[mdogbucket]

In order to help people (like me) who are trying to assemble a working, stable, HTPC that meets the minimum requirements for HD-DVD and/or Blu Ray playback, please list your WORKING hardware combination, i.e. MOBO, RAM, CPU and more if you'd like, but especially the above three.


There seem to be many incompatible or less than ideal MOBO / RAM combos, and it would be really helpful to have a list of HTPCs that people have actually been using that are up and running. This information combined with the excellent sticky HTPC recommended components would combine to be invaluable.


Please DON'T POST examples of what you want to build or dream of working, only known tested examples that you have. Thanks!

 

[mortifer]

My Working HDDVD HTPC setup:


Intel Core Duo 6600

Asus P5B Motherboard

2G DDR2-800

eVGA 7950GT HDCP PCIe Video Card to Sammy DLP HL-S5679 via DVI > HDMI cable

WD 500G 7200RPM

XBOX 360 HDDVD Drive

PowerDVD Ultra

MCE 2005


Runs HDDVD with NO problems. Normally utilization is between 45-60% during HD Movies.

 

[mmace]

Working blu-ray set up (and HD-DVD when I get software!):


Pentium D 3.4 Ghz

2Gb DDR2 RAM

Foxxconn 945 motherboard

GeForce 7950GT 256Mb (1 DVI to analogue monitor, other to HDTV)

Sony BWU-100A Blu-ray writer

XBox 360 HD-DVD drive

PowerDVD Ultra

4 internal HDD's totalling 800Gb

3 external HDD's totalling 500Gb

Media Center 2005 RollUp 2

 

[debsman]

AMD Athlon 64 3500+

1GB DDR2 RAM

Abit Fatality mainboard

nVidia 7800GT OC 256MB PCIe

Onboard soundcard w/TOSLink out (Realtek)

(3) 300GB HDD

WinTV USB Analog tuner

(2) Avermedia A180 HDTV Tuner Cards

Generic DVD Burner

Harmony 688 remote

Vista Home Premium

 

[maxleung]

Silicon, copper, sheet metal, plastic, and a sprinkle of galium arsenide.


Works for me!

 

[tipstir]

AMD X64 2800+ overclocked to 2.8GHz

MSI-Neo-V 5-PCI, Ultra 133, RAID 0/1, SATA

PSU 530W

Kingston Value RAM PC3200 1GB DDR

MAXTOR 60GB Ultra 133 2MB Cache for OS/Programs

MAXTOR 200GB Ultra 133 8MB Cache for Media Storage

MAXTOR 300GB PATA 133 16MB Cache for Recordings

NEC DVD Player

Geforce MX4000 AGP 8x 128MB DDR2 128-bit over clocked 250/400MHz

HAU PVR-150 (4)

Magdog Turbo Case FAN 80mm - air-in-take

Magdog Turbo Case FAN 120mm-air-out-take

 

[umdivx]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mdogbucket /forum/post/0


In order to help people (like me) who are trying to assemble a working, stable, HTPC that meets the minimum requirements for HD-DVD and/or Blu Ray playback, please list your WORKING hardware combination, i.e. MOBO, RAM, CPU and more if you'd like, but especially the above three.


There seem to be many incompatible or less than ideal MOBO / RAM combos, and it would be really helpful to have a list of HTPCs that people have actually been using that are up and running. This information combined with the excellent sticky HTPC recommended components would combine to be invaluable.


Please DON'T POST examples of what you want to build or dream of working, only known tested examples that you have. Thanks!

I just built this setup for my brother:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813121053
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116238


then added the Prolink USA HDMI ADD2 card for $43


and I can get smooth HD DVD playback with the xbox 360 addon drive.


- Josh

 

[pcCinema]

core2duo e4300 clocked to 2.4ghz on asrock 775 dual VSTA with 1g ddr2 667 ram, 9800pro agp, WD 320g hdd.


Troy

 

[galileo2000]



Quote:
Originally Posted by maxleung /forum/post/0


Silicon, copper, sheet metal, plastic, and a sprinkle of galium arsenide.


Works for me!

Same here.


"In order" part kind of confuses me. I don't take orders from anyone except my wife.

 

[white_2kgt]

AX4C MAX II

P4 3.0GHz (OCed to 3.3 to play HDDVD)

512x2 DDR2, don't remember the brand

320GB Maxtor SATA HD

nVidial Dual TV

SageTV

USB-UIRT

Gigabyte 7600GT

 

[joe531]

Celeron D 2.67GHZ Processor

256MB RAM

HP dvd840i

Lite-On SHW-160P6S

PNY NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200

x2 Western Digital 160GB HDD

Hauppauge HVR-1600

Hauppauge PVR-150


And I use gbpvr as my DVR program.

 

[lexx_kun]

HTPC:

Asus A8Jm notebook

CoreDuo T2400 (1.86GHz)

1024MB RAM

Geforce 7600 512MB outputting VGA, DVI-D, SVIDEO

Integrated Intel HD sound, output hybrid 1/8" headphone/SPDIF jack

100GB internal HD + 200GB + 120GB external USB2 HDDs

Internal DVD-RW

DVR? No need, I dislike 99% of broadcast television, and I prefer watching sports in bars


TV:


Sony 60" LCOS Rear Projection KDS60A2000 (1080p) connected via HDMI-DVI cable to laptop for video, by headphone-stereo cable RCA for audio (spdif not necessary until I get a receiver + speakers). Currently outputting 1840x1016 to the TV (adjusted down from full 1920x1080 via Nvidia overscan calibration). Trying to figure out how to use powerstrip to output this inside of a 1920x1080p signal so the TV has pixel-for-pixel.


Software:


WinXP Home (came with the laptop)

Medial Portal (current 0.2 release)

RSS/Torrent extension + uTorrent client for my weekly shows (fansubbed anime)

Gordian Knot Codec Pack


Still need to get an IR remote control, but I hear the MCE one doesn't work with XP Home...this true?

 

[kapone]

My HTPC(s) and other stuff:


Main HTPC(s), 2 of them (one for basement - to a CRT projector, which is in the works, one for living room - to a Pioneer Elite CRT TV), virtually identical except for CPU cooler:

ASUS M2N32 SLI Deluxe MOBO

AMD X2 5000+

2GB RAM

XFX 7950 GT Extreme

Onboard SPDIF to a Fosgate Pre/Pro to a Sunfire 7 channel amp

120GB HDD for O/S, the library is on a Media Server by itself

DVD RW drive

iMon VFD and remote control

Ahanix D4 case


Bedroom HTPC - connected to a Infocus projector:

mATX board salvaged from a Sony Viao

Pentium 4 3.0GHz

1.5GB RAM

PNY Verto 6600

160GB HDD for O/S

DVD R/W drive

Onboard analog sound to Pioneer plasma speakers via a powered sub.

iMon VFD and remote control

Ahanix D5 case


Family room HTPC - connected to a Pioneer Elite plasma TV:

Intel DG965 MOBO

Dual core 4300

2GB RAM

XFX 7950GT Extreme (I love this card)

200GB HDD for O/S

DVD R/W drive

Onboard analog sound to Pioneer plasma speakers via a powered sub.

iMon VFD and remote control

Ahanix D5 case


Media Server for storage:

Tyan s5360 dual Xeon MOBO

3.2GHz Xeons

2GB RAM

80GB HDD for O/S

Sil 3124 based host card for eSATA (connected to 10 250GB SATA II drives, housed in a separate enclosure, over eSATA) - Total, 2.37TB online storage

Rackmount server cases


Running Windows Home Server Beta 2