Background

Gary became involved with home theaters back in 2005, when he first connected his PC to his TV. He went on to build a water-cooled HTPC with a Silverstone case.He built his first home theater in 2008, and at one point had three HTPCs in his home. At the time, he used MediaPortal as his HTPC front-end software of choice (check out this video of his setup). When he moved into a new house, a home theater was already planned. The LandShark Home Theater 2.0 took seven months to complete (working on weekends).

Equipment

Speakers (9.1 Configuration):
Mains – Definitive Technology BP7001SC
Center – Definitive Technology C/L/R 3000
Surrounds – Definitive Technology BPX Speaker
Height Channels – Definitive Tech Di6.5s
Subwoofer – SVS PB12 Plus
Receiver (only powering the height channels) – Denon AVR-4520
Amplifier (Main speakers) – Emotiva XPA-2
Amplifier (Center and Surrounds) – Emotiva XPA-5

Projector and Screen:
Projector – JVC RS4810 4K Projector
HD Image Enhancer – Darbee Vision
Projector Screen – Seymour Screen Excellent 2.35:1 138″ diagonal screen

Media Components:
Blu-ray Player – OPPO BDP-93
TV – DirecTV Box
Audio Streamer – SONOS Connect
Nintendo Wii
Xbox 360
Media Streamer – Popcorn Hour A-300
Server – 10TB WHS v1
Rack – Middle Atlantic 537 37U Slim 5 Series Rack
Remote – Logitech Harmony 900

Ease of Use

The LandShark Home Theater 2.0 was built with simplicity in mind. Gary wanted to make sure that the theater was easy to use for everyone in the home. He switched from an HTPC to a Popcorn A-300 media streamer that is connected to the 10TB home server in the home. In order to control the theater, a Logitech Harmony 900 is used. The remote is set up to control all of the theater’s components, not to mention the lighting.

Future Plans

As we all know, a home theater is never truly “finished.” This theater is no exception, as there are dreams of one day installing a fiber optic star ceiling. In addition, Gary would also like to install in-wall speakers, as well as an acoustically transparent screen in order to hide as many components and give the theater a much cleaner appearance.

Final Thoughts

The LandShark Home Theater 2.0 is a masterpiece. Not only does it pack a punch with its A/V components, but it is very aesthetically pleasing. One of my favorite features are the “staggered-wall” acoustic panels. Not only do they provide the theater space with acoustic treatment, but they add an artistic element to the room. For other fellow home theater DIYers, Gary highly recommends AVSForum and lots of planning. You can read more about this home theater in this thread. Finally, I would like to personally thank Gary for allowing InsaneHTPC to use a photo of his home theater as the cover photo on our Facebook page.

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

Instructions

1. The first thing you want to do is allow the installation of applications from unknown sources on your Android device. Go to settings, then security. You will see the option to allow the installation of applications from unknown sources.

2. Head over to XBMCAndroid and select the correct build of MX Player, as well as the correct XBMC build (apparently, most Android devices are NEON, so they recommend installing the NEON version first to see if it works. The NEON version worked great on Galaxy S3).

3. Install MX Player first, followed by XBMC.

4. Open XBMC and enjoy!

Thoughts

The skin is modified for a touch device, but there is still room for improvement. The buttons are a bit small, though not impossible to use. I would like to see larger buttons that are more touch screen-friendly in future releases. However, the UI is smooth and responsive, which is more important.

This XBMC build works well because it uses MX Player as an external player. An earlier build of XBMC that I had for Android used the default XBMC player, which slowed down the phone and led to choppy playback. With MX Player, playback is buttery smooth. Buffering can be an issue at times, just like any other device that streams media. I definitely recommend it. Overall, it worked great. I was able to stream movies with Icefilms, and I was able to play movies from my HTPC via UPnP. I simply added my main HTPC’s XBMC library as a video source, and I immediately had access to all of my movie library. It’s definitely worth trying out!

Via: XBMCAndroid

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

This week’s featured setup is very unique in that it utilizes the efficient yet effective Raspberry Pi, which is capable of 1080p output and can be had for as low as $40! The owner of this setup, Richard Danis, is a home theater enthusiast and is involved with the Xbian movement (Richard is the community manager). Xbian is an XBMC build that is built to run on the Raspberry Pi. In addition to that unique feature, this home theater boasts DIY speakers! Check it out.

Equipment

TV: 50″ Panasonic Viera- TX-P50G20B
Blu-ray Player: Sony BDP-S500 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player
Speakers:
* Front – RikaruS Mk 1 ( homemade project )
* Center – KEFReference 100
* Surround – RikaruS Surround Mk 1 ( homemade project )
* Subwoofer – Mirage BPS – 150i
Media Player – Raspberry Pi
Server running FreeNAS

DVD Player to HTPC to Raspberry Pi

Richard started getting involved with home theater systems back in 2000. His first setup included a multi-channel receiver hooked up to a set of Jamo and Yamaha speakers. He later upgraded his receiver to a Harmon Kardon, but realized that he would have to spend more than he wanted to in order to get the speakers he wanted. This is when he decided to build his own speakers. It was a process that took about four years from start to finish, but he is very proud of the quality sound that they produce. Richard mentioned that everyone who listens to his speakers can’t believe that they are homemade. In addition to his custom made speakers, Richard also build his TV stand, noting that TV stands were just to pricey to justify buying them.

In 2006, Richard started getting involved with HTPCs. He realized that Blu-ray and DVD players are limited in their functionality. He tested different setups and front-end software programs, including MediaPortal, but he eventually found XBMC. XBMC amazed him, and it still does today. He upgraded his HTPC with a silent video card and a better case, and this setup served him well for two years (check out a video of his old setup here). However, when he heard about the Raspberry Pi, he knew that it was for him. He loved the fact that it was so small and required minimal energy and no cooling. His initial experience with the Raspberry Pi did not go well. Video playback was prone to lagging, and the XBMC interface was slow and difficult to use. He then found out about the Xbian project. Founded and developed by a 19-year old, this custom OS worked wonders for Richard’s Raspberry Pi. He became active in the Xbian forums and he soon became a forum moderator. Fast forward to the present day and Richard is now the community manager of the Xbian forums. He is very satisfied with Xbian and wants to spread the word to others.

Xbian

XBian is a free XBMC distribution for Raspberry Pi. As mentioned earlier, it was created by a 19-year old, Koen Kanters. He was unsatisfied with the way XBMC performed on the Raspberry Pi, so he went and created his own build. Xbian can fit on a 1GB SD card and brings a smooth XBMC UI to the Raspberry Pi. For some more information, you can visit here and here.

The Raspberry Pi with XBian is capable of playing the 1080p Full HD content from USB attached drives or any network attached storage. I usinRichard uses his custom built NAS server with FreeNAS and he shares all media via SAMBA/SMB (all devices are connected via Gigabit Ethernet). With his current setup, he is easily able to play large Blu-ray MKV rips in excess of 30GB average bitrate 30MB/s. This is amazing for a device of this size. The Raspberry Pi supports Dolby Digital and DTS outputs, but it currently does not support HD audio. Richard has hopes that Xbian will one day allow the Raspberry Pi to output HD audio.

Setup of the Raspberry Pi is simple and does not require much knowledge. When purchasing the Raspberry Pi, it is important to note that you will need to also acquire an SD card (Richard recommends at least an 8GB) and a power supply with micro USB. These items are the bare minimum required to get the Raspberry Pi up and running. You have the option of adding several more devices, such as keyboards, WiFi dongles, hard drives, etc. The device is very flexible as far as what you can connect to it. Richard uses his TV remote to control XBMC since all of his devices are CEC compatible. He also uses his Android smartphone running the Yatse app, an app that allows you to take control of your XBMC setup from your phone.

Future Plans

Richard has many plans (or dreams, as he calls them) for his home theater setup. He would love to install a projector with a motorized screen. He also wants to add a bedroom client with a 22″ TV, and of course, a Raspberry Pi running Xbian. He also wanted to add another Raspberry Pi to the kitchen for the purpose of streaming music. But for now, he and his wife are very satisfied with their current home theater setup. Overall, Richard is the proud owner of a very unique home theater setup that is full of character. If you have any questions for Richard, you can reach him on the Xbian forums (Rikardo1979). You can also check out some of Richard’s DIY projects in these forums.

Past Featured Setups:

* Jason’s Amazing DIY Home Theater
* Joshua’s HTPC and Home Theater
* Jon’s Cost-Saving Home Theater
* Paul’s “Old Vic” Home Theater
* Brown Family Cinema

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

Instructions

Step 1. Download and install XBMC.

Step 2. Head over to the settings section, then network.

Step 3. Make sure you all three items are checker, as shown below.

Step 4. Now you should be able to access your media library with a laptop, mobile phone, or gaming console (as long as it supports UPnP).

There are plenty of ways to share your media over your network, but this is one of the simplest ways to do it. There are several apps and devices that can stream video from a UPnP server. Happy streaming!

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

Instructions

Step 1 - Head over to the Play Store and grab MX Player (free).

Step 2 - Download the custom codec for your device (make sure you select the correct version). Download the file to your Android device. Make sure to unzip it first, preferably to a location you can easily remember. You can unzip and move files easily with Androzip (free).

Step 3 - Open MX Player and go to the settings page. Down at the bottom, you will see the option to use a custom codec.

Step 4 - Navigate to the location where you unzipped the codec files and select and apply the codec. MX Player should then restart.

Step 5 - Play a movie with the DTS audio codec. You should be able to hear the audio now! Notice in the screenshot below that that the custom decoder is being used (“H/W+”).

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

The latest featured setup is unique in that I was fortunate enough to experience it in person, the first time I’ve been able to do that. The theater, named the Brown Family Cinema, belongs to Rudy Brown, a fellow home theater enthusiast in South Florida. I had the chance to visit with him and experience his home theater in person. It is an amazing home theater, as you will see for yourself.

Equipment

Projector: Panasonic PTAE8000U 1080p Full HD Projector
3D Glasses: Panasonic TY-EW3D3LU 3D Active Shutter Eyewear for Panasonic 3D HDTVs (Large) (2011 Model)
Screen: Seymour AV DIY 105” Screen Projector Screen
Subwoofer: VTF-3 MK4 Subwoofer
Bass Shakers: Aura Pro Bass Shakers
Left, Right and Center Speakers: SHO-10 High Efficiency Monitor
Rear and Surround Speakers: Polk Audio FXI A6 Surround Speakers (Pair, Black)
Remote: Apple iPad Mini
Remote App: Roomie Remote
A/V Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR809 THX Certified 7.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver (Black)
Seating: Rialto Home Theater Seating
Amp: Sony STR-D515
Blu-ray Player: OPPO BDP-103 Universal 3D Blu-ray Disc Player SACD & DVD-Audio
Gaming System: Sony PlayStation 99156 PS3 250GB Move HW Bundle

The Idea

Rudy had almost no prior experience with home theaters before building his own media room. He once installed a home theater in a box, but other than that, this was a completely new experience. Like me, he always dreamed about one day owning his own home cinema (I’m still in the dreaming phase). He was able to learn the basics over at AVSForum, a great resource for any home theater enthusiast, experienced or not. Through the forums and lots of hard work, he completed the painting, layout, acoustically transparent screen, and electrical work. With the help of a close friend, he was able to do the framing. He says “it was a daunting task but definitely an extremely fun learning experience.” All this took less than a year, with construction beginning in November 2011. The first screening was held in August 2012.

Ease of Use

Rudy wanted to make sure that the theater experience would be simple to use, even for those who are not technologically inclined. To control the components, Rudy uses an iPad Miniwith the Roomie Remote app, which according to the owner, is a “match made in heaven.” With the iPad and the Roomie Remote, Rudy is able to control every component in his home theater with a touch screen iPad. I’m sure everyone can agree that being able to control everything in your theater from your seat with one device makes the home theater experience much more enjoyable!

Media Sources

The simplicity of use is further emphasized when you see where all the media comes from. Rudy started out with an OPPO Blu-ray Player,but soon built an HTPC that could stream from his media server. He finds that he uses his HTPC for watching movies 95% of the time, with the rest of the media coming from his PS3 (for 3D features). He uses XBMC as is front end media software. Instead of fumbling through discs in the dark, he is able to sit back and choose from an aesthetically pleasing movie guide, complete with beautiful movie artwork and helpful movie information.

Finishing Touches

One of the many amazing aspects of Rudy’s home theater is the custom starlit ceiling, which Rudy considers the focal point of his theater. Initially, he was going to install a fiber optic star ceiling, but it wasn’t practical for his home theater. Instead, he contacted Jeff from Night Sky Murals (who painted the star ceiling in of our past featured setups), who came down and painted the star mural on his ceiling. The results are amazing, and it truly does add to the overall home theater effect. Rudy admits that sometimes, he will go into the home theater just to relax under the stars!

The star ceiling mural is absolutely stunning.

There are several other details of the Brown Family Cinema that make it a truly great place to experience a movie. Rudy installed bass shakers under the seats which really add to the movie. We watched the intro scene of Iron Man 2, and it really felt like we were a part of the movie. It was like nothing I had experienced before while watching a movie. The cup holders have discrete lighting that make it very easy to keep track of your drink (they also look great!). Rudy also took the time to make custom movie theater intro clips, donning the name “Brown Family Cinema.” It’s the little things like these that really make a home theater great.

Future Plans

In the future, Rudy plans to update the theater screen with an automatic masking system and a new projector. At this point, though, they are just fantasies, according to the owner. But as we all know, he home theater is never “truly finished.”

Overall Experience

Rudy and his family are the main users of the theater. On several occasions, his family has just decided to show up and watch a movie. They refuse to watch movies at their places now. After experiencing the home theater for myself, I can definitely relate!

All in all, the Brown Family Cinema is amazing. I found myself not wanting to leave! The most encouraging part of the whole experience was realizing that with some hard work and planning, any one of us can build a home theater. For more information on the Brown Family Cinema, be sure to check out the build thread here.

Past Featured Setups

Jason’s Amazing DIY Home Theater
Joshua’s HTPC and Home Theater
Paul’s “Old Vic” Home Theater
Charlie’s HTPC Setup
Jon’s Cost-Saving Home Theater

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

Amazon has the Yamaha RX-V673 7.2-Channel Network AV Receiverfor $357.76. It qualifies for Prime shipping, meaning you can get it by Tuesday, if you purchase it today. The receiver has the following features:

* 7.2 channels of sound
* Decodes DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby-TrueHD
* 4K upscaling
* Automatic speaker setup
* Mobile remote apps (iOS and Android)

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

If you don’t know how to install add-ons from a ZIP file, make sure you check out this article before going through the tutorial.

Hulu Add-on Setup

Step 1: Download the Bluecop repository here and install it on XBMC.

Step 2: Once in the repository, select Video add-ons and then select Hulu. Install it.

Step 3: Feel free to adjust quality settings, depending on your internet connection speed. There are other options that deal with commercials. The add-on should work right away, but if it doesn’t try changing the Default CDN from limelight to others. Apparently, different ones work for different people. This is also where you can input your Hulu Plus credentials.

Step 4: Enjoy Hulu on XBMC!

Conclusion

All in all, this add-on was painless to install and it has been working great for me. Feel free to chime in with a comment with questions or features you would like to see added. Also, make sure you check out the development thread here.

Other XBMC Tutorials

* ESPN Add-on for XBMC
* Pandora Add-on for XBMC
* Stream Music from Android Device to XBMC
* Cinema Experience Add-on for XBMC
* Android Remote setup for XBMC

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

However, I do have to give Apple credit for AirPlay. It is one of the features that I wish Android had natively. There’s something about being able to control music throughout your home with sleek touchscreen device. Currently, there are workarounds (i.e. Doubletwist Player), but they only work with the Apple TV, which doesn’t help me argue with my brother. Recently, however, I found an Android app that allows you to stream songs directly your HTPC running XBMC: Music Pump XBMC Remote, developed by Millencolin007, a member on the XBMC Support Forums.

Requirements

* Wireless home network
* HTPC Running XBMC (Eden)
* Android Device (phone or tablet)

Setup

Here’s a quick tutorial that will get streaming to music to XBMC in no time:

Step 1: Make sure XBMC’s network settings allow for HTTP control of the program. Your settings should look like this:

Step 2: Download and install Music Pump XBMC Remote from Play Store.

Step 3: Open app and select “Change XBMC Server”

Step 4: Select plus sign icon in upper-right hand corner.

Step 5: Input all pertinent information into the fields. Usually, this means IP Address, port (use 8080), name of server (whatever you want), and username and password (if your XBMC network settings have a username and password already. If you look in my screenshots, you can see that all I have is a username (“XBMC”) without a password. Once you are done inputting all the information, make sure you save your settings (upper-right hand corner).

NOTE: If you selected “announce this services to other systems via Zeroconf” option (refer to screenshot for Step 1), you shouldn’t have to input the IP address. Your XBMC system should be automatically detected. If that doesn’t work, then go ahead and input the information manually.

Step 6: Go back to the main menu of the app and select “Play Local Files.”

Step 7: Choose a song. The song should start playing on your device. In the upper-right hand corner, select the icon with the speaker. A list of your XBMC servers should show up. Select the XBMC server you wish to stream the song to. It should automatically start playing on XBMC.

Pros

* With the app being developed continuously, we can expect other great features and bug fixes in the near future.
* Doubles as a remote for XBMC, although I prefer the official XBMC remote app.
* The volume buttons on your device control the volume level on XBMC.
* Allows you to pause and change tracks from the lock screen.

Cons

* No internet radio. As far as I know, I can’t send an audio stream from Spotify or Pandora to XBMC. One workaround for this is to use the Pandora add-on for XBMC.
* I don’t believe there is an option to stream the same song to two different XBMC servers simultaneously. I am hopeful that this feature will be implemented in the future.

Conclusion

Overall, Music Pump XBMC Remote is a great app that allows you to stream music saved on your Android device to any XBMC server on your home network. Considering the fact that the app has only been in development for a few months (it’s still in beta), it has been a huge success, and hopefully, other great features will be added. You can keep up with the development on the app thread in the XBMC forum.

More XBMC Tutorials

* Cinema Experience Add-on
* ESPN Add-on
* Pandora Add-on

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts

My favorite HTPC front-end software has been released for my favorite mobile OS. That’s right, the devs over at XBMC have developed a working iteration of XBMC for the Android OS. Thought not a stable version, the program runs smoothly on my phone. I was able to stream movies from my HTPC, and add-ons work fairly well. This is a great step in the right direction. It’s not on Google Play yet, but you can download the .APK file here. Make sure to enable 3rd-party applications on your android device.

Insane HTPC - A blog for Home Theater PC Enthusiasts