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+--- Thread: My perfect XBMC Configuration + mouse/keyboard free HTPC (/showthread.php?tid=104465)
My perfect XBMC Configuration + mouse/keyboard free HTPC - lightshow12 - 2011-06-28
My Perfect Working HTPC setup:
IMAGES:
Video:
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=0BBA805D09AFB1B3
OS: Windows 7 64bit Ultimate SP1
RAM: 2GB
HD: 160GB 2.5" 5400rpm
Case+Mobo+etc http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=797987&postcount=2 (thanks eskro!)
[MOBO+CPU+iGPU] ASRock E350M1 Zacate Dual-Core 1.6Ghz HD6310 ALC892 Mini-ITX ($110 + $7)
[CASE+PSU] Apex MI-008 Black mini-ITX 250W ($40 + $0)
[FAN] SilenX IXP-74-09 120mm 800RPM 38CFM 9dBA ($13 + $0)
[SSD] Kingston SSDNow 30GB 2.5" SATAII Trim Read:180MB/s Write:50MB/s ($56 + $0)
[RAM] CORSAIR 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 DDR3 1333 ($22 + $0)
TOTAL: ($248)
Yepp, believe it or not, this $248 HTPC will do all you want!
*PLay 1080P
*BitStream HD-Audio
*Play Netflix-HD
*Stream Server Files at Gigabyte Speed
*Can accommodate a Regular 5.25" Optical Bluray Drive (Be careful on the drive since you don't want a drive with the circle eject button, it is too small for the case's eject arm. You want a long rectange eject button on the DvdRom/Blueray/etc)
Overview: Perfect experience using only remote control + XBOX 360 Gamepad + Playstation2 Gamepad for Emulators to do everything I want.
Missing: Integration of VoxCommando (which I bought a license for already!)
http://voxcommando.com/
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=73006
I'll hook my htpc up to my Microsoft Kinect to have that be my Mic
Youtube video of my setup (soon!)
Configurations:
XBMC + all addons from wiki http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Unofficial_Add-on_Repositories
XBMC nightlies version 5/30/2011 using the updated Confluence that looks like Aeon, but performs awesome on low end CPU!
My Mobo has a Radeon HD 3400 that plays 1080i mkv blueray without a hitch~! You just have to enable DIVXA in system-system-video or something similiar
XBMC is setup to use "use a fullscreen window insted of true fullscreen" So it will play nice with launched applications.
MCE Remote configuration plugin: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=81687
Setup to use the blue button as "\" -> so I can resize XBMC when my emulators mess up its zooming while changing resolution
Setup to use the yellow button as "alt+tab" -> so I can bring focus to XBMC if something else is taking it
XBMC in startup folder in Windows 7 -> ie All programs -> Startup (only a shortcut to the .exe of xbmc)
Desktop Wallpaper changed
Hide all desktop icons
Autohide the task bar and place it on the right side of the screen
Disable *all* notifications of system tray items
Disable windows updates
Enable firewall (you'll set your rules each time you launch a new app, so it shouldn't prove a problem)
Enable System Restore + create many restore points
Simple Filesharing Enabled on C:\ so I can copy files over from my computer through CIFS (Windows sharing SAMBA protocol) http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Networking-home-computers-running-different-versions-of-Windows
Added Generic User with a password which all my network shares authenticate against
NO Antivirus shhh
Control Panel -> Advanced Power Settings -> Go into standby mode if idle > 2 hrs, turn off Hard Disk if idle 2.3 hrs
My Computer -> Properties, performance -> change settings to optimize performance = no Aero themes, but who cares! we have xbmc
Control Panel -> Mouse, mouse settings -> change mouse icons to the black theme (so you see it less while launching emulators
*No mouse or keyboard is plugged in during normal use. Remote desktop is used for me doing all these tweaks (my TV isn't sharp enough to really work off it as a monitor)
Start -> run -> msconfig disable all unnecessary startup items
Remote Desktop without password to my user - http://superuser.com/questions/106917/remote-desktop-without-a-password
Autologin to my user - http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Tip-Auto-Login-Your-Windows-7-User-Account
Unrandomize the Drive letter given to a USB device by Windows (like external HD's) -> http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html
CCCP installed for video playback (just for testing my audio/video externally from XBMC -> not really needed) http://www.cccp-project.net/
VLC Media Player installed for video playback (just for testing my audio/video externally from XBMC -> not really needed)
Directx installed to latest version http://www.gamesforwindows.com/directx/
Flash Player Installed for hyperspin get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ -*Turn off autoupdates
Login Wallpaper changed http://lifehacker.com/5182061/logon-changer-customizes-the-windows-7-login-screen
Adjust my TV (DVI-D) for overscan using the latest ATI software - Catalyst Control Center. I had to download a few to get the one I wanted
Custom Sound Sceme using the THX sound as a mp3 for Windows Startup -> Control Panel, sounds, adjust windows sounds. I also got rid of some of the sounds I don't like
Xbox 360 Controller hardwired USB + PS2 adapter w/ PS2 controlller connected -> http://www.szprice.com/products/PS-PS2-USB-Dual-Controller-to-PC-Adapter-Converter_1257.html
XPadder configured to map my buttons to my emulator settings (map to keyboard keys for Hyperspin emulator compatability)
Under Xpadder options, enable start with windows. My xpadder lives in C:\users\hawkmedia\documents\xpadder\ so you don't need it in startup if you just check that option (it prob writes to registry)
Hyperspin Project installed http://www.underground-gamer.com/wiki/index.php/Hyperspin_Project *only the non-cd based games emulators configured b/c daemon tools is not playing nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hys709rgQYU
I map my left joystick click in to "ESC" (in Xpadder) so that I can exit a game within the emulator at any time and exit Hyperspin with the controller or remote (my Windows MCE remote has "clear" automapped to "ESC")
You can perfectly exit out of Hyperspin right back into XBMC
Setup each emulator to use your necessary keys + add the wheels you want
Setting this up probably took me 16 hours or so to get it like how I wanted
Advanced Launcher Installed from AngelCry Addon Repository (you may have to add sources in your filemanager within XBMC if you can't see your drives to link to you exe) http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Filemanager (ask for help since the link changes with each skin)
Configured to launch a standalone EXE (hyperspin.exe) with no arguments
- stabu - 2011-06-29
I have the same HTPC but my colors look washed out.. any ideas?
- lightshow12 - 2011-06-29
Download the Driver pack for the mobo here for your OS. Install **all** packages
http://www.asrock.com/mb/download.asp?Model=E350M1
Then install the ATI drivers from here: * change the OS selection if you arn't using 64bit windows 7
http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/radeon_win7-64.aspx
Install all the packages (including optional) but Hydravision and Media Codecs
Make sure you create a system restore snapshot beforehand just in case!
- stabu - 2011-06-30
i dont see Hydravision and Media Codecs when i install the ati drivers. all these drivers are the same ones i already had
heres a screenshot of what im talking about with frames dropped and the washed out look
- lightshow12 - 2011-06-30
Can you run the program Gspot which will grab all the codec stuff from the video and paste a screenshot here?
- stabu - 2011-07-01
Pretty much got everything working. i check the fake full screen option that fixed the frames droppoing and set the ati driver to full rgb. blacks look black and not gray now. Thanks for all the help
- lightshow12 - 2011-07-03
Awesome; that's great you got it working stabu!
- stabu - 2011-07-05
You change any ati settings? If so can you post them?
- lightshow12 - 2011-07-05
I didn't make any custom ATI settings. I only made my changes for Overscan of my TV which is very specific to my TV. Other than that, no color settings or anything.
- outatouch0 - 2011-07-05
Thanks for listing your configurations. I am in the process of setting mine up now. You have given me some great ideas to consider.
- outatouch0 - 2011-07-08
lightshow12 Wrote:I didn't make any custom ATI settings. I only made my changes for Overscan of my TV which is very specific to my TV. Other than that, no color settings or anything.
What TV do you have? I have overscan with my windows desktop on my Samsung 720 plasma. I can adjust this to "fit" in the TV settings but then it disables the pixel shift screen protection mode
I attempted adjusting within the NVIDA driver/control panel instead (leaving the tv set to 16:9 but did not like the results.
I would be very interested to hear about the adjustments you made (even though yours is ATI/AMD).
- clayfree - 2011-07-08
Nice build! I had a Zotac ION in that case and really liked it. Thanks for adding all the details.
- lightshow12 - 2011-07-09
outatouch0,
I followed the guide at:
http://superuser.com/questions/57239/overscan-in-catalyst-control-center
clayfree,
Glad it's helpful to someone!
My Tv is a Hitachi Ultravision Projection. After following the guide, I was able to adjust the overscan, but the computer's middle point (to resize the screen) was offset to my TV's real middle point. So that left me with the screen in a good position in all places but the right side. There is a gap of maybe 4 inches from the right of the screen to where the windows desktop is. That's the best I can do since my tv doesn't support any scaling via the remote (besides zoom, 16x9, and all that preset stuff)
Since you'll be using the Nvidia control panel, I see a few posts after googling " nvidia control panel overscan" of people who seem successful.
**Note: All the overscan stuff only happens on DVI based TV's. When plugged in via HDMI to a HDMI tv it always autoscaled just fine.
- outatouch0 - 2011-07-09
thanks for the link I will take a look at that.
I am connected HDMI to HDMI so.... lol
- outatouch0 - 2011-07-11
outatouch0 Wrote:What TV do you have? I have overscan with my windows desktop on my Samsung 720 plasma. I can adjust this to "fit" in the TV settings but then it disables the pixel shift screen protection mode
I attempted adjusting within the NVIDA driver/control panel instead (leaving the tv set to 16:9 but did not like the results.
I would be very interested to hear about the adjustments you made (even though yours is ATI/AMD).
I read A LOT on this subject from various sources and listed various things to try. I started with the simplest ones first and the third thing I tried worked! I simply had to move my HDMI cable from HDMI1 to HDMI/DVI2 and this resolved the issue. The desktop actually looks much better too!
Incidentally, both ATI and NVidia users/pundits report experiencing these same problems. Ironically, both assumed the other guys didn't have the issue