How can you use your PC as a VCR?

[Jim]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I would like to use my PC as a video (VCR) / audio recorder.

There isn't any easy way of automatically turning the PC on and off.

I need some sort of timer that will do this.



The only options I have found are.



1. The RTC Alarm Resume function in the Bios is great for single, weekly and
monthly Auto switch on, no good for multiple events.



2. I have Wake on Lan working, so I can trigger any network computer on at
any time by sending a magic packet.

I'm trying to avoid having any Pc switched on initially.



3. Wake on Modem / Ring works, but this involves me manually ringing my
phone every time I want the PC to switch on, plus the fact it will switch on
when anyone calls.

Is there a way to connect a cheap mobile phone up to the modem to trigger
the PC on ? This would be interesting but it wont solve the problem.



The above options are no good, it would be nice if there was a bios that had
multiple wake up events.



Is there any PCI timer card out there because I haven't found it or some
sort of box which you can program timed events to send a WOL or WOR packets
to the PC.



Anybody have any good answers please let me know.





Thanks



Jim

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Tue, 3 Aug 2004 18:32:40 +0100, "Jim" <aqza74@dsl.pipex.com>
wrote:

>I would like to use my PC as a video (VCR) / audio recorder.
>
>There isn't any easy way of automatically turning the PC on and off.
>
>I need some sort of timer that will do this.

<snip, snip>

>Anybody have any good answers please let me know.

The good answer is: Don't turn it off.

Build a system using/creating only as much
power/heat/noise/components as necessary to do the job, and leave
it turned on. Audio recording needs very little performance,
perhaps a little if you wanted it captured to a compressed format
like MP3, but certainly not Athlon XP or P4 levels. Likewise
with video, having an mpeg hardware encoder in the system or
saving to low-or-no compression will reduce system requirements.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Jim" <aqza74@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:410fcc38$0$26984$cc9e4d1f@news.dial.pipex.com...
> I would like to use my PC as a video (VCR) / audio recorder.
>
> There isn't any easy way of automatically turning the PC on and off.
>
> I need some sort of timer that will do this.
>
>
>
> The only options I have found are.
>
>
>
> 1. The RTC Alarm Resume function in the Bios is great for single, weekly
and
> monthly Auto switch on, no good for multiple events.
>
>
>
> 2. I have Wake on Lan working, so I can trigger any network computer on at
> any time by sending a magic packet.
>
> I'm trying to avoid having any Pc switched on initially.
>
>
>
> 3. Wake on Modem / Ring works, but this involves me manually ringing my
> phone every time I want the PC to switch on, plus the fact it will switch
on
> when anyone calls.
>
> Is there a way to connect a cheap mobile phone up to the modem to trigger
> the PC on ? This would be interesting but it wont solve the problem.
>
>
>
> The above options are no good, it would be nice if there was a bios that
had
> multiple wake up events.
>
>
>
> Is there any PCI timer card out there because I haven't found it or some
> sort of box which you can program timed events to send a WOL or WOR
packets
> to the PC.
>
>
>
> Anybody have any good answers please let me know.
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Jim
>
>

first off, you want uk.tech.tv.video.pvr and secondly, why bother turning it
off?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Jim" <aqza74@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:410fcc38$0$26984$cc9e4d1f@news.dial.pipex.com...
> I would like to use my PC as a video (VCR) / audio recorder.
>
> There isn't any easy way of automatically turning the PC on and off.

<snip>

Thats right. If you want a reliable way of doing it, look for a miniITX
soloutio with a Via CPU. Power consumption will be under 40w, with the hard
disk becoming the major consumer.

google is your friend

hamman