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Assassin's Simple/Beginner HTPC Buying Guide - Page 274

post #8191 of 15526
10/17/11 at 11:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dankev View Post

1. The Apex is quite a bit smaller, and takes a mini board. The Silverstone takes a micro board. I haven't used the Silverstone, but the Apex is a pretty nice case. Nice steel, and I don't have any sharp points in mine. It looks nice in my media cabinet.

2. You don't need a PSU with the Apex. It comes with one. It may not be the greatest, but it works fine. With a build similar to your plan, I get 28 watts at idle, and 35 watts with 1080p playback, so even if it's not the MOST efficient psu, you won't save much with better efficiency. The inclusion of the psu makes the Apex a bargain, in my opinion.

3. Assassin has squeezed the stock cooler from the 2100 into the Apex, but it's a super tight fit. I used the 2100t, which comes with a shorter cooler. Or you could get the 2100 and a low profile cooler.

Thanks, I went with the Apex case. I really wanted something small, and there's not many smaller (that can handle a 5.25" BD player). I also used the included PSU. I'm a bit scared of using cheap PSU's on my case (let's just say I've had some experience and headaches due to lousy PSU's.) But for the little this beast is pulling, I'm willing to risk it. And I agree, it looks pretty sharp. The wife was even impressed when I got it set up this weekend.

Next, I just need to fit a Ceton card in there...
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post #8192 of 15526
10/17/11 at 4:02pm
I'm building my first HTPC. I'm not a complete noob as I've built pc's before and have hooked them up to HDTV's as well, but there are a few things that I want clarified before I start ordering parts. I tried to do my research but just the 2 stickies alone are hundreds of pages, and, frankly, it is just faster to post.

My current rig is running windows xp and sending video signal to my HDTV with a DVI<-->HDMI cable. As it is running in my bedroom, I never felt the need or desire to route audio. It is a decently fast system built for multiple purposes: web browsing, engineering-type programs that require computing power, some gaming, and media. It can run my HD content decently well, though sometimes I notice what looks like poor frame-rate refresh (I believe the term is "tearing" but it's been a while). This could be due to my TV as well, since it is on the older side ~4-5 years.

My dad bought a new house and I want to build him a legitimate HTPC that will connect to the new AV receiver I bought for him. The system will be in the living room and I definitely want to route audio (this is my main area of concern/noobness) - from my research, I'm seeing that there is no good lossless digital audio option yet with PC's (I'm not willing to go the analog route). Is this correct and current information? And what is the recommended method here - get a GPU with HDMI (with audio capability), or use a "split" cable - HDMI on one end (into the tv), DVI and audio (what connector is this) on the other (into the PC)? This is where I need the most information and guidance, as the rest of my concerns are simply about making things "pretty"

Windows 7 - I have avoided paying for a new OS - is it time to get one? From what I've read, the nice, flashy media programs only run on 7?
Any other real reason to get 7? 3.33 gigs of ram on 32bit- xp seems to work fine in my bedroom.

Thanks in advance
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post #8193 of 15526
10/17/11 at 4:11pm
Do yourself a favor and upgrade to Windows 7, best thing you could do. Althought many may not want to hear it, I use Windows 7 64 bit Pro in everyone of my builds.
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post #8194 of 15526
10/17/11 at 4:34pm
Not sure if I should actually post this here, but I got two sets of these lights to go with my HTPC (granted I game on mine in addition to watching movies):
http://www.cyborggaming.com/prod/ambx.htm

They work really well with WMC, and create a really cool effect when watching movies (just like games, the projected color "matches" the on screen color and really creates an entertaining atmosphere).

If you've got some money to burn or want a new toy (they run $99/pr, though I got mine on sale for 10% off) I think they're a very cool addition to a HTPC setup.
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post #8195 of 15526
10/17/11 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 123 View Post

I'm building my first HTPC. I'm not a complete noob as I've built pc's before and have hooked them up to HDTV's as well, but there are a few things that I want clarified before I start ordering parts. I tried to do my research but just the 2 stickies alone are hundreds of pages, and, frankly, it is just faster to post.

My current rig is running windows xp and sending video signal to my HDTV with a DVI<-->HDMI cable. As it is running in my bedroom, I never felt the need or desire to route audio. It is a decently fast system built for multiple purposes: web browsing, engineering-type programs that require computing power, some gaming, and media. It can run my HD content decently well, though sometimes I notice what looks like poor frame-rate refresh (I believe the term is "tearing" but it's been a while). This could be due to my TV as well, since it is on the older side ~4-5 years.

My dad bought a new house and I want to build him a legitimate HTPC that will connect to the new AV receiver I bought for him. The system will be in the living room and I definitely want to route audio (this is my main area of concern/noobness) - from my research, I'm seeing that there is no good lossless digital audio option yet with PC's (I'm not willing to go the analog route). Is this correct and current information? And what is the recommended method here - get a GPU with HDMI (with audio capability), or use a "split" cable - HDMI on one end (into the tv), DVI and audio (what connector is this) on the other (into the PC)? This is where I need the most information and guidance, as the rest of my concerns are simply about making things "pretty"

Windows 7 - I have avoided paying for a new OS - is it time to get one? From what I've read, the nice, flashy media programs only run on 7?
Any other real reason to get 7? 3.33 gigs of ram on 32bit- xp seems to work fine in my bedroom.

Thanks in advance

1. Absolutely upgrade to Windows 7. A huge improvement.
2. Run the HDMI out of the HTPC into the receiver. Then run a second HDMI from the receiver HDMI output to the HDTV. No reason to use a second DVI cable. Or SPDIF optical output --- unless of course you need to for some reason.
3. I use Win 7 x64 as well with no problems at all. The days of being afraid of x64 are behind us if you are using new components. All 32bit programs run just fine in a 64bit environment. Using 32bit is like buying a VCR today. Today and tomorrow is 64bit and there will come a time when a program is only available in 64bit. So why install 32bit now if there is no reason to?
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post #8196 of 15526
10/17/11 at 5:43pm
Just purchased my first BD. Ripped a copy to my hard drive using MakeMKV. During play back I get a lot of corruption and screen clitches.

My DVD rips didn't do this, Any Suggestions??
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post #8197 of 15526
10/17/11 at 6:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tbraden32 View Post

Just purchased my first BD. Ripped a copy to my hard drive using MakeMKV. During play back I get a lot of corruption and screen clitches.

My DVD rips didn't do this, Any Suggestions??

If you really did "purchase" it then there shouldn't be any scratches.

If not then make sure there aren't scratches.

Otherwise try to rip at a slower speed. I can't remember if makemkv has this option.
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post #8198 of 15526
10/17/11 at 6:10pm
Yep. Bought Transformers 3 for my kid...and me of course. Plays fine in my PS3, but ripped it to my hard drive and having trouble.

It does play, but very few minutes there is corruption/lines and so forth over the screen.


I do not think MakeMKV has a speed setting, but I'll check it again right now.
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post #8199 of 15526
10/17/11 at 6:23pm
^^ MakeMKV doesn't offer any speed adjustments, I cleaned the disc of and re-ripping.

Hope this works. Anyone ever have a defective BD and have to take it back?
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post #8200 of 15526
10/17/11 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tbraden32 View Post

Yep. Bought Transformers 3 for my kid...and me of course. Plays fine in my PS3, but ripped it to my hard drive and having trouble.

It does play, but very few minutes there is corruption/lines and so forth over the screen.


I do not think MakeMKV has a speed setting, but I'll check it again right now.

Can't find much about that disc being a problem for makemkv. Can you try another bluray (preferrably an older one)? Its possible you have a bad drive.

What drive do you have?
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post #8201 of 15526
10/17/11 at 6:38pm
It's a Lite-On, can't remember exact one, one of your original recommendations I think. I'll buy another BD tomorrow and test another one out.

All my media is DVDs. Any suggestions on a good BD...sorry for off topic.
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post #8202 of 15526
10/17/11 at 7:11pm
Alright, I feel like an idiot asking this. I just got a new TV, a LG 65LW6500. Seems to be a great TV. I hooked up my HTPC to it and it kept showing that it was 1080i.

I assumed that if I set the screen resolution to 1920x1080 that it was 1080p.

Intel I3-2100T using the onboard graphics.

I was playing around in the intel graphics control panel. I saw that the refresh rate was set to 29hz. Ok.. That looked strange also. I set it to 24hz and low and behold it's telling me now that it's 1080p.

Am I crazy or should I have been setting this all along? I can also set it to 60hz and it shows 1080p.

Why is 29hz 1080i?
Should it be on 24hz or 60hz?

So confused now and I have no excuses for why I don't know this.

Thanks

Josh
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post #8203 of 15526
10/17/11 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tbraden32 View Post

It's a Lite-On, can't remember exact one, one of your original recommendations I think. I'll buy another BD tomorrow and test another one out.

All my media is DVDs. Any suggestions on a good BD...sorry for off topic.

Just get one that you really like from the last few years.
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post #8204 of 15526
10/17/11 at 8:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoshFink View Post

Alright, I feel like an idiot asking this. I just got a new TV, a LG 65LW6500. Seems to be a great TV. I hooked up my HTPC to it and it kept showing that it was 1080i.

I assumed that if I set the screen resolution to 1920x1080 that it was 1080p.

Intel I3-2100T using the onboard graphics.

I was playing around in the intel graphics control panel. I saw that the refresh rate was set to 29hz. Ok.. That looked strange also. I set it to 24hz and low and behold it's telling me now that it's 1080p.

Am I crazy or should I have been setting this all along? I can also set it to 60hz and it shows 1080p.

Why is 29hz 1080i?
Should it be on 24hz or 60hz?

So confused now and I have no excuses for why I don't know this.

Thanks

Josh

I'm not sure. Try toggling 24p mode on and off of your HDTV if you can to see if that makes a difference. Otherwise its likely trial and error to get a combo that you like.

Edit: This may have something to do with it (from online data about your TV):
Quote:


Frame Rate: up to 30 fps (1920 x 108) or 60fps (1280 x 720)
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post #8205 of 15526
10/17/11 at 8:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin View Post

Edit: This may have something to do with it (from online data about your TV):

Frame Rate: up to 30 fps (1920 x 1080) or 60fps (1280 x 720)

So you would think 29 would be 1080p also? No clue.
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post #8206 of 15526
10/17/11 at 8:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoshFink View Post

So you would think 29 would be 1080p also? No clue.

Yes. Just try it out to see how you like it and how it looks. Try a few different settings. You also can make some custom resolutions in the display controller but make sure you know how to boot into safe mode in case they are incompatible.

Someone else who uses reclock or something similar may chime in. I just watch my HTPC and it looks awesome with no issues. I am using 60 fps.
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post #8207 of 15526
10/18/11 at 7:56am
Interesting how things get side-tracked... I was recommended the following options instead of the "standard" i3-2100 combo:
a ASUS E35M1-I DELUXE / bundled with DDR3 1333 4GB RAM
b. Crucial 64 GB M4
c. Silverstone SG-06 : 450 W
d. Samsung 2TB F4
e. LiteOn 8 x Blue ray player

Concerns :

1. Will this case support such a config?
2. Do I need another low profile fan such as Scythe Slip Stream? I was told that Silverstone casing has a pretty good fan
3. Assassin, I am a paying member on your blog- do you have guides for BIOS settings for this build ?
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post #8208 of 15526
10/18/11 at 10:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by charmainelooi View Post

Interesting how things get side-tracked... I was recommended the following options instead of the "standard" i3-2100 combo:
a ASUS E35M1-I DELUXE / bundled with DDR3 1333 4GB RAM
b. Crucial 64 GB M4
c. Silverstone SG-06 : 450 W
d. Samsung 2TB F4
e. LiteOn 8 x Blue ray player

Concerns :

1. Will this case support such a config?
2. Do I need another low profile fan such as Scythe Slip Stream? I was told that Silverstone casing has a pretty good fan
3. Assassin, I am a paying member on your blog- do you have guides for BIOS settings for this build ?

I still prefer the Sandy Bridge systems over AMD. SB has a better CPU and much better drivers (I find the ATI drivers almost unusable on my specific setup). In the future it will be much easier to throw in a new video card in 2-3 years for the SB than to try to upgrade the AMD build. Yes, the AMD has a better GPU for gaming but for standard 1080p they are roughly the same. This was my experience anyway using a ATI 5450 discrete card.

1. It supports 1 SSD, 1 standard hard drive and one SLIM optical drive (most slim drives also require a special power and data adapter)
2. I haven't used that case so I can't comment.
3. No, unfortunately even for a single manufacturer there are multiple versions of bios. So while I show you one version you can usually use the settings that I use to get your bios dialed in. I would love to do more setup guides but unfortunately I would have to buy many different motherboards and CPUs which is not possible currently, unfortunately.
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post #8209 of 15526
10/18/11 at 12:04pm
Will order this tomorrow...
I will use this for XBMC, blu rays, dvd, and light gaming

I need to know if everything is ok and will fit in the case?

i3 2100
Scythe Big Shuriken CPU cooler
Asus Msximus IV Gene-Z Z68 micro atx mobo
4gb corsair xms3 ram
ATI Sapphire 6670 Ultimate passive GFX
crucial m4 128gb (bigger capacity for some games)
seasonic X-460 fanless psu (same price as the 400W so going for the bigger one)
sony 5300s blu-ray drive
lian li PC-C50B case

Is this ok and will everything fit nicely?

Thanks
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post #8210 of 15526
10/18/11 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nameless_87 View Post

Will order this tomorrow...
I will use this for XBMC, blu rays, dvd, and light gaming

I need to know if everything is ok and will fit in the case?

i3 2100
Scythe Big Shuriken CPU cooler
Asus Msximus IV Gene-Z Z68 micro atx mobo
4gb corsair xms3 ram
ATI Sapphire 6670 Ultimate passive GFX
crucial m4 128gb (bigger capacity for some games)
seasonic X-460 fanless psu (same price as the 400W so going for the bigger one)
sony 5300s blu-ray drive
lian li PC-C50B case

Is this ok and will everything fit nicely?

Thanks

Its been a few months since I used that case. If I remember correctly if you use a large CPU cooler you will lose at least 1 of your hard drive mounts.

For a gaming case I would recommend going with the Silverstone GD04/05. I know for a fact that it can fit large cards and the Shuriken.
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post #8211 of 15526
10/18/11 at 1:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin View Post

Its been a few months since I used that case. If I remember correctly if you use a large CPU cooler you will lose at least 1 of your hard drive mounts.

For a gaming case I would recommend going with the Silverstone GD04/05. I know for a fact that it can fit large cards and the Shuriken.

Thing is since I won't have hard drives except the SSD, I will remove some of the cages... I assume they can be removed yes?

I don't need HDDs in the HTPC, I have got a NAS with 11TB for storage.

What do you think about this?
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post #8212 of 15526
10/18/11 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nameless_87 View Post

Thing is since I won't have hard drives except the SSD, I will remove some of the cages... I assume they can be removed yes?

I don't need HDDs in the HTPC, I have got a NAS with 11TB for storage.

What do you think about this?

In that case I think it should work just fine.

There is also a low profile Geminii that I have been dying to try out. I am not sure where you can buy it though.

That case is very nice. The USB 3.0 cable inside is very very strange though. Its like 3 feet long and runs out the back of the case and plugs into your motherboard on the rear of the case. Very strange and the cord is way too long.

A good case otherwise.
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post #8213 of 15526
10/18/11 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin View Post

In that case I think it should work just fine.

There is also a low profile Geminii that I have been dying to try out. I am not sure where you can buy it though.

That case is very nice. The USB 3.0 cable inside is very very strange though. Its like 3 feet long and runs out the back of the case and plugs into your motherboard on the rear of the case. Very strange and the cord is way too long.

A good case otherwise.

Thanks, however I can't find the Gemini M4 yet and I need to order tomorrow...

What I need to know as well... will the CPU cooler, ram and ATI 6670 Ultimate fit together in the case?

Also, since I am going for a passive GFX is the 6670 ultimate a good choice for blu rays, 3d blu rays and light gaming?
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post #8214 of 15526
10/18/11 at 2:28pm
I just thought I'd pop a note in here for those folks seeking to use a low-profile case and the Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCI cable TV card. Now, not all low-profile cases are necessarily the same, but here is the problem I ran into when I installed the Ceton into my LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C37B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811112186).

The black frame and the lid/cover to the back of the case overhangs the chrome-like inner frame where the pci cards are accessed. Once the Ceton card was installed, I attempted to install the M-card from my local cable TV company and found the overhang forced the insertion to be at an upward angle and ultimately made it impossible to successfully insert the M-card.

I had to use an angle grinder to grind the case frame and cover to be flush or nearly so with the chrome-like inner frame. After filing the edges so I wouldn't cut myself every time I touched the cover or the case frame back there, I sprayed some matte black paint into the spray-can's cap and applied it to the exposed aluminum of the case and cover with a cotton swab. Now I am back in business, so to speak.

I'll share more on the whole build as soon as I can......
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post #8215 of 15526
10/18/11 at 2:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nameless_87 View Post

Thanks, however I can't find the Gemini M4 yet and I need to order tomorrow...

What I need to know as well... will the CPU cooler, ram and ATI 6670 Ultimate fit together in the case?

Also, since I am going for a passive GFX is the 6670 ultimate a good choice for blu rays, 3d blu rays and light gaming?

I think you can learn a lot by reading this thread... Link
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post #8216 of 15526
10/18/11 at 4:00pm
when does this thread come out in hardcover?
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post #8217 of 15526
10/19/11 at 9:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin View Post

I think you can learn a lot by reading this thread... Link

Thanks for the link.

I've been reading all day regarding good cpu coolers that are low profile.

What do you think about the Thermalright AXP-140?

If it is good... I would need a good fan for it which is super silent... Can you suggest one? Also it takes 120mm and 140mm fans. Which one is better regarding noise and cooling?

Most of all, I think it will fit in the Lian Li C50B... the problem with the shuriken is that it is too wide so the GFX and the shuriken big on the Gene-Z will be something like 1mm apart...

Also the height of the AXP-140 is 70.2mm without a fan whereas the Big Shuriken is 58mm without the fan... if you add a 25mm fan to the AXP-140 RT would still fit? If not, will the case be ok without one hard drive cage (in case I have to remove it)?

Opinions?
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post #8218 of 15526
10/19/11 at 7:24pm
I am following the guide, but ran into an issue with the TV setup. I am using a ceton cable card and the recordings from WMC are stored in the format Name_Station_Date, which is often not recognized by MCM. What's the best way to change the way WMC stores the recorded file? I read about the registry adjustment to add the filename string with %T_%Et_%Dt is that the best route?

When I add the TV folder to MCM it shows up as a movie folder. All files are referenced against the moviedb or imdb rather than thetvdb. I can set the mode to force tv and then it will search thetvdb, but then it does not search my movies correctly. Am I missing something simple to set the tv folder as tv within MCM. I can rename a show in the correct format and force MCM to manually add as a tv show, but I would like to get this automated so it picks up all my scheduled recordings.
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post #8219 of 15526
10/19/11 at 7:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rphilli5 View Post

I am following the guide, but ran into an issue with the TV setup. I am using a ceton cable card and the recordings from WMC are stored in the format Name_Station_Date, which is often not recognized by MCM. What's the best way to change the way WMC stores the recorded file? I read about the registry adjustment to add the filename string with %T_%Et_%Dt is that the best route?

When I add the TV folder to MCM it shows up as a movie folder. All files are referenced against the moviedb or imdb rather than thetvdb. I can set the mode to force tv and then it will search thetvdb, but then it does not search my movies correctly. Am I missing something simple to set the tv folder as tv within MCM. I can rename a show in the correct format and force MCM to manually add as a tv show, but I would like to get this automated so it picks up all my scheduled recordings.

Check the MCM forums. There's a few suggestions including this one.
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post #8220 of 15526
10/20/11 at 7:47am
Hi. Total noob here. I just did my first build based on the recommendations here but I'm having some trouble.

Antec Three Hundred Case
Llano A8-3850
AsRock A75M
4GB DDR3 1600 G.Skill Ripjaws
Samsung EcoGreen 2TB
Rosewill Green Series 430w
Asus 24x DVD burner
Windows 7 64bit

Everything started up fine, but it randomly shuts down by itself occasionally. The bios settings are all set to auto currently. I would like to change them to run the ram at 1600, but I figured since it's unstable on auto, I probably shouldn't mess with that just yet. A friend of mine who built the computer for me thinks it might be the power supply thats causing the resets, but I wanted to get some other opinions before returning it and trying something else.

Also, my tv is a mitsubishi lt-52151 which has built in surround sound. I dont have a receiver or sub woofer or anything like that. I just have an hdmi running directly from the computer to the tv. But I can't get the computer to recognize the fact that the tv has surround. The audio settings only list 2 channels as a supported audio format. Is there anything I can do?
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