Cost of building a BD PC??

[fly4rabbi]

I am looking to buy a tv for the bedroom. I was thinking about getting either a ps3 or build a computer w/ blu-ray to watch movies. I am not very smart w/ computers but have friends who could help w/ the build. So my question for everyone here is, How much roughly would it cost to build a bd computer w/ hdmi out, around 500gb hdd, and bluetooth? Thanks for any info. Also I was at cc today and they have a sony bd drive for $150 plus an additional 10% off. So also is this a good drive. thanks

[hoogoosedmoose41]

get a ps3 cheaper and plays more discs without any playback problems... search through this forum on topics of problems people are having with BD glitches on pcs theres a ton.
if your a tweaker and you dont mind constantly messing with the HTPC to get discs to play then build a computer... if you wana stick the disc in and watch a movie get the ps3

[dadkins]

Two BD VAIOs here - NEVER had an issue playing BDs.
The problems many people have comes from using the OEM software that comes with the machines or the drives.
I ditched my OEM WinDVD BD - ArcSoft TMT will play anything.
Dual core processor of 2.0GHz or better, nVidia 8 series or higher, and 1GB of RAM will work - push past these and get more/better hardware you will have no problems.

XP or Vista will be fine.

[vamsilak]

i build my bluray computer 6months abck
it doesn't have hdmi,blutooth it costs me around 900.00 dollars
it took me 2months and 3 stores and 2 online stores to get good deal but its worth it
spec:
case
intel g33 board
quadcore q6600
4gb ram
500gbHD
500watt psu
LG burner
nvidia 8500gt card
the only thing i didn't bought monitor and keyboard and mouse


u might get away with 800.00 and may be a better config

good luck and have fun building one

[supersix4]

you can do a slimline from hp for like 530-600 w/ 9 series vid card, 3gb ram, 150gb hdd.... but why spend that when you can get a ps3 for like 350-400

[Toptube]

Vista home premium is $230 by itself for a full retail version.

[BPHusker]

I'd get a PS3 if I were you.

[Offender_Mullet]

Originally Posted by fly4rabbi

Also I was at cc today and they have a sony bd drive for $150 plus an additional 10% off. So also is this a good drive. thanks

I believe that Sony has a 2x blu-ray read speed and has generally gotten sub-par reviews.

You can find a better LG or Lite-On (my personal favorite) 6x internal blu-ray rom drive for around $100 now.

[kefrank]

i would just get a PS3. it can do the majority of what you would want to do with a HTPC, is stable and easy to use, and is a fraction of the cost.

[fly4rabbi]

Originally Posted by vamsilak

i build my bluray computer 6months abck
it doesn't have hdmi,blutooth it costs me around 900.00 dollars
it took me 2months and 3 stores and 2 online stores to get good deal but its worth it
spec:
case
intel g33 board
quadcore q6600
4gb ram
500gbHD
500watt psu
LG burner
nvidia 8500gt card
the only thing i didn't bought monitor and keyboard and mouse


u might get away with 800.00 and may be a better config

good luck and have fun building one

wow $900. I think I will just get a ps3, as if I have to constantly be figureing things out then I will get frustrated. Since my computer skills/knowledge is not the best. I will not use it much for gaming in the bedroom, but then again i wont know till there is one in the bedroom. I do have dell laptop w/ bluray and hdmi out, which works good as a portabe bd player for at friends & relatives houses. Thanks for the help

[Firestreak]

my friend bought a desktop tower with a blu-ray drive built in, but it didn't come with a graphics card - and I think he had to upgrade the ram - and at $400 it was considered an extremely good deal by all of us.

So if you're just looking to watch blu-rays - either get a PS3 or even cheaper for a standalone player. PS3 might make more sense if you want to use it as a media hub as well - and watch video files on your TV - plus playing games up there too.

If you're thinking a PC makes sense since you'd like to surf the net too, ps3 has an internet browser and it's pretty decent.

[vamsilak]

@fly4rabbie:
remember i bought LG burner which costs me $250.00
You are right u can get ps3 for cheaper than HTPC
Hey wait a minute that leads me to another question

Does ps3 is capable of dtecting ext devices like HD or Ext burner
if it does iam buying another Lg drive for my ps3

[smiley]

Sound like for what you want the PS3 would work just fine. I have a HTPC with 3.5TB of hard drive space I have had since Feb 2007. I have updated the video card so I can get 7.1 channel aubio on the HDMI port (I haven't updated my reciever yet. I use it for BDs, netflix streaming, as a DVR and a lot of other things. It works great but much more expensive than a PS3. I had some problems playing BDs with the earlier versions of PowerDVD but lately it's been great.

[dadkins]

For just playing a Blu-ray, the PS3 will probably be the best choice.
If you are wanting a new PC anyways, and add a BD burner to the build($229 at Newegg), you will be miles ahead of any PS3.

[prerich]

You probrably have a PS3 already - but the quoted $900.00 price is way too much!!!!

This system will play BD smoothly
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130214 $109.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115206
119.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148163
21.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106285
90.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811153077
40.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152052
55.00

And I have 13 XP pro licences (valid with stickers ) that I would sell you a licence for 40.00

so we have a grand total of $474 dollars - (you can add a dvd burner for another $21) It has a warranty, you can fix it yourself, and it's just a fun hobby The board comes with one sata power adaptor, you can get another for about 3 bucks! I don't know where everyone else is getting their equipment, but if all you want to do is play BD or build a HTPC, $500 will do it - with a 500gb hard drive, 2 gb of ram, windows xp pro, dvd burner, value for value - it can compete with the PS3.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by vamsilak

@fly4rabbie:
remember i bought LG burner which costs me $250.00
You are right u can get ps3 for cheaper than HTPC
Hey wait a minute that leads me to another question

Does ps3 is capable of dtecting ext devices like HD or Ext burner
if it does iam buying another Lg drive for my ps3

Nope - burners need burner software (software is not internal to the burner) So a PC is needed or a PS3 with Linux - with compatible burning software ... that currently doesn't exist for Linux.

[Toptube]

Originally Posted by prerich

You probrably have a PS3 already - but the quoted $900.00 price is way too much!!!!

This system will play BD smoothly
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130214 $109.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115206
119.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148163
21.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106285
90.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811153077
40.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152052
55.00

And I have 13 XP pro licences (valid with stickers ) that I would sell you a licence for 40.00

so we have a grand total of $474 dollars - (you can add a dvd burner for another $21) It has a warranty, you can fix it yourself, and it's just a fun hobby The board comes with one sata power adaptor, you can get another for about 3 bucks! I don't know where everyone else is getting their equipment, but if all you want to do is play BD or build a HTPC, $500 will do it - with a 500gb hard drive, 2 gb of ram, windows xp pro, dvd burner, value for value - it can compete with the PS3.

You aren't going to be able to play most, if any new games at acceptable settings on that 9300, though.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Toptube

You aren't going to be able to play most, if any new games at acceptable settings on that 9300, though.

Note what I said before - this machine is an HTPC for BD playback - not a gaming machine ! I believe I stated this in my original post. If you want to throw an gaming card in it - add another $50 and get this card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143125 and with the motherboard you can use Nvidia Video Boost - it will be a gamer then. A full tilt High-end HTPC/w Gaming will destroy anything out there including a Ps3! Frame for frame, dollar for dollar, and abilities. Can you imagine a PS3 keeping up with this?

Quad i7 Core Extreme 3.2 (that's about a grand)

MSI X58 Eclipse SLI LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard (about 350)

Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe video card includes TMT (and 24fps is now working) (about 260)

6 gig of 1600 ddr3 ram (159)

MSI N295GTX-M2D1792 GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card (About 469.00)

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drives (about 327.00)

SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum LC18B-V64 ATX Media Center / HTPC Case (649.00)

Windows Vista Ultimate 180.00

Hauppauge HD PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder 1212 USB 2.0 Interface 209.00

LG 6X Blu-ray burner 229.00

And about 100.00 for a power supply

Thats about 4 grand - but what you have is an entire system just minus the speakers and power amp (no receiver or prepro needed). I know prepros that cost more than 4 grand. This machine will burn - stream, upconvert, ready for beyond HD (beyond 1080p), record, has its own mini display, 3 TB of storage, and the beat goes on!!!

I can design a monster alright one that a PS3 couldn't sneeze in the same room with ! This monster however really cost - but for what it can do - it would be expected to defeat a PS3...whatever gig model. For a fraction of this cost - my first recommendation with the added video card for gaming could still best a PS3 (IMHO). The ps3 is a great machine - but it's not the end all - its a swiss army knife - but now, there are just better knives out there. That machine is an all out expensive beast - but if I had it - I wouldn't need a receiver, the only thing I would do is put a good amp to it (Emotiva, Outlaw - Marantz - the Xonar can bitstream, but its not needed with this machine - just go out the 7.1 analog outs and it's not downsampled - they have protected audio path) and my speakers. Thats all I would need (besides my TV). Man, now upgraditis is surging - I must contain!!! I could sell .... Naw - I'm good!

[Toptube]

that 8500GT would have a hard time playing modern games at comparable settings to a PS3. A 7900GS has a hard time doing that and its a much better card. If you added a Radeon 3850 for about $80, then we'd be talkin, but then you'd be about $100 more than the price of a PS3 ---- and then you still have to buy windows.

I know this is primarily an HTPC build, but the PS3 is clearly a better rounded value for the money. Blu-ray player, HTPC-like functions, modern gaming, $400 (USD).

If you wanted to build an HTPC only, without gaming in mind, you could shave about $50 by getting a lesser processor. With video acceleration as good as it is on videocards nowadays, you don't need much of a processor.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Toptube

that 8500GT would have a hard time playing modern games at comparable settings to a PS3. A 7900GS has a hard time doing that and its a much better card. If you added a Radeon 3850 for about $80, then we'd be talkin, but then you'd be about $100 more than the price of a PS3 ---- and then you still have to buy windows.

I know this is primarily an HTPC build, but the PS3 is clearly a better rounded value for the money. Blu-ray player, HTPC-like functions, modern gaming, $400 (USD).

You must not know about Video boost - I play modern games just fine I have the 9300 + a 8500 (I runs in a proxy SLI mode that combines both processors and ram) (I'm not an avid gamer, I like driving games) - I can kill a Radon 3850 and for $80? I can get a 46xx series radeon for less and it will perform just a well. A 7xxx series card doesn't do as well as a 8xxx series card with BD, and have no problem with windows at all (knock on wood). What many people fail to see - is that the price of PC gear is fallinig like a rock - I can get 2gb of ram for $17.00! It can be done - a geek like me would definately go the HTPC route (and my case looks like it belongs with the rest of my system).

The OP was looking at basiclly BD playback, but if you really want to get into it - my HTPC, dadkins two HTPC's, and maybe even the OP's can do just about everything a PS3 can do - and even more (mine personally does more ) Not downing the PS3, but as a tech myself - I like being able to build my own things - and when they break - I don't have to deal with Sony ect.. I just fix it myself and I'm up and running. Oh and for a PS3 to equal the original machine with the add on card - the PS3 would have to spend another 60 bucks to get to the hard drive space alone! That makes them quite equal in price but - the PC can do more.

P.S. I included windows in the price.