DavidA Wrote:Thanks for the comprehensive response Achoo.
You are most welcome. I suffered a lot of confusion when building my rig, so feel assured you are not alone. The suggestions from the other users are all solid, too. I think it will come down to personal preference in choosing which applications you use. I really love XBMC, but aside from using it to make my friends' eyes pop out (mostly the fanart), the utility offered by some of the other options (GB-PVR, for me) have me reaching for the alternatives first.
DavidA Wrote:I'm new to HTPCs. Do I use a motherboard with a HDMI out (inc audio) and just use the graphics card for image processing somehow? I have a spare passive 7900GS.
I would skip integrated video (and all its connectors) for a dedicated video card. I didn't see any indication of what kind of display you will be using, but the connection you will use will depend on that information. Be aware that none of the video cards I would recommend currently have the ability to send audio out over the HDMI cable, so falling back to DVI isn't a big drawback (so long as your display supports it). It is also true that the only sources you're likely to have that would require HDCP are Bluray drives, and software like AnyDVD can bypass that requirement. Anything you record yourself or download will be copy-protection free, so you will only need to base your connection choice according to your tastes in fidelity.
The 7900GS would be a fine card to build your initial configuration around. It is fast enough that you could have a lot of fun playing Madden 08 and such on the HTPC. Most softwares will allow you to add menu items to launch games, so having a decent card is a plus. However, be aware that the 7xxx series of NVidia cards does not support the newer revisions of dxva - it can decode the basic MPEG2 streams that your tuner will grab, but modern CPUs can already decode them without issue. The newer cards (8600 and up, if I recall correctly) have full support for the more modern and advanced video codecs. This is vitally important, as even a burly CPU can not decode 1080p video without a plethora of artifacts - stuttering, loss of audio sync, etc. If you can afford to drop $130 on a 8800gt (especially one with the Accelero passive heatsink!), then you will be able to play those same 1080p videos with only 6-10% CPU usage and nary a whisper.
DavidA Wrote:I love Antec cases so I'd probably try and find one of those with an IR function. Does that sound right?
Antec makes nice cases, indeed. They even, if I recall correctly, make a case specially designed for HTPC applications. It looks like your Tuner/Amp combo, and some of them even have little touch-screen LCDs on the front. Very boss! However, the TV tuner cards that you will be adding to your computer will provide the IR (or UHF) remote functionality. You can also buy standalone remote solutions (like the MS "beanbag"). The ~$70 Hauppage cards I am so fond of each come with a 45-button remote control, an IR receiver that can be mounted fairly discretely, and an IR blaster that can be used to control external tuners (like a satellite tuner, cable box, VCR, etc). The Hauppage remotes are supported natively by a huge number of applications (the cards have been popular since the advent of PC-based DVD players - computers of the time couldn't decode the video fast enough w/o hardware devices), and it is possible to emulate keyboard commands on an application-by-application basis by editing a few files. The only app I can't get to work is XBMC! A lot of users eventually upgrade to a more robust remote, like the Harmony line from Logitech, but I have not yet made the switch.
DavidA Wrote:Regarding point 1, to clarify I'd like to run PVR software and XBMC software on the HTPC. From what you say provided provided I set them up correctly I won't have a problem running them concurrently.
Absolutely correct. Although I primarily use GB-PVR, I have played around with BeyondTV, Meedio, SageTV, MythTV (under a virtual OS install), XBMC, MediaPortal, and several other packages without any trouble whatsoever.
DavidA Wrote:Is there any software that saves shows in an XBMC Library friendly format? e.g. Lost.s01e01.avi?
Pretty much any package you use will have options for file naming conventions. GB-PVR defaults to something like, "Heroes_20081013_21002200.mpg", where Heroes is the name of the show, and the show aired between 9:00 and 10:00 PM on 10/13/2008. XBMC seems to like the format just fine, but you can alter the post-recording batch file to rename, transcode, strip commercials, or otherwise modify the recording. Because whatever solution you end up with will also have EPG data, it is also generally possible to name shows using background information, such as the episode name.
The cool thing about building a HTPC is that it is highly modular, both in terms of hardware and software. You can start with something basic and add pieces as you (or your wallet) grow. If I were starting from scratch, I'd buy a basic Core 2 Duo board and chip, the hard-drive that provides the best bang-for-the-buck (1 or 1.5 TB 7200RPM, probably), a 9800GT, a Hauppage 1600 (
making sure to get the one that supports QAM), a cheapo DVD burner, a copy of GB-PVR (free), a copy of AnyDVD-HD, a copy of Daemon Tools Lite (free), and all the standalone DirectShow filters from MediaPlayerClassic-HomeCinema (they will enable dxva on newer cards without having to shell out for NVidia or Cyberlink decoders).
FYI,
this is the kind of videocard/heatsink package I have. Zero fans, and dead quiet!
Good luck in your project - I'd very much like to hear from you when you start getting it all together!
Your friend,
Achoo
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