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Building a HTPC.....Need some advice

L

LasombraB

Platinum Member
Ok, looks like I will finally get all the parts I need to build a HTPC. Below is a list of the parts I will be using. I already have the CPU, MB, RAM, HD, and soon to have the Video Card. I want to use this HTPC to hook up to my Sony 46" Projection TV via DVI. I want to be able to Record live TV, Watch DVD's, Listen to Music, and Play Games. Let me know of any suggestions you might have on helping me accomplish this.

Is the Hauppauge WinTV PVR-350 the best TV Turner to get? I will be using Insight Digital Cable.


HTPC Specs

AMD Athlon XP 2500+
ABIT NF7-S ver2.0
512MB PC2700 Value Select - (may upgrade to 1GB)
120GB Western Digital SE
NEC ND-3500A 16X DVD+/-RW DL
ATI Radeon 9800pro w/VGA Slicener
Hauppauge WinTV PVR-150
SilverStone SST-LC03
Enermax Whisper 350W


Or, instead of the AMD I could go with Intel

Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz
ABIT IS7-E
512MB PC3200
 
more storage buddy🙂 also I would probably pick a seagte instead of a WD due to noise and warranty since the hard drive will basically always active. also get the NEC 3500a DVD burner. Everything else looks good. Are you going with a HTPC case?
 
I would get a Seagate, but I already have the 120GB. I also have a File Server that has about 360GB of storage space.
 
Looks pretty good to me unless you are planning on using ffdshow for playing DVD's. You may want a little bit more of a CPU to give more overhead for that. Not sure though. I don't use it, but I have heard it looks great.

You will definately want more storage.

I personally don't think the 350 is worth the money. The 150 is the replacement for the 250 and can be had for around $65. It gives just as good quality as the 250 or 350. You really don't need the added features of the 350.
 
Originally posted by: LasombraB
Hauppauge Win TV150 PVR-MCE-PCI Tuner Card for MCE, Model "1024" -OEM

So get this instead of the 350?
Click to expand...

Yeah it is supposed to replace the 250. It is cheaper to manfacture than the older 250 but gives same quality. I think the only difference in the 350 is it has a line out. You don't really need that especially if you are using DVI. I bought two from buy.com for $65 with free shipping but I just checked and they are sold out.
 
Not sure about the TV Tuner since I don't have one in my HTPC but besides that, our setups are literally identical, the processor on mine is a tad bit faster though (2600+). The system runs great, and the case looks so nice 🙂. Does get a bit hot though.
 
One more question, is anyone using MCE 2005? I want to make my HTPC as user friendly as possible, so my wife won't complaint as much about using it. So would MCE 2005 be best for this?
 
Yeah, I am using MCE 2005. It is really user friendly. I tried SageTV and you can customize it more but MCE is definatly more user friendly. The biggest thing that I don't like about is that it limits you to two analog tuners and one hdtv tuner.
 
Originally posted by: LasombraB
That is an ugly case in my opinion. And I bet it is very expensive. I want my HTPC to look stylish.
Click to expand...
Expensive? very. Stylish? IMO more than your choice, but it's an opinion after all...

GL with thye build...
 
This seems to be what a lot of media center owner like if they are sitting across the room from the pc. I personally don't have it but am thinking about getting one. They are expensive! That is what is holding me back. It would be nice to use the mouse on the couch without a hard surface though.
 
Originally posted by: edelbrock
This seems to be what a lot of media center owner like if they are sitting across the room from the pc. I personally don't have it but am thinking about getting one. They are expensive! That is what is holding me back. It would be nice to use the mouse on the couch without a hard surface though.
Click to expand...

Thats nice, but I don't think gaming is too good for something like that. With a 9800 Pro, I assume you'll be gaming some too. For a mix of range and usability, I got the Microsoft Bluetoth Desktop keyboard/mouse.
 
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