HD led on chassis as record light?

DarkWader · 2007-02-18, 21:58

Started on: 2007-02-18
last update: 2007-02-18

Summary:
I dont use the HDD led on any of my HTPC boxes.
Its just too anoying to watch that blinking light, and I guess most ppl here will agree to that.

Then It just suddenly stroke me, what if there was a plugin that activated this light ONLY when a recording is running?
I have no idea if such a "hack" is possible, but it would be a neat solution to actually use that led for something usefull in a HTPC.

synthdood · 2008-02-20, 13:17

It is said that a lot of great inventions in history were done simultaneously in different parts of the world. I guess that applies to us too. I was thinking the exact same thing as you :-)

A few days ago I changed my HTPC from the built-in TVE2 to a single seat TVE3 system and decided that I would like some visual feedback from the system so I can see if it is recording, just like every other VCR/HDD recorder in the world. Using a red LED would be the way to go! If your htpc case has a HDD led you could use that. My case (Dign/Origen H5) does not have a hdd light, but I am sure I would be able to fix a small red led somewhere behind the display window. The actual display is smaller than the window so there should be space. Another option would be to use a 2-colour power led that is blue or green when powered on and red while recording (would require some extra electronics I presume).

Remains the issue of actually controlling a led from MP. For those of you that speak Dutch, I ran across this post: LEDSdriver – Opname LED voor MCE/VMC
It is a solution for MCE that uses a COM port to switch one or two LEDs. Would a solution like this be viable for MP? I guess a plugin for TVE3 that switches the RTS and/or DTS lines on a COM port depending on the recording state should be possible.

2007-02-18, 21:58	#1 (permalink)
DarkWader Portal Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Age: 30 Posts: 247 Thanks: 2 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts Country: My System	HD led on chassis as record light? Started on: 2007-02-18 last update: 2007-02-18 Summary: I dont use the HDD led on any of my HTPC boxes. Its just too anoying to watch that blinking light, and I guess most ppl here will agree to that. Then It just suddenly stroke me, what if there was a plugin that activated this light ONLY when a recording is running? I have no idea if such a "hack" is possible, but it would be a neat solution to actually use that led for something usefull in a HTPC.

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2008-02-20, 13:17	#2 (permalink)
synthdood Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 44 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	It is said that a lot of great inventions in history were done simultaneously in different parts of the world. I guess that applies to us too. I was thinking the exact same thing as you :-) A few days ago I changed my HTPC from the built-in TVE2 to a single seat TVE3 system and decided that I would like some visual feedback from the system so I can see if it is recording, just like every other VCR/HDD recorder in the world. Using a red LED would be the way to go! If your htpc case has a HDD led you could use that. My case (Dign/Origen H5) does not have a hdd light, but I am sure I would be able to fix a small red led somewhere behind the display window. The actual display is smaller than the window so there should be space. Another option would be to use a 2-colour power led that is blue or green when powered on and red while recording (would require some extra electronics I presume). Remains the issue of actually controlling a led from MP. For those of you that speak Dutch, I ran across this post: LEDSdriver – Opname LED voor MCE/VMC It is a solution for MCE that uses a COM port to switch one or two LEDs. Would a solution like this be viable for MP? I guess a plugin for TVE3 that switches the RTS and/or DTS lines on a COM port depending on the recording state should be possible.