Windows 7 for Audio or Video, yes - No?

Dave

so indeed you find the Win 7 OS better sounding when used as a source driving component?

I'm sold on Windows 7 after using it for the last 5 months.....Linux has been my operating system of choice for the last 5 years.

Dave

Yeah with Windows 7 I don't personally see the need for OSX. Windows 7 is great all by itself. Yeah from your description you probably only need to upgrade your OS.

I use one of my HTPCs with a front projector/119 inch screen, 52 inch LCD TV and a 19 inch LCD monitor. I also have a Plasma in th bedroom connected to a media extender (XBox360). I stream movies from the same HTPC to the display in the bedroom as well.Skies the limit on what you can do with this OS if you put your mind to it.

Here's another new kid approaching the states Dell Inspirion Zino HD. It's already been released in Ireland. I call it the Mac Mini killer.

Looks like this is the thread for me. I am contemplating reformating a core duo desktop I have to use as a media center and was thinking of windows 7 upgrade, maybe I'd just stream netflix flicks w/it and therefore not need all the HD bells and whistles. Probabably no real advantage w/ this box as is.
Now from looking at this post, I realize, that more likely than not the cost of upgrading piecemeal would be more than buying a new box or evn laptop that was blue ray and hd nice sound card built. I'll investigate further. My box is basic. My projector, however is HD though I dont have blue ray thus far, so it woud be nice to wake it up a bit.
Seems it would be silly to purcace a new PC w/o Seven, and cost prohibitive and potentially frustrating (driverwise) to just upgrade, at least in my sitch. I'm going to check into some of those deals mentioned. It'd be nice if we could more easily install the mac os--but thats another story.

I spent a few months optimising some PCs for audio use, trying out various players, including Cics Music Player. For each of XP, Vista and 7 it was beneficial to turn a lot of the services off. It was also beneficial to eliminate moving parts from the PC, not just because of mechanical noise but also electrical noise. Where I got to at the end of that was a preference for 7 over the other two. For streaming audio it seems to me to have the best of what XP and Vista have to offer. I am basing this just on listening tests and it is predicated on the configuration and player software I used.

Thanks a ton G... U D Man.

Now there's some food for thought!

The integrated graphics card in the Dell Studio and the Zotac already supports uncompressed audio/video playback over HDMI. So no extra sound or video card needed.

Here you go Jim the link to the Cable card they are only designed for Windows 7.
Ceton Multi-Channel cable card

Ceton FAQ

Here's the Studio series Dell.

Here's a new kid on the block Zotac Mag. It's actually small enough to fasten to the back of a TV unseen.

hey Chazz

If I do'd it at all I'd probably just go the upgrade route on my 32 bit Vista laptop... the HDMI thingy bugs me some too as I'd prefer it over the vga I have now.

As of this week my adaptive software designers say support is in place for Win 7 now.

I'll likely not change any other pc's OS. Ain't broke... don't fix it... sort of thing i guess.

Hi G

Having the ability to record and watch up to 4 HD channels; HD cable/OTA HD or satellite at once using a dropped in cable card with no DVRs or cable boxes necessary, all while streaming that content to 3 other TVs in the house will be the Bee's Knees when it is released next year!

Say what?

Dell makes a Studio model Chazz that can be an HTPC for $519.00. This includes a Blu-ray drive and a true HDMI output.

What's a studio pc & what's the name of this gizmo? Got a link to it?

Thanks much guys

I say yes and no Jim. Windows 7 for A/V is unmatched IMO. Using the OS with your HTPC is a must have if you enjoy videos! Having tried all the others at one time or another. Windows 7 allows so much more expandability over Vista or XP.

As far as music goes it's the same as Vista or XP too me. Which is fine in my book. The Home theater entertainment area is where Windows 7 is king of the hill.

Having the ability to record and watch up to 4 HD channels; HD cable/OTA HD or satellite at once using a dropped in cable card with no DVRs or cable boxes necessary, all while streaming that content to 3 other TVs in the house will be the Bee's Knees when it is released next year!

Dell makes a Studio model Chazz that can be an HTPC for $519.00. This includes a Blu-ray drive and a true HDMI output.

Windows 7 OS for an HTPC has no peers IMO that includes OSX.
This won't make standalone DVD and Blu ray player manufactures very happy as it negates buying them.

I haven't used a standalone player(CD,DVD,Blu-ray) in nearly two years..I'm sure I can't be the only one that's doing this.

Jim You know more than me so I would look at the test score for encoding and other tests.But I have ben doing some reading.I dunno if makes difference with Windows media center or WMP)but my IT buddy told me but you lighten your RAM needs opening tham especially for video so a ndual core would conceivably work better and faster.

Recently a 15 laptop with Win7 incredible deal was posted on CNET (look at CNET Cheapskate)for low end dual cores from Toshiba and Compaq with lower end dual cores,3G Ram,lightscribe multi drive that comes loaded with 7 and HDMI.If you didn't buy a (sucky) Vista machine with free upgrade it could get you deck for about twice the price of just the 7 software and serve as a great stand alone music laptop with an extra HD added.I think that many IT/computer reviewers are saying Vista was like ME should never have come out.7 uses much less takes less RAM to operate than Vista which will mean more resources for music (light demands) and Video where it will make more of difference.

Now if one could get a HD graphic card in and a Blu-Ray Drive for $400 or $500 I would stop toying with idea of building a horizontal HTPC (needs much less bleeding edge tech than gaming so can use good integrated HDMI graphics).Some say 7 is improvement but aren't all that blown away but most say it's what XP die hards should jump on and learn the new curve because it's worth it.That is if you don't want to use Mini Mac or better Apple buyt that's another kettle of fish.For some reasonm I thought you were Maccie.

7 should work better then again if your happy now with XP running WMP/MCE than buy it for other reasons.But given next computer I get (unles I go with trendy crown and get Netbook which I find too $$$) my next desktop or HTPC or laptop I wouldn't think of saving money on a Vista model.Now to your question.If your casual user might not be worth $180 for 7 but than again it will be around for a while,is better than Vista and you'll have it for current or future machine (you could build a new one with a bare bones kit and you'd have the 7.As you can tell I have been thinking about every angle of this myself after getting HD ready 24" and can't run it full rez so I am thinking about which way to smartly use my $$ to get what I want.Maybe I am wrong but for music not much difference (and most here seem to be Mac users for even if not using Itunes to play FLAC etc).I think 7 bought strategically for A/V and other uses might make sense.You have to work the angles out like me.But I dove on that $400 Laptop I might just swap the 7 out into a he man media machine I had built for me like the ones from HP,Gateway etc that are "media canter built but do it from scratch.But whoe knows I might like 7 and then want to buy it for main machine and wonder what I bought latop for.But $400????

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10377584-58.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=TheCheapskate

The Toshiba might not be one to get see comments for Compaq deal at Staples if all this nonsense interests you.You know my ADD and one I get going.I put in link for M300 Athlon Chip.Looking forward to full review of it and seeing what other pony up now with 7.And like one guys say's "For that $120 Netbook".BT even with some problems working out file paths for everything am loving the Jriver.Might pay the (Gulp) $50 for full version.
Cheers
Chazz