Fairly simply SFF HTPC question

[Spike]

I decided to finally setup a simple HTPC at my new place using some old parts. I currently have a second system using a AthlonXP 1800+, 256mb value ram, 40+120GB WD hdd, Radeon 8500, and Philips 16x DVD drive. I decided to get a SFF case and a cheaper TV tuner card. The case and card I am currently looking at are this and this.

This does not need to be a high end system, the main uses I want for it are listening to music, playing DVDs/DIVX, and the occasional show recording, thats about it. It would be going out to a Toshiba 19" tv (eventually a Dell 2405 fpw) and a nicer pair of logticeh 2.1 speakers. In a few years I will actually get a decent home theater setup but for now this will work.

What are your thoughts on the card and case as well as my intended application? Can the remote that comes with the PVR be used to play music on my HTPC? or is it just for channel surfing and recording? Thanks for your thoughts on this, I'm so used to building gaming rigs that I have no idea about these "little" systems.

-spike

Here are a few more cards I am looking at:
Card 1
Card 2

 

[sivart]

Nice case. Never have used any of the cards that you are looking at, but the few I have came with remotes that operated just like your mouse. Do you plan to use an "HTPC" type of software?

If you plan to re-encode video that is recorded, go with a card that has a built in decoder or for sure bump the RAM at least 256MB.

 

[imported_OrSin]

It first I didn't like the case but upclose pictures look much better.
Not too sure on those cards. Maybe try to get a card that works with dscalar.
I hear that program is pretty good. They hve alist of cards that work on thier page.

 

[Spike]

I am thinking about not getting the cards now. I don't watch much tv and this would be used mainly to watch dvd's and listen to music. I just need to find out if my socket A AthlonXP 1800+ will work with this board.

-spike

 

[sivart]

might be a wiser investment to buy a nice DVD player that can handle MP3's. You will probably get better picture quality and better sound quality without having to buy a new video card and sound card for the PC.