Digital stuff

[Refugee]

I actually have a DVD player that does not support anything on any recordable media at all.
I have another that supports recordable and also has a VHS deck too.
With the R-Pi I would use a DVD drive and USB converter and perhaps if they get cheap enough Blue Ray at a later date. The idea is that it will be easy to upgrade.

[camallison]

I hear what you are saying - I have tried a usb/IDE converter on a DVD drive and mounted that as one of the drives. Naturally, you will need separate power to the drive and converter as the Pi won't support much on its usb ports. Then the RaspBMC will look at it just like any other drive. Audio out isn't such good quality, so maybe a separate sound card too. If your collection was ripped, then everything would be much easier as your collection could be stored on a usb pen drive, as I have done.

I even went so far as putting a 4-inch LCD display for the front-end, but the text was far too small to read. Might try a 7-inch touch screen next.

Colin

[Refugee]

When I was looking on the web the sound cards that were on sale did not have the through pins for the display to fit over them.

[camallison]

I used a breakout board with ribbon cable(s) first, and then a HiFiBerry like this: http://www.hifiberry.com/dac

I must admit, it looked typical rats nest, but I would have tidied it up with a soldering iron and more pins into P5, as they didn't exist on my Pis.

Colin

[Refugee]

That one looks more practical for adding a display and the bits can be added as required too.
I have bookmarked the link.

[camallison]

Another way to bring out connections for a display is http://shop.pimoroni.com/products/adafru...d-backpack

Colin

[Refugee]

I will put that on the list too.
The long task it to get a whole lot better at programming as this is the only weakness I have for this project.
All I ever got to do was a few small modifications to ASM files and made a start at a DMM.

[camallison]

My single biggest weakness is remembering the programming I learned a while ago. Two of my grandsons are whizzes at Python, Scratch and one is learning C++. At least I have maybe started them on the road to being engineers. You might find the Raspberry Pi Projects book (Wiley publisher) useful as a crib sheet or for ideas.

Colin

[camallison]

BTW - the oldest grandson (who must have amazing eye-sight) asked for, and received, one of these for Christmas:

http://www.pi-supply.com/product/pitft-m...pberry-pi/

He now uses it for programming on the run, when on car journeys, or just sat on his bed.

Colin

[Refugee]

I have browsed the web for bits ant those type of screens are the sort of items I was looking at.
It would eliminate the need for switches.