Echo as a WMC Extender

[IownFIVEechos]

I hate the fact that we have to hope that one day we will get some kind of update for these things. Very sad. My biggest worry is that while these devices work on the later firmware, they were awful on the factory installed version. If ceton was to go belly up and the update servers disappear, knowing how the echo resets its factory default more than I change my underwear, we will be holding an even more useless device. Am I the only one with that fear?

[Crash2009]

I will have to check, but common sense would say that no communication between updates would lead to a 2013? The web page is sitting on the echo I think? They would have had to push something down no? In March 2013 they would not have stamped it 2014??? Did you update the software app recently?

The web page must not be in the firmware. I am running 3 Ceton softwares. InfiniTV (x64) 1.5.4304.6, Echo (x64) 12.12.4.935, and MMC (x64) 13.10.20.199

If you decided that you were going to edit your greenbutton profile, and fill in your HTPC stats, when do you think would be a good time to start?

[IownFIVEechos]

" when do you think would be a good time to start?"

Not sure what you mean?

[Crash2009]

" when do you think would be a good time to start?"

Not sure what you mean?

It's supposed to be a trap question. Most people say "now".

[IownFIVEechos]

" when do you think would be a good time to start?"

Not sure what you mean?

It's supposed to be a trap question. Most people say "now".

Gotcha, I just can't understand how it would be updated. Pull your internet connection and load that page you will get it. Perhaps your other ceton product updated it? Either way doesn't matter we get no valuable changes to the product.

[Crash2009]

Do you have one of your Echo's turned on right now?

[IownFIVEechos]

Do you have one of your Echo's turned on right now?

I get your point now. They are probably just referencing the current date etc.. select getdate() or dim currentDate = today

[Crash2009]

Edit your greenbutton profile. HTPC Specs. We want to see what you are running. If you want the easy way,,,download Speccy http://www.piriform.com/speccy

[IownFIVEechos]

Edit your greenbutton profile. HTPC Specs. We want to see what you are running. If you want the easy way,,,download Speccy http://www.piriform.com/speccy

I will, I am just in the middle of getting a plex/mb3 server running and a new HTPC (headless) setup. I currently have nothing to brag about on the HTPC end. Just a simple Intel Core Duo with 4gb of ram. And I run 3 echos at the same time and watch off the HTPC and no hiccups which is why I always question when people have such nightmares with theirs. One thing I noticed on my network last weekend was when I was testing PLEX I was moving some WTV files over the network and was getting 10MB/s transfer on a gig network. I started to freak out! Sometimes with Windows 8.1 you have to question the drivers initially installed so I started getting the drivers from the different sites I needed. It did not help. I made sure I have Large 9k file options set on, no help. So I switched cables and started getting 97MB/s! That's what I expected. So even though my media was playing fine off the 10MB/s it was clearly an issue. But here is a summary of the main area in the basement settings.

Optoma hd20 on a 135inch screen
Pioneer 1223k receiver (only been using it for less than a month now)
I use one xbox in the basement because of Kinect games (use to have 5 but donated 4 of them)
Vandersteen speakers 5.1

And of course the 5 echos (3 using 2 for backups) around the house! And 3 Roku 3's! Too much of this I should just TIVO like everyone else!!@#!@#

HTPC like I said will soon become an i5 with 8gb same as the Plex server. And I will be jumping all over the 6 tuner SD!

I will get to updating the profile once I have my upgrades in place. I see how it is helpful as once you mentioned it I started checking everyones systems out!

[slowbiscuit]

Even the XBox360 sucks for the most part to. It freezes, locks up, crashes most of the time and all the damn restarts suck.

If you try to throw all kinds of random video at it maybe, but if used just as a WMC extender the Xboxes are rock-solid.

[signcarver]

I'll agree that the new E or the slim 360's should be rock solid for use as WMC extenders (assuming the network is ok as well) some of the older ones did tend to overheat and could cause some problems.

I also wanted to say that the echo works pretty well as an extender too. I got two of them and a prime for my 70+ year old dad and he is quite pleased with them. I was going to go with the new samsung tuner(s) as the main purpose was to eliminate two STBs that are only used when company visits but just before I was going to make the purchase, he finally expressed some interest in having a DVR by saying there were too many times he was up late watching a movie only to want to watch the next movie as well and wished he could record it for watching during the day and that he asked the cable company and their solution was going to cost him an extra $45/month and he was already complaining about prices. My original solution was going to save him $15/month and I still was wavering which way to go then both the prime and echos went on sale for $99 ea. and that persuaded me to try the echos since the samsungs wouldn't give him the recording capability he asked about. I installed the system just before Christmas and in a followup visit this week, he was telling me how much he likes them and believes the picture quality is actually improved over the STBs the cable company had. His only complaint was the remote as he and my mom use separate remotes so they don't need to go looking for them so he uses the one included while she uses the harmony. Though he had no issues in the past 4 weeks, I got to go over some more troubleshooting issues with him this trip and he had already figured most of them out... including HDMI/HDCP handshake issues when turning off the TV... it turns out the STB also had that same problem with one of his TVs so he had been doing a similar fix for years.

Next Christmas I will probably add an xbox just because they could use a gaming system for the kids that visit and that will allow one of the echos to be permanently moved to the other guest room where now the plans are to keep one of them on the main tv so he can record and watch what he recorded (though he will probably actually watch at his desk / computer with 3 monitors available as he researches genealogy) and move the echo to the secondary guest room when they have it occupied (I usually use that room when I am there and can just connect my laptop to the prime like I did at Christmas).

After this pleasant experience with the echos I won't be as hesitant to recommend them to those looking for an extender.

[Crash2009]

I see how it is helpful as once you mentioned it I started checking everyones systems out!

yup, the HTPC specs are very helpful. Not only for the newcomer, but also for those who have been around awhile. I browse others specs prior to deciding what hardware to use for a new project.

Say, how do you like Intel Core Duo? I have never owned an Intel chip, and I just inherited 4. Three Dell T3400's http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/precision-t3400/pd and a Dell T7500 http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/precision-t7500/pd A local engineering firm was sending these to the crusher, and said I could take all I wanted. The catch was, they only gave me 15 minutes to get what I wanted out of there. I think the 7500 might have dual Xeon's in it. Might be a nice score.

[IownFIVEechos]

I can not complain about the processor it has been doing well when others seem to have struggled in my situation using the echos. I too have inherited my boxes. That is the one thing gratefully I do not have to budget for are my computers. That allows me to buy all this other garbage to play with At the end of the day I sat in my bed last night watching tv on my tiny little RAZR MAX HD phone when I invested in all this other stuff! Thank goodness for the SD products. Lets one run away from the mother-in-law!!!!!

[Crash2009]

I can not complain about the processor it has been doing well when others seem to have struggled in my situation using the echos. I too have inherited my boxes. That is the one thing gratefully I do not have to budget for are my computers. That allows me to buy all this other garbage to play with At the end of the day I sat in my bed last night watching tv on my tiny little RAZR MAX HD phone when I invested in all this other stuff! Thank goodness for the SD products. Lets one run away from the mother-in-law!!!!!

OMG, that is so sad. Forced to watch TV on a phone. Life is rough.

So, tell me. What's so great about SD products? I mean besides turning your razr into a TV.

[IownFIVEechos]

I can not complain about the processor it has been doing well when others seem to have struggled in my situation using the echos. I too have inherited my boxes. That is the one thing gratefully I do not have to budget for are my computers. That allows me to buy all this other garbage to play with At the end of the day I sat in my bed last night watching tv on my tiny little RAZR MAX HD phone when I invested in all this other stuff! Thank goodness for the SD products. Lets one run away from the mother-in-law!!!!!

OMG, that is so sad. Forced to watch TV on a phone. Life is rough.

So, tell me. What's so great about SD products? I mean besides turning your razr into a TV.

First thing I never had to post a comment on their forums. It is like that rotisserie as seen on tv product 'You simply set it and forget it'. No issues with it, no spinning wheel to make one get a divorce, no, no tuners found to get kicked in the knee caps by the kids. And the DLNA is the icing on the cake. They just have it together I guess. Like someone else on this site said, 'I am just happy I never had to go through the growing pains of the other products'. I remember almost getting on board with the first card Ceton offered and I watched the shipping delays etc.. But not being invested I felt like most people here do who do not own an echo. I did not care much about it at the time. I am sure it is good too but the SD rocks.

[Crash2009]

And the DLNA is the icing on the cake.

DLNA is pretty cool. My first network TV, (Samsung), can use that. The interface was kinda clunky compared to WMC though. I haven't used DLNA for a couple years now, I imagine it has been improved a lot.