page, but you might want to look at some of the programs mentioned on the 1st page.

[[R-MOD]KP]

I use my Windows XP PC, Windows Media Player and a PS3 (just got one - wooohooo! ). Share whatever I download on the PC using WMP's library, then get it all from the house wireless network using the PS3, which is hooked to a 42" LCD screen. Pretty damned good, except the network connection's unstable.