What are your plans for future HTPC builds?

[Donnie27]

My Keyboard, Mouse and Remote.



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

[Johnny87au]

aweosome donnie, my htpc gonna be hooked up to my new 63" 3dtv 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 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 I saw 3D on old CRT's back in 1999 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

[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

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

[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

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

[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

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!.