HTPC vs. Pre/Pro

Originally Posted by Manchild 

All,
I'm in the process of upgrading our home theatre and wanted to see if now might be the right time to put together a HTPC for our needs. The real question is whether I can put something together for less than what a dedicated AVR/Pre/Pro would cost. The following are the objectives of a build:

1. 2D and 3D Blu-ray playback
2. Verizon FiOS integration (presumably via CableCARD)
3. Video processing
   • 1080p24 passthrough of Blu-ray
   • 1080p scaling, deinterlacing, and enhancement (e.g. sharpening) of content
   • Color management system for calibration (i.e. ISFccc)
4. Audio processing
   • Decoding of Dolby Digital, TrueHD, DTS-MA, etc.
   • 5.1+ audio pre-outs for use with external amplification
   • Room correction
5. Simple user interface for family usage
6. Integration with tablet/smartphone devices

I'd be willing to spend between $1,500 and $1,750 for this build if needed as that is what a comparable pre/pro would run me; obviously if I can do it for less that would be awesome! My initial reaction is that I'm likely looking at a i5+GPU+HD HomeRun+Xonar HDAV type setup, thoughts?

Originally Posted by Manchild 

So it sounds like this is a possibility and thank you for the link to the audio cards.
If I were to put in a graphics card (likely for MadVR support...and occasional gaming) is there generally a preference between Radeon and GeForce?
Two things that still seem murky are:

1. Room correction/calibration - Is this possible and if so how is it done? From what I've gathered the only real option is JRiver MC, but that seems to be more of a just a general per channel level adjustment than an actual acoustical correction.
2. Audio/video switching - With a 7MC/XBMC/JRiver setup is it possible to have the HTPC effectively act as a switcher (e.g. when I want to watch a Blu-ray it will automatically launch the requisite player, engage MadVR with a preset where there is no scaling; when I want to watch FiOS it will launch a different player, engage MadVR to include scaling/deinterlacing, etc.)?

Originally Posted by Manchild 

I don't disagree. Getting quality audio and video out isn't a concern; having no real (or even reasonably straightforward) room correction is a big drawback.
I may see if there are standalone Room EQ boxes to put in-between the Halo XT and the amps.

Originally Posted by Manchild 

Yea, but how hard is that to setup as opposed to grabbing a mic and hitting a button (i.e. Audyssey XT32 on an AVR)?
Lots of things I like about a HTPC...just how hard it will be to get it equivalently setup.

Originally Posted by Manchild 

Of course, but from what I've read of REW thus far it doesn't seem straightforward. The rest of it doesn't concern me...other than no real way to do a 12V trigger to the amps.

Originally Posted by Manchild 

Of course, but from what I've read of REW thus far it doesn't seem straightforward. The rest of it doesn't concern me...other than no real way to do a 12V trigger to the amps.

Originally Posted by Manchild 

Define simple
I've also been reading that Win7 also has room correction natively. What are the principle differences?

Originally Posted by Manchild 

I basically consider "room correction" to accomplish two principal things: 1) frequency/level management to produce a flat frequency response when utilizing the entire system (including sub); and 2) phase/time management to ensure that sounds converge on the listener as creatively intended.

Originally Posted by NorCalJason 

DSX = Additional channels (nothing to do with #1)
LFC = Bass noise blocking (nothing to do with #1)
Dynamic EQ = Low volume listening enhancements (nothing to do with #1)
Dynamic Volume = Auto volume leveling (nothing to do with #1)
2 EQ = Automated filters for all channels but subwoofer (doesn't meet your #1).

Originally Posted by stanger89 

Those aren't room correction. Room correction is frequency (sometimes phase) correction based on measurements of one, or ideally many, location in the room. Things like Anthem Room Correction, Audessey MultiEQ, etc. There's really no good* way to do this on a PC.
*good means it's relatively easy to set up and works across all media played equally.

Originally Posted by NorCalJason 

Easy is relative.

You can currently use JRiver to apply parametric eq filters across all media played.

Originally Posted by stanger89 

Easy is not having to record your room response, generate an impulse response, feed it into a program to generate a correction filter, and load that into yet another program to actually do the correction, etc, etc.
In that application, but not in any other applications (Windows Media Center, Total Media Theater, etc).

Originally Posted by Manchild 

Have to do WMC if I want live TV (FiOS, not OTA). If I'm not going to fold live TV into the mix than building a HTPC solves nothing (for me). The goal for me is convergence; to basically have the PC act as a single source driving my amplifiers and display.
So long and short is that if I want as clean an interface as possible for WAF I basically have to run 7MC (again...for live TV) and MPC-HC (via OpenWith or MediaBrowser) for Blu-ray playback (and potentially with AnyDVD HD if I want to play straight from the disc). If I look at the lowest common denominator (7MC) my only real room correction option is whatever is built into Windows 7, yes? And if so it can account for per channel levels and timing, but not overall frequency response of the system (like MultEQ XT32).
As much as I hate to say it this is looking like a challenging value proposition...and I'm frustrated and Microsoft (and others) aren't backing a media convergence platform...shame.