[EIGHTLUG]

I'm in the process of building a HTPC with some parts from my old gaming rig. I've pulled them off the shelf and put them to good use!


Hardware:


Lian Li PC-C32 HTPC Case (black)


ASUS RAMPAGE EXTREME Motherboard


Intel QX9770


XFX 5750 "BLACK EDITION" Edition Graphics Card HDMI -new


Mushkin Enhanced Redline DDR3 4GB 2x2 Timing: 6-8-6-24 -new


Pioneer BDR-2203 Blu Ray player/Burner


(2) 1TB Western Digital Caviar Green HDD -new


CORSAIR 650 W PSU


HK 775 CPU cooler "Murdered Out"


355 Pump


BitsPower Multi 80 Res


Progress so far!

Now the other day I was looking at the case and it occurred to me that I could mount the 120.2 radiator internally.

That radiator is for the build I'm doing for my Wife. That's why it's orange. I had originally planned to go with an ATi 5750 but I couldn't source a decent waterblock for it so I went ahead and upgraded the GPU to an XFX 5850: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-454-_-Product This would be the GPU with a HK waterblock:

Now the murdered out heatkiller CPU block may be replaced with a chromed block I have on hand to look more uniform once I get the GPU waterblock chromed. I know it'll be in a HTPC and you'll never see it but the chrome will keep the copper from oxidizing over time. Heat transfer loss would be minimal with this mod.


Should have more updates the weekend!

 

[hirent]

Have you decided on the OS and Media Player you'd like to use?

 

[EIGHTLUG]

Yeah OS will be Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. Still up in the air on the media player. The more I read the more unsure I am with which to choose.

 

[hirent]



Quote:
Originally Posted by EIGHTLUG /forum/post/18208885


Yeah OS will be Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. Still up in the air on the media player. The more I read the more unsure I am with which to choose.

Depends on your file types.


For eg.:

I play only DVDs, Blu-Rays & Mp3s/Cds on my HTPC and the occasional OTA show.

I use Media Center with the Media Browser & Music Browser plug-in for everything.

MC plays DVDs as well as Mp3 and I setup MB & MuB as front-end navigation tools.

MC can't play BDs so I use PowerDVD and MPC-HC (with ffdshow) for that.

With PowerDVD and other BD players (except for TMT), it is not possible to play from folders (ostensibly to prevent piracy). So the trick is to make an image (ISO) file of your BD backups and mount it in a virtual optical drive. This virtual drive can be accomplished via Daemon Tools Lite and Virtual Clone Drive. Both are free, I use Daemon Tools, never gave me a problem.


I have never needed to look into anything else, so I never have. And hence can't advise you on other formats/players.

 

[EIGHTLUG]

See I currently run Power DVD in my gaming rig to play B'rays. I'm cool with it. And MC works fine for me too. As far as playing SD DVDs and audio CDs goes. I know there's some really great software out there but they start using acronyms that a HTPC n0b as myself just gets bogged down in when reading the literature. Could you or someone possibly point me in the direction of some good ripping/burning software for B'rays and DVDs?

 

[hirent]

Just need one: AnyDVD HD


Its a compact software and runs in the background. While it is running all copy protections are nullified. The discs will seem to have no protection at all. Get the lifetime subscription and you'll be set for all time.


With anydvd, you can backup your DVDs and Blu-Rays with a single click.

All you have to do is right-click on it and select 'Rip to Hard-Drive' or 'Rip as Image'. The former will rip the folders as they are, onto the drive and the latter will create an ISO.

I prefer folders for DVD and ISO for Blu-Rays.


DVD Shrink is another free utility for DVD backup. It can rip 1:1 copy of Full Disc or just the main movie or a compressed version to fit a single-layer DVD.

DVD Shrink can work with AnyDVD running in the background.