Help me build an HTPC!

dRNk SAnTA

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This won't be very exciting, but I figured it might interest some others on the forum. HTPC = Home Theatre PC

Here's what I've got: A good PC in a computer room and a wireless home network between it and 2 laptops. I've got an LCD TV in the sitting room which has an HDMI port but which seemingly doesn't do HD resolutions.



What I want:

A very basic HTPC that will play whatever I download on the TV. (i.e. dvd image files, divx tv shows, the usual). I intend to one day get some surround sound speakers for the room (5.1). I want it to be quiet and look reasonably good.

What I don't want is high definition, bluray or a tv tuner.



Heres what I'm thinking of doing:

Use my current PC as a kind of server. I'll stick in a 500gb hard disk and wirelessly (is this smart?) link it to the HTPC, aswell as the laptops obviously.So for the HTPC box I'll need a micro-ATX case, a motherboard, ram, graphics card, a smallish hard disk, network card, remote. Do I need a soundcard for 5.1 speakers or could the mobo handle that? Probably a DVD drive too.



My first question is: Should I even be building a crappy HTPC or should I look at one of those wireless streamers? The problem with many of them is they have shit interfaces and don't support all the filetypes and codecs.

Perhaps I should wait for something like the SlingCatcher? There seem to be loads of these media centers coming out and I'm finding hard to know what to do!



My next question is, if I'm going to be building the little pc, what are the kind of specs I should be looking at? Because I want it to run ok but not looking for anything too fancy.

If anyone has any advice for me at all, I'd love to hear it. If you've done this before I'd love to know what you've got.
 
You have a TV that has an HDMI port but doesn't do HD resolutions? What make and model number is it? Because that's very strange. If the PC you already have is decent, why are you bothering? Why not simply buy an XB360 (not very quiet I know) or a PS3 and stream all of your media to one of them - you're then done and have only spent between 150 to 300 quid.

I stream everything I have to the PS3, and the only problem I have is with certain Matroska files, but they are easy enough to convert. As for wireless networking, WiFi G is perfectly capable for SD content, but iffy with HD, you could choose to use some type of Homeplug technology though to get it wired over your electricity supply.
 
I'm looking at this but am not sure whether to get it as I don't need it, I just want it so I'm trying to convince myself I need it lol.

Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-SH2
 
Weaste it's a Sharp LC32P50E

Yeh maybe you're right about just buying a console. I just like the idea of having windows on the htpc and being able to upgrade it over time. Thing is I've no real desire for bluray, I'm sick of discs :boring:

Pff, I can't make my mind up at all.
VII said:
I'm looking at this but am not sure whether to get it as I don't need it, I just want it so I'm trying to convince myself I need it lol.

Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-SH2
Click to expand...

VII that mobo looks pretty sick, would you put it in your PC?
 
dRNk SAnTA said:
Weaste it's a Sharp LC32P50E
Click to expand...

Yes, bizarre! It has a resolution of 960 x 540, which is lower than the basic 1280 x 720 HD. It says that it's HD compatible, meaning I suppose that it has an internal down scaler - basically it can take a HD signal, but makes it smaller to display it. I've never seen this before.

I came across some online retailers in the UK still selling this TV, some even saying that it's HD Ready (which it's not) - selling this for 900 quid, which is way over the top for a 3 year old sub 720p TV.
 
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