Media Center Build Advice/Help

[sp3n]

Hi guys, I need a bit of advice with a media center that I am currently building.

This is the current spec:
Antec Fusion Case
AMD Sempron XP 2800+ (s754)
Gigabyte Motherboard (AGP 8x, s754, DDR400, mATX)
512MB DDR PC2700 Unbranded RAM
80GB IDE Seagate HDD
ATI Radeon 7000 AGP 4x 64MB? (DVI, Composite Out)
DVD ROM Drive 16x
Media Center 2005 OEM

These are the additional parts that I have available:
AMD 64 3200+ (s754)
1gb DDR PC3200 Geil Value RAM
GeForce 6800GT 256MB (Zalman VF700 CU Cooler, Dual DVI + SVideo)

And these are the parts that I still need to buy:
TV Tuner - Dual Analogue
300GB+ HDD
DVDR Drive
Remote + Receiver
Wireless Mouse + Keyboard
Wireless PCI Card
Decent s754 Cooler

This media center is going to be used on a 42-50inch HDTV for PVR (Recording, Time shifting etc), very light gaming and playback of HD video from the HDD (720p max). I really dont want to have to spend a lot of money on the rest of the needed components.

And now my questions:

* Should I upgrade the motherboard so that I can use the AMD 64 3200+ or will the Sempron suffice?

* Is the 512MB PC2700 RAM good enough or should I wack on the 1GB PC3200?

* Is the Radeon 7000 gonna cut it for light gaming and HD content playback or should I use the the 6800GT? OR should i buy a newer graphics card that has HDMI out?

* The TV Tuner I have been looking at is the Hauppauge WinTV PVR-500MCE because it has dual analogue tuners (Cant get freeview/digital in this neck of the woods) but it is quite pricey at £120~, would it be better/cheaper to get 2x analogue tv tuners? If so do they have to be the same brand/model to work in dual mode?

* Is it best to get a standard MS MCE remote and mouse+keyboard combo or is there better alternatives?


Thats my main questions for the time being, thanks in advance for any help/advice!

 

[Atheus]

Cant get freeview/digital in this neck of the woods

I'm guessing you're in the UK then? You're aware they are turning off the analogue TV transmissions this year? Annoying I know, but you will need the digital tuners soon...

By coincidence I just built a machine like this with exactly the same case so I can give you some pointers:

- The Antec Fusion does not come with a place to put a remote control sensor no matter what they say - I drilled a hole through the 1/4" aluminium front panel for it. If you are not comfortable with doing that then think twice about buying the case.

- Today's Integrated graphics are fine for video playback and light gaming. I got the ASUS M2NPV-VM which has onboard 6150 graphics with S-video output for the TV, and it runs a playstation emulator just fine too. 50 quid.

- I have 1GB DDR2 667 in the machine. Would 512M be enough? I don't know, but since you have it sitting there I would just go for the gig.

- You need some quite significant CPU power to decode HD content - we're not talking quad core Intel here, but I have been told you do want dual core AMD at least. I have a cheap AM2 3800+ in there and it works well. Anyone else got any input on this?

- I got the Hauppauge WinTV-Nova-T 500 with the dual digital tuners. It gives a great picture, works well with media center, and comes with a remote. Perhaps there is a device to convert the analog signals to digital temporarily, just until they switch over? I would be extra cost, I know, but likely not as bad as buying 2 dual tuner cards in one year...

 

[sp3n]

Yep you guessed right, living in the UK!
Yeah i heard that they are turning off the analogue transmissions in 2008, so yep inevitably I will need digital tuners once I can receive digital transmissions - but for now I just want to be able to record something whilst watching something else with analogue.

- I have already bought the Antec Fusion case so unfortunately it looks like I am going to have to do some drilling ! unless I could have the remote sensor outside of the case?

- Glad to know that integrated graphics are good enough for video playback and light gaming, is the Radeon 7000 worse than an integrated gpu these days?

- Might as well use the 1GB DDR, cant get much for it otherwise

- So its possible that even the AMD 64 3200+ wont be good enough for playing 720p HD content? If this is the case I will have to review the motherboard selection.

- I have no idea if there is such a device that converts the analog signals to digital, I would be very happy if there was so that I wouldn't have to upgrade the tuner... But either way I will need a dual tuner 'solution' that can play and record at the same time with analog signals.

Thanks a lot for your post Atheus

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: sp3n
- I have already bought the Antec Fusion case so unfortunately it looks like I am going to have to do some drilling ! unless I could have the remote sensor outside of the case?

You can blu-tac it to the TV or something but who wants that?

- Glad to know that integrated graphics are good enough for video playback and light gaming, is the Radeon 7000 worse than an integrated gpu these days?

Probably quite a bit worse yea. If you get a new motherboard with 6100/6150 I wouldn't use it, but if you just need any old card I suppose it'll be fine - you can always chuck the 6800 in there if it's too crap.

- So its possible that even the AMD 64 3200+ wont be good enough for playing 720p HD content? If this is the case I will have to review the motherboard selection.

I don't know that much about video decoding to be honest. I do know the graphics card has an effect as well as the processor, for example the 6150 in my board has something called Nvidia Purevideo which takes a load off the CPU... even so I have heard you do want dual core.

If anyone else can clear this up I'd like to know too - what do you need for 720p? What about 1080p? Is 'PureVideo-HD' the same as 'PureVideo' and how much load does it really take off the CPU? Does it depend on the type of card or is all PureVideo acceleration the same? etc.

- I have no idea if there is such a device that converts the analog signals to digital, I would be very happy if there was so that I wouldn't have to upgrade the tuner... But either way I will need a dual tuner 'solution' that can play and record at the same time with analog signals.

I googled and I can't see a device like that, but I didn't look too hard...

If you do find one, the Nova-T I mentioned is a dual tuner, so you will be able to record while watching another channel.