HTPC Roundtable

[route66]

Ok, I've got a first generation Tivo (pre Series 2) and a DVD player that needs to be replaced. So I am going to build an HTPC, but have a few noobish questions.

My current thought is to use MCE. If I go from a pre-Series2 Tivo to MCE am I losing any features that I'd lose from a cable company DVR or the latest generation Tivo? I am pretty happy with my first generation Tivo and don't want to lose any features, but I am thinking that there is some gotcha that I'm not aware of.

Since this is going in the living room I want this fanless. Hell, I want to use a mini-ITX board with a Via C7 (probably about 1GHz). If I get a good video card, is 1GHz enough for MCE?

What's a good fanless TV card that supports HDTV?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[alm99]

Hauppauge 1600 or 1800.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: route66
Ok, I've got a first generation Tivo (pre Series 2) and a DVD player that needs to be replaced. So I am going to build an HTPC, but have a few noobish questions.

My current thought is to use MCE. If I go from a pre-Series2 Tivo to MCE am I losing any features that I'd lose from a cable company DVR or the latest generation Tivo? I am pretty happy with my first generation Tivo and don't want to lose any features, but I am thinking that there is some gotcha that I'm not aware of.

Since this is going in the living room I want this fanless. Hell, I want to use a mini-ITX board with a Via C7 (probably about 1GHz). If I get a good video card, is 1GHz enough for MCE?

What's a good fanless TV card that supports HDTV?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

www.hdhomerun.com / silicondust.com -> $160-ish, dual QAM tuner. Wonnnnderful! Do the 1600 & 1800 do clearQAM?

 

[wedi42]

do you plan on recording HD?
a via won't have the power needed to decode HD

the 1600 and 1800 can do clear qam, however the software i use (snapstream) doesn't support it.
if i was going to build a system today, i'd use the hdhomerun