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Probably the most complicated setup imaginable... please help.

#1
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7/9/09 at 8:31pm
  • Joined: July 2009
  • Post Count: 3
Ok.. so I will admit that I ended up with this setup completely due to piss poor planning.. I had no intention of going this route.. but alas, here I am.

Here are the basics...

I have my primary desktop PC (XP) in my den.. I used it to rip my DVD collection to disc as .ISO images.. I use a product called VirtualCloneDrive to "mount" the .ISO image as a drive.  This lets the PC play it as if it is a DVD in a drive.  Works great.

I have another desktop PC (XP) connected via HDMI to my plasma in my living room.. works great.  I have it connected to my network via 802.11n and it shows 77% signal strength.

Here is where I really push my luck....

I map a network drive from the living room PC to the den PC's shared folder containing the .ISO.  I then "mount" the .ISO from the network drive using VirtualCloneDrive and then open it using PowerDVD or Windows Media Player.

It kinda works.  It clips and studders a lot.  It works slightly better in WMP than in PowerDVD.

I am not interested in using that PC as a DVR.. I really just want to use it to allow me to watch the DVD .ISO images.

I used to have 802.11g.. 802.11n didnt make much difference at all.  I cant reduce the resolution on the movies since it is playing on a 50" tv.

I am hoping some people here have been sucessful in making this work... if so, how?  Are there ways of tuning the wireless router (dlink dir-655)? or a better player that will stream smoother (buffer)?  a different file format? Something short of "youre screwed, buy a new setup".

Thanks for the time.
-Matt
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#2
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7/10/09 at 11:36am
  • Joined: July 2009
  • Post Count: 3
 I tried running the video reduced in size to 50% to make sure it wasnt a full screen issue.. doesnt seem to make a difference.  CPU and memory are not pegged... video card is a fanless AGP Geforce 5200 w/HDTV out.

Currently I am copying a 7gb iso to the media pc to try and run it locally to determine if the issue is with the network capacity or with the player/codec/etc..

.. Still looking for suggestions.
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#3
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7/10/09 at 4:01pm
  • Joined: December 2003
  • Location: Charlotte, NC
  • Post Count: 2,812
You are unlikely to get many suggestions because some things referenced in your post are against forum policy to discuss in any kind of detail.
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#4
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7/10/09 at 8:10pm
  • Joined: February 1998
  • Location: New York City, Office space for rent - cheap!
  • Post Count: 19,350
As noted, your setup includes elements that violate HTF Rule 5, because you are defeating the copy protection on DVDs in order to make unauthorized copies:

Quote:
 5.  Respect for copyrights. Home Theater Forum has a strict policy of respecting the rights of copyright holders. We do not allow discussion of bootleg material or where or how to obtain it, and we immediately delete all links to sites that deal in bootleg material. If you have any doubt whether a source is legitimate, please check with a moderator before posting any links. We also do not allow discussion of (a) how to make unauthorized copies of video or audio materials, (b) how to defeat any form of copy protection (including, for example, how to make "personal" copies of commercially produced DVDs), and/or (c) how to obtain equipment that can only be used for such purposes. In one form or another, this rule goes back to the very origins of HTF. We are serious about it, and it is not going to change. Please do not try to debate copyright law with us. We're not interested in discussing what the law should be. We believe it is in the best interest of HTF to enforce this policy strictly, and members test it at their peril.

This thread is being closed. Please do not make any further attempt to discuss this system here.
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