The first thing I wanted to accomplish on my endeavor to create the ideal solution for home entertainment and automation was, quite simply, the entertainment aspect. I had an AppleTV (first generation) that had served me well, but I was recognizing a number of things I wanted to do but could not due to limitations of the device itself (the first generation AppleTV was designed as a front-end for iTunes, and required syncing media to the device or streaming it from an iTunes library).

While researching various media center alternatives, I ran across two applications that I really thought showed promise (in other words, I really like the look of the application and the way in which it would integrate with my existing media library). The first of these was Boxee (link), and the second was Plex (link). In the end I chose to use Plex as my preferred interface, and began constructing a solution around what would or would not work with the application.

Section One, Building Around Plex

Plex was originally derived from XBMC (X-Box Media Center), which was a well-known media center front-end. I looked into XBMC, but at the time I just really disliked the interface (I was testing these on a MacBook Pro, so there is a chance that the bugginess I found and the issues I had were related to relatively new hardware and incomplete support. Regardless, I fell in love with the Plex interface and never second-guessed my decision).

(Screenshot From Plex Website)

(Screenshot From Plex Website)

There were two things I wanted to ensure I could do that I could not accomplish without building a solution around my app and platform of choice, however. The first of these was to decide how to accomplish using a remote control instead of a keyboard and mouse, or how to restart the system if the need arose. In addition, I wanted the system to be easy enough to use that friends and family could control the system without any real learning curve. To that end I found the following things would be necessary to make it a true home theater/entertainment experience devoid of frustration:

1) “Universal” Remote.

2) Intermediary of some sort that could activate system actions by using the remote.

3) How do I make it as user-friendly as possible without creating a bunch of scripts and labeling a keyboard as a remote?

4) Thinking even more about it, what is the best thing I can do for storage? The Mini certainly can’t handle a growing library, and provides no backup for drive failure.

Section Two, Answering the Questions

As it turned out, these questions were far easier to answer than I could have ever guessed. The answer lies in two very powerful, and yet very easy to use, pieces of software. The first is Remote Buddy (link), which is basically a piece of software that runs on the Mini and “intercepts” signals from a remote control. In turn, a menu will pop up on the display that provides access to any functions that you choose to configure (but don’t think you have to configure anything, I left everything with the default settings, and it works beautifully).

(Screenshot from CNet Website)

(Screenshot from CNet Website)

(Screenshot from CNet Website)

Not only does Remote Buddy provide the perfect answers for questions two and three, it also provided me with the ideal answer to question one: the tiny, unobtrusive, easy-to use remote Apple includes with the AppleTV (or that can be purchased with any computer, or separately). Even better, if I ever decided to use a true universal remote (such as those manufactured by Logitech), I could simply add controls for the remote in the Remote Buddy configuration.

The second piece of software came later, actually, with the release of the iPhone and the development of native applications. At that time I wanted to be able to use my iPhone as a remote in addition to the Apple Remote, that way I could always have a remote within easy reach. The answer to that question was also easy to find by way of an application (with a server component that runs on the Mini) called Rowmote (link). In essence, it turns the iPhone into a virtual Apple Remote, which means that it is just as easy to use as my original setup.

It should be noted here that, recently, the good people who develop Plex have also released an official application that serves as a front-end for controlling Plex in general, and also allows you to stream something you choose to watch over the air (3G or WiFi) to an iOS device. I’ll come back to this in a later section, but wanted to mention it here in case someone is looking to achieve the same results and wants to invest the least amount of money.

This left me with one question unanswered: storage. I have a rather large iTunes library as it is, and wanted that to be accessible to Plex in addition to any content I chose to add to Plex exclusively. Further, I needed a good solution to house all of these files that would not set me back months, or potentially more, if a hardware failure occurred. It was not until recently that I actually implemented a solution I truly like, which I’ll come to in a later segment as well, but I found that using four Western Digital MyBook drives was a good, inexpensive by comparison, beginning. I elected to use four so that I could house my data on two and use the other two to “mirror” the originals. This way I at least had some redundancy if a drive failed, though I knew it to be an inelegant solution.

Section Three, Wrapping It Up

This was how my Home Theater setup began. In the next post I’ll go over how these items changed to become what I use today, which isn’t really a large change from where it began honestly. I’ll include screenshots of my setup instead of the defaults, as well as explaining how some additional applications (like the new Plex Remote application for iOS devices) have made this a very robust, and very nice, full setup. In the section after that I’ll go into the home automation side, and why I chose to include it in my Home Theater setup instead of doing something else entirely.

 

 

Many people I have spoken with over the past few years have expressed interest in some of the things I have done surrounding my home theater/home automation setup, so I decided it was time to sit down and write up the concept from original idea (at least as I can recall it) through initial inception and into current iteration. This is part one, wherein I go over the thought processes that guided me in the direction I finally settled on taking. Subsequent parts will delve into why I chose the specific applications I use, as well as some of the neat features that made these choices ideal for my needs and desires. Pull up a chair and relax, this is going to be a fun journey!

Section One, Brainstorming

The first question I asked myself was simple: “what do I want my solution to do?” Unfortunately, that answer went through multiple stages as I researched different options and found new questions and different concepts that I liked from different solutions. The following mind map illustrates a lot of the thoughts I had during my original brainstorming session, which we’ll come back to throughout this series:

Some of the key things that ran through my mind were, in a somewhat correct order, as follows:

• I would like to be able to watch my digital content on the TV instead of the computer.
• I want the solution I settle on to be stable and reliable.
• I would love to be able to control the entire living room/entertainment experience centrally, which would include my floor lamp.
• Hrm… why stop at just controlling the lamp? Why not go ahead and control lights in general?
• Now that I think about it, why not go ahead and include environmental controls?
• I definitely need a robust storage solution. I definitely do not want to lose hours worth of work in digitizing my library just to have to start over.
• I wonder if I could set up a security system that is integrated into this solution as well?
• If I am going to create a solution that meets the above I also need to plan on being able to expand as technology changes.
• Can I do all of this with one computer, or do I need to look into a client/server environment in order to really make this work?
• I almost forgot, I need a TV Tuner/DVR solution included in all of this!
• Ok, I have a bunch of questions, time to start using Google to search for information. Topics to read about: home theater pc, home automation, do-it-yourself security system… did I miss anything?

Section Two, Narrowing It Down

During my initial brainstorming the original Apple TV was announced, and I decided to give it a shot while I was planning out how to modify my PC to handle everything else while still being accessible for playing games. Initially it worked well for my primary need, which was getting my digital content onto my television. It became evident, however, that the Apple TV would handle some of what I wanted, but it definitely wasn’t the ideal solution. I started looking seriously at the Mac Mini as an alternative, because it fit well with my desire for an aesthetically pleasing solution and because I had decided that Indigo was the solution I wanted to utilize for the home automation component. When the Mini received an update to the Core 2 Duo processor with nVidia graphics I knew what direction I was going to take, and my initial brainstorming layout started to take the following shape:

Section Three, Putting Together The Solution

I finally had a direction to pursue to manage everything I knew I wanted, and I had a plan that I could execute that would allow me to expand as technology evolved. Below is a summarized list of the items I chose with brief notes on why I chose those components, and I’ll delve into each component in depth in the ensuing parts:

• Mac Mini, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM. Chosen for the reliability of OSX and the aesthetically pleasing design.
• Indigo by Perceptive Automation for controlling the Home Automation aspect, in which I settled on using INSTEON and X10 products purchased through machomestore.com.
• PLEX Media Center for the Home Theater “hub.”
• Elgato’s EyeTV for integrating cable and a DVR solution.
• Remote Buddy by IOSpirit for controlling everything with just the Apple Remote (also works with Rowmote Pro for using my iPhone as the remote).
• Western Digital MyBook external hard drives for storage until I could implement a cost effective raid storage solution (eventually these became Western Digital ShareSpace network attached raid arrays).
• Netflix for obvious reasons.

Section Four, Conclusion

I hope this has peaked interest for all of you, and I hope you look forward to the next installments! I had a lot of fun putting together a solution in which I could manage everything I wanted, and I learned a lot of lessons along the way. My current setup still includes all of the above, but it has matured over the past few years as I’ve found exciting ways to use the technology to achieve a setup that, at least in my opinion, can accommodate anything I want to do or add as time progresses.

In no particular order and written in a purely “stream of consciousness” style:

• Having a couple of weeks between semesters was a much needed break. Full time work and full time school do not mix very well, and I was definitely feeling the burnout from a lack of free time. This coming semester will, hopefully, be a little better (one less class, and I’m accustomed to full time work and school together after this past semester).
• Writing has been… difficult. I have some topics in mind but cannot seem to commit anything more than a sentence or two to virtual paper. I certainly wish I could be more productive here, but I think the combination of writing so much for classes and having been removed from the habit of writing regularly here is simply draining me when I attempt to write. My goal is to work on remedying this unfortunate happenstance as quickly as possible this year.
• On a more positive note, I finally managed to reread Ender’s Game, Ender in Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Ender’s Shadow. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to continue at this pace and finish out the remaining books by Orson Scott Card (the second series, following the story of Bean, otherwise known as the “Shadow” books, at least by me). I also finished an excellent book entitled The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld (link to the companion site here). I highly recommend this book, especially if you have an interest in mystery/psychological thriller stories.
• I truly need to focus on my photography work again, and that is another goal to focus on this year. It has been a few months since I really did any type of photo shoot, even something as simple as walking outside and seeing what I am able to come up with. I’m tempted to use this site as a place to post some of those images and be spurred on by comments/suggestions, but then that means you guys have to come back and talk again… think we can work on that?
• I have returned to World of Warcraft in a limited fashion. For those who would like to join me (and I sincerely would like for some to come on over and at least socialize if nothing else) I created a Worgen Druid (Mactire) on Hellscream (US) and formed  a guild (Diabolical Minds). My time is limited, but I sincerely want the guild to grow and become successful. The framework has already been set (you can see the basics here), and I make certain I am online at least a couple of times a week, even if only for an hour or so. Seriously, come join. Maybe you just want to escape your main for a little while, or you want to just socialize with someone, or you just want to level an alt and have no interest in anything more than the occasional battleground ot dungeon. Yes, I want you to come join. There is only one requirement: you have to be a Worgen
• I still play Bad Company 2 on occasion as well, and even decided to try out the Medal of Honor series. If you have Steam feel free to add me there, my tag is Jeseth.
• I miss conversations with a lot of those who used to read articles here, and I’m sorry my back and forth between writing and not writing ended up causing us to lose that dialogue. I’m here to rebuild it, and though my responses may not be as quick as they used to be (remember, full time school and full time work, at least give me a little bit of a break on time getting back to you!) I truly want to get back to that point. The blog is here to stay, and I’ll be working to find a more solid focus where I can provide a semi-consistent posting schedule. No promises on how fast I get back to that point until I can get past this writer’s block though!

The General information

I would love to see some people come on over and join who are interested in just having fun; whether it is occasional play, simply socialization, leveling an alt, leveling a new main, interested in just running around the world, interested in dungeon crawling, or even potentially interested in some end-game content. We are a small group of people who are more interested in having fun in the game than in choosing any specific course of action. My goal is to see us grow to a large group with the same idea in mind: have fun and, in the course of doing so, be creative.

For some this may seem too relaxed, too “unstructured.” For others this is exactly the type of environment they would like to see. If nothing else you can always log in and chat a little, and maybe gain a level or two doing something insanely ridiculous in the process.

In the meantime, meet the GM and Guild:

Meet Mactire

Worgen Druid, Alpha Male of Diabolical Minds

Meet Diabolical Minds

Casual, Friendly, Fun-Loving Guild on Hellscream (US)

There’s something intrinsically interesting in the concept of an all Worgen guild to me. Much like a pack of wolves that run together, the thought of a pack of Worgen running together is compelling from both the role-playing aspect and the sheer appearance (seriously, think of how interesting it would be to see an entire team comprised of Worgen in a battleground).

So here’s the idea: I’ll be creating an all-Worgen guild with the launch of Cataclysm. I don’t have a lot of time to play, so the overall design is simply to have fun and be social. If that doesn’t interest you that’s fine, but if that does interest you then here are the pertinent details:

1) The server will be Hellscream (US).

2) I’ll pick up the charter and establish the guild as quickly as I can with Synil (currently created to hold the name).

3) Even if it is only playing an hour or two a month I think it will still be fun, and so this is an open invitation to those who think it could be interesting.

4) You can send me a message here or in-game (though I’m not in-game a whole lot, so here may be the better choice for a quick response).

… which has been easily apparent by my lack of posting for a while. I was out of town for a couple of weeks in addition to having an inordinately high amount of classwork I needed to take care of, but I wanted to at least post something so that you guys all know I’m still around and haven’t simply abandoned the blog (the rest of the year will probably be a bit quiet too, though I hope to be back to posting on a semi-regular basis again after the holiday season).

I really do not have a lot to say at the moment, so instead I’ll share some photos I took while I was out of town (who doesn’t like photos!?).

Enjoy!

Yosemite National Park: http://gallery.me.com/jthart#100085&bgcolor=black&view=grid

San Francisco Bay Area: http://gallery.me.com/jthart#100093&bgcolor=black&view=grid

A couple of Panoramas of the above: http://gallery.me.com/jthart#100098&bgcolor=black&view=grid

All of the pictures were shot on an iPhone 4 (I didn’t want to take yet more bags and have my DSLR with me, though I wish I had it for a lot of them anyway… at least the iPhone takes good pictures so I don’t feel so bad.

If your first thought was “Portal” I applaud you, but this time it is just an update on why things have been so quiet around here lately. It seems that full time work and a full time class load do not really lend themselves to enhancing my ability to keep up with Diabolical Minds like I want to. No need to worry, though. I’m not going anywhere. This place will probably be pretty quiet until after the holidays though, just to warn you.

So what have I been doing? Really? After I mention full time work and full time school you really want to ask me that? Alright, fine, I’ll give you more information.

I have six classes this semester. Currently that means I have zero time for a social life (which is not only very frustrating, but something I must remedy soon or suffer quite an agonizing and blazingly fast spiral further into the bowels of insanity… Yes, that is also a call for recommendations by anyone local who happens to stumble across this post, seeing as how I still haven’t had time to meet other people to go places with, nor have I learned what is even in the area to do yet… That’s a rant for another time though).

Back to what I’ve been up to:

Social Psychology and Environmental Sociology classes are interesting and are going well, and I’m behind in my Professional Counseling class (that’s what my next day off is devoted to). Macroeconomics and Understanding Non-West Culture through music are ok, though I wish the latter involved more focus on music instead of reading an online textbook.

Work has been fun, and I am looking forward to some things coming up at the end of the month (sorry, I can’t provide details. Let’s just say it will be a blast!)

I’m occasionally able to log I’m and play a few games, notably Civilization V and Bad Company 2 as of late. Occasionally I manage to catch up on a movie or two as well (I finally watched Iron Man 2, to give you an idea of how far back I am).

And that’s about it. With the number of papers I have been having to write I haven’t felt like putting the effort into posting here. After this semester that should change, so bear with me for a couple more months.

How are all of you? It’s been very quiet here, so I’m not entirely sure anyone is still reading. Say hello if you are though, it’ll definitely help me out

The lovely Windsoar, from Jaded Alt, agreed to write about a question that came to my mind when thinking of topics that we could write about and see the various responses that came from thinking of ourselves and how we would analyze and recreate ourselves if we were the basis for a fictional character. At the time of this posting I do not have the direct link to her post, so I will update this post accordingly with the link later today (and if anyone else would like to take this question and post their thoughts please let me know, and I’ll add those links too).

The Question:

If you were to recreate yourself as a fictional character, what would that character be? Things to consider are such things as primary character trait(s), “fatal flaw” of the character, and a personality description.

The Answer:

Imagine a place where honor and chivalry exist to some degree (at least in the way we remember them), such medieval/Renaissance Europe, feudal Japan, the American West, or a post-apocalyptic future. Regardless of setting, the idea of a “code of honor” would certainly be paramount. Keep this concept in mind as you read a short description of Byaghro, otherwise known as… “that guy… over there… yeah, him…”

Dossier

Name: Byaghro

Occupation: Unknown

Personality: Sarcastic, calm, reserved, spontaneous.

Strengths: Analyzes situations quickly and adapts to changes easily. Intelligent and objective.

Weaknesses: Prone to not trusting others, guided by an internal “code” instead of societal constraints, will often observe instead of acting.

Fatal Flaw: Love

An Introduction By Story

The wind whipped through us as though it were a lash of ice, burning our lungs and turning our faces a bright pink. It seemed only a few weeks ago we were a part of a great, marvelous, and technologically advanced civilization, yet looking upon our current state one would wonder if we ever even had electricity. The Earth no longer looked upon us as friendly inhabitants, but viewed us a plague worthy of extinction.

My name is unimportant; it creates an emotional tie to something that no longer exists. I am, for the moment at least, a survivor of the world’s second catastrophic climate shift, and this is my story…

I awoke on the morning of July 4th expecting to continue my normal routine. The weather was fairly typical, though slightly hotter than previous records. I made my way toward work as usual, stopping to get a much needed cup of coffee. It was there, while waiting in line, that my world was forever changed. A tornado suddenly appeared and obliterated a three mile swath of buildings and highways full of morning commuters, and a torrential downpour began to create flash floods within moments.

The story was the same all over the world. The oceans rose and hammered the life from coastal communities and towns. Temperatures began dropping, reaching record-shattering lows by the end of the day. Within a twenty-four hour period I was searching for warmth in negative thirty degree temperatures.

I was stunned. I watched as people were overcome by hysteria, abandoning all sense of reason in an effort to save some attachment to their suddenly destroyed world. Men, women, children… the sight was enough to make me believe this was actually the best thing for the human race given how quickly they would turn upon one another.

And then I met them.

Originally I barricaded myself in an older home located out away from everyone else. While I knew I would not survive indefinitely, it certainly would allow me to escape the magnitude of death and destruction my race was bringing upon itself in its panic and desperation. When they came I watched, unsure whether to reveal my presence or wait for them to leave. I suppose what brought me to take the chance and trust these people was oddly emotional and irrational, and yet my solitude was surely a path to depression and self-destruction. I could not help but feel that a group that was taking care of a cat, in addition to themselves, might be worth trusting.

Since then we’ve wandered, in short spurts, from the former southeastern United States to the former midwest and back south, picking up one or two more people here and there along the way. We now number two hundred and thirteen, including roughly a dozen children and five or six household pets. It is the hope of most that we will find at least one place left that is hospitable enough to attempt to farm, though the temperatures are still cold enough that I believe our hope is ill-fated.

Tensions are high as we enter what used to be Texas. The shock of trudging through mountains of snow in the middle of August is still difficult to move beyond. I have been watching as those frustrations are sometimes misdirected and people verbally lash out at one another. Once a man hit another during one such altercation… I sincerely doubt he made it out of his bonds, back in what used to be Virginia, before the weather silenced his angry screams.

For now we live. For now we attempt to find some way to atone for the destruction we caused upon ourselves. For now we live in relative peace in spite of being on the brink of death.

What happens when the weather is no longer our enemy?

Update:

Windsoar’s Post - http://www.jadedalt.com/2010/09/15/creating-a-character/