Guide to Building a HD HTPC [Text View] - Page 39

renethx

08-08-09, 12:38 PM

just fyi, looks like the link above was disabled already. I might try slipstreaming the nvidia file with my xp discs, but the clone drive application doesn't seem to be working for me. Its on my desktop, but doesn't seem to do anything once I select english. it just closes.
OK, I am confused. Which link? Direct link is here (http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/5021073/7600.16385.090713-1255_x86fre_client_en-us_Retail_Ultimate-GRMCU.5021073.TPB.torrent).

Do you have a real XP disc or an ISO image?

swharper

08-08-09, 12:42 PM

I'm a complete RAID newbie here but I've got my HMS up and running. I'm running the MA780G-UD3H with 2 Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 cards. I'd like to go with a RAID 5 setup which I believe given my hardware means I have to go with hardware RAID.

Is there somewhere I should be looking for advice on how to go about configuring my setup now that my system's up and running?

jbailey895

08-08-09, 12:49 PM

renethx

08-08-09, 12:49 PM

renethx

08-08-09, 12:57 PM

I have a real (old, XP pro discs 1 and 2) with the SP 2 disc. I'm still running into the loops on XP install saying no HDD's installed. BTW, the clonedrive just did its work, and I'm running the format on the USB directions to make the USB ISO. I still think its a tweak missing in the CMOS to ID the HDD, but I can't debug it. . .
Have you created an XP with SP3 (slipstreamed) CD and tried it? XP with SP2 (dated 2004) often causes problems with a newer mb.

You also need to slipstream the AHCI driver if you want to use the AHCI mode (although not important unlike nForce chipset unless you want 'hot-plug' capability).

Technique

08-08-09, 01:33 PM

renethx: Thanks for this thread... I just ordered the low end Intel/Nvidia recommended system you have except I ordered 4 gig of memory. The cost was maybe $20 more, lol... Also, I got the Antec Micro Fusion Remote 350 case, which btw, is only $130 at newegg... It arrives Monday, I can't wait!

jbailey895

08-08-09, 01:45 PM

renethx

08-08-09, 01:57 PM

hmm, tried the clone drive ISO to USB trick, one of the boot fonts didn't copy correctly, and it geta disk read error upon boot to USB. I copied the RC ISO to clone and USB, but apparently there was some error that now makes it unbootable.

To add confusion, now when I try to boot up from CD/DVD, after verifying DMI pool data, it says to hit any button to boot from cd, but it just hangs. arrgh. Even my dog is getting sick of my screams.

Since I have the OEM XP discs, should I try to slipstream SP3 onto the USB stick? I don't have any blank DVD's around, and its not reading the CD without the driver. I also downloaded the Nvidia driver referenced earlier, maybe I should just try to slipstream that into the XP disc, should I try the clone drive with XP and add the nvidia file?

Or should I just admit defeat and buy the Vista OS, would that avoid my AHCI issues?
I thought your mb was GA-MA74GM-S2. This is an AMD 740G chipset mb. So you have to use AMD drivers. But you don't have to use AHCI mode. If you use the IDE mode, you don't have to slipstream the AHCI driver to the XP disc.

Use nLite to slipstream SP3 and create an ISO. If you want to boot from USB flash memory, follow the article I cited (after you create the XP with SP3 ISO).

gmanhdtv

08-08-09, 02:04 PM

ESATA is faster, but either one is good for streaming video.

Thank you so much for the quick reply and ALL of the help you provide to the HTPC forum!:D:D:D

jbailey895

08-08-09, 02:42 PM

Is there a secret to copying the XP disc to ISO? It won't let me doing the normal cut and paste. . .

jbailey895

08-08-09, 04:39 PM

. . . must be me today. I slipstreamed SP3, copied the ISO to usb, and get:
verifying DMI pool data. . .
boot from CD/DVD :
Invalid partition table
This is after changing CMOS to boot from USB zip.

The gremliins inside this box are lobbying for me to pay someone to figure it out, I can tell. . . I'm reading the writing on the wall, its telling me to give up. . .

innocentfreak

08-08-09, 05:09 PM

Before I install Win 7 RTM, I am trying to make a final decision on how to go from here. I converted my test rig to a HTPC simply by adding 2 Avermedia Duets so I can do record on 4 tuners at once over clearqam when I switched to Fios. I now need to build a media server for Tivo backups, storing recordings, itunes library, etc.

My current HTPC which is in my bedroom at my desk is
E6750
Abit IP35 Pro
2x1gb DDR2 1066
Nvidia 7900gs
Corsair HX620
Soundblaster 2 Audigy ZS
2xAvermedia Duet PCIEx1
CM 690

I keep going back and forth whether to move most of that into a Norco case and upgrade the HTPC to something like the Q9550 with GA-EP45-UD3P or just leave the HTPC alone and buy new for the server. I will be streaming the content to my 360 in the living room mainly while it is recording 4 channels at the same time. I need to still rip my DVD collection so I will also use the HTPC to handle that and possible encoding of the .tivo files so they are compatible with 7MC and the 360. When needed I will also be running Play On/Tversity in the background for stuff like Hulu and any content 7mc can't stream.

jbailey895

08-08-09, 05:21 PM

I know, I'm the guy that won't go away. I noticed when doing an XP boot to CD Rom, it will recognize the USB stick as a storage drive for loading XP, but wont recognize the SATA HDD's.
If I load a portion of XP onto the HDD using another computer, would that assist the recognition of the HDD in the new build? I'm reformatting the HDD right now, and was wondering if I should try to load XP using the other computer, then putting it in, but I don't think it'll address the HDD recognition issue. . . .

AudioFreakca

08-08-09, 06:43 PM

Hey guys im new here but i have been following this thread for about 2 weeks now.Im just tring to get some advice on a HTPC setup it will be for alittle gaming,music,movies,downloading movies & surfing the web.

Here is what i have so far:

Thermaltake Black Aluminum DH103

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775

ASUS P5QC LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel

CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2

Creative 70SB088000004 7.1 Channels PCI Express 1x Interface PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium

AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet - PCTV Tuner

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB

Crucial Ballistix tracer 4gb ddr2

Evga 8800gt 512mb

Tuniq Tower 120 universal cpu cooler

So if someone could tell me if im in the right direction id appreciate it.

Thanks,Tim

Technique

08-08-09, 09:20 PM

Any recommendations on the best way to add bluetooth to a HTPC? (Not interested in external usb plug-in adapters... I have the low-end Intel/Nvidia system listed in recommended setup...

swharper

08-08-09, 09:29 PM

You can still go for software RAID 5. Windows Server, Openfiler etc. You have to back up your data somewhere else before creating a RAID array, of course.

Oh, excellent! Thank you. Now for the next SNAFU: When booting from the openfiler cd, it asks "What type of media contains the packages to be installed?"

My options are:
Local CDROM
Hard Drive
NFS image
FTP
HTTP

If I choose CDROM it gives me a list of drivers but none are for Supermicro or Marvell. Is this normal?

tsanga

08-08-09, 11:31 PM

Leaked RTM ISO is (kind of) available to the general public. :) You should be able to try it is as long as 120 days by "rearm" before you buy a valid license key. Lots of bugs were fixed in RTM. Stay away from RC.

renethx,

Are any of the bug fixes critical to someone using Win 7 for its media center or as a media player? The only difference I know of is the fix to the MS DTV decoder.

renethx

08-09-09, 01:07 AM

renethx,

Are any of the bug fixes critical to someone using Win 7 for its media center or as a media player? The only difference I know of is the fix to the MS DTV decoder.
Surely I can't say how many bugs are fixed. I noticed several annoying bugs fixed.

dbone1026

08-09-09, 07:47 AM

renethx

08-09-09, 08:01 AM

I don't know if it is a bug, but W7 RC would not play VC-1 files in ts/m2ts container without some serious tweaking (audio but no video). To get the VC-1 files to play you need to put them into mkv and then they play correctly. Haven't gotten my hands on the RTM to see if this has been fixed.
Maybe because of this (limited support of M2TS by MF) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16951614#post16951614)?

dbone1026

08-09-09, 08:18 AM

Maybe because of this (limited support of M2TS by MF) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16951614#post16951614)?

Ah, perfect timing. I had been discussing with Shark over one his codec site a few months back. I use Clown_BD for my Blu Rays/HD DVDs but once I see the movie is a VC-1 I move over to either MakeMKV/MKVMerge. So for WMP12/7MC the default WMVideo Decoder DMO is used for VC-1 regardless of whether it is wrapped in ts/m2ts or mkv (i.e. you lose DXVA no matter what container you use if VC-1)? I haven't loaded MPCVideo onto my W7 x64 RC HTPCs yet since I will probably just switch back to the x32 RTM when out to the public.

renethx

08-09-09, 08:34 AM

The point is that MF is used to play back M2TS in WMP/7MC and MF (perhaps the source components) does not support VC-1. This is obvious because Microsoft's intension of M2TS support is not BD, but AVCHD (the same container M2TS, but no VC-1 video [or DTS/HD audio either]).

grittree

08-09-09, 11:28 AM

jbailey, I think you might be misunderstanding what an ISO file is.

Think of it like a .zip or .rar file. You have to extract the individual files to your USB or other device. The result will look like this:

07/14/2009 05:26 AM 43 autorun.inf
07/14/2009 05:26 AM <DIR> boot
07/14/2009 05:26 AM 383,562 bootmgr
07/14/2009 05:26 AM <DIR> efi
07/14/2009 05:26 AM 111,880 setup.exe
07/14/2009 05:26 AM <DIR> sources
07/14/2009 05:26 AM <DIR> support
07/14/2009 05:26 AM <DIR> upgrade
4 File(s) 495,485 bytes

jbailey895

08-09-09, 12:54 PM

Thanx, I somehow had my miraculous breakthrough and got the CMOS settings correct and loaded XP last night. Even after loading the Gigabyte drivers, I'm still having audio, video and ethernet driver issues, but I'm working on them. Do most people download the newest bios from gigabyte, or? For some reason on my XP install, IE didn't copy, so now I'm trying to setup my network and install IE 8. Here's to trying. .

DJWikiera

08-09-09, 01:41 PM

innocentfreak

08-09-09, 01:57 PM

az42us

08-09-09, 02:37 PM

Yup, your system with HD 3650 should be able to handle these tasks well. If you are interested in BD playback with Athlon 64 3500+ and HD 3650 AGP, please read this article (http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2959&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=1).

Renethx.
I went and bought and installed a HIS Radeon 3650 HD, hooked it up to a TV via DVI.HDMI adapter. Also connected the Shuttle to surround receiver via optical out, but I can not get any sound. I checked what I could think of in BIOS and WinXP - no luck. Any ideas what I could try? Could this be related to the graphics drivers?

Thx -az

renethx

08-09-09, 08:48 PM

I have pretty much decided to go with the Norco 4220 and 2xAOC-SASLP-MV8. I am trying to figure out a good board for Intel though instead of AMD since I have both a E6600 or E6750 I can use. For the media server guide there only seems to be AMD build.Any suggestions?

I keep finding boards that don't have onboard video which I would obviously prefer so I don't have to also throw a low end video card in the server case.
If you are looking for a LGA775 mb supporting dual PCI Express x8 and onboard video, then Intel 3210 chipset mb are the only solution (check page 85). They are pricey (~$250). A cheaper solution is:

- Athlon II X2 240 2.8GHz, $60
- ECS A790GXM-A, $105
- Sell E6600, -$90
- Sell E6750, -$90
- Total: -$15 :)

Perhaps the performance of Athlon II X2 240 is equivalent to (or even better than) E6600/E6750.

renethx

08-09-09, 08:52 PM

Renethx.
I went and bought and installed a HIS Radeon 3650 HD, hooked it up to a TV via DVI.HDMI adapter. Also connected the Shuttle to surround receiver via optical out, but I can not get any sound. I checked what I could think of in BIOS and WinXP - no luck. Any ideas what I could try? Could this be related to the graphics drivers?

Thx -az
Check the default sound playback device in Windows' control panel. HD 3650 has a built-in HD audio controller and that may have taken over the onboard audio.

innocentfreak

08-09-09, 09:44 PM

If you are looking for a LGA775 mb supporting dual PCI Express x8 and onboard video, then Intel 3210 chipset mb are the only solution (check page 85). They are pricey (~$250). A cheaper solution is:

- Athlon II X2 240 2.8GHz, $60
- ECS A790GXM-A, $105
- Sell E6600, -$90
- Sell E6750, -$90
- Total: -$15 :)

Perhaps the performance of Athlon II X2 240 is equivalent to (or even better than) E6600/E6750.

Thanks the two CPUs are in current setups so I thought about moving one of them to the server and then upgrading the other PC. Yeah all I kept finding was the $200+ boards which came close. My knowledge of AMD was next to nothing so I appreciate the suggestions and will definitely look into them. I had tried some of the boards on page 85 for the server build but they were deactivated through Newegg so no longer an option there.

404Ender

08-09-09, 10:23 PM

What's a good micro-ATX case (preferably with a 300+W power supply) now that the Antec NSK1480 is discontinued (according to newegg anyway)? I'm just looking for something basic, I don't need an LCD screen or anything.

renethx

08-09-09, 10:33 PM

Buy it here (http://www.provantage.com/antec-nsk1480~7ANTG04W.htm).

bmcent1

08-10-09, 10:37 AM

So... I'm about to pull the trigger on this Gigabit motherboard -- GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

I could never get around the incompatibility (or just lack of support) for the Sapphire 4670 on my Asus P5AD2-E Premium motherboard. I tried upgrading BIOS, latest drivers from ATI, and waiting a bit to see if Win 7 came out with workaround support. None of those panned out, so I'll move forward with replacing the Mobo.

Quick question - Are there any changes on the horizon to the recommended systems on p85? I just fear purchasing this mobo todo and an updated guide coming out next week :)

okfireman

08-10-09, 10:53 AM

You only need a digital tuner (ATSC/clear QAM). Good dual digital tuners are: AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet, Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250, HDHomeRun.

Hey, I am getting rid of my Directv because I hardly watch it anymore and saving money is fun! Anyways, I am looking for a good TV tuner to record some over the air channels via Windows 7 MC. I might use a diffrent application like sagetv or something free but most likely MC. I wont have a ton of OTA channels but guess recording 2 channels at once would be nice just in case. Do any of the suggested Tv tuners really stand out from the others above or are they all fairly similar with some diffrent convient features added on. I like the price of the AverMedia and the fact that it has dual digital tuners at that low of a price. I like the fact that the Hauppauge comes with a remote but remotes are cheap so its probably not worth the extra if its not a much better tuner then the AverMedia. Also I have a ps3 and should be able to stream to my tv and thus not needing a remote right? or is using a ps3 to stream not very reliable? I like the fact that I could use the HDHomeRun to network my media to my laptop and into other rooms if I wanted to watch some regular tv in the bedroom but this could easily be fixed with a regular OTA Tv Tuner as I dont watch much tv besides the occasional Talk shows and the HDHomeRun is much more expensive. I dont mind paying extra as long as the extra money spent is well worth the price.

Any recomendations on which might be better?
Awesome work on the guide.

tsanga

08-10-09, 11:07 AM

I'm totally impressed with the flexibility of the HDHR - so I got one. :)

Oh yeah, it works great as promised.

JessicaD

08-10-09, 01:10 PM

jbailey895

08-10-09, 02:13 PM

Thanx Jessica, it was a CMOS/mobo glitch, but after loading XPSP3, I decided to do the Win 7RC ugrade, and everything works well, except HDHR, and playback of all my ripped DVD's. I heard its a reg edit issue, but haven't figured it out yet, I'll check the forum you suggested as well, thanx.

Ebes1099

08-10-09, 03:21 PM

Rene, can you recommend a good case for this setup? And what is a good blu-ray player? Thanks...

Mobo -ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7400
Video Card - SAPPHIRE 100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550 512MB 64-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Ready
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
RAM - A-DATA Vitesta 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVD1B16K
HDD -Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives (I might add another 1 TB HDD or put a bigger one in)
CPU Cooler -COOLER MASTER GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler

AudioFreakca

08-10-09, 03:33 PM

brimorga

08-10-09, 04:29 PM

Looking to build a mini ATX system for HTPC somewhere between the low end and mid range system recommended by Rene to watch netflix, hulu, DVD's on my 50" TV and stream mp3 to my receiver.

Ideally I would like to be able to get something that does not need it's own discrete graphics card but can do 7.1 over HDMI along with video. (1 cable solution)

I understand today I can do this with the Intel solution but the mobo is pretty expensive and I'm looking to do this even cheaper.

I don't need this ASAP, so with the 785G not being a solution is there anything else on the horizon worth waiting for? Potentially this saves 10%-20% on the mobo video card solution.

In general, what solution is the "favorite" for cost vs performance, Intel/Intel, Intel/NVIDIA, AMD/AMD or AMD/NVIDIA?

All of these builds seem to suit my needs except for a few mid range combos that require 2 cords.

Marc_G

08-10-09, 09:45 PM

tlguapo

08-10-09, 10:12 PM

I've been trolling around in this thread for a while now and every time I get close to making a decision I change my mind. :-) Seems like a common theme.

I'd like to get this HTPC off the ground soon and I like the new AM3 cpu's from AMD. Either the 550 phenom 2 or the 240-250 athlon 2. They seem to run pretty cool and the mobo's are rather inexpensive.

Since the 785 chipset seems like a let down with the audio portion, I was questioning what the difference between that and a 780 board would be if you planned on using a discreet video card... and for that matter, why couldn't you use the 740g with the discreet gpu? Seems like a cheaper option. Do you loose something with the older board that the gpu wouldn't give you anyways?

renethx

08-10-09, 10:35 PM

renethx

08-10-09, 10:55 PM

renethx

08-10-09, 11:11 PM

Can someone give me alittle advice as if i should go ahead with this.Thanks
DH103 is unnecessarily huge IMO. Look at Antec Fusion Remote Max instead. But the case selection depends on each user's taste...

ASUS P5QC is somewhat wasting memory space. You'd better go with either a DDR2 mb or a DDR3 mb. IMO DDR2 is enough (cheaper and fast enough for HTPC use).

What's your audio requirement? Using a HDMI receiver, or a powered speaker (analog only or supports S/PDIF?)?

renethx

08-10-09, 11:14 PM

renethx

08-10-09, 11:21 PM

AudioFreakca

08-10-09, 11:34 PM

DH103 is unnecessarily huge IMO. Look at Antec Fusion Remote Max instead. But the case selection depends on each user's taste...

ASUS P5QC is somewhat wasting memory space. You'd better go with either a DDR2 mb or a DDR3 mb. IMO DDR2 is enough (cheaper and fast enough for HTPC use).

What's your audio requirement? Using a HDMI receiver, or a powered speaker (analog only or supports S/PDIF?)?

Alright, yeah ill be using HDMI from a Harmon Kardon HK AVR247.

Also what mb would you recommend then.

renethx

08-10-09, 11:57 PM

Alright, yeah ill be using HDMI from a Harmon Kardon HK AVR247.

Also what mb would you recommend then.
Look at the ATX mid-range Intel/Intel system on page 85. You can use E8400. But stay away from GeForce card. Use Radeon HD 4770/4850/4870/4890 instead (having a HD audio controller supporting multichannel LPCM over HDMI). Ditch SB X-Fi.

Jedi6

08-11-09, 06:30 AM

Hi all,

I've been watching this thread for some months and I think it's a priceless source of info. Thanks to renethx and all the others for your valuable help.

I'm trying to build an HTPC from scratch, so I'd really appreciate any input. I will be using the HTPC for playback of both HD (BD/MKV, 1080p/1080i) and SD content, PVR, some encoding, rare or no gaming. It will be connected through an AVR (probably Onkyo SR876) to a 42" plasma TV and a fullHD LCD projector. Most media will be stored in a separate file server and communication will be through Gigabit LAN. Also I'd like the HTPC to be future-proof to some extent.
So here is the list:

1. Case
Antec Fusion Remote Max. I think it's a great case, with a very good thermal design.

2. CPU
Is AMD Athlon II X2 250 enough? What would be the benefits of an AMD PHENOM II X3 705e?
Both are 65W TDP so I think they should be equal in terms of cooling needs.

3. CPU Cooler
Should I keep the stock cooler or is it noisy? How would you compare the CoolerMaster Geminii S to Xigmatek HDT-S1283? Do they fit in the FRM case?

4. Motherboard
Is a 780G m/b enough or is it better to go for a 790GX? I have three choices here. All three feature Firewire and eSATA connections, which is desired.
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-UD2H, Asus M4A78-E, Asrock M3A790GXH/128M. Asrock is an 790GX,AM3 m/b which supports only DDR3. I'm rather confused on the m/b issue.

5. RAM(depending on the CPU and m/b choices above)
DDR2 or DDR3 and what speed? What should I look for regarding timings? What about total RAM size? Is 2 gigs enough or should I go for 4 gigs?
(I'm planning to install Windows 7)

6. Graphics card
Sapphire Radeon HD4670 512MB DDR3 ULTIMATE (passive cooling). But do I need it?

7. HDD
Is the WDC WD5000AADS a better choice than WD6400AAKS, considering my requirements above?

8. PSU
I've read the SPCR articles and I think Enermax EMD525AWT MODU82 is perfect.

9. Sound card
If I go for the HD4670, do I need something like Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 to have Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreams through HDMI?

I know it's a lot of questions but the more I read, the more confused I get. I hope I've got some things right. :)

Thanks in advance.

PS.
I'm a bit biased towards AMD/ATI (never had an Intel based PC in my life), but I don't mind at all going to Intel and/or Nvidia solutions if it's going to fit my needs better.

Postmoderndesign

08-11-09, 09:59 AM

Jbailey895,

There is alot of help at the Microsoft forums for booting from USB. Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 RC Support Forum located here http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/w7itpro/ . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check some of the threads there for further assistance.

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

I have loaded Windows 7 RC and have questions. I will try this site.

In fact, going from a Pentium with XP to this setup gives me a lot to learn.

As others have said this forum has been invaluable.

Case Antec Fusion Remote Max ATX
MB GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R 1
VGA HIS H467QSS1GP HD4670 1GB RT 1
PSU ENERMAX|EPR525AWT 525W RT 1
CPU INTEL|C2D E7400 2.8G 775 RT 1
MEM 2GX2|A-DATA ADQVE1B16K R 1
HD 640G|WD 7K 16M WD6400AAKS % 1
BLU BURN &HD ROM LG|GGW-H20L RT 1
CPU COOL|XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 R
HDHR TV Tuner
Logitech DiNovo Edge Keyboard
Lenovo 4422-HB6 monitor
Panasonic TH-58PZ700U Plasma
Yamaha HTR-6060 AVR
Windows 7RC

jbailey895

08-11-09, 06:23 PM

brimorga

08-11-09, 07:19 PM

H8nXTC

08-11-09, 07:33 PM

After reading your somewhat negative summary of the 740 boards, and realizing I bought a GA-MA74GM-S2 last week(with a AMD II 7750), is it worth it to return and get a 780 board, since I'm relying on onboard graphics and audio? the price is about $40 more, but if I get a better onboard graphics chip, and not have to get a vid card, its worth it. Thoughts?

I would return it and get the 785G board (note the sideport memory version can offer a 15% increase in 3D graphics if you're going to use it for more than just watching video, like games). There are other benefits with the SD710 to the 7750 CPU also.

H8nXTC

08-11-09, 07:37 PM

Hi Rene,

Is this the same mobo you recommend? I see slight variations on the model number from Tiger Direct vs the one you posted.

Tiger (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5024444&CatId=4297)

If so, this is a pretty smoking combo deal if you add all of the other promos going around for >$200 orders at Tiger direct.

I was confused because tiger direct says the model number is:
MA785GM-US2H
while you recommend:
GA-MA785GM-US2H

EDIT:
Nevermind, dumb question. I did some research on the Gigabyte site and it's the same thing. But now I want this one instead because it says it does Dolby Home theater:
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=3139
GA-MA78GPM-UD2H

Too bad they do not sell this one at tigerdirect.

Not sure if the GA on the front means anything other than Gigabyte.

Interesting, according to the Gigabyte site, the US2H version does not have Dolby Home Theater, the UD2H version does. Don't think anyone has caught the yet.
Keep an eye out for the Foxconn Cinema Deluxe motherboard also with DTS (Deluxe version has sideport memory and firewire) (II is the DDR3 version).
http://www.foxconnchannel.com/news/news_detail.aspx?ID=en-us0000240

Asus has one that looks interesting, M4A785-HTPC but I can't find much info on it except it has some special audio feature.

jbailey895

08-11-09, 08:04 PM

yep, and within a week since I bought it, prices have come way down too. That deal on Tigerdirect mentioned above is smoking. I prefer b&m for return purposes, but it may be worth rolling the dice. I may back down the processor too, since it may run hotter than I need. I put two additional case fans in my Dvine case, but they're pretty loud, and the box does get hot and has minimal ventilation in my console, so the slightly slower, yet cooler x240/x250 may be a bettercall. Thanx for the insight, H8n.

brimorga

08-11-09, 09:29 PM

Interesting, according to the Gigabyte site, the US2H version does not have Dolby Home Theater, the UD2H version does. Don't think anyone has caught the yet.
Keep an eye out for the Foxconn Cinema Deluxe motherboard also with DTS (Deluxe version has sideport memory and firewire) (II is the DDR3 version).
http://www.foxconnchannel.com/news/news_detail.aspx?ID=en-us0000240

Asus has one that looks interesting, M4A785-HTPC but I can't find much info on it except it has some special audio feature.

I wonder if that Foxconn board will be able to do 7.1 over HDMI as is? If so, it might be worth the wait.

Apparently they are shipping the Dolby theater version of the Gigabyte board right now from buy.com but I only found that as a link from Gigabyte, google shopping found nothing. (but I did not look too hard!!)

H8nXTC, I thought I found the deal I wanted, but now you are making me want to wait for these other solutions!! :D

I'd love to get something without having to buy a seperate graphics card, yet not have to go so cheap on a MOBO that I miss out on key features. I can afford it if I have to, but I really want it all at a bargain basement price!

If you didn't care about looks on a case, didn't need a seperate graphics card to get 7.1 over HDMI, and needed very little power to run your box, these mini HTPC solutions could be getting ultra cheap.

CPU $60
Mobo $80
1TB HD $65
Case & PSU $50 (still have not found the right one!)
Memory $32
Total: Sub $290 for a very versatile box, $315 or so included DVD.

(with the right combo deals and rebates, you might be able to do it for $250)

At that price, I could put 1 in each bedroom.

renethx

08-11-09, 10:38 PM

HDMI audio is tied to the chipset 785G. As HD 4200 (IGP in 785G) supports only stereo LPCM over HDMI, every 785G mb supports only stereo LPCM over onboard HDMI.

If you use HDMI audio (stereo LPCM, DD, DTS in case of 785G), Dolby Home Theater (including Dolby Digital Live) or DTS Connect is a useless feature as it is only supported by onboard audio (S/PDIF and analog).

gpounders

08-11-09, 11:39 PM

With Windows XP I was able to use catalyst software in theater mode (with different hardware) to display a video on my plasma screen in extended desktop mode on full screen with MPC playing in small box on the main LCD screen.

With Windows 7 and catalyst 9.7 software and using MPC it does not seem to work? Any clue? I'm using Gigabyte MB with 780 and Igpu HD 3200.

Other question, is MPC-HC addition versitle player until slysoft is available. Will it play the DD and DTS core channel from DTS-MA and DD HD over HDMI?
Thanks

renethx

08-12-09, 02:22 AM

rojkai

08-12-09, 03:48 AM

Anybody getting dropped audio from HDMI out on a 780g motherboard(specifically on the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-US2H)? I'm running Vista 32bit and experiencing dropped audio from time to time using catalyst v9.7? Any ideas?

gpounders

08-12-09, 09:59 AM

Video renderer must be VMR7 and Overlay Mixer.

MPC-HC is the best media player. But you need ffdshow to play Dolby TrueHD.

Does that mean I can't take advantage of DXVA GPU processing with Windows 7? What is the best place to learn more about how MPC -HC works or is configured?

renethx

08-12-09, 10:06 AM

Does that mean I can't take advantage of DXVA GPU processing with Windows 7?
You have to select EVR or EVR Custom Presenter if you want DXVA for H.264 and VC-1.

tiger8mush

08-12-09, 10:22 AM

dbone1026

08-12-09, 10:25 AM

I'm happy using DVDFab to rip movies, and MPC-HC to play movies. But what is everyone using to manage their movie collection? I'm looking for something low-key that will show a picture (clamshell?) of the movie, the aspect ratio perhaps, and will play when i double click the picture.

what are ya'll using?

thanks,
Rob
:)

MediaBrowser in Windows Media Center primarily, but also use SageTV and mess around with other programs lile MediaPortal, XBMC, etc... I don't think any of these are as lw key as what you are looking for though

jbailey895

08-12-09, 11:55 AM

Hey guys/gals:
Local B&M has a combo deal on Ath II x2 250 and GA-MA790GP-UD4H for 180 after rebate. how would you compare that to the Tiger combo deal mentioned above? Is there a benefit/detriment to doing the 790 over the 780? and 250 over 240? Its about $40 more, but is newer better, or worse?
TIA,
Joel

saxnix

08-12-09, 04:59 PM

what are ya'll using?

Open Media Library (OML). Keeps the feel of Media Center, but also has eye candy. The SQL version (4b) is just about to be released which is great if using more than one pc. You can check it out here (http://code.google.com/p/open-media-library/).

MomboX

08-13-09, 01:57 AM

Quick question I was looking at your initial post comparing things I have been out of the htpc loop for a while.

Is there a motherboard with hdmi out that handles both video and audio out of 1 cable? does it do 5.1/7.1?

Is there a micro atx one?

candre23

08-13-09, 02:52 AM

There are about half a dozen micro ATX boards that will do 7.1 audio over HDMI. Just look for anything with the AMD 785G (ATI 4200) chipset.

If 5.1 is good enough, you can also look for boards that use the Nvidia 9300 or 9400 integrated GPU. There's lots of them in the micro ATX form factor, and even one in mini-ITX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813500022).

MilM

08-13-09, 08:05 AM

I'm also a little bit confused about sound.
More specific about this part:

The most important criteria for choosing a video card for HTPC are:

Hardware assist for decoding HD contents (of all three formats MPEG-2, H.264, and VC-1)
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support
Picture quality
...
Unfortunately HDMI audio has not been realized yet in the PC world and we are still confined to S/PDIF. As a matter of facts, every HDMI video card simply passes S/PDIF signals from a sound card or onboard audio codec over the HDMI connector. Thus there is no real advantage of the current HDMI solution over the existing DVI + S/PDIF solution. Recent IGPs (ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 for Intel and AMD 690G) are no exception. Right now the only way to take the full-rate lossless multichannel sounds from the PC is use analog outputs.

I have bought a Pioneer 919 and a 5.1 speaker system.
If I have a blu-ray with TrueHD which is supported by my receiver, and I connect my GPU with a HDMI cable to the AV receiver, will the sound be Dolby True HD or not?

My GPU would be an ATI 4890.
Motherboard: not sure yet, but I guess the GigaByte GA-MA790XT-UD4P

If not, how do I connect cables to supply correct video and sound to my AV receiver? Can I use HDMI only for video (?) and then analog cables for sound. Will it then work?

renethx

08-13-09, 09:09 AM

I'm also a little bit confused about sound.
More specific about this part:

I have bought a Pioneer 919 and a 5.1 speaker system.
If I have a blu-ray with TrueHD which is supported by my receiver, and I connect my GPU with a HDMI cable to the AV receiver, will the sound be Dolby True HD or not?

My GPU would be an ATI 4890.
Motherboard: not sure yet, but I guess the GigaByte GA-MA790XT-UD4P

If not, how do I connect cables to supply correct video and sound to my AV receiver? Can I use HDMI only for video (?) and then analog cables for sound. Will it then work?
The information on page 1 is outdated.

HD 4xxx HDMI supports multichannel LPCM and DD/DTS bitstreaming, but does not support Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreaming.

If you want Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreaming, ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 is the only solution. (Connect a DVI or HDMI port from a graphics card to Xonar; video signals from the graphics card will be multiplexed with audio signals inside Xonar, then Xonar outputs HDMI video/audio signals.)

amitabh9

08-13-09, 10:03 AM

so, i finally pulled the triggered and bought a 4670, 1 gig, HIS video card.

Once i get it, i will installed and take pictures of my setup. :)

What software are you using, in terms of decoding video and audio?

okfireman

08-13-09, 10:13 AM

I am trying to decide between the AVerMedia HDDuet and the Hauppauge 2250. The 2250 is twice as much as the HD Duet and all though I have no problem spending the extra I dont wanna waste my money if the tuner is no better in the 2250.
I know that the hauppauge has a FM tuner and has more analog tuners, but I dont care about the FM tuner and don't have any use for the analog tuners since all my local channels are in HD and there are no OTA cable providers where I live currently.
I also know that the hauppauge comes with slightly better software but I plan to manage the tuners using Windows 7 MC so don't think the software makes much of a difference to me.
Are there any other benefits to the 2250 or is it just a much better tuner and worth the extra price you pay. If it is a better tuner then I will pay the premium because I want good clear channels and the extra stuff it provides, although not necessary, are still a slight benefit in case I do want to listen to the radio on my computer or ever move to a place that has analog channels.
Thanks

tsanga

08-13-09, 11:48 AM

H8nXTC

08-13-09, 11:49 AM

archibael

08-13-09, 11:52 AM

okfireman

08-13-09, 12:18 PM

If you have no interest in analog tuning, I highly recommend you look into the HDHomerun by Silicondust. It provides so much flexibility as far as allowing all computers on your network to use its two tuners and is compatible with most software applications and OS platforms. Plus those guys are always updating its firmware to make it better.

Well I dont have much interest in being able to network that stuff to my other computers which is why I decided against it. So unless the digital tuners are much better then I do see the point for my application.

MilM

08-13-09, 01:01 PM

If you want Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreaming, ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 is the only solution.

Ok thx.
I will wait with this :)

Then this is my final configuration:

Case: ANTEC Fusion Remote Max - (199 euro)
Motherboard: GigaByte GA-MA790XT-UD4P - (115 euro)
CPU: AMD Phenom II Quad 955BE 3.2Ghz 8MB socket AM3 - (175 euro)
RAM: 2 * Corsair 2Gb DDR3 1333Mhz PC3-10666 CL9 (2 * 33 euro = 66 euro)
HD: Samsung F3 HD103SJ 1 Terabyte 32mb 7200rpm SATAII (75 euro)
GPU: Sapphire ATI HD4890 Vapor X 2Gb DDR5 PCI-express (219 euro)
PSU: Corsair HX520 520W (86 euro)
TV Card: HAUPPAUGE WINTV-HVR-2200 MC PCI-Express, Dubbele TV-Tuner, Retail (125 euro)
Keyboard: LOGITECH diNovo Edge™ Azerty 967685-0123 (159 euro)

Anybody has some remarks on it?
I was looking for components with good price/quality

Main purpose: streaming HD content
But I will also use it for gaming on a Panasonic TX-P46G10

EDIT: maybe an explanation about the GPU. They told me that the Vapor model was quiet and cold. Because of relative small price difference with the 1GB version (at leats in my shops), I decided to go for the 2GB version.

st33l

08-13-09, 04:52 PM

Heian

08-13-09, 04:58 PM

Btw, this is my first HTPC build and I'm a newbie...I have completed my HTPC with the items below and have connected it to my Sony KP-57HW40 Via HD Component Cables. Initially, I had a picture and was able to configure Windows Media for the TV, watch a movie with the projector, and load Media files (via USB) from a Storage Unit. Later I tried to utilize it again and it refuses to provide a picture, I can hear the Media Center loading through the speakers and the VFD shows the DVD's Information but no picture. I've checked all cables (three times now), tried different combinations of turning on the devices and I believe it's a problem with the EDID readings. I've tried connecting a LCD Computer monitor to the configuration and it works, however if I disconnect the monitor and reboot I get the same thing again. I'd appreciate any assistance that you could provide, until I get my Hurricane Settlement resolved (from last year) I am not in a position to purchase a new set and I'd like to make this one work!!!

Configuration:

AMD Phenom II X4 920
CPU Cooler: Zalman 9500
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 32mb SATA HD
Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)
ASUS M3N78-EM AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 8300 HDMI Micro ATX
SAPPHIRE 100225L RADEON HD 3870 512MB GDDR3 PCI EXPRESS
LG GGC-H20L Super Multi Blue Blu-ray Disc & HD DVD-ROM Drive
AVerMedia AVerTV Combo PCIe
Windows 7 Ultimate Edition
PSU: FSP Group, FX700
Broadway Com Corp Black Aluminum / Thick Steel HTPC-HT1100 ATX Media Center (VFD and Remote included) IMon (SoundGraph)
Sony KP-57HW40 Television (Via HD Component Cables)
InFocus LP530 Projector (Via XVga)

PGA Golfer

08-13-09, 05:48 PM

Guys,

I have been reading all of the posts here and my head is spinning. There are so many options.

I need to build a pc that, in addition to home office applications and gaming, can connect to my Pioneer Elite 61" plasma via hdmi so I can view video off the internet like HULU and general web browsing.

I now use my PS3 for HD DVDs so do not need a BD player. I have also been using my PS3 for internet video and browsing but it does not do a very good job of either.

This system will reside in my office so a great looking small case is not necessary. I am looking in the $500-$600 dollar range.

If I could get a recommendation of which of the systems listed in this forum to start with and any other suggestion I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Thanks!!

H8nXTC

08-13-09, 07:56 PM

Guys,

I now use my PS3 for HD DVDs so do not need a BD player. I have also been using my PS3 for internet video and browsing but it does not do a very good job of either.

Wasn't aware PS3 could play HD-DVD's, thought that was only the Xbox 360. How and when did they do this?

Randy Mathis

08-13-09, 09:15 PM

renethx

08-13-09, 09:35 PM

I'm trying to figure out if I should go for a Dual core Intel like the 2.8ghz E6300 or if I should go with the Quad core AMD 2.0ghz 9350e. The price isn't too big of a difference. For things such as Hulu and other internet streaming, along with other HTPC use which would be better?
If you do video re-encoding, a quad-core is better (this chart (http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/amdphenomiix4965_081209165043/19683.png)). Otherwise either one is OK.

Randy Mathis

08-13-09, 09:35 PM

If you do video re-encoding, a quad-core is better (this chart (http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/amdphenomiix4965_081209165043/19683.png)). Otherwise either one is OK.

Thank you!

brimorga

08-13-09, 11:07 PM

DQL

08-14-09, 12:03 AM

I've been studying the charts on page 85 and reading a bit in the forum and am trying to determine the IGP I should use. I'd like to build an HTPC that can meet the following requirements
- Single cable video and audio over HDMI to my AVR (Yamaha RX-V3900) and from there to my Samsung LCD
- It will be used primarily for displaying a library of DVDs I have, but will also display Blueray and OTA video.
- Minimum power (so I'd like to do it with an IGP)

I would buy the AMD/nVidia solution, but I see it is not listed as providing the best SD playback. The AMD/AMD solutions seem to require a video card, and the most recent AMD IGPs (785, 790) supply only stereo sound.

Can someone explain (or point to a post that explains) the rationale behind the lower SD playback rating for the nVidia 9300? Perhaps I can rely on the Yamaha to do the upscaling? I don't have all the equipment yet, so can't actually test that.

Other requirements/wishes
- DVR capability (room for a tuner card PCIe-1x)
- 4 Tb harddrive space in a RAID5 configuration with room to grow (at least 6 SATA) to store the SD movies
- Support for a PCIe-1x CasaTunes audio system card
- Room for a PCIe-16 graphics card in case I upgrade
- Room for the PCI Xonar card in case I upgrade

Thanks for the excellent information, and the time it must take to present it and keep it up to date.

xgalaxy

08-14-09, 12:20 AM

Can someone explain (or point to a post that explains) the rationale behind the lower SD playback rating for the nVidia 9300?

I believe they get a lower rating because most/all IGP solutions aren't very good at post processing the video. HD usually doesn't require a lot of post processing because it is already provided in a high resolution format whereas SD video will have various artifacts due to compression, etc. that post processing can help eliminate.

The 785G may provide better post processing because it is based on the 4200. But it is still, compared to a discrete card, underpowered. If you mostly watch HD content, or don't care about the SD artifacts, then an IGP like the 9300/9400 will be more than enough.

st33l

08-14-09, 12:33 AM

Just finished my first build and I am having a trouble getting it to boot to the first screen. So far when I turn on the computer everything starts to run except for the CPU fan which just twitches every couple seconds but never starts spinning (I have a Gigabyte board and I heard that this is normal). I then turn off the computer after 15 seconds or so because I don't want the CPU to overheat. It seems the the graphics card (which is onboard, I have the GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H). I have the computer plugged into an old Dell monitor through VGA. Do you guys have any idea why this would be?

I was looking at the motherboard again and noticed that in the power block below the CPU has 8 holes but the power suppley only gives a cord for 4 pins. Do you guys think I may need a 4 to 8 pin adapter? At this point I am really clueless as to how I can get this build to start.

rotelmania

08-14-09, 01:03 AM

I have just finish building a premium HTPC using 6 gb memory. Then I read that in order to use all 6gb, I need to use a 64 bit operating system. Is that true?

olwe

08-14-09, 01:25 AM

Jedi6

08-14-09, 05:39 AM

If you do video re-encoding, a quad-core is better (this chart). Otherwise either one is OK.

Where would you position an Athlon II X2 250 in the above chart?

PGA Golfer

08-14-09, 07:05 AM

Wasn't aware PS3 could play HD-DVD's, thought that was only the Xbox 360. How and when did they do this?

Sorry, I meant BluRay. It does a good job playing BluRay DVD's.

It does not do a good job with web streaming video. Limited memory causes the system to lock up regularly.

Svante

08-14-09, 09:05 AM

I have just finish building a premium HTPC using 6 gb memory. Then I read that in order to use all 6gb, I need to use a 64 bit operating system. Is that true?

yes

jbailey895

08-14-09, 01:44 PM

FWIW, I finished my new build on an Athlon II X2 250 with a 790 board. Quick, fast, silent, low wattage. Haven't put it through diagnostics yet, but so far, me likey.

bmcent1

08-14-09, 03:58 PM

Hi All -
Boy, this build is giving me trouble! I was the one who could never get the ASUS P5AD2-E Premium motherboard to work with the Sapphire Radeon 4670 under either version of Win 7 (code 12 errors, despite disabling everything possible on the mobo.)

I bit the bullet and upgraded to a Ggiabit EP45-UD3P motherboard. Now the system is a little unstable with blue screens in Win 7. I can run Prime95 torture tests for a couple minutes, then they fail. The torture tests fail much faster when I target heavy RAM use compared to heavy CPU use.

I'm running a P4 3.2 GHz processor and DDR2 533 memory that's several years old... I'd like to try upgrading the RAM, but I'd still like to hold off buying a CPU for a while longer.

Is it possible to run something like the A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $30 with a 533 MHz FSB?

Eopian

08-14-09, 04:40 PM

Before you buy anything else try bumping the voltage up a bit. How is your PSU? Is it a good one?

The problems you are having reminds me of the computer that I built in college. I finally figured out that bumping up the voltage a bit would cause the problems to go away.

Eddie2u

08-15-09, 01:16 AM

I was looking at the motherboard again and noticed that in the power block below the CPU has 8 holes but the power suppley only gives a cord for 4 pins. Do you guys think I may need a 4 to 8 pin adapter? At this point I am really clueless as to how I can get this build to start.

http://www.gigabyte.us/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=3143&ProductName=GA-MA785GM-US2H

1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector< ---main board power
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector<-----CPU power

A 4 Pin to 8 Pin Computer Adapter Converter Power Cable may work but what kind of power supply do you have? How many watts?

renethx

08-15-09, 07:33 AM

renethx

08-15-09, 07:40 AM

I bit the bullet and upgraded to a Ggiabit EP45-UD3P motherboard. Now the system is a little unstable with blue screens in Win 7. I can run Prime95 torture tests for a couple minutes, then they fail. The torture tests fail much faster when I target heavy RAM use compared to heavy CPU use.

I'm running a P4 3.2 GHz processor and DDR2 533 memory that's several years old... I'd like to try upgrading the RAM, but I'd still like to hold off buying a CPU for a while longer.

Is it possible to run something like the A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $30 with a 533 MHz FSB?
Test your memory modules by running Memtest86 (http://www.memtest86.com/) (a single pass consisting of eight individual tests is enough to detect errors).

DDR2-800 can run at any frequency equal to or lower than 800MHz.

renethx

08-15-09, 07:54 AM

I was looking at the motherboard again and noticed that in the power block below the CPU has 8 holes but the power suppley only gives a cord for 4 pins. Do you guys think I may need a 4 to 8 pin adapter? At this point I am really clueless as to how I can get this build to start.
Just use the lower 4 pins of the ATX_12V_2X4 connector with the upper 4 pins unfilled. There is no need of a new PSU with a 8-pin 12V connector or a 4-pin to 8-pin adapter.

foghorn2

08-15-09, 08:38 AM

Just use the lower 4 pins of the ATX_12V_2X4 connector with the upper 4 pins unfilled. There is no need of a new PSU with a 8-pin 12V connector or a 4-pin to 8-pin adapter.

Yep, the industry making up new connectors again needlessly to create obsolescence. It will never end. Preety soon there will be a new video card interface too.

Eddie2u

08-15-09, 10:42 AM

Just use the lower 4 pins of the ATX_12V_2X4 connector with the upper 4 pins unfilled. There is no need of a new PSU with a 8-pin 12V connector or a 4-pin to 8-pin adapter.

That sucks! I just ordered another Power supply for my HTPC build when I had a older 550 Power supply with 4 pins in the basement.

renethx

08-15-09, 11:02 AM

That sucks! I just ordered another Power supply for my HTPC build when I had a older 550 Power supply with 4 pins in the basement.
From the manual:

The power connectors are compatible with power supplies with 2x2 12V and 2x10 power connectors. When using a power supply providing a 2x4 12V and a 2x12 power connector, remove the protective covers from the 12V power connector and the main power connector on the motherboard. Do not insert the power supply cables into pins under the protective covers when using a power supply providing a 2x2 12V and a 2x10 power connector.

(Actually I don't see a 'protective cover' in my retail box, that could cause lots of confusion among users.)

tiger8mush

08-15-09, 01:49 PM

Hi guys, I've been enjoying my HTPC and have had success playing DVDs via Media Player Classic - HomeCinema. However, I popped in a Blu-ray disc and MPC-HC isn't recognizing it and won't play it. Its "Cars" and the format appears to be .m2ts files. Is there something I have to do to get MPC-HC to play blu-ray?

FYI, I'm running Windows XP Professional and have very little other software loaded (just DVDFab and Xplor). I enjoy the small footprint of MPC-HC and would like to get that working instead of installing the Cyberlink software that came with the BD Player.

Thanks for any info.
Rob
:)

mayest

08-15-09, 03:20 PM

I've recently rebuilt a PC for use as an HTPC. So far, so good. The only problem is that I bought a Sapphire 4670 that is fan-cooled and it is quite loud. The fan is supposedly running at a low speed, but it is still loud. So, I'm thinking of replacing it with a passively-cooled HIS 4670.

Here is what I have now:

SAPPHIRE 100255HDMI Radeon HD 4670 512MB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102820)

and here is what I'm looking at as a replacement:

HIS H467PS1GH Radeon HD 4670 iSilence4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161288)

The HIS card has no reviews yet on Newegg, but there is another model without built-in HDMI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161272) that seems to get good reviews.

Any comments on how well this card will work? I'm concerned about temps, but I have pretty good cooling and a case fan would blow directly across this card. Or, are there any other suggestions?

Thanks!

anoobie

08-15-09, 05:33 PM

xgalaxy

08-15-09, 06:19 PM

renethx,

Since ati 785 chipset can't do 7.1 lpcm over hdmi, what is your reason for recommending it over nvidia 8200 for AMD builds? Is there something that ati 785 can do better than nvidia 8200 or 8300? Just curious.

I can't speak for him but so far I've only seen him recommend it in addition to a discrete graphics card for the 7.1 lpcm.

utonian

08-15-09, 07:52 PM

After reading through this thread I think I’m close to a possible build, mainly for web browsing, video encoding, downloading, while also watching video including blu-ray. The full wish list: Dolby digital output, blu ray, full 1080p output capability, built-in IR (if possible), linux capability, 5.1 audio output, storage is in an external unraid. At this point, if I’m getting all this mostly right, I think I’m down to just a few variables to sort out. A paypal donation has been sent … I’ve learned a lot from this thread and it’s much appreciated. Here’s where I am (sorry I can't post the live links without more posts):

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128357

Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650 Low Profile Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102829

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115055

Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116037

Optical: LG Black 6X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 6X BD-ROM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136137

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136283

Case: Antec Black M FusionRemote 350 Micro ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129046
(or if that’s too tight on size: Antec Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054 )

A few stumpers that I’d appreciate some advice on:

1. Is that build ok?

2. I've been thinking that a cheap mobo like the Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L + a separate gpu (like the sapphire 4650) might be the way to go. Or would it be better to get a mobo with a quality video out like the GA-E7AUM-DS2H? I'm a little worried about the 4 GB memory limit for the GA-G31M-ES2L

3. Is this quad core cpu overkill? I chose it because I've heard that multi-core support might be taking off with the launch of Win7. Or maybe I should consider an i7 processor instead? I know there are additional heat issues to consider with i7 and I need a build that fits in an matx case.

renethx

08-15-09, 08:18 PM

renethx

08-15-09, 08:22 PM

Any comments on how well this card will work? I'm concerned about temps, but I have pretty good cooling and a case fan would blow directly across this card. Or, are there any other suggestions?
The performance is as good as the other HD 4670 cards.

renethx

08-15-09, 08:28 PM

renethx,

Since ati 785 chipset can't do 7.1 lpcm over hdmi, what is your reason for recommending it over nvidia 8200 for AMD builds? Is there something that ati 785 can do better than nvidia 8200 or 8300? Just curious.
For S/PDIF or analog sound users, Athlon II X2 240 + AMD 785G with integrated graphics HD 4200 is the best low-end solution.

For HDMI AVR users, I recommend AMD 785G + HD 4550.

8200/8300 is good, but graphics (post-processing) is a bit weaker than HD 4200/HD 4550.

renethx

08-15-09, 09:01 PM

A few stumpers that I’d appreciate some advice on:

1. Is that build ok?

2. I've been thinking that a cheap mobo like the Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L + a separate gpu (like the sapphire 4650) might be the way to go. Or would it be better to get a mobo with a quality video out like the GA-E7AUM-DS2H? I'm a little worried about the 4 GB memory limit for the GA-G31M-ES2L

3. Is this quad core cpu overkill? I chose it because I've heard that multi-core support might be taking off with the launch of Win7. Or maybe I should consider an i7 processor instead? I know there are additional heat issues to consider with i7 and I need a build that fits in an matx case.
Here are comments on your selection.

- MB: Should be good. "Dolby digital output": if you mean an optical or coaxial S/PDIF out, then the mb lacks it. You can still build your own coaxial S/PDIF bracket (or buy it), though.

- Graphics: Sapphire HD 4650 is not as good as expected from its GPU because of crappy memory. You can save $10 by going with HD 4550 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819) (the same video playback performance, completely silent).

- A quad-core is a must for quicker video re-encoding. Here is a comparison chart in x264 video encoding (720p MPEG-2 to H.264):

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=150199&stc=1&d=1250384301

Core i7 is much better, but consumes more power at load (by 30W than Q8200). But idle power is more or less the same. An AMD solution is also good:

Phenom II X2 550, with the blocked cores unlocked, that turns it into Phenom II X4 B50 3.1GHz processor, ~18 fps in x264 Benchmark. (But there is no 100% guarantee of success in unlocking the blocked cores.)
GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-US2H
DDR2-800 2 x 2GB
IGP is enough (as good as HD 4550) if you use S/PDIF or analog audio.
- LG BD burner: If you don't burn BD-R, then LG CH08LS10 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136162) is enough.

- Low-profile vs full-height: If you choose a full-height case, you can use a better graphics card such as Radeon HD 4670. More CPU coolers are available for a full-height case. A recommended CPU cooler for a quad-core is

Low-profile: Scythe BIG Shuriken
Full-height: Cooler Master Geminii S

dbone1026

08-15-09, 09:04 PM

@ Renethx,

With the Chenbro SR109 you had mentioned that there was no room for an internal rom drive unless I wanted to use up one of the HDD bays. However, if you look at the first picture you will see what appears to be a space for a slim dvd rom drive right below the top 3 5.25' bays. If I remove the cover to this (second pic) there appears to just be a bracket blocking this that I should be able to unscrew. Does this seem reasonable, I see no reference to what this slot is for in the SR109 manual? I haven't received the HDD cages yet so I don't know if they would interfere with a slim dvd drive

xgalaxy

08-15-09, 11:19 PM

- Graphics: Sapphire HD 4650 is not as good as expected from its GPU because of crappy memory. You can save $10 by going with HD 4550 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819) (the same video playback performance, completely silent).

I remember reading that the 4670 was better (than 4550/4650) for interlaced content due to driver issues? Has that been completely fixed yet or are there still issues?

renethx

08-15-09, 11:36 PM

I remember reading that the 4670 was better (than 4550/4650) for interlaced content due to driver issues? Has that been completely fixed yet or are there still issues?
HD 4650 had been totally a deadwood, but came to alive with Catalyst 9.6 (read this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16657890#post16657890)). HD 4550's issue was also fixed with 9.6 (this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16657873#post16657873)). Basically

HD 4650 = HD 4550 = HD 4200 (IGP)

in video playback. HD 4670 is overall better.

renethx

08-16-09, 03:46 AM

One more thing, the power supply that comes with the Antec NSK2480 doesn't have an 8 pin PCI Express power cable, which the MA785GM needs. I tried booting without connecting it and the board won't post, even though I'm not using a video card, only the onboard video.

By any chance isn't your EA380 defective? Does it work with other mb/CPU fine? Possible scenarios are:

1. Your EA380 is defective.
2. EA380 has a compatibility issue with GA-MA785GM-US2H.
3. GA-MA785GM-US2H actually needs 8-pin ATX 12V contrary to the specs.

Case 1 and 2 are equally possible. But case 3 is extremely unlikely. Even every high-end desktop mb I am aware of works fine with a 4-pin ATX 12V.
OK I tested GA-MA785GM-US2H + Antec EA380 that came with my NSK2480 (having only a 4-pin 12V connector) + a couple of AMD processors up to 125W. The system ran just fine. So definitely case 1 (your EA380 is defective) is your case.

grittree

08-16-09, 08:26 AM

tiger8mush

08-16-09, 09:08 AM

Did you install AnyDVD HD?

No, I didn't install AnyDVD HD cuz I'm trying to see whats available for free. Do you think xpcodecpack (http://www.xpcodecpack.com/) would work with MPC-HC so I can play blu-ray?

Thanks again,
Rob
:)

dbone1026

08-16-09, 09:10 AM

No, I didn't install AnyDVD HD cuz I'm trying to see whats available for free. Do you think xpcodecpack (http://www.xpcodecpack.com/) would work with MPC-HC so I can play blu-ray?

Thanks again,
Rob
:)

That is just a codec pack. You need software which will decrypt a Blu Ray movie, which is why you need AnyDVD HD.

dbone1026

08-16-09, 09:11 AM

Eopian

08-16-09, 10:37 AM

mayest

08-16-09, 03:25 PM

The performance is as good as the other HD 4670 cards.

Thanks, that's what I expected/

The red/black wires that plug into the card at the top is the fan power. Cut one of the wires and solder in a 47 ohm resistor. The noise will almost disappear and the GPU temp under load will only be one degree higher.

Well, that sounds like it is above my pay grade. I've never soldered electronics, so I think I'll skip that mod.

I had purchases the ASUS 4670 which was too loud. I removed the cooler and replaced with the ZALMAN VF900 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118001) and it is now whisper quiet.

If you are happy with the performance of your current card, why not add the VNF100 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118029&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-VGA+Cooling-_-Zalman+Tech+Co.++Ltd-_-35118029) from the new card to your current card?

Swapping coolers sounds like a great idea, but if I go with the HIS card it has that VNF Cooler already. I think that's what I'll do, and then see if NewEgg will take the Sapphire back. The net cost will be pretty much the same.

Thanks folks!

tiger8mush

08-16-09, 03:48 PM

That is just a codec pack. You need software which will decrypt a Blu Ray movie, which is why you need AnyDVD HD.

Thanks for the reply!

Well, it looks like AnyDVD HD is $113 from slysoft. I think I'd rather just install the software that came with my LG Blu-ray player for that price. Nothing else lightweight that will decrypt blu-ray for cheaper? Cuz I have this feeling when I install the Cyberlink stuff, other stuff (some kinda overhead) will come with it. ugh.

Thanks again guys,
Rob
:)

PGA Golfer

08-16-09, 07:44 PM

Guys,

I am building a HTPC for HD video and web browsing on my Pioneer Elite. I really like doing my internet work on my couch.

I have been using my PS3 for internet browsing but it does a poor job on this and internet video.

One thing that the PS3 has is an easy way to enlarge the web page if the content is too small to see comfortably. Otherwise their browser is clunky.

How has web browsing been working? What wireless device are you using? Any special consideration in the area of hardware or software?

Thanks!!

dbone1026

08-16-09, 08:05 PM

So far my Media Server build hasn't faired too well. Looks like I got a DOA hard disk drive, so that is being sent back to NewEgg. I have a spare older HDD that I can use temporarily just to test out the system.

The big issue right now is with the Chenbro SR109 case. When I first turn on I get an alarm sounding (think smoke alarm sounding) and a message on the Chenbro LCD screen. It says TMP, shows the numbers 1, 2, and 3, and an exclamation next to #2. I assume TMP stands for temperature and I think there are 3 zones for temperature readings, so there is some sort of failure at zone #2. I assume there must be a sensor failure as there should be zero heat issues right now (I only have the O/S drive, no other drives and case cover is even off). To make matters worse in response to this temperature failure all 5 fans go at full blast, possibly warp 2. I have no idea how to troubleshoot this issue as there is very little documentation. I have sent an email to Chenbro customer support so hope I hear from them by tomorrow.

Marc_G

08-16-09, 10:35 PM

Thanks for the reply!

Well, it looks like AnyDVD HD is $113 from slysoft. I think I'd rather just install the software that came with my LG Blu-ray player for that price. Nothing else lightweight that will decrypt blu-ray for cheaper? Cuz I have this feeling when I install the Cyberlink stuff, other stuff (some kinda overhead) will come with it. ugh.

Thanks again guys,
Rob
:)

That is just a codec pack. You need software which will decrypt a Blu Ray movie, which is why you need AnyDVD HD.

Hi guys,

Currently, to play a BluRay disc you need a bluray player software, and I believe there are only two of them on the market. PowerDVD (I use 7.3 Ultra when I have to), and Arcsoft TotalMediaTheater (TMT). PowerDVD came with my LG drive, and it "works" in that I can watch movies with it. Of course, it is prone to audio sync issues when I pause/resume (better not take a P break!) and does funky things to the color settings, and generally annoys me. Don't get me going about bloatware that came with it.

AnyDVDHD decrypts the discs so that the video / audio files are accessible for copying, ripping to Hard Disc, etc.. It doesn't open up the disc to playing by MPC-HC (unless I've missed a memo). The makers of AnyDVDHD are reportedly making a player, but it's not due out for a while.

So what I always do now is rip the movie (or episodes) to MKV format and then play them in Media Browswer. I use a free (for now) software called MakeMKV. IT works a treat most of the time. It assumes you have AnyDVDHD running in the background.

I like free solutions too, but right now BluRay decryption/backup/playing is somewhat hard with free tools, and popping for AnyDVDHD was well worth it for me.

Marc

renethx

08-17-09, 12:51 AM

When I first turn on I get an alarm sounding (think smoke alarm sounding) and a message on the Chenbro LCD screen. It says TMP, shows the numbers 1, 2, and 3, and an exclamation next to #2. I assume TMP stands for temperature and I think there are 3 zones for temperature readings, so there is some sort of failure at zone #2. I assume there must be a sensor failure as there should be zero heat issues right now (I only have the O/S drive, no other drives and case cover is even off). To make matters worse in response to this temperature failure all 5 fans go at full blast, possibly warp 2. I have no idea how to troubleshoot this issue as there is very little documentation. I have sent an email to Chenbro customer support so hope I hear from them by tomorrow.
Yup, definitely an issue of sensor 2 (and the fans run at full speeds perhaps because of this). There is a switch between overheating alert temperartures 55°C and 65°C. You could try this while you contact the customer support.

bmcent1

08-17-09, 09:52 AM

Wow, thanks for the suggestion. It worked like a charm!

I'd already tried 1.82v and 1.84v for my 1.80v memory and I was about to give up. But I saw your post and figured I'd give it another try.

I upped the voltage to the DIMMs to 1.88v and my new build successfully made 2 passes through Memtest86.

Next, I ran it through the Prime95 torture test (Blend, tests maximum RAM) and it made it though 8 hours of testing, so I called it stable at that point. Prior to upping the voltage, it would fail after seconds or 1-2 minutes on the blend test.

Saturday, I watched Wall-E streamed from Netflix on my 10' theater screen thanks to this HTPC ... beginning to end with no issues. Sweet! :)

Before you buy anything else try bumping the voltage up a bit. How is your PSU? Is it a good one?

The problems you are having reminds me of the computer that I built in college. I finally figured out that bumping up the voltage a bit would cause the problems to go away.

bmcent1

08-17-09, 10:09 AM

Hi All -
I keep reading this thread from time to time for the excellent hints and tips and also to keep up with whats going on. I just wanted to chime in with two observations...

1) Get a fanless video card! :-) I'm loving the Sapphire 4670 with no fan. I recall these cards can run really hot with no damage to the chips. So far, mine hasn't even run that hot anyway. In the past, I had video card fans go bad on me 2 years into the system running and take out the card. I prefer a card designed without a fan now to avoid that surprise. I also used to be annoyed by the video card fans because they seemed so small they had to run at high RPMs and where the loudest source of whining coming from the computer. Maybe this has improved since then, and you might need a card with a fan for hard core gaming, but if you can use a fanless card, I highly recommend it.

2) For Blu-Ray ... get a standalone player. ;-)

Really, not trying to start a flame war, and eventually I really hope to watch a lot of Blu-Ray on my HTPC. But with the software issues, and transcoding regime, etc. I've found my blood pressure has stayed in a much healthier range having a working standalone player for the times my HTPC wasn't ready for easy and reliable playback. I picked up a Panasonic DB60 for under $200 and couldn't be happier with it. The HTPC does all kinds of things it doesn't, but to get through times when I'm still tweaking the HTPC, it's a nice option.

utonian

08-17-09, 12:03 PM

Thanks for the great suggestions. That AMD build is mighty tempting but would stretch my skills too far for my own good. I’ll swap to quad (and try to skimp on the mobo instead) and to your recommended optical drive and vidcard. It also looks like the advantages of a full matx box outweigh the modest inconveniences it will take to create the adequate space for it. With that in mind, here’s a revised build:

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EG41M-US2H LGA 775 Intel G41 HDMI Micro ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128393

Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 8200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115055

Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116037

Optical: LG Black CH08LS10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136162

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136283

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Gemini S
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046

Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054

A few more follow up questions:

1. How does that look?

2. Is the cooler on the CPU enough or do I still need an aftermarket replacement? (I won’t be overclocking.)

3. Since this build isn’t for gaming, is the HD 4550 good enough or are there other advantages to the HD 4670?

4. On the case, I now have up to 6” now to work with. Any new cases out there to consider that have integrated IR?

osuyoralph

08-17-09, 02:42 PM

I have been using Dell E510 (P4 Prescott 650 3.4GHz) for HTPC since 2006, but unfortunately it's dead last week. I tried to fix it with changing power supply, mobo battery, memory but failed to find the problem.

So, I decided to build new HTPC to connect to Pioneer PDP5080HD via DVI-HDMI connection. I ordered the followings with ~$350:

CPU: AMD Phenom X3 Toliman 8650 2.3GHz 95W AM2+
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H, AMD 785G chipset
RAM: G.Skill F2-8500C5D-4GBPK 4GB(2*2GB) 240pin DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
HDD: Samsung HD103UJ 1TB SATA2 7200rpm
CASE: Antec NSK2480 (380W powersupply included)

I will use video card with IGP ATI 4200 and the Philips DVD+RW/CD burner from Dell 510.

My questions are as the followings:
1. Is stock cpu cooler is enough for playing mkv and surfing use? Or do I have to purchase commercial cooler?
2. MOBO support 1.8V RAM, but G.Skiill ram is 2.0~2.1V. Can I manage this system with good stability?
3. I have used Windows XP 32bit, but I want to use Windows Vista or 7 64 bit for this HTPC since I now have 4GB RAM with 64bit CPU. Which OS will be better for HTPC use?
4. I have HDMI-DVI connector. Can I deliver video and sound together with this connector from my HTPC setup?

Thank you.

dbone1026

08-17-09, 03:03 PM

JDHuskey

08-17-09, 03:39 PM

Couple of quick questions, from the spreadsheet it looks like the htpcs have more trouble playing SDDVD than HD? Why is that, seems the opposite of what would be expected, I'm guessing it's because of the upconversion to 1080p? What part of the computer is responsible for that part and how are HTPCs at upconverting compared to the decent upconverting blu ray players.

I'm finally making the leap to HD, so gonna have to ditch ye olde xbox for the htpc, and gonna have to figure out something for storage. The new tv, htpc, blu ray player and stuff are eating into my funds big time so I was thinking I could use my gaming PC as storage for the HD media until my funds recuperate a bit. What are the downsides to that? I have room for 5 or 6 more drives, so i figure I can use that for now, then build a media server later on down the line. I just sold all my old computer parts a couple months ago, wish I had held onto them, could have build a new htpc out of them with a couple new parts and maybe had a headstart on a media server.

renethx

08-17-09, 08:42 PM

A few more follow up questions:

1. How does that look?

2. Is the cooler on the CPU enough or do I still need an aftermarket replacement? (I won’t be overclocking.)

3. Since this build isn’t for gaming, is the HD 4550 good enough or are there other advantages to the HD 4670?

4. On the case, I now have up to 6” now to work with. Any new cases out there to consider that have integrated IR?
1. Good.
2. I still recommend Cooler Master Geminii S for better cooling/quietness.
3. HD 4670 is better in HD deinterlacing (HD 4550: motion adaptive, HD 4670: vector adaptive; check this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16919394#post16919394)). HIS H467QS1GH is a good card.
4. I don't know.

renethx

08-17-09, 08:58 PM

My questions are as the followings:
1. Is stock cpu cooler is enough for playing mkv and surfing use? Or do I have to purchase commercial cooler?
2. MOBO support 1.8V RAM, but G.Skiill ram is 2.0~2.1V. Can I manage this system with good stability?
3. I have used Windows XP 32bit, but I want to use Windows Vista or 7 64 bit for this HTPC since I now have 4GB RAM with 64bit CPU. Which OS will be better for HTPC use?
4. I have HDMI-DVI connector. Can I deliver video and sound together with this connector from my HTPC setup?
1. The stock cooler is good. But Geminii S is better (in cooling and quietness).

2. Memory: No problem. Just run it as DDR2-800 (this is the default setting). You can adjust memory voltage in BIOS if you like.

3. OS: I recommend Windows 7 RTM 32-bit. 64-bit only when you use more than 4GB memory.

4. You don't need a DVI-HDMI adapter, do you? Just connect the HDMI port of the mb to an HDMI in of PDP-5080HD.

renethx

08-17-09, 09:24 PM

Renethx - slightly off topic, but I think I have read on other forums you discuss Reclock. From reading around one of the main benefits is targeted towards the PAL audience. If PAL content is not a concern of mine (i.e living in the U.S.) is there any benefit to getting reclock working on my HTPCs (mostly play back my ripped Blu Ray ts/mkvs with DTS-MA/TrueHD audio tracks going from HDMI in 4670 to AVR) ?
What is it ? (http://reclock.free.fr/) summarizes the purposes of ReClock. PAL is one of them. ReClock also supports WASAPI exclusive mode (bit-perfect audio and automatic speaker channel matching) and notificaton of events to external applications using a Windows script (for example, to automatically change the desktop refresh rate according to the refresh rate of the video streams).

renethx

08-17-09, 09:37 PM

Couple of quick questions, from the spreadsheet it looks like the htpcs have more trouble playing SDDVD than HD? Why is that, seems the opposite of what would be expected, I'm guessing it's because of the upconversion to 1080p? What part of the computer is responsible for that part and how are HTPCs at upconverting compared to the decent upconverting blu ray players.
Yup, playing (progressive) HD contents is straightforward: just decode the compressed video (every current GPU has a powerful hardware video decoder) and send raw frames to the display in 1:1 pixel mapping.

SD to HD upscaling can be done by either hardware (GPU) or sofware (CPU). Makeing SD contents look like HD is surely difficult part of the video playback.

You can use your existing system as a media server.

dbone1026

08-17-09, 09:41 PM

Yup, definitely an issue of sensor 2 (and the fans run at full speeds perhaps because of this). There is a switch between overheating alert temperartures 55°C and 65°C. You could try this while you contact the customer support.

Thanks. I was able to get to the DIP switch and shut off Sensor 2 which fixed the alarm and the mach 10 fans. Spoke with tech suport and they had me send in an RMA for a new sensor.

Wsulzer

08-17-09, 09:48 PM

Hi folks :)

To celebrate the recent death of my old HP laptop, and the 1 year anniversary of my 42" HDTV, I have decided to build an HTPC. Not only is this my first venture into HTPCs, but it's also my first time building anything of this sort. After doing a little research on what I would need for my purposes, I've thrown together a list of components that struck my fancy:

(Sorry, I'm not allowed to put links in yet)

Mobo: ASUS P5N7A-VM LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300/nForce 730i HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131348

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

Mem: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116037

BD: LG Black Super Multi Blu-ray Disc Burner & HD DVD-ROM Drive SATA GGW-H20L
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136137

HDD: (2X) Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136137

Case: SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, 0.8 mm SECC body LC17-B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163055

I will obviously be using this box for home theater purposes, but it would be nice if I could do a little bit of gaming on it as well. So, here are a few questions I have, if anyone feels compelled:

1. How does this setup look?
2. Will this configuration run too hot / should I get additional cooling?
3. Will this setup be powerful enough for casual gaming (i.e. Call of Duty 4, Civilization, etc.)

Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and have a great day!

renethx

08-17-09, 11:00 PM

I will obviously be using this box for home theater purposes, but it would be nice if I could do a little bit of gaming on it as well. So, here are a few questions I have, if anyone feels compelled:

1. How does this setup look?
2. Will this configuration run too hot / should I get additional cooling?
3. Will this setup be powerful enough for casual gaming (i.e. Call of Duty 4, Civilization, etc.)

Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and have a great day!
- You'd better add a good graphics card for games. Then you could go with a cheaper mb (as in my mATX mid-range Intel/Intel system or an ATX P45 mb).

- You can go with E7500 without performance sacrifice in most HTPC applications (and games too).

- 650W PSU is unnecessary. 450W is enough even if you add a graphics card, e.g. CMPSU-450VX.

- If you don't play HD DVD, LG BH08LS20 is a better choice (reading BD is much faster). If you don't need BD write, go with CH08LS10.

newifeboy

08-18-09, 03:45 AM

Awesome information !!!!
Looking for some feedback on this HTPC build. It will be used to play blu-ray / HD dvd and thinking I might get back into playing some PC gaming as well. As I use news groups I will prob be downloading alot of HD / blu-ray as well.

I currently don't have a AVR but might upgrade sometime in the future. I also use a Logitech z-5500 THX speaker setup. With Sony 50” which does 1080i.

THERMALTAKE Mozart SX Media Lab Home Theatre Chassis w/ VFD, Remote, Silver $169.99 ( might change out the stock fans)

Intel Core™2 Quad Processor Q9400 2.66GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229.99 ( using retail fan)

Asus P5Q-E w/ DualDDR2 1200, 7.1 Audio, Dual GB Lan, 1394, PCI-E x16 CrossFireX $164.99

2x Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.11 SATA II w/ NCQ, 32MB Cache $89.99 x2

Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDTV-Out $189.99

OCZ 600W ModXstream Pro SLI Ready Power Supply $89.99

Corsair 4GB XMS2-6400 TWIN2X Dual Channel DDR2 Kit (2 x 2GB) $69.99

LG GGC-H20L $50 from ebay

marzzie

08-18-09, 08:07 AM

Hey renethx and fellow loyal readers of this thread

Although this is only my second post (my apologies for wasting a bit of web space :D), I've been a follower of this thread for almost 2 years! I have learnt SO much from you and the other contributors and would like to thank you for your dedication and commitment in answering SO many questions!

When I started my first HTPC project It was hard to find a decent motherboard that supported all the features needed for an all in one build. If it wasn't for this thread I would have probably spent a whole lot more school-fees ;). Your guide was and is my first stop whenever making any decision on any new purchase!

Thanks again for all your time and dedication! Its truly appreciated

tsanga

08-18-09, 10:24 AM

Thanks again for all your time and dedication! Its truly appreciated

Don't forget to make a donation. :)

Ebes1099

08-18-09, 11:05 AM

utonian

08-18-09, 12:08 PM

Thanks for all the guidance, I'll go for the better video card and the cpu cooler. Since I'm using a bigger case I'll need to add a PSU. So just one last question: Should I go with the CORSAIR CMPSU-450 to put into the Antec Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX case? Or is that overkill?

By the way, the savings in time as well as money that you've provided more than offset the paypal donation I made at the outset. Many thanks again.

renethx

08-18-09, 12:26 PM

bmcent1

08-18-09, 02:41 PM

Is there something I need to do to get the 4670 to output more than Stereo?

Audio is working (stereo) through the receiver over HDMI, but no matter the source, it's only stereo.

I haven't installed any drivers particular to this card yet, or looked for a config switch (because I didn't know where to look.) I'm running Win 7, 32 bit.

bmcent1

08-18-09, 02:45 PM

d60pdp

08-18-09, 05:04 PM

bmcent1

08-18-09, 05:24 PM

Download and Install "ATI HDMI Audio Device" Driver (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#ATIHDMIDriver)

Thanks! After more searching, I found -
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#EnablingHDMIAudio

Happy to say I am now enjoying 5.1 sound!

Video quality still seems to need some tweaking, perhaps it's hard to top the Oppo, but with the horsepower in a full fledged HTPC, I was hoping I might do that.

renethx

08-18-09, 07:35 PM

Forgot to ask ... is there a tutorial or some suggested settings for getting playback of a ripped (but not compressed) DVD to look better?

I'm finding playback through Media Portal looks a little fuzzy on a 10' 720p projected image compared to the same DVD played through an Oppo 981. Both sources are connected to the AVR via HDMI which then goes over HDMI to the projector. Are there some sharpness settings in the codecs or other things that should be configured to make the video look comperable with a standalone player?
SD upscaling is done automatically by GPU (unless you use a software solution). But you still have to use correct filters (in particular the video decoder must support DXVA). I recommend you first to play it with MPC HomeCinema with either CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (make sure 'DXVA' is checked and 'deinterlacing' is set to 'Auto') or Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Decoder in Vista or Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder in Windows 7. Make sure to select EVR or EVR CR in Output.

In CCC > Avivo, you can adjust Edge enhancement and De-noise. Setting both to ~20% should give a decent result.

bmcent1

08-18-09, 11:03 PM

SD upscaling is done automatically by GPU (unless you use a software solution). But you still have to use correct filters (in particular the video decoder must support DXVA). I recommend you first to play it with MPC HomeCinema with either CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (make sure 'DXVA' is checked and 'deinterlacing' is set to 'Auto') or Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Decoder in Vista or Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder in Windows 7. Make sure to select EVR or EVR CR in Output.

In CCC > Avivo, you can adjust Edge enhancement and De-noise. Setting both to ~20% should give a decent result.

Okay, thanks. Much improved! Coming close to the Oppo now: I ended up setting my CCC> Avivo edge enhance only to 5-10% but within MPC-HC I used the "complex sharpening" filter combined with the 16-231 filter (or whichever the numbers are, it appeared to improve contrast and saturation without giving up shadow detail.)

I couldn't see where to select CyberLink Video/SP Decoder or Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder in Windows 7 but selecting the second EVR option in MPC-HC had a huge improvement in playback on a ripped Blu-Ray .mt2s file which, before setting EVR, was pegging the CPU at 100% and was so slow to render that it was choppy and quickly fell several seconds behind the audio. It played great after setting that.

Only thing that worries me now is there are so many options, it's hard to say when you're setup is "right." Obviously, when it plays and looks great it is, but with the interdependence of Codec's, utilities, config settings, would be nice to have an absolute reference for what should be selected, deselected, changed, etc.

Thanks again for the tips!!

Tijs_Verwest

08-19-09, 02:25 AM

renethx

08-19-09, 02:42 AM

I built my own pc and now i want to build a htpc , but ive got sooo many doubts :o...

1.The mobile processors work like a regular cpu?, and have the same size, they just have lower clock rate and consume less power?
2.Microatx/mini-itx motherboards come with suport for 7.1?
3.I have to buy just plain ddr2/ddr3? im sure the ram of the laptops is smaller, how is it called? microram xD?
4. Will Video cards like 9600 gt fit on a microatx case?

I'm looking for something like asrock ion but with a faster processor and a better video card, but with low power consumption, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated :)
1. Yes. (Which processor are you talking about?)
2. Check the chart on page 85.
3. SO-DIMM. But only the J&W mini-ITX mb uses SO-DIMM in my recommendations on page 85.
4. Yes, it fits full-height mini-ITX/mATX/ATX cases.

Check Mini-ITX System > Gaming HTPC on page 85.

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 08:20 AM

I'm looking at building yet another HTPC and I can't find many cases that support multiple extended length gfx cards (future upgrades) and have plenty of room for internal hard drives, as well as some breathing room. I need to keep the height limited to 8" so it will fit in my entertainment stand. So far the best case selection I could find was the Fusion Max, however I already have the Fusion mATX and was hoping for something different :)

My budget for the case is $300.

My build:
i7 920
P6T Deluxe
Mod82+ 625w
Corsair Dominator 1600 3x2gb
VelociRaptor 300gb
Dark Knight Cooler
4890

Thanks!

renethx

08-19-09, 09:29 AM

I'm looking at building yet another HTPC and I can't find many cases that support multiple extended length gfx cards (future upgrades) and have plenty of room for internal hard drives, as well as some breathing room. I need to keep the height limited to 8" so it will fit in my entertainment stand. So far the best case selection I could find was the Fusion Max, however I already have the Fusion mATX and was hoping for something different :)

My budget for the case is $300.
Thermaltake DH 103, ~$260. There are lots of reviews on DH 104, the same size as DH 103, with 7" touch panel

SilverStone Crown CW02, $360 (you may need to remove one of the hard drive cages).

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 09:33 AM

Thermaltake DH 103 is a hair too tall.. My stand only accomodates 8" max.. (7" 15/16th to be exact):(

Do you know the height on CW02?.. I wanted it in the past but I believe it is also too tall for my entertainment stand.

renethx

08-19-09, 09:41 AM

OK, AFAIK, there is no ATX case supporting dual 10.5" cards and with height less than 8". SilverStone Grandia GD02 meets your conditons, but it is a mATX case and there may be a heat problem in dual graphics mode.

H8nXTC

08-19-09, 12:42 PM

Will the Thermaltake DH 102 or DH 202 work, both under 8" high?

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1319&ID=1878
Looks like they'll fit to me.

matrixwolves

08-19-09, 12:47 PM

So as i understand it, if i want to buy a motherboard, i can't find one that does 7.1 audio and video all on one hdmi cord to my onkyo receiver? I have to run hdmi cabling seperate for video to tv and a hdmi cable to receiver for audio to get surround sound? I am putting together a wishlist as im tired of my cable bill and want to have a home setup.

What i have in basement: Large flat screen connected to my onkyo avr, xbo360, a 2.40 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core with Gigabyte M59SLI-S5, 3 gb of ram, GeForce 7900 GS, Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2, with a hitachi tb drive and a wd passport external 500gb drive, connected to xbox360.

What i want to do: Watch hd content via my mkv files and streaming content like hulu, and other internet streaming content of the like in the living room upstairs and the bedroom upstairs as well as the basement.

Figured i could keep the setup downstairs and built a htpc for the upstairs.

Edit: Do i have to get a video card to have the surround sound audio via hdmi, that way the hdmi video is running off of the graphics card?

I can't run wire so is this feasible for good quality playback wirelessly?
Also what would you recommend i upgrade on the machine downstairs?

Sorry im really excited about my new project and am shoring up my doubts.

mbordas

08-19-09, 01:54 PM

I'd like a recommendation for the most inexpensive motherboard with hdmi/dvi for an htpc. Optical sp/dif would be nice too.

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 02:01 PM

I'd like a recommendation for the most inexpensive motherboard with hdmi/dvi for an htpc. Optical sp/dif would be nice too.

Open Box: ASUS M4A78 Plus AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131381R)

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 02:04 PM

Will the Thermaltake DH 102 or DH 202 work, both under 8" high?

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1319&ID=1878
Looks like they'll fit to me.

Thanks for the reply. The 202 looks nice, although a little over budget. I may consider it. I like the internal layout.

H8nXTC

08-19-09, 02:08 PM

Thanks for the reply. The 202 looks nice, although a little over budget. I may consider it. I like the internal layout.
That's my preferred HTPC case, you can find it for $250 on Amazon.com.

mbordas

08-19-09, 02:13 PM

Open Box: ASUS M4A78 Plus AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131381R)
Thanks, I should have specified I'm looking for an LGA 775 socket type.

SSragtop

08-19-09, 05:19 PM

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 05:31 PM

Renethx,

Do you know if the Fusion Max ATX will fit 2 extended length gfx cards if the HDD bay is removed?

Thanks!

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 05:58 PM

I'd like a recommendation for the most inexpensive motherboard with hdmi/dvi for an htpc. Optical sp/dif would be nice too.

GIGABYTE GA-73PVM-S2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 7100 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128072)

renethx

08-19-09, 07:17 PM

Will the Thermaltake DH 102 or DH 202 work, both under 8" high?

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1319&ID=1878
Looks like they'll fit to me.
HDD's block longer graphics cards. You can attach only one HDD?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=150474&stc=1&d=1250723557

renethx

08-19-09, 07:51 PM

So as i understand it, if i want to buy a motherboard, i can't find one that does 7.1 audio and video all on one hdmi cord to my onkyo receiver?
There are several mbs. Check the charts on page 85.

renethx

08-19-09, 07:55 PM

I'd like a recommendation for the most inexpensive motherboard with hdmi/dvi for an htpc. Optical sp/dif would be nice too.
Do you mean integrated graphics? What's your video playback requirement? IGP in most low-end mb does not support hardware decode acceleration for HD contents.

renethx

08-19-09, 08:21 PM

Renethx,

Do you know if the Fusion Max ATX will fit 2 extended length gfx cards if the HDD bay is removed?

Thanks!
Yes, two long graphics cards fit (the case is designed that way).

gunbunnysoulja

08-19-09, 08:27 PM

Yes, two long graphics cards fit (the case is designed that way).

Thanks for the reply! I was hoping for something different from my mATX fusion, but it seems like the Fusion ATX is best suited for my needs. :)

Appreciate the help!!!

me23

08-19-09, 09:07 PM

Was going to build htpc for the bedroom.
Using low end intel/nvidia specs below from page 85 but changed to antec fusion black because I think it looks better. Will this be quiet enough for a bedroom when it is idle and not in use?

CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.50GHz LGA775
CPU Cooler: Stock cooler
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA775 GeForce 9400
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit
Graphics Card: GeForce 9400 (integrated in the chipset
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps
PSU: 80 PLUS 350W ATX PSU (included in the case)
Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black

renethx

08-19-09, 09:19 PM

Marc_G

08-19-09, 09:29 PM

Can somebody help an old man out? I'm a child of the 60's and not very computer savy. I am looking to set up an HTPC for our front projector. Our daughter left this computer when she moved out. She wanted a laptop, so we bought her one and kept this desktop. It is a Dell XPS420 with a core 2 quad 9400, 8 gig ram, 1 tb hard drive, ATI 4650 video card and a blu ray burner. I have purchased Total Media Theater 3 and anydvd hd. I have downloaded MyMovies, Media Browser and virtual clone drive. I can rip dvds to iso. But now I am lost. I have been reading on this forum for a couple of days but most of it is over my head. Can someone give me directions on setting up this software or point me to a guide where I can read up on it. Like I said, I'm not very computer literate, so I will need someone to hold my hand and walk me through it.

Thanks, CJ

This thread gets mostly hardware responses. I suggest going to the Media Browser forum. But you are on the right track; for someone "not too savy" you've done well so far.

What I do is open the ISO in virtual clone drive and point my bluray player at it (I happen to use PowerDVD because it came with my drive), or more often, I rip the movie/episodes out of the disks with MakeMKV and let that tool create standalone MKV files which Media Browser can play just fine, if you add:
Haali Media Splitter (required for playing .mkv files)
Some AV codecs such as FFDShow

Go to the media browser forum and you'll get plenty of help there:
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/forum

Welcome to the club.

Marc

dbone1026

08-19-09, 09:35 PM

This thread gets mostly hardware responses. I suggest going to the Media Browser forum. But you are on the right track; for someone "not too savy" you've done well so far.

What I do is open the ISO in virtual clone drive and point my bluray player at it (I happen to use PowerDVD because it came with my drive), or more often, I rip the movie/episodes out of the disks with MakeMKV and let that tool create standalone MKV files which Media Browser can play just fine, if you add:
Haali Media Splitter (required for playing .mkv files)
Some AV codecs such as FFDShow

Go to the media browser forum and you'll get plenty of help there:
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/forum

Welcome to the club.

Marc

I completely agree with Marc. Go with MKVs (using MakeMKV) or ts/m2ts (using Clown_BD, actually just tested out the latest version and it works great - http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2009/08/19/clown_bd-version-0-65-released/)

SSragtop

08-19-09, 10:58 PM

Thanks guys. I've been playing around all evening. I ripped a couple of dvds and a couple of blu rays and they seem to be working correctly with MyMovies and TMT3. I also downloaded Clown_BD. I'll experiment with it tomorrow

mbordas

08-20-09, 10:52 AM

Do you mean integrated graphics? What's your video playback requirement? IGP in most low-end mb does not support hardware decode acceleration for HD contents.
I currently have a Fatal1ty F190-HD with an avermedia M780 tuner and use it to run Windows Media Center to watch both HD and analog TV, and to watch ripped dvds and .mkvs. It works fine for this and I don't even have it overclocked.

I want to duplicate this setup, just at the lowest possible price. Most motherboards it seems have VGA output rather than HDMI, though I did find the XFX MG-63MI-7159 that has both HDMI and SPDIF out.

mbordas

08-20-09, 10:55 AM

mbordas

08-20-09, 11:02 AM

The Biostar TF7150U-M7 also seems to have the features I'm looking for in an htpc setup.
Or the ECS GF7100PVT-M3. Sorry for the multiple messages, but once I started looking I found a couple of these around $60. It would help me and perhaps others if you could give me your opinion of these low-end boards for use as a WMC set top box.

And also let me know what you think about the M780 as an ATSC/QAM tuner, and if you think there are better alternatives. Thanks.

Postmoderndesign

08-20-09, 01:45 PM

Download and Install "ATI HDMI Audio Device" Driver (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#ATIHDMIDriver)

I added the ATI Realtek HDMI driver and the lpcm AVR is showing icons for 5 or 7 speakers but I am still just getting stereo when using the 2 channel version of Power DVD that came with the Blu-ray drive or when using Media Player Classic Home Cinema. I am testing the setup with Blade Runner Blu-ray which is 5.1 and makes good use of the surround speakers. I am using the HDMI cable and have not plugged in to the motherboard the multiple channel audio cables.

The Realtek HDMI Output Properties dialogue box does not look the same as the one in your example. Mine says that it supports 8 channel and 16 an 24 bit depth. But HDCP is not supported. It also list 32 to 192kz and DTS audio and Dolby Digital. I do not have the check boxes.

It could be that I have not selected the correct audio track in the movie but I suspect I may need to buy a license or an upgrade for Power DVD.

Can you tell me my alternatives for getting correct audio? I know this has been gone over but I do not get it yet.

Case Antec Fusion Remote Max ATX
MB GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R 1
VGA HIS H467QSS1GP HD4670 1GB RT 1
PSU ENERMAX|EPR525AWT 525W RT 1
CPU INTEL|C2D E7400 2.8G 775 RT 1
MEM 2GX2|A-DATA ADQVE1B16K R 1
HD 640G|WD 7K 16M WD6400AAKS % 1
BLU BURN &HD ROM LG|GGW-H20L RT 1
CPU COOL|XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 R
HDHR TV Tuner
Logitech DiNovo Edge Keyboard
Lenovo 4422-HB6 monitor
Panasonic TH-58PZ700U Plasma
Yamaha HTR-6060 AVR
Windows 7RC

renethx

08-20-09, 02:15 PM

I currently have a Fatal1ty F190-HD with an avermedia M780 tuner and use it to run Windows Media Center to watch both HD and analog TV, and to watch ripped dvds and .mkvs. It works fine for this and I don't even have it overclocked.

I want to duplicate this setup, just at the lowest possible price. Most motherboards it seems have VGA output rather than HDMI, though I did find the XFX MG-63MI-7159 that has both HDMI and SPDIF out.
I still own that abit F190-HD mb, and two GeForce 7150 mbs (abit, EVGA). As you know, the latter supports only single-channel memory controller, playing back high bitrate H.264 1080p is often choppy without a very fast processor ~3.0GHz. Upscaling SD contents is unattractive. The article

Home Theatre PC Motherboard Shootout (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2008/02/05/home_theatre_pc_motherboards_feb_08/8)

summarizes video playback performance of three similar older chipsets, Intel G35, GeForce 7100, and AMD 690G (none of them supports HA for H.264 VLD, none of them passes the HD deinterlacing test).

Currently the best low-cost IGP is AMD 780G/785G chipset (although HDMI audio is basically equivalent to S/PDIF).

- Athlon II X2 240 2.8GHz, $60
- A cheap AMD 780G mb, ~$60.

MordredKLB

08-21-09, 01:20 PM

renethx, first of all, thanks for the excellent guide, although yesterday I was pretty sure of my components, but today I'm not :D

I had a few questions for you though, apologies if this has been answered recently, it's a long thread and hard to search. Basically after doing research on Anandtech and elsewhere, I was under the impression that onboard video/audio on most midrange MOBOs was pretty much good enough for Blu-Ray playback, without needing a video/audio card. I see that for pretty much every setup you still recommend a video card though. Is that mainly to reduce processor load, or is there an extra benefit? I understand SD scaling won't necessarily be as good but I can live with that as I have dedicated DVD players in my rack already. I'm also not planning on using this very much for games, mainly for BD/x264 and storing my audio collection. Would I be okay without a video card?

I understand I need an audio card to bitstream HD codecs, but is there really any other need? While bitstreaming would be nice to make the receiver light, LPCM is fine as it's what I've got now with the PS3. The PAP stuff didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either :) Is there significant loss in quality without it, or do most people just skip the audio card altogether?

price3

08-21-09, 03:47 PM

hbomber202020

08-21-09, 04:16 PM

What software do most people use to play Blu-rays on HTPC? I am kind of sad to spend several hundred dollars on this system to be hindered by software. I am trying to use the free power dvd that came with my LG drive but no audio is output over HDMI from Blu. Is there no low cost or open source solution for this yet? Retail versions cost as much as a stand alone player.
I use PowerDVD as well that came with my LG drive, I'm happy with it.
Alot of people use mpc-hc, tmt3, pwdvd.

I'm like you, I don't want to spend more money for software.

I'm not sure what you mean about no audio is output over hdmi, because that's false.

You can look into mpc-hc(media player classic-home cinema) it is free

I personally like pdvd better.

JonEQuest

08-21-09, 04:50 PM

I am good at making stuff and hardware hacks but I am stumped on what to do for a HTPC. After a week of reading I am even more confused. I would like a system recommendation based on my needs..... PLEASE.

*I have tons of backed up movies, home movies, .ISO, .avi etc., music, etc. on a 1tb usb drive.
*I have satellite (DirecTV DVR) with a sata plug, don't know if I can off load a favorite movie to save HD space or not, but it is no deal breaker if I can't.
*I need full 1080p smooth playback for my 58" Samsung FP-T5884

I basicly want something to allow me (or my wife) to use a remote to browse my files on hard drives in or outside the unit via usb or over a wired network, and play them from a nice GUI. I want to be somewhat future proof and don't own any BluRay discs yet but will likely add a Blu Ray burner/player to this box. Other things I would like to be able to do is browse the web occasionally from my sofa and playback stuff from Netflix, Hulu, etc. I don't play games so that type of power won't be needed. This will sit in a closed built in cabinet and be controlled with either a wireless remote or I will add an IR reciever outside the cabinet. The remote will need to work my DTV sat too so I may need a Harmony I guess. Noise is not too much of an issue for me since it will be in a large closed vented cabinet. I would pay a bit extra for a nice display on the front of the HTPC but is is also not a total necessity.

I tried to figure it out myself but there are SOOOO many opinions and have the posts I read are quoting older hardware or they have needs possibly beyond mine. Please Help!!

John

Marc_G

08-21-09, 08:18 PM

-snip-
Basically after doing research on Anandtech and elsewhere, I was under the impression that onboard video/audio on most midrange MOBOs was pretty much good enough for Blu-Ray playback, without needing a video/audio card. I see that for pretty much every setup you still recommend a video card though. Is that mainly to reduce processor load, or is there an extra benefit? I understand SD scaling won't necessarily be as good but I can live with that as I have dedicated DVD players in my rack already. I'm also not planning on using this very much for games, mainly for BD/x264 and storing my audio collection. Would I be okay without a video card?
-snip-

@MordredKLB:
I'll chime in with my own experience. For the record, I use a 50" 1080i plasma TV and watch a fair amount of SD content to go along with HD.

For me, I started with an iGPU (with sideboard RAM, in the gigabyte MA78GPM-UD2H, it's the HD3200 chipset). While everything "worked," and the GPU handled acceleration just fine and my CPU was at 10% usage, things just didn't look quite right. Fine detail was a bit fuzzy, my desktop was always jsut a tad blurry, and SD content really seemed not as good as a stand alone player. BD content struggled with black levels. No setting worked well across multiple scenarios/BD disks.

Eventually I popped $35 for a discrete 4550 card (fanless) and all of a sudden everything was fixed. Black levels looked good all the time, shadow detail came back, and SD content display was dramatically improved. And my desktop became a lot sharper. I understand that dealing with a 1080i display is actually harder to do well than a 1080p one, and SD content going to 1080i is actually a bit of a stretch (pardon the pun).

So, I recommend a discrete card of at least 4550 class. I imagine eventually iGPU will do just as well at some point (maybe already for some), but I recommend what worked for me.

Sorry, can't help with your audio question. I'm a luddite still using TOSLINK to my receiver for DTS and DD.

Marc

renethx

08-21-09, 08:39 PM

JonEQuest

08-22-09, 11:00 AM

Postmoderndesign

08-22-09, 11:02 AM

I added the ATI Realtek HDMI driver and the lpcm AVR is showing icons for 5 or 7 speakers but I am still just getting stereo when using the 2 channel version of Power DVD that came with the Blu-ray drive or when using Media Player Classic Home Cinema. I am testing the setup with Blade Runner Blu-ray which is 5.1 and makes good use of the surround speakers. I am using the HDMI cable and have not plugged in to the motherboard the multiple channel audio cables.

The Realtek HDMI Output Properties dialogue box does not look the same as the one in your example. Mine says that it supports 8 channel and 16 an 24 bit depth. But HDCP is not supported. It also list 32 to 192kz and DTS audio and Dolby Digital. I do not have the check boxes.

It could be that I have not selected the correct audio track in the movie but I suspect I may need to buy a license or an upgrade for Power DVD.

Can you tell me my alternatives for getting correct audio? I know this has been gone over but I do not get it yet.

Case Antec Fusion Remote Max ATX
MB GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R 1
VGA HIS H467QSS1GP HD4670 1GB RT 1
PSU ENERMAX|EPR525AWT 525W RT 1
CPU INTEL|C2D E7400 2.8G 775 RT 1
MEM 2GX2|A-DATA ADQVE1B16K R 1
HD 640G|WD 7K 16M WD6400AAKS % 1
BLU BURN &HD ROM LG|GGW-H20L RT 1
CPU COOL|XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 R
HDHR TV Tuner
Logitech DiNovo Edge Keyboard
Lenovo 4422-HB6 monitor
Panasonic TH-58PZ700U Plasma
Yamaha HTR-6060 AVR
Windows 7RC

I upgraded to PowerDVD 9 Ultra, about $50 upgrade with the dealtaker10 coupon code from the version of PowerDVD that came with the DVD drive . I configured the speakers by right clicking the speaker icon in the lower right of monitor, clicking on Realtek HDMI output and then configured the speakers. I now have proper sound. If there is a cheaper or free way to get lpcm sound I do not know what it is.

Now I am off to the next two problems: getting the Panasonic plasma to display full screen without overscan or underscan and getting my harmony remote to operate imon in mce mode.

MordredKLB

08-22-09, 11:47 AM

@MordredKLB:
I'll chime in with my own experience. For the record, I use a 50" 1080i plasma TV and watch a fair amount of SD content to go along with HD.

For me, I started with an iGPU (with sideboard RAM, in the gigabyte MA78GPM-UD2H, it's the HD3200 chipset). While everything "worked," and the GPU handled acceleration just fine and my CPU was at 10% usage, things just didn't look quite right. Fine detail was a bit fuzzy, my desktop was always jsut a tad blurry, and SD content really seemed not as good as a stand alone player. BD content struggled with black levels. No setting worked well across multiple scenarios/BD disks.

Eventually I popped $35 for a discrete 4550 card (fanless) and all of a sudden everything was fixed. Black levels looked good all the time, shadow detail came back, and SD content display was dramatically improved. And my desktop became a lot sharper. I understand that dealing with a 1080i display is actually harder to do well than a 1080p one, and SD content going to 1080i is actually a bit of a stretch (pardon the pun).

So, I recommend a discrete card of at least 4550 class. I imagine eventually iGPU will do just as well at some point (maybe already for some), but I recommend what worked for me.Thanks for the info. I may go the same route you did and see how it looks on my 1080p display before plunking another $50 on a video card.

That does bring up another question though. If you have an HDMI video card, can you route onboard audio through that video card or are you now stuck with a two cable solution (one for audio and one for video)? That's what I desperately want to avoid if at all possible.

dee99ta

08-22-09, 12:02 PM

I have been reading and can't figure out what I need.

I would like to:
-Watch blue ray movies.
-Plan to install windows 7 RC now, and released version
-run HDMI to my samsung 1080P LED DLP or to a future receiver
-I want to record TV. Analog cable, digital cable if possible, clear qam, and maybe OTA(FOR HD). I have a cable company DVR, so I would like to have as much functionality as that. Channel guide. Record and watch at the same time.
-Want a remote for power on/off
-will network this to an older desktop(nforce2 a7n8x-e deluxe)that is in the upstairs living area. This is basically going to be my file server(lots of movies and music and backups) and will have some big hard drives in it. It has no keyboard or monitor. I am using WOL and remote desktop to do what I need and share the media drives over my network.
-my house is wired for 7.1 surround. My current receiver doesn't do it, buy the future one probably will
-The house is wired with cat5e. I have a 10/100 switch, but I think I can convert over to gigabit. I am waiting for the next get of N routers plug gigabit lan to come to market. So i want gigabit lan support.
- would prefer it to be quiet
- not really into the latest games. But would like to have the ability to play some games.
- need a stereo component case, so uatx board is required. Not sure what case I want.

Anyone want to take a crack at it? I am not sure what features i must have and which ones are nice to have. Thanks.

Postmoderndesign

08-22-09, 01:25 PM

I upgraded to PowerDVD 9 Ultra, about $50 upgrade with the dealtaker10 coupon code from the version of PowerDVD that came with the DVD drive . I configured the speakers by right clicking the speaker icon in the lower right of monitor, clicking on Realtek HDMI output and then configured the speakers. I now have proper sound. If there is a cheaper or free way to get lpcm sound I do not know what it is.

Now I am off to the next two problems: getting the Panasonic plasma to display full screen without overscan or underscan and getting my harmony remote to operate imon in mce mode.

Here is what to do if you have an Antec Fusion Remote max case and you want to control it with a Logitech Harmony remote. Harmony is very specific about how to name the device: Media Center PC: soundgraph: imon (Media Center Remote). Then just tell the Logitec Harmony Remote Software to set it up like a similar device. Then set imon remote to media center.

The remote is starting the HTPC and can start windows 7 media center. But I will need to customize the commands for my needs.

vinha916

08-22-09, 07:59 PM

I am planning to build HTPC and my spec are follow

board : Asus p5N-D
CPU: Q6600
HEATSINK : ZALMAN
MEMORY: CORSAIR 6400, 4GB
PS: CORSAIR 550W
window vista ultimate.

VIDEO: DONT KNOW
CASE DONT KNOW

can you guys help me out any other parts that i need? i dont know which tv card is good. thanks

renethx

08-22-09, 08:22 PM

If you have an HDMI video card, can you route onboard audio through that video card or are you now stuck with a two cable solution (one for audio and one for video)? That's what I desperately want to avoid if at all possible.
Radeon HD 4xxx except for HD 4200 (IGP): has its own HD audio controller and supports multichannel LPCM/DD/DTS over HDMI.
Radeon HD 4200 (IGP) and all HD 2xxx/3xxx: has its own HD audio controller and support stereo LPCM/DD/DTS over HDMI.)
GeForce discrete card: has no audio controller, but accepts S/PDIF signals from another audio device (onboard audio codec, a sound card), so supports stereo LPCM/DD/DTS over HDMI.
GeForce 8200/8300/9300/9400 (IGP): has its own HD audio controller and supports multichannel LPCM/DD/DTS over HDMI.

renethx

08-22-09, 08:42 PM

renethx

08-22-09, 09:00 PM

I am good at making stuff and hardware hacks but I am stumped on what to do for a HTPC. After a week of reading I am even more confused. I would like a system recommendation based on my needs..... PLEASE.

*I have tons of backed up movies, home movies, .ISO, .avi etc., music, etc. on a 1tb usb drive.
*I have satellite (DirecTV DVR) with a sata plug, don't know if I can off load a favorite movie to save HD space or not, but it is no deal breaker if I can't.
*I need full 1080p smooth playback for my 58" Samsung FP-T5884

I basicly want something to allow me (or my wife) to use a remote to browse my files on hard drives in or outside the unit via usb or over a wired network, and play them from a nice GUI. I want to be somewhat future proof and don't own any BluRay discs yet but will likely add a Blu Ray burner/player to this box. Other things I would like to be able to do is browse the web occasionally from my sofa and playback stuff from Netflix, Hulu, etc. I don't play games so that type of power won't be needed. This will sit in a closed built in cabinet and be controlled with either a wireless remote or I will add an IR reciever outside the cabinet. The remote will need to work my DTV sat too so I may need a Harmony I guess. Noise is not too much of an issue for me since it will be in a large closed vented cabinet. I would pay a bit extra for a nice display on the front of the HTPC but is is also not a total necessity.
"DirecTV DVR": If you want to archive recordings in HDD, you need Hauppauge HD PVR.

"full 1080p smooth playback": any system on page 85 can do that.

"a remote to browse my files on hard drives in or outside the unit via usb or over a wired network, and play them from a nice GUI.": Yup, Logitech Harmony (with an IR receiver) is a right choice. You need a good front end such as Window Media Center built in any version of Windows 7 (with a movie library plug-in such as My Movies or Media Browser).

renethx

08-22-09, 10:19 PM

JonEQuest

08-22-09, 10:32 PM

Thank you renethx for the response. So the stuff on page 85 is current hardware? I wanted to check because I know that every few months better stuff comes out or something that was expensive is now a better deal, etc. I guess I will need to get:

*Component sized HTPC case, it will fit well in my cabinet.
*Good video card like the better Radeon HD or GeForce cards recommended above. (not sure whether I need full pass through audio but might as well since I will get a new HDMI switching AV receiver soon.)
*One of the MB 's from page 85
*Harmony Remote
*I guess I need to get the new Windows 7 with the plug ins you describe. Or is XP with MCE added just as good? I ask because I already have XP Pro laying around.

One question: How will the "Hauppauge HD PVR" work? Will I have to add a recording to my DTV PVR, then I have to program the HD PVR/HTPC to start recording at the right time the show starts? Also, I assume that satellite video/audio will come from one of the outputs of my Directv DVR and go into an input of the Hauppauge, but I only have one HDMI out of my sat box, so I am not sure how I can record in 1080p. If I am using the one ouput already.
I was wondering since the DTV had a sata output for an extra HD, is there a way to connect it to the HTPC directly somehow? Or..... connect a sata cable to a dedicated ext HD, and have another (usb or?....) cable connection running to the HTPC. so that the DTV box "sees" a sata drive and records to it. Then I can transfer the video from the sata drive into my HTPC and use some .ty convert software to make the files .mpg. I did network a 1st gen DirecTivo years ago and was able to grab videos from the Tivo over the network and the .ty SW converted them to a standard .mpg type file.

Thanks for the help, I hope that I am not asking too much at once but trying to save posting again and again.

renethx

08-22-09, 11:43 PM

tsanga

08-23-09, 10:50 AM

I was wondering since the DTV had a sata output for an extra HD, is there a way to connect it to the HTPC directly somehow? Or..... connect a sata cable to a dedicated ext HD, and have another (usb or?....) cable connection running to the HTPC. so that the DTV box "sees" a sata drive and records to it. Then I can transfer the video from the sata drive into my HTPC and use some .ty convert software to make the files .mpg. I did network a 1st gen DirecTivo years ago and was able to grab videos from the Tivo over the network and the .ty SW converted them to a standard .mpg type file.

If you are using one of the newer D* DVR receivers (i.e. non-TiVo), there's currently no way to extract the video recordings from the HDD, except to use the Hauppauge device that renethx mentioned (basically the Hauppauge takes component video signals and encodes them to a digital format).

What's even more maddening with the newer D* DVR boxes is that they're not compatible with all eSATA hardware (perhaps a weakness in the standards), and any drive you plug in replaces the internal drive rather than supplements it. That means if you have a HR21 (320GB) or HR22 (500GB) and you plug in a 1TB eSATA device, it will deactivate the internal drive.

There are ways to image the internal drive onto the new external one using linux (check dbstalk.com) but to my knowledge there's no way to extract recordings. Essentially the drives contain and run a closed source self-contained OS and filesystem.

I miss the old TiVo (HR10-250) days.

vinha916

08-23-09, 01:23 PM

what do you think about my cpu and board etc.? are they able to fit right in any ATX case?

JonEQuest

08-23-09, 03:15 PM

If you are using one of the newer D* DVR receivers (i.e. non-TiVo), there's currently no way to extract the video recordings from the HDD, except to use the Hauppauge device that renethx mentioned (basically the Hauppauge takes component video signals and encodes them to a digital format).

What's even more maddening with the newer D* DVR boxes is that they're not compatible with all eSATA hardware (perhaps a weakness in the standards), and any drive you plug in replaces the internal drive rather than supplements it. That means if you have a HR21 (320GB) or HR22 (500GB) and you plug in a 1TB eSATA device, it will deactivate the internal drive.

There are ways to image the internal drive onto the new external one using linux (check dbstalk.com) but to my knowledge there's no way to extract recordings. Essentially the drives contain and run a closed source self-contained OS and filesystem.

I miss the old TiVo (HR10-250) days.

God that sucks, I guess Dave has done it again. Another non compliant locked down box, best of all now is you never really own it anyway. If I cancel I have to give it back or pay them like $300. I guess the first $200 I paid was for the priviledge of using it. I always wondered if I could have gotten an old HD DirecTivo and used it. They said it could not get the newer sats but why did my new DTV box need the adapters? I always though those adapters would allow an older D-tivo to work.

OK, so I have to accept that my DTV PVR will be a seperate device. I will likely just leave things as they are and switch inputs from the HTPC to the Sat. when I want to view either ones recordings.

rickybob

08-23-09, 04:38 PM

Hi all,

I recently went from a 2-channel analog out on my HTPC to the HDMI audio on out my Ati HD 4670 graphics card. The HDMI is being routed directly into my Pio SC-05 AVR. Problem is I'm not getting sound from PowerDVD. I'm not trying anything fancy with a Blu-ray drive, just a good ole DVD drive. As soon as I put a DVD in, Power DVD Ultra 8.0 quickly tries to display the movie's splash screen a couple of times and then the hourglass is displayed followed by internal error message windows with the following number being issued; 80040265. It continues to do this after pressing CLOSE until you take out the DVD. You cannot do anything in PDVD until you remove the DVD! :confused:

BTW, after a little investigating I noticed there is nothing selected on the audio tab of the settings in PDVD. :confused::confused: Further investigation revealed I did not have the HDMI audio driver installed that was lurking on the driver disc that came with the HIS branded video card under a separate folder. So, I installed it.

At first I thought I wasn't getting any audio at all, but the Windows startup audio is output, as well as sound from WMA using an MP3. This happened after I install the HDMI audio driver. So PCM audio is at least being output. So far, so good.

My gut tells me PDVD is failing because it does not sense an audio driver present, or assigned. Nor can one be assigned in PDVD because the entire tab is ghosted, or disabled. I've even set the audio device in Windows XP to the only choice of "AtiHD Audio rear output". Is this correct, or is there another driver somewhere that I'm missing?

Something is obviously still not right, preventing PDVD from playing normally. Is this particular version broken, or does it not recognize the ATI HD Audio driver I installed? If so, why? Limitation of the software? Shouldn't PDVD be using the standard Windows audio driver, or is it looking for an HDMI path due to an HDCP issue even though it's not a BD? BTW, both my AVR and Gateway monitor ARE HDCP compliant. I'm at a loss right now. Mobo is the ASUS M3A78-EM w/3gigs of GSkill memory.

Any help or insight would be appreciated.

Thx,

rickybob

tsanga

08-23-09, 04:39 PM

God that sucks, I guess Dave has done it again. Another non compliant locked down box, best of all now is you never really own it anyway. If I cancel I have to give it back or pay them like $300. I guess the first $200 I paid was for the priviledge of using it. I always wondered if I could have gotten an old HD DirecTivo and used it. They said it could not get the newer sats but why did my new DTV box need the adapters? I always though those adapters would allow an older D-tivo to work.

OK, so I have to accept that my DTV PVR will be a seperate device. I will likely just leave things as they are and switch inputs from the HTPC to the Sat. when I want to view either ones recordings.

The newer boxes receive signals from different satellites that broadcast in a different bandwidth (requiring B-band converters attached to your box), and sends video with MPEG4 compression. The old TiVo HR10-250 is only capable of decoding MPEG2 video. So even with the B-band converters, the TiVo box wouldn't be able to decode the video stream. Around this time last year they moved all the remaining HD channels from the MPEG2 satellites to all MPEG4 satellites, rendering your old TiVo box only good for SD and OTA HD recording.

But your new HTPC should be very capable of recording OTA HD. :)

There's no reason to own the new box as it has little to no value if removed from service (other than the value of the hard drive), since it's a closed system. However if you cancel they will likely stick you with a charge since all new boxes come with 2-year service commitments, and then still take the box back. No other option than to fulfill your two years and re-evaluate. For me, I suspend D* for 1/2 the year (you can suspend for a maximum of 6 months every year), but that stretches out the length of my commitment (only active months count toward fulfillment).

We're digressing from the topic of this thread. :)

renethx

08-23-09, 08:17 PM

what do you think about my cpu and board etc.? are they able to fit right in any ATX case?
If you are going to build a cheap gaming (SLI) HTPC, then good. Yes.

JonEQuest

08-23-09, 08:45 PM

We're digressing from the topic of this thread. :)

True, I already did my two years and don't plan to switch anytime soon so it does'nt really matler anyway. I will get the Happauge card do record things that way I guess.

rickybob

08-23-09, 08:57 PM

renethx

08-23-09, 10:00 PM

After a little poking around the PDVD help I discovered that audio out using HDMI is only available under Vista. :confused: I guess no one has XP machines to AVR using HDMI. :p Anybody know of a work around for PDVD 8.0? What about v 9.0? Does that version allow audio out over HDMI?
HDMI audio under XP is no problem. I have never heard of HDMI audio issue with XP + PowerDVD 8.

rickybob

08-23-09, 10:29 PM

HDMI audio under XP is no problem. I have never heard of HDMI audio issue with XP + PowerDVD 8.
I wouldn't have thought so either. I was sure I didn't have some checkbox checked somewhere that had to enable HDMI, but I was fresh out of ideas! But there's this little 'note' in the PDVD Help that clearly states, "HDMI Audio is only available with Vista." Go figure. :confused: Anyway, I'm going to give v 9.0 a try and see if that works.

rickybob

clobber

08-24-09, 02:02 AM

Rene,

Newegg now have the following 4 Gigabyte 785 boards. What is the new preferred MB for the AMD midrange and what is the difference between these 4 products? The nomenclature is confusing. It appears some have AM2 support but others don't. I thought AM3 was backwards compatible.

Also, what is the current processor recommendation to pair with these MB?

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AM3/AM2+/AM2
GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H AM3/AM2+/AM2
GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H AM3
GIGABYTE GA-MA785GPMT-UD2H AM3

JonEQuest

08-24-09, 02:54 PM

Would this do everything I need to do? (see my post above).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110425496015&ssPageName=ADME:B:ONA:US:1123

John

vinha916

08-24-09, 03:27 PM

If you are going to build a cheap gaming (SLI) HTPC, then good. Yes.

thanks for quick reply renethx. what is good video card for just watching blue ray, i dont do much gaming on this system; mainly just movie download and watch movie. do i really need high end case for that? thanks:)

tsanga

08-24-09, 04:03 PM

vinha,

For video card recommendations, you can check page 85 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972&page=85), or just read post #9700 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17046091&postcount=9700) above.

You can use any case, you decide how much you want to spend and whether you have to look at it. Here's what I opted for (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154085).

aaronwt

08-24-09, 04:29 PM

WOW! Things seem so easy now for an HTPC compared to the early 2000's when I went through several.

dee99ta

08-25-09, 10:00 AM

renethx

08-25-09, 10:12 AM

I am curious. Newegg lists one of the recommended boards, GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H as no longer available. Is it being obsoleted? The 785 chipset seems to have issues.

Newegg also discontinued the SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4670 GDDR4. It has been a few years since I built a computer. A lot of companies are out of business it seems.:( I used newegg a lot due to my past experiences with them. Any recommendations to find this stuff somewhere else is appreciated.
If you are considering the mATX mid-range AMD/AMD system, the current recommended components are:

- CPU: Phenom II X3 720
- MB: GA-MA785GM-US2H
- DRAM: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit
- Graphics: HIS H467QS1GH Radeon HD 4670 DDR3 1GB
- BD drive: LG CH08LS10 Super Multi Blue Blu-ray Disc BD-ROM/DVD Rewrtier. (If you play HD DVD, find LG GGC-H20L.)

The other components remain the same. I am sorry for the delay of updating.

dee99ta

08-25-09, 10:17 AM

Thank you! No need to apologize. I appreciate you answering my questions.

DEE

Postmoderndesign

08-25-09, 10:23 AM

WOW! Things seem so easy now for an HTPC compared to the early 2000's when I went through several.

Yes, I just built a HTPC and it has amazing video quality and media versatility. (I never could have done this without Renetx's advice.) Nothing worked in my first attempt ten years ago.

However, there are still vexing problems. Such as my latest challenges: during movie playback using Power DVD 9 Ultra the computer goes into sleep mode and during live TV using Windows 7 media center and a HDHomerun tuner the picture freezes from time to time.

I guess eventually I will get these issues ironed out or get use to the idiosyncrasies.

tsanga

08-25-09, 12:04 PM

If you are considering the mATX mid-range AMD/AMD system, the current recommended components are:

- CPU: Phenom II X3 720
- MB: GA-MA785GM-US2H
- DRAM: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit
- Graphics: HIS H467QS1GH Radeon HD 4670 DDR3 1GB
- BD drive: LG CH08LS10 Super Multi Blue Blu-ray Disc BD-ROM/DVD Rewrtier. (If you play HD DVD, find LG GGC-H20L.)

The other components remain the same. I am sorry for the delay of updating.

I'm curious, what's the reasoning for the motherboard to have a good iGPU (perhaps "good" is relative for HD 4200) if the dGPU is added and used instead?

Threxx

08-25-09, 01:44 PM

Hi Renethx... do you plan to update your guide in the next few weeks?

I'm not trying to put pressure on you at all, I'm only asking because I'm ready to pull the trigger on my home theater PC purchase now that I've got a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate RTM. If you plan to update anytime in the next few weeks then I will wait to purchase my components until I read your updated guide, because I think a lot has probably changed in the last 2.5-3 months since you updated.

matrixwolves

08-25-09, 02:13 PM

for running a media center in bedroom and living room. Internet hulu/nbc, etc watching, playing mkv/avi/etc, and streaming music throughout?

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=9228714

grantwolf

08-25-09, 03:11 PM

OK. I'm back for more.

I never pulled the trigger this summer, and am once again looking at some Lenovo outlet products that I can get a discount on.

So:

G33 Express chipset
Core 2 Duo E7400
6 GB PC2-5300 DDR2
640 GB HD (7200)
Vista Home Premium 64 bit

Board has:
half length, full height PCI Express x16 Ver 1.1
half length, full height PCI Express x1 Ver 1.1
half length, full height PCI Express x1 Ver 1.1
half length, full height, 32-bit PCI ver 2.3

I have a Sapphire HD 4670 GDDR4 that I'll be adding to it, along with a WD 1T drive.

Questions:
I don't see anything about PCI Express 2.0. Is this a problem?
Is the Vista 64 bit thing going to be a problem?...is 32 bit still the way to go?...and why?

dbone1026

08-25-09, 03:57 PM

grantwolf

08-25-09, 04:09 PM

There is nothing wrong with Vista x64, just realize that you are going to have to do a little more research on proper codecs, etc... vs. going with an x32 system.

Dang. Codecs are already a pain in the !@@ for me.

dbone1026

08-25-09, 04:21 PM

Dang. Codecs are already a pain in the !@@ for me.

I hear ya. My two HTPCs are x64 but to be honest when I get the W7 RTM I am thinking about moving them back to x32, I just don't see any benefit to x64 for the purpose I use my HTPCs for (mainly playback of my media, all my ripping and another other processor intensive apps I do on my desktop)

grantwolf

08-25-09, 04:30 PM

I hear ya. My two HTPCs are x64 but to be honest when I get the W7 RTM I am thinking about moving them back to x32, I just don't see any benefit to x64 for the purpose I use my HTPCs for (mainly playback of my media, all my ripping and another other processor intensive apps I do on my desktop)

I actually plan to install W7 32 bit using a different hard drive than what comes with this computer (although the 2 3MB sims could be a problem here?)...but I'd like the OS that comes on the computer to have WMC, so I can fall back to it when the W7 RC license ends.

Since this is a "refurb" computer, I won't get the free upgrade to W7.

My choices are essentially XP or Vista Home Premium 64.

dbmix

08-25-09, 06:06 PM

renethx

08-25-09, 07:30 PM

I'm curious, what's the reasoning for the motherboard to have a good iGPU (perhaps "good" is relative for HD 4200) if the dGPU is added and used instead?
Basically IGP is a freebie. There is no mATX mb without IGP even if one does not need it.

renethx

08-25-09, 07:31 PM

Hi Renethx... do you plan to update your guide in the next few weeks?
Yes.

renethx

08-25-09, 07:40 PM

Questions:
I don't see anything about PCI Express 2.0. Is this a problem?
Is the Vista 64 bit thing going to be a problem?...is 32 bit still the way to go?...and why?
PCI Express 1.x x16 is good enough for video playback.

The only missing filters in x64 are madFlac and ReClock. If you are an audiophile and want to get the best audio from ripped BD movies without Xonar HDAV1.3, then x86 (FLAC+madFlac+ReClock+WASAPI exclusive mode) is the only OS I can recommend. Otherwise x64 is good.

tsanga

08-25-09, 11:04 PM

Basically IGP is a freebie. There is no mATX mb without IGP even if one does not need it.

But the "freebie" could be cheaper if going with cheaper chipset/iGPU? Are there any trade offs?

renethx

08-25-09, 11:14 PM

But the "freebie" could be cheaper if going with cheaper chipset/iGPU? Are there any trade offs?
HD 4200 has a couple of limitations:

- HD deinterlacing limited to Motion adaptive.
- SD deinterlacing is Vector adaptive, but its quality is inferior to HD 4670.
- Avivo video processor stops working in the dual display mode.
- HDMI audio is limited to stereo LPCM.

So IGP is not an option in the mid-range system where the best video quality is assumed.

tsanga

08-26-09, 12:10 AM

Sorry, rene, when I said "cheaper freebie" I meant:

e.g. G31/41 chipset instead + HD 4670

I don't know what the AMD equivalent of "cheaper freebie" would be...maybe HD 3200 but those are harder to find now.

What do I lose by going G31/G41 rather than nForce 730i/GeForce 9400? (Again, I'm only familiar with Intel based choices.)

renethx

08-26-09, 12:15 AM

What do I lose by going G31/G41 rather than nForce 730i/GeForce 9400? (Again, I'm only familiar with Intel based choices.)
Surely you will lose hardware decode acceleration.

MordredKLB

08-26-09, 12:23 AM

tsanga

08-26-09, 12:23 AM

Surely you will lose hardware decode acceleration.

Hehe, we're going in circles. ;)

Let me rephrase, using Intel/Nvidia example (since I'm familiar).

I noticed your low end = nForce/Geforce (or Intel G45)
...and mid range = same nForce/Geforce (or Intel G45) + dGPU

So if I were building a mid range system, what do I lose or trade off by going G31/G41 + same dGPU from above?

I'm really just trying to learn something here about system building.

renethx

08-26-09, 01:28 AM

Hehe, we're going in circles. ;)

Let me rephrase, using Intel/Nvidia example (since I'm familiar).

I noticed your low end = nForce/Geforce (or Intel G45)
...and mid range = same nForce/Geforce (or Intel G45) + dGPU

So if I were building a mid range system, what do I lose or trade off by going G31/G41 + same dGPU from above?

I'm really just trying to learn something here about system building.
G31/G41 is OK, but the max number of memory modules (double rank; most current modules) is limited to two. Even if you use a dGPU, you may want to use G35/G45 because of this (the alternative mb I mentioned on page 85 in mATX mid-range Intel/Intel system is G35). Perhaps most users never put four modules, though.

renethx

08-26-09, 01:32 AM

So I'm looking at that Antec Fusion Remote Max case, but according to Newegg it's 7.5" tall. My AV rack has 7.4" in between slots. Are the feet on the bottom of the case removable? Is that 7.5" height accurate?
Removable, but don't remove them. You will block airflow from the bottom. Take a look at the picture "Bottom intake vents" (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article890-page2.html).

matrixwolves

08-26-09, 10:05 AM

yes it is public but ill make another post

matrixwolves

08-26-09, 10:06 AM

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