Are servers the new media?

[kloneman]

Originally Posted by Lotus

You might not be but currently the best way to run a HTPC is with a PC vs an Apple.

Your assertion remains to be verified, and I assert that it is fallacy.

The facts are that Windows based PCs are plagued with too many problems, and the current version of the OS itself is so poor that people are actually are downgrading. Some shops are doing a brisk business by supporting this downgrading effort. A substantional fraction of the MILLIONS of those dissatified with windows baced PCs leave either it entirely for Macintosh, or they compromise and dump the OS and replace it with Linux.

There is essentially NOTHING differentiating your Windows PC hardware from Macintosh hardware, sans possible build quality (and historically Apple products have been HIGHER), now, so that argument is invalid as well.

The most common way, is like most other things is NOT necessarily the best. That is the foundation of "High End"...

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by kloneman

Your assertion remains to be verified, and I assert that it is fallacy.

The facts are that Windows based PCs are plagued with too many problems, and the current version of the OS itself is so poor that people are actually are downgrading. Some shops are doing a brisk business by supporting this downgrading effort. A substantional fraction of the MILLIONS of those dissatified with windows baced PCs leave either it entirely for Macintosh, or they compromise and dump the OS and replace it with Linux.

There is essentially NOTHING differentiating your Windows PC hardware from Macintosh hardware, sans possible build quality (and historically Apple products have been HIGHER), now, so that argument is invalid as well.

The most common way, is like most other things is NOT necessarily the best. That is the foundation of "High End"...

All I can say is your anti-MS attitude is clearly showing here. Unfortunately my statement is true. The HDMI Video Cards are ONLY PC usable. If you want 1080p video to a projector and NextGen audio codecs right now the PC is the best and honestly only solution.

Don't get into a stupid Apple Vs PC debate because all it comes down to is mainly choice. Neither builds a more reliable machine or anything else. They come down to personal choices. So don't post some "data," that I can turn around post opposite "data," and get in a very stupid Apple vs PC debate.

This issue isn't debatable. Today the best HTPCs are PCs not Apples. That may change soon but not today.

[kloneman]

Originally Posted by Lotus

All I can say is your anti-MS attitude is clearly showing here. Unfortunately my statement is true. The HDMI Video Cards are ONLY PC usable. If you want 1080p video to a projector and NextGen audio codecs right now the PC is the best and honestly only solution.

Wrong:

BlackMagic Design is currently SHIPPING HDMI input/output cards for Macintosh as well as windows, and there are other ways of getting 1080p resolution from a Macintosh, using its DVI connector or those on a number of available graphics cards, with the built-in optical digital audio connector and a simple adapter.

Your pro gamePC attitude was showing from your first post. Long ago and far away I built PC hardware, and still keep current in the worlds of high performance computing and multimedia. The choice of multimedia content creators, from the music recording and performance industry to the movies and photographic stills is the Macintosh. It has a very capable color matching system (from capture to reproduction) built right into the OS, which is important to anyone who uses visuals to make money, and the widely used MPEG4 codec is based upon Apple QuickTime technology. My "Anti MS attitude" is based upon years of constantly being immersed in a sea of their second/third rate products, while doing things better and faster without them.

Originally Posted by Lotus

Don't get into a stupid Apple Vs PC debate because all it comes down to is mainly choice. Neither builds a more reliable machine or anything else. They come down to personal choices. So don't post some "data," that I can turn around post opposite "data," and get in a very stupid Apple vs PC debate.

Funny, you started the "stupid debate". There is no "opposite data" you can supply to "counter" what I already stated - It is common knowledge to anyone exposed to current events. If the "Machine" you refer to consists of hardware, an operating system and applications software (which is what computers are), then there is no question that Apple builds a more reliable one.

Originally Posted by Lotus

This issue isn't debatable. Today the best HTPCs are PCs not Apples. That may change soon but not today.

Again, your assertion is technically unfounded, and I assert, false. If your gamebox HDMI card or any other of your interfaces uses a PCI express interface, and I'll wager it does based upon the required bandwidth, then it can be installed in an Apple Macintosh with the interface. The only other tasks required to USE it are to (1) build drivers for it, and (2) write applications software to access and control it.

XCode is one of the best software development products on the market and it is given away free by Apple, and it is founded on standards. Therefore, it should be relatively easy to construct both of these things, without the baggage that is Windows.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by kloneman

Wrong:

BlackMagic Design is currently SHIPPING HDMI input/output cards for Macintosh

Sorry you're wrong. BlackMagic Design currently has no HDMI 1.3 units available.

The choice of multimedia content creators, from the music recording and performance industry to the movies and photographic stills is the Macintosh.

The major FX houses all use PCs many of which are built by Falcon NW including ILM, WETA, and others. While some of them do use Macintosh your statement isn't as true as it was in the early 90s.

Funny, you started the "stupid debate". There is no "opposite data" you can supply to "counter" what I already stated - It is common knowledge to anyone exposed to current events.

You're the one who decided to take offense to the fact that currently there is only a card with HDMI 1.3 made for the PC. While I'm sure you could jury rig it to work on an Apple it is not built for it and likely goes against the warranty.

As to your other comments I asked you not to act the exact way you reacted. I know a PCIE card could "technically," be made to work in another unit. It just goes against warranty. Just like I don't advise people to use the XBOX 360 HD-DVD addon to use for their PCs. Sure it can work, but it wasn't designed for it and YES goes against the Warranty.

[kloneman]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Sorry you're wrong. BlackMagic Design currently has no HDMI 1.3 units available.

You are correct on the point of HDMI version only, but your statements were "The HDMI cards are PC only usable" and "if you want 1080p to a projector and the NextGen audio codecs right now, the best and honestly only way is a PC". Neither of these statments is actually true. (Your earlier statements refered to HDMI 1.3.)

While on that topic, I consider HDMI to be a flawed implementation anyway, because it uses expensive, frequency constrained copper versus optical interconnects for an alleged high-speed, digital-only connection. I wish consumers would wise up and demand it be replaced with the right technology for the job, but things don't happen that quickly.

Originally Posted by Lotus

The major FX houses all use PCs many of which are built by Falcon NW including ILM, WETA, and others. While some of them do use Macintosh your statement isn't as true as it was in the early 90s.

You just keep pushing that Falcon NW stuff... Again I'm not interested in a GamePC, and I'm not building a render farm. I'm interested in building a home multimedia server NOT based on windows.

Originally Posted by Lotus

You're the one who decided to take offense to the fact that currently there is only a card with HDMI 1.3 made for the PC. While I'm sure you could jury rig it to work on an Apple it is not built for it and likely goes against the warranty.

No, I took offense to your trying to use every post to push Windows based Falcon PCs, even though I am not interested in them, because the underlying OS is an unstable, insecure, poorly performing nightmare. Again, if there is not much differentiating the hardware as you acknowledge, then the other things are the difference, and they matter.

Originally Posted by Lotus

As to your other comments I asked you not to act the exact way you reacted. I know a PCIE card could "technically," be made to work in another unit. It just goes against warranty. Just like I don't advise people to use the XBOX 360 HD-DVD addon to use for their PCs. Sure it can work, but it wasn't designed for it and YES goes against the Warranty.

You assume installing one vendor's PCIe interface card into a given computer with a compliant PCIe interface goes against the warranty, and then attempt to compare this to a game console peripheral hack using unknown hardware????

That is not necessarily the case - and I would go research this also. The situation is more likely as I have already stated, an issue of driver/software support, which is less each day as more developers figure out how to co-develop for both platforms, given the growing interest in Apple products driven by their recent product successes, and by the growing dissatisfaction in the windows arena. The only real obstruction to accomplishing the use of the card might be if it were to draw excessive power from the PCIe interface, (I'd bet this is a non-issue, but I could be wrong)

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by kloneman

You are correct on the point of HDMI version only, but your statements were "The HDMI cards are PC only usable" and "if you want 1080p to a projector and the NextGen audio codecs right now, the best and honestly only way is a PC". Neither of these statments is actually true.

With a HTPC there is currently only one way to get 1080p and NextGen audiocodecs that HDMI 1.3 card which states it only supports Windows.

You just keep pushing that Falcon NW stuff... Again I'm not interested in a GamePC, and I'm not building a render farm. I'm interested in building a home multimedia server NOT based on windows.

Today you can't build one with the same functions as a PC.

No, I took offense to your trying to use every post to push Windows based Falcon PCs, even though I am not interested in them, because the underlying OS is an unstable, insecure, poorly performing nightmare. Again, if there is not much differentiating the hardware as you acknowledge, then the other things are the difference, and they matter.

"You might not be but currently the best way to run a HTPC is with a PC vs an Apple. "

That is the sentence that sent you out on your hate filled messages. Sorry no mention of Falcon there. You can't even admit to what you took offense to. That's a lot of hatred for PCs.

There is also a MAJOR difference in hardware. Some hardware is made better and better supported with DRIVERS THAT WORK. My system runs smoothly because the hardware is top notch and the software drivers are too. I feel for the people that buy poorly made and supported machines like Dell, HP, etc.

You assume installing one vendor's PCIe interface card into a given computer with a compliant PCIe interface goes against the warranty, and then attempt to compare this to a game console peripheral hack using unknown hardware????

I don't assume it: I read it on the warranty card. Also the Addon connects via a USB cable.

That is not necessarily the case - and I would go research this also. The situation is more likely as I have already stated, an issue of driver/software support,

Right. They don't have a driver for Apple or Linux so they won't support the card being used for either. Which is exactly my point.