reasonably priced HTPC

[davowavo]

Edit: Please see JadedRaverLA's comprehensive advice throughout this thread. I have listed all of the items that I purchased on page 2 of this thread. I'm thoroughly enjoying the blu-ray. Thanks so much for the help, Jaded!!

[JadedRaverLA]

UPDATE: I have put together a full article on building a Blu-ray PC for anyone interested:

http://jadedraverla.blogspot.com/200...c-for-blu.html

A couple of things... if you really want to avoid building a PC that's fine. But I would highly recommend at least getting the BD drive separately or waiting until some manufacturer's start to ship BD-ROM drives. Presently, any pre-built PC you get from a manufacturer withh have BD-R/RE burner in it, which runs ALOT more than the BD-ROM readers set to hit store shelves any day now, so if you don't plan on burning BDs, no reason to drop the extra cash.

A simple Dell or HP configuration to play BDs really won't set you back much. Basic specs to look for:

• Intel or AMD dual-core processor (at least 2Ghz for Intel or 2.2Ghz for AMD)
• ATI HD2400 or HD2600 series or Nvidia 8400 or 8600 series graphics card (to offload much of the video processing to the graphics card
• 1 GB RAM minimum (though with Vista 2 GB is definitely better)
• Configure everything else to your heart's content

Then get a BD-ROM drive separately. Pioneer has a BD-ROM reader/DVD and CD burner combo drive out that can be had for well under $300, and a couple of different read-only drives are due out very soon for under $200. Just be sure if you get an OEM drive that it comes with the necessary PowerDVD software... otherwise you'll be out another $100 buying PowerDVD Ultra.

Your current monitor will be fine. If it has an HDCP-compliant DVI port then you can connect the monitor to the system using DVI cabling. If the DVI port is NOT HDCP-compliant, you can use the analog VGA port.

Edit: As for your scaling question, video will bill scaled directly from 1920x1080 to 1680x945 (16:9 shown within you 16:10 monitor), regardless of which connection you use. In the future, if title's start to use ICT (image constraint token), then if you are using the VGA connection, the title will be downscaled to 1/4 res, then scaled back up. But that's still a ways off.

Hope that helps.

[davowavo]

~

[highdefw]

I recommend you buy a laptop that will play Blu movies perfectly, and connect that to your monitor via HDMI output (a HDMI deck). No matter what the resolution of the screen is, it will be playing to its highest quality be this method.

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by davowavo

Thanks so much JadedRaverLA for the extensive response.

…I would highly recommend at least getting the BD drive separately or waiting until some manufacturer's start to ship BD-ROM drives…….
Have you seen release dates for any of the BD-ROM drives?

The Pioneer combo drive is available now. Drives from Benq and Lite-on are officially out, but haven't really hit stores yet. But they should be any time now.

Originally Posted by davowavo

ATI HD2400 or HD2600 series or Nvidia 8400 or 8600 series graphics card (to offload much of the video processing to the graphics card
I’ve read that they need at least 256MG of ram. Is this correct?

What about the Nvidia 8500GT, with 512MB of ram?

Yeah, 256MB is the minimum recommended. And, yeah, I forgot about the 8500 series. They'll work great, also.

Originally Posted by davowavo

… get a BD-ROM drive separately……..Just be sure if you get an OEM drive that it comes with the necessary PowerDVD software... otherwise you'll be out another $100 buying PowerDVD Ultra.
Very good point. Thanks. Just in case…..Is there any freeware blu-ray playing software out there?

No freeware options. Given the cost of development, plus all the licensing costs (AACS, BD+, BD-J, etc) I doubt there will be any free options for some time. There's only a few paid options right now. The vast majority of people use either PowerDVD Ultra or a cut-down version of PowerDVD included with their drives. It really seems to be the only player to work at least somewhat reliably. Of course, in the future, that should change.

Originally Posted by davowavo

As for your scaling question, video will bill scaled directly from 1920x1080 to 1680x945 (16:9 shown within you 16:10 monitor), regardless of which connection you use.
[Note: My monitor only has a VGA port.] Please especially excuse my ignorance on this matter: So the quality of the video will still be quite high then right? – a fair bit higher than 720p; would this essentially be considered 945P ?

...at least until ICT is/may be implemented into the blu-ray titles/disks. Are there any rumors about when this may take place?

I keep hearing not to expect ICT till 2012 at the earliest. By which time you'll likely have an HDCP-compliant monitor anyway, so not a big issue for now.

As for the resolution, the easest way to look at it:

Blu-ray disc:
1920x1080 = 2,073,600 pixels

Your screen:
1680x945 = 1,587,600 pixels

Regular DVD (NTSC):
720x480 = 345,600

Sp, while you're not getting full 1080p resolution, you are getting about 60% more than 720p and you can see about 4.5x the resolution of regular DVD. Though, of course, a larger screen for watching movies is always desirable, you should be very happy with the picture quality on your monitor.

Originally Posted by davowavo

Also, I’ve read that integrated sound cards may not function well with blu-ray. What are some reasonably priced compatible sound card options for me? What about the “Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio”?

Thanks again.[/B]

Most modern integrated HD-Audio solutions should be fine for watching BDs. Under Vista, Microsoft has largely done away with the hard accelerated audio that made Creative so famous. That said, there are still some excellent soundcards out there that put out fantastic quality audio. Just think about the quality of your speakers or your audio system before dumping money on a soundcard that may not make much if any difference.

If you do decide to go with an X-Fi, I would avoid the Xtreme Audio. IT's not really an X-Fi, just took the name of the rest of the series. It uses a "special" driver that lacks all the X-Fi options present for all the other cards. The other cards all do very well, though. I think you can get an Xtreme music for pretty cheap, most places.

Anyway, good luck with your new system. Let me know how it goes.

[welwynnick]

JadedRaver, I for one appreciate all the help you give in this forum in particular, and would like to ask two questions.

Could you summarise what are the advantages of using Vista instead of XP? I seem to recall you said you preferred Vista, and it may help out with the HW needed to play BDs, though many people have teething problems with it.

Secondly, which Sony ES 7.1 receiver do you use?

Cheers, Nick

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by welwynnick

JadedRaver, I for one appreciate all the help you give in this forum in particular, and would like to ask two questions.

Could you summarise what are the advantages of using Vista instead of XP? I seem to recall you said you preferred Vista, and it may help out with the HW needed to play BDs, though many people have teething problems with it.

Secondly, which Sony ES 7.1 receiver do you use?

Cheers, Nick

Ah, Vista vs. XP. There are definitely advantages to both. And I was a beta-tester for Vista, so I've been using it for years now, and am more than a little biased.

If you have a slower PC, then definitely stick with XP. It may be your only choice depending on your hardware. I wouldn't even think of going Vista unless you have a decent speed processor, at least 1 GB RAM, and a graphics card/igp capable of running aero. To really have a great experience with Vista, then 2 GB RAM and a dual-core processor are ideal.

Beyond that, if you have the system for it, Vista provides an excellent user experience (if you turn off UAC), particularly for basic tasks, media playback, and internet surfing. Where it falls short of its promise is in gaming. Hardcore PC gamers should definitely either stick with XP for now, or dual-boot both. There are Vista-only games coded to DirectX 10 coming out now, but for the most part, the additional RAM and processing requirements of the OS will slow down most other games -- and, even if it's only slightly, it's enough to annoy many hardcore gamers.

As for the teething pains, those were very real early on. At this point, virtually every piece of recent hardware has stable drivers available for Vista, and most recent software has been fully compatibility-tested with Vista. You definitely should be running with all the updates installed (Microsoft has provided a ton of updates that address various issues, including application compatibility), but unless you use older or custom software you shouldn't have many problems with Vista. This is really the sticking point with businesses, as it is with any new OS release. SP1, due early next year, should provide a major boost to application compatibility and fixing the few remaining issues with the OS.

Personally, I run Vista-64 on both of my main systems and haven't had any real issues for many months now. The new Media Center is fantastic for DVDs and TV tuners. For BD, you do need additional software for playback, but both major BD playback solutions work terrifically under Vista.

I don't know if that really answered your question or not. I don't generally recommend everyone upgrade right away, but if you have the system for it, and if gaming isn't your top priority, then Vista definitely has more going for it than against it.

As for my receiver, I'll try to remember to look when I get home tonight. It's several years old, and badly needing to be replaced. But I love the sound it puts out, and am waiting for the Denon BD players come out to upgrade to a new Denon receiver with HD audio support.

[davowavo]

Hi all,

I decided to look at what the cost would be for a home-built pc. I've built several in the past, and figured it would at least be worth looking into. I thought I'd start by looking into cases, and after lots of research, I've yet to find one that doesn't have some sort of significant flaw.

Anyways, getting to my point, what components do y'all recommend for a lower-end, yet tried-and-true blu-ray HTPC? All supporting info that you are willing to provide for your choice of components will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by welwynnick

many thanks for the XP / Vista summary.

The reason I asked about your receiver is that there can't be that many "old" 7.1 Sony ES receivers. I immediately thought of the DA7100ES and DA9000ES, which are both 7 channel, and came out a few years ago. They also have i-Link inputs, which are great for (SA)CD / DVD players with iLink outputs.

I mention this is because iLink is just an IEEE1394 interface with the A&M protocol. Considering your interest in HTPCs, I wondered if you had heard of the i-Link driver that someone on AVS had developed recently, that enabled a PC to act as the transport to those amps. It's a fascinating opportunity because the flow control protocol effectively renders the source and interface jitterless. There is still jitter within the amp, but not much, and the result is quite wonderful.

best regards, Nick

Actually it's an STR-DA3000ES (from around 2003 I think) and no iLink input if I remember correctly... or lossless audio . I had read about that driver some time ago, but at the time it was still being worked on and had a number of bugs. Have you had a chance to use it? How well does it work at this point? It's definitely cool to see the consumers taking it into their own hands to make things work that manufacturer's don't seem willing to work on.

Originally Posted by saljr

I'm waiting for PC sound card to support DTS-HD(Master) and Dolby TrueDH. I think by the begin of 2008 we might see a card that supports DTS-HD(Master)and Dolby TrueDH.

Have you heard of one coming that soon? Everything I keep hearing is that none of the soundcard manufacturers feel that the HTPC crowd with BD/HD DVD drives is a big enough market to warrant the cost of development at this point.

Originally Posted by davowavo

Hi all,

I decided to look at what the cost would be for a home-built pc. I've built several in the past, and figured it would at least be worth looking into. I thought I'd start by looking into cases, and after lots of research, I've yet to find one that doesn't have some sort of significant flaw.

Anyways, getting to my point, what components do y'all recommend for a lower-end, yet tried-and-true blu-ray HTPC? All supporting info that you are willing to provide for your choice of components will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

I'll try to put together a lower-cost build on Newegg for you to look at. Are there going to be any other uses for this PC? Gaming, etc? Also do you want BD-R/RE burning or just playback?

[davowavo]

Originally Posted by JadedRaverLA

I'll try to put together a lower-cost build on Newegg for you to look at. Are there going to be any other uses for this PC? Gaming, etc? Also do you want BD-R/RE burning or just playback?

Once again, thanks so much JadedRaverLA.

I will definitely not do any gaming on the pc.

Although it's probably common anyways, I would like to get a video card with HDMI (to be used down the road) and VGA (necessary for present time).

I only need playback on the blu-ray drive.

As for a case, I'd really *prefer* to have an all black one, with lots of ventilation, and a vent -- if not a fan, on the side....not plexiglass; I don't want bright flashing lights visible from my PC while I'm watching movies in the dark. I've searched extensively for a good quality case -- using the fantastic search capabilities of newegg, in order to see what the negative reviewers have to say, and I've yet to have any luck. I'm still looking.....

Regards,
Dave

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by davowavo

Once again, thanks so much JadedRaverLA.

I will definitely not do any gaming on the pc.

Although it's probably common anyways, I would like to get a video card with HDMI [1.3?] (to be used down the road) and VGA (necessary for present time).

I already have two 7200 rpm hard drives, and a dvd burner.

I remember reading years ago about Crucial and Corsair having better quality ram (I would like at least 2 GBs {would another GB make much of a difference?}). Actually I can just summarize in general by saying that I don't mind spending a bit more for each component piece, if it is "tried and true" -- including the motherboard, power supply, etc. I really want this thing to last....

I only need playback on the blu-ray drive.

What about 32-bit vs 64 bit Vista & CPU, Intel vs AMD, Nvidia vs ATI, Soundblaster vs its competitors?

As for a case, I'd really *prefer* to have an all black one, with lots of ventilation, and a vent -- if not a fan, on the side....not plexiglass; I don't want bright flashing lights visible from my PC while I'm watching movies in the dark. I've searched extensively for a good quality case -- using the fantastic search capabilities of newegg, in order to see what the negative reviewers have to say, and I've yet to have any luck. I'm still looking.....

Regards,
Dave

A few recommendations, for what its worth.

RAM: 2 GB is the sweet spot for media playback (including BD) in Vista. More and you're really not going to get much of any improvement, and less and you'll be risking stuttering. Most of my builds use Corsair, but I know others who like Crucial. I would definitely stick with a quality brand, though.

Video card: There's a lot of choices on video cards and it just depends on what you're looking for. Personally, for an HTPC that definitely won't be used for gaming, I prefer the Nvidia 8600GT. The PureVideoHD chipset does an excellent job of offloading AVC and MPEG-2 video decompression from the processor, and you can find models from ASUS and other vendors that are essentially silent, which is fantastic for HTPC use. If you find that you have A LOT of VC-1 titles (or if you also play HD DVDs), then the ATI 2600 series may be better for you as they can offload VC-1 video as well. The downside, though, is that the ATI cards don't offload nearly as much of the video decoding from AVC titles. (Also, for anyone who wants a system for gaming also, look to the Nvidia 8800GT or the new ATI3800 series which finally bring the enhanced video processing to the higher end cards.)

Soundcard: If you're budget is tight, this is the first thing I would consider doing without. If you get a motherboard with a good HDAudio codec, there's not a lot of reason presently to get a soundcard on an HTPC. The creative X-Fi series is good... and I use one in my main PC... but for HTPC use, most of what it brings to the table is unnecessary. Now, if the cost isn't an issue, and sound quality is of the utmost importance to you, then an X-Fi is not a bad choice (just avoid the X-Fi Xtreme Audio, which isn't really an X-Fi). Probably the best audio card for pure audio quality right now is the Auzentech X-Meridian, though it comes at a fairly steep price ($200 MSRP). The card is geared exclusively for HTPC use and puts out some of the best quality audio you can get, without all the hardware-assisted gaming stuff of Creative's line. Auzentech also has lower end models that perform very well for HTPC use as well.

Case: As you've already found, there really isn't a "perfect" HTPC case (at least not a great price). But that's to be expected. Going with an HTPC form factor (whether designed for ATX or mini-ATX) is necessarily going to produce some compromises. The first thing to figure out is how much of your A/V rack you want the HTPC to take up. It sounds like you don't mind a larger case, which is definitely better for cooling and overall system flexibility, and will allow you to use two optical drives. I have found Silverstone and Zalman to make the best HTPC cases out there... but I'd hate to recommende a specific model.

Processor/Motherboard: The Core 2 line from Intel really does seem to be the undisputed champion when it comes to media playback. It's really hard to recommend anything else. The E6550 or E6750 are fantastic performers with 4MB cache that won't break the bank. You can certainly make due with less processing power, but those seem to be the best bang for the buck with plenty of room to spare in case your needs increase in the future. I would grab an OEM processor and get a decent "silent" heatsink/cooler. When it comes to HTPCs, every decibel counts. I would pair one of these with a high quality Intel P35 or P965 chipset motherboard (be sure to go DDR-2 if you go P35, though, DDR-3 prices are outrageous without having any real performance advantage in media playback). Others I know swear by Nvidia's Nforce chipsets, but since you're not gaming, it's hard to beat the quality and stability of the Intel chipsets. I primarily use ASUS motherboards in my builds, but there are many vendors of quality boards out there. Make sure there's a firewire port built-in... you never know when you'll want that on an HTPC.

BD-ROM Drive: If you are okay with having two drives, then you're pretty much going to be looking for either a Lite-on DH-401S or a Benq BR1000 BD drive to go with your DVD/CD burner. Both are due in retail channels any day now, and are 4x BD-ROM readers. The Benq is supposed to be faster at reading CDs and DVDs though. Both have an MSRP of $199. If you want a reasonable one-drive solution, then the Pioneer BDC-2202 (aka BDC-202) is out now, and reads BDs and reads and writes DVDs and CDs. It has an MSRP of $299, but can be had for less. Whichever drive you pick up, be sure to either get a retail drive or an OEM drive that comes with the PowerDVD software. No sense in saving $20 or so buying an OEM drive, only to have to spend $99 on PowerDVD software.

Vista-64 vs. Vista-32: Honestly, you'll never know the difference. Most any hardware you get now fully supports both, and all the media software works fine either way. If you think you'd ever want to expand the system with another couple GB of RAM, then deffintely go Vista-64. If you get an X-Fi soundcard and want to use Creative's DVD-Audio application, then go Vista-32 as it doesn't support Vista-64. Personally, I use Vista-64 on all my systems, but my HTPC builds for others have been mixed, depending on what people want and their use for the system. For the most part, it's just a personal preference thing. You shouldn't have any issues with either.

Wow... that response ran longer than I thought. I'll think about the case some more and try to come up with a few recommendations. Hope that helped.

[davowavo]

~

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by davowavo

Hi JadedRaverLA,

Thanks so much for yet another well-thought response. I very much appreciate your help, and I hope that you don’t mind some more questions. After researching, here is what I’ve come up with:

Windows Vista Version:
I don't want the "basic" version, do I? If I remember correctly, it has major limitations….
Is this the right one, then?:
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD – OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116204

Yep. That's exactly what you want. Again, I want to stress to others who may be reading... no real advantage to 64-bit vs. 32-bit Vista for most people on an HTPC. But I use 64-bit and there's no real reason not too at this point. It's just a personal preference. But yes, go with Home Premium either way. Ultimate costs a lot more for nothing you'll need, and basic lacks... well pretty much everything.

Originally Posted by davowavo

Is there a free 64-bit Office Suite?
http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/s...s_reqs_20.html ?

No. In fact, there's not really much of a paid 64-bit office suite. Office 2007 has some 64-bit .dlls for database access and whatnot, but the overall apps are still 32-bit. Both Office 2007 and OpenOffice work great in Vista-64, though. Either way, doesn't really matter -- OpenOffice is the best suite ever, for the price... and Office 2007 is fantastic if you don't mind spending the money.

Originally Posted by davowavo

Motherboard:
What are the advantages/disadvantages of P35 vs. P965?
Which particular one(s) would you use, and why?
Asus P35 global search results:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&Order=REVIEWS
Asus P965 global search results:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&Order=REVIEWS

Well, the P35 is still quite new, and the drivers are still being updated regularly. That's the main downside... if there is one. The P965 has been out quite awhile and is a proven rock-solid stable chipset. The P35 hasn't shown any real signs of being a "problem" chipset, and I think will earn a similar reputation over time. The latest southbridge and other components are also included as it's a newer model. A very nice motherboard at the moment, at an excellent price, is the ASUS P5KE-Wifi, which is available at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131196 at a fantastic price. ASUS build quality, built-in WiFi, built-in Firewire, no legacy serial or parallel ports, plenty of SATA ports, etc -- it's tough to beat.

Originally Posted by davowavo

Video Card
After wracking my brain over this for a while, I just noticed that with some cards, an adapter is included which evidently converts DVI to VGA (obviously important to me), and/or an adapter is included which evidently converts DVI to HDMI. Do you know if each of these converters works well, or are there any issues with them (I would think that converting a digital signal to analog would be quite a chore)?

Do you recommend a 512MB card, or is 256MB indeed abundant; might the relative recommendation for onboard ram differ for 8600GT vs HD2600? What about DDR2 vs DDR3 RAM for video cards? Should I bother looking at video cards with DDR3, or would they be a waste of money, as with system RAM?

I may very well want to play hd-dvds later. Aren't the studios leaning more towards the VC-1 codec now for blu-ray these days? If yes, then (also considering my possible HD-DVD use in the future), would the ATI HD2600 be a better option for me (based upon what you said before), or does it really matter in the end? If so, would I go with the Pro, or XT version, etc.? 256 MB or 512MB?

With the above concerns in mind, which video card do you recommend?

Here are 8600GT global search results on newegg
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&Order=REVIEWS

Here are Amazon HD2600 global search results [though I wouldn’t mind getting it at buy.com, mwave, etc]:
http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102...hd2600&x=0&y=0

Most cards now have dual-DVI outputs. This isn't something to worry about. Usually both of the outputs are DVI-I outputs, which means they are actually analog capable outputs once you connect the included DVI-VGA adapter. The little adapter isn't actually "converting" the digital signal to analog, it is just a port adapter. The video card knows if the adapter is in place and sends the signal as analog instead of digital. I've yet to see a dual-DVI video card that didn't come with at least one adapter for this purpose. Also, the HDMI spec is basically just DVI video (with HDCP compliance) with various support for audio signals depending on HDMI revision. Some video cards come with DVI to HDMI adapters, or you can buy them separately, or get cables with a DVI port on one end and an HDMI port on the other. All work just fine as long as the video card supports HDCP (which all the ones I mentioned earlier do).

Dealing with the audio portion of HDMI is more problematic, however. If you also want to send the audio over HDMI cabling, there are various solutions that allow this, however all at the moment are dealing with passing the coax/optical digital output over HDMI... which means no multichannel PCM, Dolby TrueHD, or DTS-HD. It also means that you can just as easily run an optical cable directly from the soundcard to the receiver, and bypass any potential problems with delays or sound quality that could arise from sending the audio through the video card.

For video playback, 256MB of video RAM is fine... presently any additional RAM doesn't really provide any improvement. Also, while there is definitely a difference in performance between the various types of GDDR RAM found on different cards, unless you're gaming you likely would never come across the difference.

As for AVC vs. VC-1, Sony, Fox, and Lionsgate are all using AVC as their primary codec now. Disney also uses it on most titles, though they have tested VC-1 on a few titles. Warner uses VC-1 on everything. Also, keep in mind that AVC requires more processing power to decode than VC-1. I don't want to proclaim 1 specific graphics card as being the ideal, but you should be very happy with either. Just keep in mind... quiet is essential.

I'm not feel well, at the moment (a cold is definitely coming on and I'm coughing like crazy) so I'm going to crash now. I'll try to provide some input on the rest tomorrow.

Hope that helps.

[davowavo]

Originally Posted by JadedRaverLA

...........I'm not feel well, at the moment (a cold is definitely coming on and I'm coughing like crazy) so I'm going to crash now. I'll try to provide some input on the rest tomorrow.
Hope that helps.

Your input is helping A LOT. Get well soon.
Regards,
Dave

[davowavo]

~

[JadedRaverLA]

Okay, I'm alive, and feeling a fair bit better. Now, back to business.

Originally Posted by davowavo

RAM:
Should I concern myself with Timing and Cas Latency?
How’s this?
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail
· Timing 4-4-4-12
· Cas Latency 4

Crucial's Ballistix line is extremely well regarded memory, so you shouldn't have any problem there. Given that it's an Intel system, I would consider going with DDR2 1066 instead of 800, even if it means loosening the timing's to 5-5-5-15 or so. From what I've seen on the Intel chipsets, the extra bus speed trumps tighter latency settings.

Originally Posted by davowavo

What very good quality "silent" heatsink/cooler(s) do you recommend?

If the case you decide on has the room, take a look at the Zalman CNPS9500 or the Thermaltake CL-P0114. Both have "silent" modes that do a fantastic job of keeping the processor cool with virtually no fan noise.

Originally Posted by davowavo

Any recommendations for a high def tuner card? If the price is right, I’ll get one for watching local sports.

The only current model I have much experience with is the ATI 650, which works very well with Vista Media Center. The ATI app. that is included, on the other hand, is a pain, but since you'll have media center, that shouldn't be an issue. It's available in both PCI and PCI-E flavors. The OCUR models that work with cable cards are fantastic, but due to all the DRM restrictions, you can't actually build a system with one.

Originally Posted by davowavo

I have two of the same sized 7200 rpm hard drives available for use. Would RAID 1 be advisable, for fault tolerance?

RAID 1 is great for fault tolerance, but realize you'll be doubling the sound produced by the hard drives, and doubling the heat produced, causing the case fans to possibly spin faster. This may not be enough to matter, but I'm really OCD when it comes to noise levels of HTPCs (had you noticed ), so I'm always doing anything possible to keep the heat and noise down.

Honestly, I've never put a RAID 1 array in an HTPC before. I'm all for fault tolerance, but for most people it's just not necessary for this type of system. By the way, your hard drives are both SATA right? I ask because most of the newer P35 motherboards only have a single EIDE channel, which will likely be used up by your existing optical drives. You can, of course, always use converters to connect EIDE hard drives to the SATA ports if need be.

Originally Posted by davowavo

I'm thinking of getting a PC Power & Cooling brand power supply. Any comments about them? Which one would you recommend (if any)?
http://www.pcpower.com/products/powe...s/ultra-quiet/

I'm a big fan of PC P&C power supplies... especially the silent models for HTPC use. The 470 would probably be just enough for your needs (as long as you're using a low-power graphics card), but to be safe I would go with the 610 -- especially if you setup a RAID array.

Originally Posted by davowavo

What specific cables -- and cable configuration do you recommend for my PC (with consideration of 2 HDs -- maybe with RAID, and three 5.25" drives)?

Is there anything else that we haven't covered?

Regards,

Dave

I typically use round cables (again, my OCD) from Newegg, though I don't really have a brand preference. You'll need 3 SATA cables, and 1 EIDE cable (with two drive connectors), assuming both your existing optical drives are EIDE and both your hard drives are SATA. Of course, you can always just use the cables that will come with everything... but what's the fun in that?

As for anything else, it really comes down to your case. What case(s) are you looking at right now? Three optical drives is a lot for an HTPC, and I can only think of a couple of HTPC cases layed out for three optical drives. You might consider dropping the DVD/CD-ROM reader and using either the DVD/CD burner or the BD-ROM drive for reading that media. It will expand your case options quite a bit. But, if you can find a case that works with your setup and has the room for three optical drives, then by all means go for it.

Anyway, hope that helps, and let me know what components you're thinking of going with.


EDIT: I just read back up the thread and realized that you're the same one who started the thread... sorry, I'm on too much cold medicine. I had been assuming that you were building an HTPC form factor PC to set on your A/V rack, and some of my advice (particularly regarding cases and sound volume) should be looked at in that regard. If you're looking for more of a standard form factor PC, that changes the case you'll want considerably, and may make "silence" less of a priority... though it's still very nice. After all, cutting down on noise pollution is always a good thing, especially on a PC used for media playback. Anyway, if you have a chance, let me know what form factor you're planning to use, etc.

[davowavo]

~

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by davowavo

Hi JadedRaverLA,

Sorry, I didn't think to specify..... It will be my PC (all the more reason to be concerned about fault tolerance – especially with my “used” hard drives), but also will be used as an HTPC. I will use either a full tower or mid tower case .

"Your hard drives are both SATA right?"
Please excuse my ignorance. They use the ribbon cables like the old 5000 rpm drives use, but have lots more wires embedded in the ribbon... Isn't that EIDE? If so, then I’ll need the converter cables.

To be safe I would go with the 610 -- especially if you setup a RAID array.”
So will the 610 indeed be plenty – even with the RAID, all of the drives, and so forth. Would the 750 be overkill?

Also, please see the private message I’ve sent you. Thanks.

Regards,

Dave

Yeah, if you do a search for SATA converter on newegg you should pull up several different devices for $9.99 to about $14.99. They're basically just a small cirtcuit board that plugs into the EIDE port on your hard drive and provides an SATA port to connect to the motherboard ports. If you go with a motherboard that has two EIDE ports you could avoid this (many of the P965 boards had two EIDE ports... but the newer P35 boards often only have one). One nice thing about using the converters though is that the drives don't have to share the same channel as they did on EIDE.

And the 610 will be perfect for your setup. If you go with some crazy crossfire or SLI graphics solution that pulls a ton of power, then the 750 might have some use, otherwise it's completely overkill. PC Power and Cooling rates their power supplies very honestly, and you actually get what they claim. 610 watts is more than sufficient.

Anyway, hope that helps (and I responded to your PM).

[saljr]

davowavo, From my experience. My choice is Dvico but I wish it could recieve analog cable and ATSC at the same time. Xp Pro/SP2

Dvico FusionHDTV5 RT Lite
pro-excellent audio and picture(analog/HD),drivers,easy to install.
con-support only one at a time(analog cable and ATSC),procedure to uninstall drivers,e-mail support only.

Hauppauge HVR-1600
pro-phone support,recieve analog cable and ATSC at the same time.
con-poor audio and picture(analog/HD),poor drivers,extra software

[davowavo]

Here are the items that I ordered through newegg:


SILVERSTONE Kublai Series KL02B Black Aluminum front panel, SECC body ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: KL02B
Item #: N82E16811163093
$129.99 $129.99

ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P5K-E/WIFI-AP
Item #: N82E16813131196
$149.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.99

ASUS EN8600GT SILENT/HTDP/256M GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported HDCP Video Card - Retail
Model #: EN8600GT SILENT/HTDP
Item #: N82E16814121076
$119.99 $119.99

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 EPS12V EPS12V 610W Continuous @ 40°C Power Supply - Retail
Model #: Silencer 610 EPS12V
Item #: N82E16817703005
$199.99 -$70.00 Instant $129.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model
[note: this comes with a cpu fan/heat-sink
BX80557E6750 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E6750
Item #: N82E16819115029
$194.99 -$5.00 Instant $189.99

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail
Model #: BL2KIT12864AA1065
Item #: N82E16820148069
$99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3250410AS
Item #: N82E16822148262
$69.99 $69.99

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard - Model 4000
$40

LITE-ON Black 12X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Blu-ray DVD-ROM Drive Model DH-4O1S-11 - OEM
$190
[Note: PowerDvd 7 comes with this drive. You will need to update the software [for free] online, if you wish to play certain movies that have BD+ -- a security feature, used by Fox, and others on newer blu-ray movies. Otherwise, the powerdvd will stop playing all movies]

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Model #: 66I-00788
Item #: N82E16832116204
$111.99 -$7.00 Instant $104.99
[NOTE: Don't get a 64 bit OS, unless you are sure that all of the software that you plan on using will funtion in a 64-bit environment]

I decided to go ahead and get the following SATA dvd burner:
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06
$36 [note: Be sure and get the retail version....with Nero...It's only about $3 more than the OEM version]

I am using an old ide hard drive in the system, as well.

The blu-ray movies look GREAT!

THANKS AGAIN, JadedRaverLA!

I think that's all...