Need help building a psudeo-HTPC.

[Staz]

OK, here is my current situation. I have a 53" Sony projection TV(HD & 4:3) in my familyroom. This TV has composite, component, and S-Video inputs. I have a DVD player already hooked to it and a DVR on another TV. Right now, I have a regular DirectTV receiver hooked up to it, but will be replacing that with a HD one within the next 6 months. I also have a stereo system there, but only hooked up with the DVD player, not the TV itself.

What I want to do is take my unused server and turn it into a HTPC and connect it to this TV. It's main use will be for general use stuff, like surfing the Internet and doing basic productivity, but using the TV as it's output instead of a monitor. It's 2nd use will be as a PVR on that TV. It's 3rd use will be as storage for my various files. I don't need to it be a DVD player, nor do I need to play or rip music to it, nor do I need to burn or rip DVD's. Using my TV as it's output and acting as a PVR would be the HTPC side of it, otherwise, it will be a normal PC/File Server. Also, I don't own a copy of MCE, so standard XP-SP2 or even Windows 2000 Server would power this system.

What I have to work with is a Nforce2 mATX mobo with a XP2000+ CPU and 768MB, a Nvidia GeForce4 TI4800 or ATI Radeon 8500 videocard, a 120GB hard drive, and either a CDRW or DVD drive. What I know I will need to buy would be a mATX case, a PVR card, and a wireless mouse/keyboard combo. Since I will be placing this HTPC in my entertainment center, I want it to look good and not so "computer-ish", so I am leaning towards the Antec Avria case as I like it's looks and it's cube structure will fit in my entertainment center better. With my entertainment center on one wall and my sitting area against the other wall, with a walkway inbetween them, I can't have any wires running to the sitting area, so I need a wireless keyboard/mouse combo and can reach around 15-feet. I am leaning towards the Logitech MX Duo as I have heard good things about this combo and people tell me it can reach that far. As for a PVR card, not a clue, but I want one that can handle the HD signal once I upgrade to it.

This HTPC will connect back to my network via a 802.11G USB adapter, so throughput should be decent.

Knowing what I have to work with and what I need, do you have any recommendations or suggestions for when I start to implement this? Also, which of the 2 videocards that I have to use would preform better? I really want my output to the TV to be more than 800x600 and not sure if either card can do that. If they can't, what inexpensive card can?

Thanks for your help.

 

[cornelp]

As far as the Capture card, I would look at the Hauppage cards. They are very very reliable, and they do Hardware Encoding, which leaves your PC free when U want to surf the net and do other stuff.
As far as the Video Card to hook up your TV to your PC, is a little tricky. I had quite a few issues with that, since its a Rear Projection TV U got (I have the same thing). To get anything above 640X480 resolution on a RPTV (Rear Projection TV) U will need software to change your display. I forgot what Its called, but search around for it (or U can go to dvdrhelp.com).

The keybaord and mouse U choose is good, my friend has it for his HTPC and works quite far from the TV, so distance is good.
If the ATI Video Card has the MultiMedia build it, then I would choose that one. Either way U will have to use software to enable higher resolution on the TV output.

For the software, SageTV works BEST for wireless video. I see U use wireless, which I do to, and many software packages are available, but very few do good wireless, with the exception of SageTV. I used SageTV for the past 2 years and that is the best for me so far (my opinion).

I hope this helped and good luck...

Anything I can do, please msg...