jgaffney  I want to chime in as I have also posted a comment/question about linuxmce and got nothing but snipe remarks and criticism.  See post http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=6786.msg42113#msg42113  and I will totally agree with you that if you are not a so-called programmer (which is what they seem to consider a contributor) then you just need to move on.     

Now for a side note: 
I can tell you that Vista Ultimate works pretty well with the OML (Open Media Library) and Mymovies installed.  With anydvd I can take just about any movie (currently my son's whole dvd Library) insert it into a dvd caddy, rip it to a drive, and mymovies then imports it.  This works great on my main htpc in the basement but the client (currently a dma2200) is where I have the problems.  With OML and bit os so-called tweaking I have the full library on my extender that I bought (only $120).  VMC has some pitfalls but almost every place I have posted a question.  Just my input.  As for LinuxMCE it is currently only a test product in my house.   I have new dinovo edge keyboard that I got for Christmas (bluetooth) that because it is bluetooth I was hoping LinuxMCE would recognize without tweaking...it didn't.  I put the bluetooth dongle on my vista box and with no drivers, etc.  it just worked.  Did I pay for my VISTA (for those linux people that always push linux is free....) NO.  It is a full MSDN version that was not being used from work. 

I am still trying to decide if linuxMCE is for me but I don't have all the extra time to tweak, tweak, compile, modify this, modify that...  maybe as it progresses it will get better!!

So, with that in mind I can explain how us Windows people think and why I think there was a misunderstanding in this thread.  Windows people are commercial-centric.  We pay for everything.  You want to add another user?  That'll be $100, oh, they need email too? Another $50, and so on.  So, as an effect of that, we are typically demanding.  The reasoning being "I'm paying you an ass load of money, you better have a patch yesterday and you better support anything I can buy."  And usually they do because they want our money.  So, having been accustomed to that sort of workings for so long, most Windows people don't really think anything of asking things like: "Why doesn't it already have drivers?  What do you mean this hardware isn't supported?  When is a patch coming out?"  None of that is meant to be insulting or desparaging, we just think like that because it's how we've been conditioned.

So, the misunderstanding part is two-fold:

Well said as that is also my background. 
I am finally getting to understand cost(s) and such for this mighty beast.  I have been doing some digging and will be giving it a shot. 

Let me point out a couple of things and then I will move on.  First, I asked politely at the beginning with the word, "Please".  Second, I never demanded anything and I was just sharing an observation as to what I have seen as a Linux user over the last year.  Thirdly, being an ass is no way to get help or money for development.  Do you think a company like FIIRE treats their customers like this...I don't think so.  I work for a very large storage company and feedback from customers is primarily how we build our product to have it become what it has (not going to mention names) and treating someone like this is not going to get you any cool toys.  This is just my advice and if you don't like it then please just delete myself as a user and I will look elsewhere. 

Absolutely totally uncalled for.  Is that what this whole forum is all about spending time and throwing insults and stupid remarks at people trying to find things out?  If that is the case then you can just delete my membership and all my threads together.  This IS not how linux came about or any other distro.  I spend my days supporting engineers that are from all aspects of development and when we all get together and throw ideas out something gets done.  I do over a hundred kickstart loads a month and don't feel like spending my hard earned time at home figuring something else out.  We don't throw insults at each other or nasty comments like the above.  Please just read post the 3 items or keep your trap shut.  Enough said!!

It has been just about a year since I first looked at this project but still have not
seen as much progress as I have hoped for.  I am still running my MEDIA CENTER back
and forth between linuxmce and MCE 2005 (swap drive out and put another drive in) as Vista Ultimate was joke.  I like MCE 2005
because the extenders can be bought cheap (DMA 2200 around $130 or 2100 for about $100) or
you can go really cheap like I did for the kid's rooms and use an old KLEGG box to just pick the
.vob files off a share (have gotten these for as a little as $60).  I don't have any clients (Media Director)
that I can use with linuxmce at this time as I still haven't seen anything that this small and works well for under $200.00.  Because
of this I am asking people to post three things about their Media Director(s) if they have one:

By the way for those who care I am in the U.S.

1.  How much you got in the rig?
2.  What does it consist of (specs including models if possible)
3.  On a scale from 1 to 10    1 being easiest   10 being hardest how hard was it to set up.

Thanks!

Has anyone checked into this 400 disc changer?

More can be found out about it here:
http://www.acesonic.com/acesonic-dgx-400-400-disc-dvd-r-cdg-cd-r-karaoke-changer-usb-mmc-sd-ms-reader.html


it has RS232.   Maybe this could be something that could be used in MCE like the old sony one?   

If I was a developer I'd give a whirl  but no luck.....

Has anyone looked at one of these (http://www.kleggusa.com/product_mediashare.html )? 
I would be curious if it can be used as a Media Director box of some sort?  HMM.   Also, I found  a good thread on it at (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-987793.html)

I am still trying to find a good small working Media Director that will run at least 720p for less than $200.

I have looked at the HDhomerun product and it looks pretty good but does not
have analog channel support yet (correct me if I am wrong) so I was wondering
what people are using successfully with both QAM/ATSC and analog channel support?

thanks!

I have got most all the parts for my core and will now be looking at what is the cheapest a person can build an MD for.  Smaller is always better in the MD case in our house.   If it can't be seen and can do its task then that is best.  Would like to hear from those booting via netboot (pxe) and those that are using local boots (hard drive).  Please post with costs and what you think of your system.

Yeah.  I finally get to build a new system and would like a recommendation for the
best (known working) tuner card that also does HD tuning (US).  Basically, I will
just be connecting the cable in (from comcast and no box) to the card
and then outputting to TV (possibly some recording to HD) but want
to be able to get all the same channels that I can currently get on my
SHARP AQUOS (which has ATSC and QAM tuner builtin).

thanks!

I would like to have postings and maybe even a WIKI (someone help me here) on systems that cost less than $1000 and have  a Core and AT LEAST one MD (preferably but not required).  Fiire.com has both of them
for about $1300. 
   Are people willing to post?  If so, please
include:

specs (model of motherboard, components, etc if possible)
was it easy/hard/etc to install and implement and how well do you like your running system?

Please only post setups that you are happy with.  I think this will help everyone that is
looking to know that they can (possibly) get a whole home configuration running for less than
$1000 and would be a good place to start for a newbie. 

oops.  Sorry meant specs for the Fiire Station not Fiire Chief.  My bag.

Any tear down full specs of the Fiire Chief yet.  I am itching to find out what the motherboard and components are?

This is so aggravating.  Can someone please put a patch in or something that fixes this problem.  I have hundreds of DVD's that are in .iso form (which is a standard, right?) and having to rename them to .dvd is something that I should not have to do because then when I mount them with my XP laptop (work) I have to rename them back to .iso.  Can this please please be fixed ASAP!!  I love the product so far from what I have seen and it has come a long way.  Thanks!

1audio can you please point to some of the newer designs that have the new chipset as I contacted MVIX and they don't have anything to ship with this newer chipset till 2nd Quarter 2008