Further Modernizing my HT Experience

I used to have a HTPC many years ago and it always took up lots of my time tweaking and fixing things, and it was noisy. Also, I used to have lots of time to tinker back then but now lack the time and patience for all that. I'd rather pay more to just have something work good out of the box.

I've heard things have changed since then with HTPCs.

Since those days (6+ years now) I've been using two networked media tanks (Popcorn Hour A110 & A200), and they really do work great for mkv file playback from my 4TB NAS server.

However, the PCHs do not do (or do well) a few things I would like. Mostly these things are about what modern smart TVs do, and that's where I'd like to move my media experience towards.

Here is a list of the more important ones:

1. easy access to youtube (and maybe other sites) and display with better quality than what I geet from hooking my ipad up via apple a/v hdmi cable
I should mention I live in Canada, so some great content (like Hulu, etc.) is not available here

2. Nice slick GUI interface with movie art, music album art, music playlists, etc. without need to do endless tweaking to get it right.

3. FLAC music file playback with iPad/iPhone control - or at least from some display (so I don't need to turn my projector on)

4. Capability to access paid content beyond my mkv files

5. Control of entire system via iOS device (but I would settle for a good solution invovling harmony remote or even HT keyboard/mouse/trackball) - but user interface is a key part of this solution for me...currenlty using Harmony remote and it works good

6. Improve picture quality over PCHs (currently use Epson 1080UB projector)


As secondary options I would consider (depending on ability to get these functions all in one box or not):

A. PVR for cable TV - but don't necessarily want to go to huge expense to do this with separate card and local HDD, etc.

B. Bluray disc player - i don't own many as most content


Options I've considered and would like some opinion on:

1. Keeping one PCH and replacing other with a HTPC
If this is the best option, I'd like ot hear about which HTPC option is best.
Are Assassin's builds the best guides to follow?

2. Keeping my existing PCHs and adding Apple TV or Roku

3. Keeping my existing PCHs and adding a Sonos Connect (would only fix my music need, albeit in a fantastic manner)

4. Replacing PCHs with newer PCH boxes (A300, A400 or C300)

My audio system is just the flac files on my NAS streamed through my popcorn box to my marantz sr7002 receiver.

Video is the same but the files of course are mkv.

Ok, so I've ventured down the road of building an HTPC:

Parts:
i3-3225
Gigabyte H77M-D3H
G.Skill RipjawsX 1600 2x2GB
Silverstone GD05B case
Antec 380w Greenwatts PSU
AData 120GB SSD (50GB for boot partition)

So far I'm using Assassin's guides and have installed Windows 7, an dconfigure MCE and MediaBrowser.

I also purchased one of those Lenovo RF Keyboard/Mouse things but I'm 25 feet away from the HTPC and it isn't working very well at all (not very smooth and often doesn't respond).

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a solid keyboard/mouse/trackball keyboard for couch use that works well?

But I'll likey get a Harmony remote for regular navigation of MCE and Mediabrowser.

I put it right into the back of my HTPC, but it is about 20 feet behind me as I sit on the couch. Thinking maybe the USB extension cord idea might be a good idea to try.

Overall though, I would think it' slikley best to have a Harmony remote for most uses, and then to use the Lenovo when you need to do any desktop navigation or typing?

Good question. Mainly because just following Assassin's build advice.

My first HTPC build in 8 years.

Could you elaborate further on exactly what each of the above items listed is and how it works? Maybe XBMC is the better option then, but I'll likely see this WMC/MB build through to see if it works well for my needs....will it give me youtube though? I am after that whole smart tv functinality and not just replicating in a nice gui mkv file playback (albeit that is a critical piece).

Hmmm. I'm wondering then what using an HTPC gets me above just using my popcorn hour boxes and adding an aptv? I was hoping for a full integration of youtube and other video sources like vevo, etc. into my HTPC alongside my slick gui/playback of mkv and my extensive flac audio file collection (not sure if they have IDv3 tags...how would I check this?)

I just spent $500+ on HTPC parts, so wondering if maybe a $100 APTV3 purchase might just have been enough, which would also give me airplay from my iOS devices.

I don't mind spending the time trying the different computer-based player options, and I think I will at least finish that exercise.

I was just in the meantime (since I'm just killing time at work here wondering what above/beyond using a Popcorn Hour & APTV/Roku solution I get with an HTPC.

I was hoping to have a media solution that integrated all kinds of streams and interesting content into one slick GUI and possibly then adding a tv tuner card one day to also do away with my cablebox which I could then have one box that does it all.

Guess the next couple days of configuring and trial/error will tell me that.


It seems that if my PCHs stream my mkv content, and aptv streams my flac content (right?) and aptv also gets me youtube and a few other online streaming sources than that would be the far cheaper and easier way to go, no?

But, would you agree that after spending the time to set it all up it works better than any of the various device ht setups (aptv + popcorn hour, etc?). Where I would think after setup you wouldn't need to tinker any longer and it would look and sound superior?

Also, what about the picture quality on hd mkv files? Is it improved over what a pch can do?

And of course for flac music file playback. I would think bit streaming out to avr is better than going through pch box to avr?

Thanks and yes, I've decided to stick with building my HTPC and so far Mediabrowser is awesome. I also launch XBMC from within MB when I want to get to Youtube.

Currently tagging all my music properly to use the MBMusic plugin.

Finally, and most importantly, I don't know what it is but I find the picture quality HUGELY improved playing the same file on my HTPC vs. on the popcorn hour. The PCH was very flat colour and almost life-less compared to what I have now on my HTPC which almost takes on a 3D quality to it. Colors pop right out.
I've set it up using Assassins guides, which includes using the LAV codecs.

Any feedback on this last point?