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END of the HTPC (for me)- parting out questions?

post #1 of 20
7/29/12 at 11:29pm
Thread Starter 
After more than a decade of HTPC'ing I've finally gone to set top boxes.

Since I no longer need the extra computer case, parts, etc. I was wondering if they have any value?

I have:

1) Silverstone LaScala LC13 full-size case in silver (in decent shape) no PS
2) Radeon HD3600 w/ component video and dual DVI outputs
3) LG GGC-H20L HD-DVD and blu-ray player (barely used)
4) Gigabyte MB w/ Dual E2200 and 2GB RAM (I figure this might be a keeper as low value?)

Thanks for any suggestions/ideas. (I've attached a likeness of the case.)

Brian

silverstone la scala lc13.jpg 26k .jpg file
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post #2 of 20
7/30/12 at 5:14am
The case and blu-ray drive definitely have value ($100-$125 total?), but the other two are probably ready to be recycled.
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post #3 of 20
7/30/12 at 5:35am
Your case definelty still has value...

What motivated you to move beyond HTPC's and into just set-top boxes?
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post #4 of 20
7/30/12 at 9:37am
Look up all the items on Amazon and look at the used prices (on the right hand side in a yellow box), if there are not many people selling it or its not being sold anymore new then its probably dead and unsellable. Usually pc parts are nearly worthless used unless they are still current. The amount of use doesnt matter, its how old they are.
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post #5 of 20
7/30/12 at 10:22am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info. I'll check Amazon and ebay. The case is the one thing that was fairly expensive and nice and figured it would hold value. I was also thinking that someone may want a drive that still plays HD-DVD discs.

I'll check the video card and see if anyone wants a card that can do component and digital video at the same time.

B.
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post #6 of 20
7/30/12 at 10:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bizzy G.L.X. View Post

What motivated you to move beyond HTPC's and into just set-top boxes?

Reliability, size, noise, lack of maintenance and fuss and even cost.

B.
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post #7 of 20
7/30/12 at 10:55am
Out of curiosity -

What STBs are you going to? Do you have a server for the house? And....did you use the HTPC with a CableCard?

Just (a little more) curious as to your thinking. Im actually the opposite-since upgrading the network in the house, building a server, and getting a HD Homerun Prime, I want to go to more HTPCs....am very interested in something with a small form factor. Only hate is the lack of CableCard implementation into XBMC...but i love some of the add-ons for XBMC.
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post #8 of 20
7/30/12 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike10778 View Post

Out of curiosity -
What STBs are you going to? Do you have a server for the house? And....did you use the HTPC with a CableCard?
Just (a little more) curious as to your thinking. Im actually the opposite-since upgrading the network in the house, building a server, and getting a HD Homerun Prime, I want to go to more HTPCs....am very interested in something with a small form factor. Only hate is the lack of CableCard implementation into XBMC...but i love some of the add-ons for XBMC.

J. River has the same issue with no cable card support but I hear that may be changing or at least "There working on it " .

Really SAD to see a fellow htpc (er) leaving the hobby . I guess I don't understand the " reliability , size, cost and noise "

O.P.

Is that really the case or is your system in need of replacement ? Judging by you current system list you need an up date . There is a nice mini itx that assassin is ( has ) building that sounds like it has your needs covered or at least address what your complaints are currently .

Sure wish you would reconsider ?
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post #9 of 20
7/30/12 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B View Post

Reliability, size, noise, lack of maintenance and fuss and even cost.
B.

Sorry to see you go.

I have tried to make using a HTPC as easy as possible. My wife and kids use mine every single day and she can barely turn on the TV she is so technologically deficient. So it can be done if you wanted to give it another shot.
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post #10 of 20
7/30/12 at 6:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B View Post

Reliability, size, noise, lack of maintenance and fuss and even cost.
B.

Cost? you already put the money into it.
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post #11 of 20
7/30/12 at 7:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike10778 View Post

Out of curiosity -
What STBs are you going to? Do you have a server for the house? And....did you use the HTPC with a CableCard?
Just (a little more) curious as to your thinking. Im actually the opposite-since upgrading the network in the house, building a server, and getting a HD Homerun Prime, I want to go to more HTPCs....am very interested in something with a small form factor. Only hate is the lack of CableCard implementation into XBMC...but i love some of the add-ons for XBMC.

Bought a Dune H1. Yeah, I have a server. No, had a Dish Network satellite HD DVR for years and now download.

Without getting into a long diatribe...tired of the upgrading, tweaking and maintenance.

B.
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post #12 of 20
7/30/12 at 7:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by flocko View Post

J. River has the same issue with no cable card support but I hear that may be changing or at least "There working on it " .
Really SAD to see a fellow htpc (er) leaving the hobby . I guess I don't understand the " reliability , size, cost and noise "
O.P.
Is that really the case or is your system in need of replacement ? Judging by you current system list you need an up date . There is a nice mini itx that assassin is ( has ) building that sounds like it has your needs covered or at least address what your complaints are currently .
Sure wish you would reconsider ?

I appreciate the thoughts. I guess you've nailed it on the head--I'm not looking to continue "a hobby." That's exactly what it has been...I just want to watch old TV shows and some new ones. Occasionally, I'll play DVDs that are stored on the server.

I want to spend more time enjoyed the media and less time fiddling with the hardware to make it work--thus the settop box.

I need both analog and digital HD output and it has been difficult to get it working reliably with the HTPC.

B.
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post #13 of 20
7/30/12 at 7:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin View Post

Sorry to see you go.
I have tried to make using a HTPC as easy as possible. My wife and kids use mine every single day and she can barely turn on the TV she is so technologically deficient. So it can be done if you wanted to give it another shot.

Don't take it personally.

The work and time that you, Rene (and in the past Wayne, Mark Rehjon, etc.) put in to help people get started in this hobby is admirable. Without the guides and constant advice I can't imagine it being possible for many of us to even have had working HTPCs.

I find that my needs and demands have evolved into a non-HTPC. If it turns out to be a collosal failure then you might see me again.

Until then, enjoy!

B.
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post #14 of 20
7/30/12 at 8:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B View Post

Bought a Dune H1. Yeah, I have a server. No, had a Dish Network satellite HD DVR for years and now download.
Without getting into a long diatribe...tired of the upgrading, tweaking and maintenance.
B.

Just as a note, the best way to maintain a HTPC is not do it. I`m still running an older version of the Intel HD drivers and Catalyst Control Center, and the WIndows install is the Service Pack base, no other updates. And it works like a charm.

Oh yeah, and switching from AMD GPUs to the Intel iGP solved my HDMI handschaking issues along the line.
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post #15 of 20
7/30/12 at 8:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenEyez View Post

Just as a note, the best way to maintain a HTPC is not do it. I`m still running an older version of the Intel HD drivers and Catalyst Control Center, and the WIndows install is the Service Pack base, no other updates. And it works like a charm.

That's very true - once you've got everything working, leave it alone. It should run just fine, and won't really benefit from updates--more than likely, they're going to mess something up instead.
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post #16 of 20
7/30/12 at 9:11pm
HTPC has simply moved beyond that hardware. A commercial DVR will not get you past problems of reliability either.
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post #17 of 20
7/31/12 at 6:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rantanamo View Post

HTPC has simply moved beyond that hardware. A commercial DVR will not get you past problems of reliability either.

nope, the least reliable part of a computer is the hard drive and DVR's still have those.
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post #18 of 20
7/31/12 at 6:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B View Post

I appreciate the thoughts. I guess you've nailed it on the head--I'm not looking to continue "a hobby." That's exactly what it has been...I just want to watch old TV shows and some new ones. Occasionally, I'll play DVDs that are stored on the server.
I want to spend more time enjoyed the media and less time fiddling with the hardware to make it work--thus the settop box.
I need both analog and digital HD output and it has been difficult to get it working reliably with the HTPC.
B.

Huh, maybe you had bad luck. I had a athlon II system and a Llano system and both have really only "required" me to do driver updates, since windows updates are automatic. They have pretty much been maintenance free. I guess I did spend a lot of unnecessary time going from athlon II to Llano, but again the athlon system was working fine and I could still be using it without the added effort.
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post #19 of 20
7/31/12 at 7:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rantanamo View Post

HTPC has simply moved beyond that hardware. A commercial DVR will not get you past problems of reliability either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffkro View Post

nope, the least reliable part of a computer is the hard drive and DVR's still have those.

I guess you missed the part where he said he's been using the Dish DVR and not the PC for his DVR.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcturkey View Post

That's very true - once you've got everything working, leave it alone.

Ah, but there's the rub isn't it, getting everything working in the first place. I was pretty close before with my SageTV/SageClient setup, but that was before HD and especially Blu-ray. But even then I had playback issues with some recordings that I didn't notice (trained myself to ignore them or something) until I got Sage's first real extender. I never did get frame rate switching working seamlessly, and native resolution output is still impossible. Things standalone boxes do easily.
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post #20 of 20
7/31/12 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stanger89 View Post

I guess you missed the part where he said he's been using the Dish DVR and not the PC for his DVR.
Ah, but there's the rub isn't it, getting everything working in the first place. I was pretty close before with my SageTV/SageClient setup, but that was before HD and especially Blu-ray. But even then I had playback issues with some recordings that I didn't notice (trained myself to ignore them or something) until I got Sage's first real extender. I never did get frame rate switching working seamlessly, and native resolution output is still impossible. Things standalone boxes do easily.

Eh, maybe it's just me, but getting everything working up front wasn't all that tough. The hardest part, for me, has been leaving it alone - I would dearly love to completely redesign the WMC interface using some of the available tools (redesign the layout entirely, not just skin/theme it), but I know full well it'll just break things in the process. Does my current setup play every format? No, but I'm fine with converting all of my movies to m2ts h.264 ac3 to ensure reliable playback on the extenders.
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