What are your plans for future HTPC builds?

[Johnny87au]

hey guys thought i'd get this HTPC section to start off, What hardware are you guys willing to use for a future HTPC and why ??

For me im going to use either Llano or lower end SB when it gets released, Why? Because its gonna be a solid htpc with lower tdp and has 4 cores so should last me quite a while unlike zacate where it has flaws supportin full 1080p playback and 3d streaming is kinda meh..

[1ke]

Always depends on how hardcore you wanna be. I would stick with AMD for normal HTPC b/c of price to performance. Just buy a good newegg deal if you want new, or scrounge up old parts if you don't care if its new. The important part of HTPC is long HDMI cables to keep that thing away from the terribly shielded audio equipment that manufacturers are producing these days.

[Johnny87au]

Always depends on how hardcore you wanna be. I would stick with AMD for normal HTPC b/c of price to performance. Just buy a good newegg deal if you want new, or scrounge up old parts if you don't care if its new. The important part of HTPC is long HDMI cables to keep that thing away from the terribly shielded audio equipment that manufacturers are producing these days.

Well im definately staying clear of the atom ion boards, Cedar might be worthwile but havent really seen any info on it as of yet.. Zacate is good for a htpc but i need a bit more juice for what my HTPC is going to do, So hopefully llano or the low end SB using a itx h67/p67 itx board..

[1ke]

My 2600k is super quiet in a LLQ11, plays games too.

[Donnie27]

Well im definately staying clear of the atom ion boards, Cedar might be worthwile but havent really seen any info on it as of yet.. Zacate is good for a htpc but i need a bit more juice for what my HTPC is going to do, So hopefully llano or the low end SB using a itx h67/p67 itx board..

Sure, it just depends if you'd like to game on it or not. My HTPC has an nVidia 240GT and it has zero 1080P problems. My cheap 4X LiteOn Blue Ray's picture is clear and buttery smooth. I know I could have gotten away with something cheaper than an E8400 but it was a left-over from an Earlier build. One of my favorites a bud has is a Micro ATX and I think he's using an AMD 955BE and a nV-460, Gigabyte OC heat-pipe just like the one in my main rig. He games on his, I don't.

My only upgrade would be something smaller case wise and more HDD space.

[Johnny87au]

Sure, it just depends if you'd like to game on it or not. My HTPC has an nVidia 240GT and it has zero 1080P problems. My cheap 4X LiteOn Blue Ray's picture is clear and buttery smooth. I know I could have gotten away with something cheaper than an E8400 but it was a left-over from an Earlier build. One of my favorites a bud has is a Micro ATX and I think he's using an AMD 955BE and a nV-460, Gigabyte OC heat-pipe just like the one in my main rig. He games on his, I don't.

My only upgrade would be something smaller case wise and more HDD space.

Nice rig hehe, I dont intend to game on the htpc thats gonna be for my ivybridge build later this year.. I know zacate is a low powered board but i honestly think im gonna stay clear of it, With using XMBC as a powerful skin it uses quite alot of resources unless im using the default skin which absoulately sucks, The skin is great you'd love the feel of my htpc once u boot it up :) , Zacate just seems to fragile for what im doing tbh.. :shrug:

[Serra]

I think I'm going to re-evaluate my HTPC build when cedar trail comes out. I think the CPU capabilities of cedar trail should be more than fine, I'm just not sure what the GPU is going to be like. If it's not what it's cracked up to be I'll probably grab the lowest power alternative out there.


Well im definately staying clear of the atom ion boards, Cedar might be worthwile but havent really seen any info on it as of yet.. Zacate is good for a htpc but i need a bit more juice for what my HTPC is going to do, So hopefully llano or the low end SB using a itx h67/p67 itx board..

I have an Ion board and I actually have to say the performance is just fine, even running XBMC. I wasn't sure it would be, but XBMC doesn't stutter or jerk at all, even when watching a DVD.

I'll admit that blu-ray playback in XBMC does stutter, but to be honest XBMC seems to suck at blu-ray anyway as it doesn't support menus or the playback of anything that isn't the longest consecutive video. Thus the trick is to have XBMC launch another player anyway, at which playback is just fine again. I'm currently working on getting this to happen, but the hooks are there and others have done it before, I just haven't put the time in yet. Playback on other players (eg. Cyberlink PowerDVD) is flawless.

Heat output so low I don't even need a fan, size so small I can fit it in any case I want healthily, and so little power consumption I can use a laptop-style power brick rather than putting a PSU in the box (making the build simpler and putting less clutter in the HTPC box). As long as you aren't playing games I can't think of any reason not to use an ION TBH.

[Johnny87au]

I think I'm going to re-evaluate my HTPC build when cedar trail comes out. I think the CPU capabilities of cedar trail should be more than fine, I'm just not sure what the GPU is going to be like. If it's not what it's cracked up to be I'll probably grab the lowest power alternative out there.



I have an Ion board and I actually have to say the performance is just fine, even running XBMC. I wasn't sure it would be, but XBMC doesn't stutter or jerk at all, even when watching a DVD.

I'll admit that blu-ray playback in XBMC does stutter, but to be honest XBMC seems to suck at blu-ray anyway as it doesn't support menus or the playback of anything that isn't the longest consecutive video. Thus the trick is to have XBMC launch another player anyway, at which playback is just fine again. I'm currently working on getting this to happen, but the hooks are there and others have done it before, I just haven't put the time in yet. Playback on other players (eg. Cyberlink PowerDVD) is flawless.

Heat output so low I don't even need a fan, size so small I can fit it in any case I want healthily, and so little power consumption I can use a laptop-style power brick rather than putting a PSU in the box (making the build simpler and putting less clutter in the HTPC box). As long as you aren't playing games I can't think of any reason not to use an ION TBH.

Was going to purchase a Ion board serra but from the reviews and benches i was going to wait for zacate, but after reading zacate im waiting for cedar or llano hehe.. Yes XMBC isnt that great for bluray playback but i use power DvD for that and use XMBC to play my videos stored on 6TB worth of space... Which skin you using in XMBC ?? im using Aeon mq2 i love it mate.. Also using the Microsoft remote which works great.. Going to purchase the logitech dnovo keyboard though as i think its alot better seeming as it has mouse/keyboard/play pause etc AIO..:up:

[Serra]

Was going to purchase a Ion board serra but from the reviews and benches i was going to wait for zacate, but after reading zacate im waiting for cedar or llano hehe.. Yes XMBC isnt that great for bluray playback but i use power DvD for that and use XMBC to play my videos stored on 6TB worth of space... Which skin you using in XMBC ?? im using Aeon mq2 i love it mate.. Also using the Microsoft remote which works great.. Going to purchase the logitech dnovo keyboard though as i think its alot better seeming as it has mouse/keyboard/play pause etc AIO..:up:

Yeah, I wouldn't ditch a current setup that works for an ION board, I bought when the ION was new and I didn't already have an HTPC. Annoyingly, because it wouldn't stream Hulu when I bought it (this was just prior to Adobe releasing an update that enabled Flash on Cuda) I actually bought a second mini-ITX system based on a quad-core Athlon II, but I ended up reverting to the ION for noise, power, and - most importantly - stability reasons (there is some kind of jacked-up driver issue with the particular hardware I had). So ultimately it was like a $600 atom build, which is ridiculous, but it all works, so it's OK... it's just a bit of a bother because very low-power systems are going to have to close it while doing anything else for smoothness.

I'm actually very new to XBMC, so I'm just using the default skin (Conflux? Confluence? Something like that). I had been browsing around XBMC's forums and saw that people were saying that it was chosen because it was the most stable and others weren't necessarily, so I guess it's what I'm sticking with. It also strikes me that XBMC probably isn't the best-coded application of all time given that skins can make a noticeable impact on stability and the fact that it still hasn't been coded to work properly on anything but the original XBOX (eg. look at the CPU utilization... it was written to actively refresh 60-90 times a second just for responsiveness because that's what you need to do on an XBOX and still hasn't been ported), but it works.

After installing XBMC I looked around at other forums and decided to order this AVS Gear IR remote (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880121002) which is absolutely perfect... it runs off a base station with 2x remote IR sensors (though it only comes with one). $24 for an IR receiver that can take feeds from two positions, and which works just fine besides!

But since I had the IR unit (all I really bought it for) and didn't want another remote, I've swapped out all my remotes for a single Logitech Harmony One. I could have gone with the 900, but apparently although it gained RF but lost the ability to do MACROS, which is very, very sad. I'm guessing it has to do with battery life. This works like a charm because I can just map a keyboard and an IR remote in to control the PC, so I have all the buttons I want available. I will still probably purchase a wireless keyboard to stuff under the couch in case I decide to surf the web, but that really doesn't come up as I have a laptop. I had strongly looked at the DiNovo, but if you look at the NewEgg reviews for it, even the 5-egg review people state that it has serious problems, like needing to re-associate with the bluetooth dongle regularly (meaning you may need to wait 2 minutes to hit "back" or "pause" on it), and that's just unacceptable to me... it doesn't seem to be a matter of "if" it happens, as much as a matter of how much it bothers you.


So far my to-do list includes:
1. Figuring out how to get XBMC to mount an ISO image, launch an external player (PowerDVD), and close itself so I don't have to do it manually.

2. Create a function key that I can map to my Harmony that closes PowerDVD (I've already modified the button that previously opened Windows Media Center to open XBMC instead)

3. Stop my HTPC from displaying a password prompt when it wakes up from sleep mode. I have set a password so that I can remote desktop to it or push files to it properly, but I've disabled the start-up prompt... you'd think you could do the same for wake up.

I know people have done both before, but somehow my best efforts at #1 have been failing miserably and since that's my #1 to-do I haven't given much of a thought to #2/#3. Do you happen to have it set up that way?

[Johnny87au]

Heres a list of Remotes that work great with XBMC and comes with inbuilt IR receiver http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Remote_Control_Reviews , The logitech Dnovo is perfect mate havent had any issues, maby it had issues from previous versions of XMBC but using the latest version 10 i think it is works absoulately flawless.. Yeah i believe the XBMC default skin is Confluence.. I did use it for a while just to get started but after eyeing out cirrus and the AEON skins i fell in love mate, best looking themes for playback ever makes you feel professional haha :D .. The to do list you posted i wouldnt have a clue as im happy with my XMBC setup, i've even added banners for tv shows etc.. Post here and im sure you will get a answer regarding the questions you've asked http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?f=111 As for ISO blu ray images have a look here i believe there is a way http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=91143 ....... I'm definately getting either zacate or llano just gotta wait and see if the difference is significant enough.. Anyways serra thought i'd share a few screenys on how my Skin looks when flicking through movies etc :) using the aeon mq2 skin.. Tell me what you think?? New version is getting released in a week or two and its gonna be the best SKIN i've ever seen, its gonna label blu rays with blurays, 3d with 3d symbols etc etc, gonna be unreal!! Anyhow heres some screens i provided just using a few different view types..

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/2827/screenshot01u.jpg
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/7171/92706750.png
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3366/screenshot009g.jpg
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1633/screenshot001rh.png
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/5550/screenshot002m.png

http://www.violentangel.net/stuff/htpc/htpc2.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1286/screenshot018k.jpg

[Serra]

Heres a list of Remotes that work great with XBMC and comes with inbuilt IR receiver http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Remote_Control_Reviews , The logitech Dnovo is perfect mate havent had any issues, maby it had issues from previous versions of XMBC but using the latest version 10 i think it is works absoulately flawless.. Yeah i believe the XBMC default skin is Confluence.. I did use it for a while just to get started but after eyeing out cirrus and the AEON skins i fell in love mate, best looking themes for playback ever makes you feel professional haha :D .. The to do list you posted i wouldnt have a clue as im happy with my XMBC setup, i've even added banners for tv shows etc.. Post here and im sure you will get a answer regarding the questions you've asked http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?f=111 As for ISO blu ray images have a look here i believe there is a way http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=91143 ....... I'm definately getting either zacate or llano just gotta wait and see if the difference is significant enough.. Anyways serra thought i'd share a few screenys on how my Skin looks when flicking through movies etc :) using the aeon mq2 skin.. Tell me what you think?? New version is getting released in a week or two and its gonna be the best SKIN i've ever seen, its gonna label blu rays with blurays, 3d with 3d symbols etc etc, gonna be unreal!! Anyhow heres some screens i provided just using a few different view types..

The problems with the DiNovo shouldn't be XBMC related, they're bluetooth related. The problem is that bluetooth uses the 2.4GHz range, which means it's susceptible to interference from all kinds of common sources. I'm glad to hear it works for you, but looking at how common it is for people to have issues, I don't think I could ever recommend it to others. Similarly, I was actually going to purchase an XBOX 360 controller + USB adapter for awhile, but it turns out that MS stopped selling the USB adapter because it drew more power than the USB spec was designed for and ruined some PC's. So it could work, but I just wouldn't suggest it.

IR or 900MHz RF seems the way to go for this kind of thing, as a general statement. I'm pretty happy with how XBMC seems to work with pretty much any remote you can purchase, I wish they made it a bit more obvious that those things are so interchangeable. And now that I've got the Harmony One mapped for XBMC properly I can't imagine going back or using anything else... it's just so handy to have one remote that can properly handle my PC as well as my other equipment with "activities" :up:


I'll have to take a look at the new version of that skin when it comes out in a week. I really do like having it show a "case" around each movie, that's something I can get behind.

How do you handle blu-ray playback? Do you just use the built-in player when you have an unencrypted disc, or do you exit XBMC to open PowerDVD? I'm going to work on getting PowerDVD to launch from XBMC during this upcoming week... if I can figure it out I'll post my solution. It's a bit ridiculous that they don't have a better setup for how to do that, I mean XBMC can only play back unencrypted discs and does not - and will not - work with menus, which is unacceptable for general use. You can certainly hook to other programs, but it seems like it's a real hack to get done rather than just navigating to a setting menu and browsing for the ".exe" file of your player.

[Johnny87au]

Thanks for the heads up serra, How have you got your XMBC setup? Have you got it so when you boot your pc you can hit the remote and it boots up XBMC or you open XBMC once the desktop is loaded ? Im still doing it the traditional way and opening it up one my desktop boots.. would like to know how if you can do it the way i mentioned though, that would rock! Also have you keybinded the remote so when you shutdown it shutdowns the whole PC instead of just XBMC ? .. I remember seeing something a while back about Bluray DVD playback, IIRC it doesnt require alot of tweaking just a EXTRA addon you have to add to XBMC, really simple it's just i cant find the thread again :D .. I generally open PowerDvD everytime i throw a blu-ray DvD in but i hardly use Dvd's as i just rip them straight from the original into my HTPC library :) .. Mind posting what your HTPC insists of :P , cooler? how much storage? which hdd's etc? :)

[Serra]

Thanks for the heads up serra, How have you got your XMBC setup? Have you got it so when you boot your pc you can hit the remote and it boots up XBMC or you open XBMC once the desktop is loaded ? Im still doing it the traditional way and opening it up one my desktop boots.. would like to know how if you can do it the way i mentioned though, that would rock! Also have you keybinded the remote so when you shutdown it shutdowns the whole PC instead of just XBMC ? .. I remember seeing something a while back about Bluray DVD playback, IIRC it doesnt require alot of tweaking just a EXTRA addon you have to add to XBMC, really simple it's just i cant find the thread again :D .. I generally open PowerDvD everytime i throw a blu-ray DvD in but i hardly use Dvd's as i just rip them straight from the original into my HTPC library :) .. Mind posting what your HTPC insists of :P , cooler? how much storage? which hdd's etc? :)

The way I have XBMC set up, on the windows media remote I bought when I hit the "Windows Media Center" button (the green button) XBMC is launched instead of WMC, and I have ported that button over to my Logitech Harmony. I still start up the computer without XBMC launching automatically, but that's because I might want to start the PC to do something other than use XBMC, and I can hit a button on the remote to launch it if I need it.

I have also set it up such that I can use the on/off button to put the PC to sleep, though I just wish that it was possible to wake the PC using IR input as well.

From what I can tell, to get XBMC to load an ISO to a virtual drive and have it play in an external player, you have to edit 1-2 XBMC configuration files manually and build a batch file (at least with Windows). I've only played with it for a bit, but it seems no-one has created a convenient add-on like you would expect and it's not nearly as convenient or well documented as it should be considering how popular the feature must be.


My specs are:
- OS - Windows 7 Ultimate
- Mem - 4GB DDR2
- Mobo - Zotac ION (gen 1) series, laptop-style power supply brick (I forget the model #)
- CPU - Atom 330
- OS HDD - Some random 2.5" Hitachi 200GB, 7200rpm drive
- Media HDD - Samsung EcoGreen F2, 1.5TB (92% full)
- ODD - Sony slimline blu-ray reader BC-5500H-01
- Case - Silverstone SG06-B (expensive, but worth it)
- Keyboard/mouse - The worst kind you can think of (needs changing badly)
- Remote - Logitech Harmony One
- Software: XBMC, Cyberlink PowerDVD10, SlySoft Virtual Drive

My only hardware problems (aside from needing a wireless keyboard/mouse) is that I need to get a much larger hard drive for this system. I keep adding in 50GB files for playback, and those chew through space very fast. I'll likely add on a 3TB eSATA drive or similar shortly to make up for it.

[BeepBeep2]

The Gigabyte E350 board should clock Zacate to 1800-2000 from its normal 1600 :shrug: Not the hugest improvement but up to 20% nonetheless...

IMO Zacate at 2 Ghz might just play BluRays fine. I'd be against going with 880G and Athlon II on M-ITX, Zacate has about twice the GPU strength.

[Johnny87au]

The way I have XBMC set up, on the windows media remote I bought when I hit the "Windows Media Center" button (the green button) XBMC is launched instead of WMC, and I have ported that button over to my Logitech Harmony. I still start up the computer without XBMC launching automatically, but that's because I might want to start the PC to do something other than use XBMC, and I can hit a button on the remote to launch it if I need it.

I have also set it up such that I can use the on/off button to put the PC to sleep, though I just wish that it was possible to wake the PC using IR input as well.

From what I can tell, to get XBMC to load an ISO to a virtual drive and have it play in an external player, you have to edit 1-2 XBMC configuration files manually and build a batch file (at least with Windows). I've only played with it for a bit, but it seems no-one has created a convenient add-on like you would expect and it's not nearly as convenient or well documented as it should be considering how popular the feature must be.


My specs are:
- OS - Windows 7 Ultimate
- Mem - 4GB DDR2
- Mobo - Zotac ION (gen 1) series, laptop-style power supply brick (I forget the model #)
- CPU - Atom 330
- OS HDD - Some random 2.5" Hitachi 200GB, 7200rpm drive
- Media HDD - Samsung EcoGreen F2, 1.5TB (92% full)
- ODD - Sony slimline blu-ray reader BC-5500H-01
- Case - Silverstone SG06-B (expensive, but worth it)
- Keyboard/mouse - The worst kind you can think of (needs changing badly)
- Remote - Logitech Harmony One
- Software: XBMC, Cyberlink PowerDVD10, SlySoft Virtual Drive

My only hardware problems (aside from needing a wireless keyboard/mouse) is that I need to get a much larger hard drive for this system. I keep adding in 50GB files for playback, and those chew through space very fast. I'll likely add on a 3TB eSATA drive or similar shortly to make up for it.

nice mate, gonna need to setup my keyboard like that.. havent had time to fiddle around with it though, What movies do you have stored mainly? Full 720p or 1080p? I'm collecting 720's atm as 1080p are like 30 gig or so too big for my liking.. How many movies do you have atm ? Im going to make a Thread on MUST movies to get, Might start a little service where u send hard drives to people and they put all there movies on, all they gotta do is pay for the shipping.. Now a days its hard to just download and download as alot of internet companys dont give unlimited = /

[Donnie27]

nice mate, gonna need to setup my keyboard like that.. havent had time to fiddle around with it though, What movies do you have stored mainly? Full 720p or 1080p? I'm collecting 720's atm as 1080p are like 30 gig or so too big for my liking.. How many movies do you have atm ? Im going to make a Thread on MUST movies to get, Might start a little service where u send hard drives to people and they put all there movies on, all they gotta do is pay for the shipping.. Now a days its hard to just download and download as alot of internet companies don't give unlimited = /

Mine is a Family HTPC, meaning my wife and daughter are slowly leaning the different Desktops for MCE, Hulu, XBMC, and etc... I boot to the MS desktop because I like my music apps from the Windows desktop and my Creative apps (I know LOL!), Foobar, Monkey Audio, Song Bird and etc..... Each has a little something different that keeps me from going exclusively with one. I like Power DVD but still use version 9 ultra.

With a 3GHz Dual Core that really doesn't run that hot, using a Zalman Cooler.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2042
The is set to Auto in the BIOS, it rarely spins up. I wouldn't overclock an HTPC but hey I'm not overclocking much of anything lately.

My HTPC case is about the same size as my Pioneer 819H Receiver and I have no space problems. Even have a retro Cassette and a second Old school JVC Receiver with room for a Turn table. Instead of Movies, I listen to music more than I watch movies. With Netflix being about $10.67 a month for me, I don't even bother looking for or even saving movies on my HDD's. There are a total of 5 computers, one Laptop, Wii and two BD players that act as Net appliances as well. That last Sony BD I bought the wife and daughter is truly amazing for $132.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BDP-BX57-Blu-ray-Player-3D-ready/dp/B003FW0LR2

It can also stream Movies, Videos, Music, Pictures and etc.. from the Laptop or the HTPC or even my Main rig upstairs. With the Dual Band Netgear 3700, I can stream from or to two places places at a time without any kind of and that with a POS cheap DSL modem (650K a sec) These things would really kick @$$ with my old 6Mb Cable modem:up: That first review on Amazon is bogus though. That Blue Ray player is only as good as the source stream. Most of the time Netflix looks at least as good as a DVD at 720P and on bad days 480P. I hope no one streaming from there expects 1080P LOL!

[Johnny87au]

@donnie at work atm but could you post your system specs with some pictures?? I really want to experiment with different cases, really want the feel of a case which suits the theme of a Big black Receiver :D , Would look awesome imo..

[Donnie27]

@donnie at work atm but could you post your system specs with some pictures?? I really want to experiment with different cases, really want the feel of a case which suits the theme of a Big black Receiver :D , Would look awesome imo..

Generic HTPC/Desktop Full ATX case with Antec 550W PSU
4GB of Muskin DDR2 800
E8400 at stock and it never seems to strain and down clocks itself.
750GB WD Black HDD and also use externals of different sizes,
Auzentech X-Fi Prelude Burr Browns DAC's, forgot which ones, sorry!
nVidia EVGA 240GT 512MB
61-1 Card Reader
Liteon 24X DL-DVD-RW
LiteOn 4X Blue Ray player
NewTec (?) N Dongle Wireless NIC (had problems with my wire)
Wireless Dell Keyboard and Mouse
Gerneric but very sweet remote control, honestly I like the Keyboard for movies and the remote for music

I have another 1TB HDD but I don't trust the Seagate re-badged Maxtor drive:rolleyes:

They're connected to a JVC stereo and Pioneer 819H receivers, I use Analog 85% of the time. I can use about 5 different sets of speakers and building Number 6 now. Been playing with some modded Technics but will dump them soon. I also have an Optimus Dual Cassette, Pioneer PL 400 Turntable and a Technics SL Q300, LG Set Top Blue Ray player. The other two sets of speakers are Optimus Mach 1's and Fisher 9V both sets where discarded and I repaired them for about $60 (Stain, Polyurethane, surrounds, glue and Grill Cloth) Both of the hardware (crossovers) were in almost meant condition. 200 watt Sony Center speaker and DIY Pioneer Sub with Dayton Plate AMP. No, I'll not win any SPL contests but it Rocks.

[Johnny87au]

Lol sure sounds like you'll win with all the dam hardware you have, im just running a panasonic 5.1 wireless 1000W surround sound with a receiver.. not the best but man its loud and makes you feel like your in the damn movie !! What movies do you mainly collect for your htpc and Whats the total power output of your HTPC?? Trying to gather a few builds wether they be 775 builds or athlon builds, just trying to get the best deal on a HTPC with the lowest output/performance wise..

[Donnie27]

Lol sure sounds like you'll win with all the dam hardware you have, im just running a panasonic 5.1 wireless 1000W surround sound with a receiver.. not the best but man its loud and makes you feel like your in the damn movie !! What movies do you mainly collect for your htpc and Whats the total power output of your HTPC?? Trying to gather a few builds wether they be 775 builds or athlon builds, just trying to get the best deal on a HTPC with the lowest output/performance wise..

The cheaper AMD build will do just fine for HTPC:up: With some of the cheaper Athlons out there being wayyyyyyy more than enough, there's little reason the overclock a HTPC with one installed. That's why I said my 8400 was overkill.

Just go to Photo Bucket and type in "Donnie27" and search through the Computer, Speaker building and repair sections. I even have a few of my flowers from my front yard a friend on another forum asked me to post.

The power stats range from a Fake 100 watts per channel Pioneer 819H to a REAL 100 Watts per channel Old School JVC Receiver. The 819H is used for movies and the JVC is used for Pure Stereo Most of the time. My computer is used more like a Pre-Amp. I use a Splitter to send signals to both. I normally only use one at a time but very little is lost that way, maybe a few Mv's? Built-amps screws this up more than it helps.

The Old Harmon Kardon on my Main Rig up stairs is decoupled from its Pre-Amp and the computer is connect straight to the Twin Powered AMP in the 730. The other Receiver is an Harmon Kardon 245 5.1. Harmon Kardon still uses old school measurements. Harmon Kardon's 35 watts per channel is like Sony's 150 watts per channel LOL! I can knock crap off my sheet rock walls with it. Find the Harmon Kardon 930 and you'll not find anything better at almost any price range IMHO!

I'am a music nut but not an Audiophile.

Demos showing the difference in power between the JVC and ANY New Receiver will make most manufacturers look like con artists. The H/K 730 should be HIGHLY sought out for anyone who loves Headphones. Even SPL junkies like STEVil would love it. Its headphone out can destroy just about ANY Cans made and do it with Pristine Clean Sound . Even with the low filter enabled (blocking bass) it killed a set of Sennheisser 595's. Yet, it's accurate enough to not ruin 3d Headphone effects from the X-Fi.

Pre-lim tests on my newest speakers I'm building are good! They are being built for SQL, not SPL because at 54 years old, Gansta-Boogie doesn't do it for me:rofl: Yet, I'am a Tuba/Bass Player and love Bass, real Bass, not that over done BS! I use to be a SPL and Bass-Head:up: But I love sounds too much to destroy my hearing anymore. But I give Mad Props to the SPL champs and etc.... I go to the competitions with very good ear plugs but still love to feel the bass, just not hear it that loud:up:.

[Donnie27]

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/Donnie27_photos/Speaker%20Building%20and%20repair/PICT3649.jpg

My remote control and best $19 dollars I ever spent!

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/Donnie27_photos/Home%20Theater/FinishOldSub.jpg

These are older pics, I must update them. I have wireless key board and the Turntable was loaned out at the time.

[Johnny87au]

Wowzor ur sound must be unreal, Quick question.. Does xmbc come with codecs or you have to download them ? because Media player with say the K-lite codec pack is heaps louder or is it just me ?

[Donnie27]

Wowzor ur sound must be unreal, Quick question.. Does xmbc come with codecs or you have to download them ? because Media player with say the K-lite codec pack is heaps louder or is it just me ?

I did nothing but simply installed it from the "MaximumPC" Demo Disc that ships with my Mag. Everything that app needed was included (I think). I'm at work and will need to check all the Codecs when I get home later. We are about to be snowed in, again:rolleyes:

I'm going to wait until my newest speakers are finished and then I'll take more Pics. At least 3 of my friends are fussing at me for getting them addicted to DIYer speakers one of the three should have been doing it a long time ago, he's very good at it.

[Johnny87au]

No problems mate, did a bit of research and seems like dhmarma 10 comes with all the latest codec anyhow.. Which remote is that your using? And does it come with a IR receiver ? Im thinking of grabbing a remote to configure it with XBMC instead of using my logitech dnovo keyboard as it doesnt feel like a theatre .. thanks

[Donnie27]

No problems mate, did a bit of research and seems like dhmarma 10 comes with all the latest codec anyhow.. Which remote is that your using? And does it come with a IR receiver ? Im thinking of grabbing a remote to configure it with XBMC instead of using my logitech dnovo keyboard as it doesnt feel like a theatre .. thanks

It comes with its own IR receiver and software. It is 100% compatible with Vista and I've never tried it with Windows 7.

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Certified-Infrared-Receiver-Ultimate/dp/B000ST7QPA/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_image_3

Noah Company Media Gate HA-IR01SV Windows Vista Home Premium.

[Donnie27]

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/Donnie27_photos/Home%20Theater/Inputdevices.jpg

My Keyboard, Mouse and Remote.

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/Donnie27_photos/Home%20Theater/LatestHTPC.jpg

I'm not through with the speakers. I'll have to change the Top Part by adding another face plate of the and may end up with 3 way, 4 speakers. I want the Horn and Planar to act as a pair and I'm saving the Soft-dome for the next set in the spring!

Oh and the Sub sucks in and spits out that paper Nakin from even that far way like a Vacuum:lol:

[Johnny87au]

aweosome donnie, my htpc gonna be hooked up to my new 63" 3dtv :D so should be good! May i ask why you use a sound card? I've never really had any issues using the onboard 5.1 hooking it up to my receiver.. Sounds just as good as it would with a sound card.. And does your gt 240 support 1.4 hdmi which is for 3D? i'm purchasing a older htpc now and need a 1.4 compatible card.. was looking at a gt 430....

[Donnie27]

aweosome donnie, my htpc gonna be hooked up to my new 63" 3dtv :D so should be good! May i ask why you use a sound card? I've never really had any issues using the onboard 5.1 hooking it up to my receiver.. Sounds just as good as it would with a sound card.. And does your gt 240 support 1.4 hdmi which is for 3D? i'm purchasing a older htpc now and need a 1.4 compatible card.. was looking at a gt 430....

I use the Sound card for Analog out for mostly Music. Movies are split half and half between Digital and Analog. I really love the older music in analog stereo mode and without a Sub. I like the Newer music with a Sub. Can't watch a movie without 5.1 IMHO!

You're absolutely right though. If I were merely doing movies, then I'd have little need for a Sound card. Motherboard sound can't do Analog good enough IMO and my Sound Card needs to be replaced by something better than a Pioneer 819H because it (just as most other Low TO Mid Fi equipment) if I'm going 100% digital.

AFAIK, my EVGA 240 GT only supports 1.3a Video and Sound. I don't have and don't think I'll have a 3D TV, Blue Ray drive and or software anytime soon. It does however support nVidia's 3D but I've not messed with that either. IMHO, the current way they're shafting folks with added costs are a Joke. I remember 3D on VHS LOL! New TV's and etc.. seems like a money grab on the newest trend. It most certainly is not a Gimmick. I've seen very nice demos. But I saw demos and full length movies 40 years ago:rofl: I saw 3D on old CRT's back in 1999:shrug: I like the tech a lot, I don't like the greed that surrounds it.

[Donnie27]

Oh and BTW, I paid only $59 and didn't get the rebate.

[Johnny87au]

Well i can get a old E6400 Rig for $200 just going to replace the card from a 8600gt to a GT 430 as it supports dull dolby + True DTS, Do you think i would have any issues using the gt 430 for sound + video ? supports up to 7.1 also.. Going to be hooking it up to my receiver then from receiver to the tv, gonna be full 5.1 ...need to know asap as im meeting up with the bloke and giving him cash, thnx

[Donnie27]

Well i can get a old E6400 Rig for $200 just going to replace the card from a 8600gt to a GT 430 as it supports dull dolby + True DTS, Do you think i would have any issues using the gt 430 for sound + video ? supports up to 7.1 also.. Going to be hooking it up to my receiver then from receiver to the tv, gonna be full 5.1 ...need to know asap as im meeting up with the bloke and giving him cash, thnx

The 430 shouldn't present any sound problems. My 240GT works great but I rarely use it. Yes it should support 7.1 because the True formats start at 7.1.
Most of the media ships with all 3 formats and several variations of those 3.

[Johnny87au]

The 430 shouldn't present any sound problems. My 240GT works great but I rarely use it. Yes it should support 7.1 because the True formats start at 7.1.
Most of the media ships with all 3 formats and several variations of those 3.

Cheers don, gonna get the gt430'at a later date when i actually stream 3d movies via hdmi and need the 1.4 hdmi.. So far everything looks good, got some g skill eco with some wd greens, gonna be green friendly :D

[Donnie27]

Cheers don, gonna get the gt430'at a later date when i actually stream 3d movies via hdmi and need the 1.4 hdmi.. So far everything looks good, got some g skill eco with some wd greens, gonna be green friendly :D

Nothing wrong with Greens for their intended use. 3 out of 6 computer in my home have WD Green Drives. They are green, they run cooler and have always represent a very good deal IMHO! The funny thing is I was expecting the first one to be slower than it was. My Wife's computer has a 1TB model I bought by accident.

[Johnny87au]

Nothing wrong with Greens for their intended use. 3 out of 6 computer in my home have WD Green Drives. They are green, they run cooler and have always represent a very good deal IMHO! The funny thing is I was expecting the first one to be slower than it was. My Wife's computer has a 1TB model I bought by accident.

Now its just a matter of me getting 2TB of Blu-rays :up:

[Bobsama]

Last one built is a Celeron E3300, 2GB DDR2, HD5450, and a Foxconn R40-G4. I have a Blu-Ray reader for it but I've yet to install it. I'll get around to it. The case is tiny and actually pretty good. Turned down the fan settings in BIOS so it's relatively quiet.

[Donnie27]

Now its just a matter of me getting 2TB of Blu-rays :up:

I'm still using the discs. Can you do loss-less Blue Ray Video and Sound? Like with my Audio Stuff I use EAC since I buy my Discs and make LEGAL copies for personal use. The same goes for about 90% of my media.


Last one built is a Celeron E3300, 2GB DDR2, HD5450, and a Foxconn R40-G4. I have a Blu-Ray reader for it but I've yet to install it. I'll get around to it. The case is tiny and actually pretty good. Turned down the fan settings in BIOS so it's relatively quiet.

I hope they improved the drivers. I removed a 5450 from system after I was still getting ghosting when playing Blue Ray via my 4X Liteon BD. I blamed the drive but was told that was wrong, it's the card. I was told the problem would be corrected with later drivers. It is the reason I bought the 240 GT after waiting two months. Sure enough, no more Ghosting.

The other problem is that any scratches on the discs causes havoc with these drives and I've tried Liteon, Asus, LG and Sony/Opter-whatever. My LG Set Top will play these same discs that lock up the computer that's trying to play/read and can't!

[Johnny87au]

Donnie yeah losless audio and video is perfect made, Make suring its supported full DTS though with around 10,000 of bitrate.. , and 6000 for a 720p movie.. My old HTPC sounded perfect hooked up to my receiver , you just have to make sure though that your mobo supports dolby+dts.. i've made that error before and was struggling to find out what was causing the dam issue :D

[Donnie27]

Donnie yeah losless audio and video is perfect made, Make suring its supported full DTS though with around 10,000 of bitrate.. , and 6000 for a 720p movie.. My old HTPC sounded perfect hooked up to my receiver , you just have to make sure though that your mobo supports dolby+dts.. i've made that error before and was struggling to find out what was causing the dam issue :D

Perfect 1:1 copies are the only thing Blue Ray wise I'd save. Please note though, there aren't a lot of movies I'd like to have on my system so 1:1 doesn't bother me at all.

But there's catch the motherboard in my HTPC doesn't have HDMI. With all the things working against me like the Room Layout, Carpet, Objects in the Room, and etc.........At least one installer/expert I respect told me, though very good but not the best sounding, but how well it does sound considering all of the acoustical obstacles, he's amazed. He said he'd love to hear it in a different setting. My computer's audio output is strictly Analog mainly for stereo music. When I do fine a great sound track, I will play it in the LG BD player.

Yes, my Set Top LG 370 and Pioneer 819H does a great Job with both Master/DTS HD Audio formats. The receiver will Display the correct mode, no guessing. One catch, many of the Movies are Mid to Low-Fi and ain't damned thing can change that FACT. I just enjoyed the hell out of "Legend of The Guardian", yes it was predictable and hokie LOL!.