Need HTPC Advice

[PsychoCrazy]

OK, I want to build an HTPC that will allow me to record/play tv as well as play DivX and Xvid files. I want to try to keep it as cheap as possible, but have it in a case that will fit in my entertainment center. Here's what I'm considering:

1. used Dell Optiplex GX150 off eBay (small desktop, PIII 933Mhz, 256MB RAM) similar to this one: LINK. Should be able to find one on eBay for $150 or less. What I like about the GX150 is that it seems to be pretty small, but it has two full height PCI slots. I plan to swap in a DVD-ROM if it doesn't come with one.

2. 160GB Maxtor or 200GB WD hard drive. I already have a couple of hard drives that I picked up during Black Friday. I'll probably use the more quiet one (probably the WD).

3. PCI GeForce MX440 (or low profile AGP) for output to television (using svideo). I figure I can get one somewhere for ~$40.

4. Hauppage PVR-150. So far people have been speaking favorably about this card, and it's cheaper than the PVR-250. I'm thinking about getting the combo with the card + SageTV for about $150 (LINK)

Does this seem like a good setup for what I want to do? I'll probably just run Windows 2000 on it and get a USB wireless G adapter to connect to my network. Is there anything else I need to be aware of?

 

[Auric]

P933 lacks the pep necessary for MPEG-4 at DVD quality. I reckon around 1500 would be the minimum... if that Dell will accept a Tualatin then a C1400 may be okay, or else a lower model o'ced for more oomph.

GF image quality is subpar, particularly TVO and perhaps scaling as well. Go with ATI instead:
7xxx for marginally lower cost DVI/S-Video
92xx for slightly improved video processing DVI/S-Video
95xx for available add-on component (FYI X800/700/600 do not require adapter)

Perhaps check out newegg's refurbs.

Philips/Connexant "150's" from Hauppage, AverMedia, etc. can be had for around $60 so the software seems awfully overpriced. You may want to look into the forthcoming ATI Theater 550 Pro based cards like the Sapphire Theatrix and diff'rent software options. I know there are some free alternatives like Media Portal but have no experience with them. A universal remote/USB receiver (or even the MCE ones with alternate receiver software) may be more flexible than the ones included with the cards.

 

[PsychoCrazy]

Guess I should have made this clear earlier, but I only have analog cable.

Auric,
When you say that the P933 lacks the pep necessary for MPEG-4 at DVD quality, are you talking about encoding or decoding? I thought that you didn't need a fast CPU with the PVR-150 cards. Plus I don't get DVD quality from my analog cable, so trying to encode that high would be fairly pointless. Also, XviD files seem to play fine on my P3-800 at the office, so I would think they would play back fine on another machine with similar or greater specs.

As for the nvidia image quality, I know that was true on a lot of the older cards, but I heard that it was much better on the GeForce4 and MX4x0 series and up. I've got a Ti4200 and Radeon 9200 at the office, so maybe I can compare the TV output on both of those before I purchase a video card.

And thanks for the heads up on the new Theater 550 chip. Doesn't look like there are any cards out yet, but it looks like it should be pretty good. Cheapest price from pricegrabber for the PVR-150 is $80 plus shipping (I don't want the MCE version). I haven't seen any price estimates for the Theater 550 cards yet.

 

[todpod]

He means decoding. If you got the time pretty much any processor will work for encoding . I just made a HTPC ( if you could call it that) out of a 667 p3, It does alright but I don't encode to DVD quality. I have an ATI AIW 128pro as my video it seems acceptable. It just all comes down to how good of quality you want. It seems by your standards (and mine) the Dell would do the job.

 

[Todd33]

If the PVR-150 is hardware encoding like the PVR-250, then you do not need a fast CPU, it's all done on the board. The setup looks like it should work fine. What software are you using for the DVR?

 

[PsychoCrazy]

todpod,

OK. I think I understand now. To encode the stuff that I download into MPEG4 format will take a very long time with a slower CPU. But the system should be fine for recording. I think that's what you are saying.

Todd33,

Yes. The PVR-150 is hardware encoding. It's actually the replacement for the 250. From what I've read, it's cheaper to produce because it's a one-chip solution (the 250 was a two-chip solution), but the quality is the same. I haven't totally decided on the PVR software to use, but I was really looking hard at SageTV. I liked what all the reviews had to say about it. Ideally I would like to get all the hardware together and then try the different demo versions of SageTV, BeyondTV, etc. before I bought any of them. But the combo deal with SageTV and the PVR-150 would save some $$ (vs purchasing them separately) if I went that route.

 

[todpod]

Long time is a relative term. To encode a dvd at the quality that I use generally takes 3 to 4 hours, I'm sure you probably could triple that time for a high quality encode. I currently using a ultra fast 1 gig Duron running at 999mhz (at least according to windows), so your p3 should at least be the equal to this.

 

[Auric]

The P933 will be fine for recording 'cause the MPEG-2 encoding is done in hardware. On the decoding side, MPEG-2 is not very intensive compared to MPEG-4. If a P800 is doing okay then it must be with lower resolution/bitrate videos. It shan't suffice for many movie downloads available these days. Froogle is good for pricing -here's the equivalent AverMedia product and also see pcalchemy for competitive pricing on the Hauppage schtuff and bundles.

 

[PsychoCrazy]

Thanks, you guys. Sounds like the system should work OK for what I want it to do. I don't think my TV can handle more than 800x600 resolution, so high-res MPEG-4 decoding/playback shouldn't be an issue.

I'll keep pcalchemy in mind for the PVR/software purchase. Right now the SageTV store is cheaper for both the PVR-150 card itself (I need retail version--not MCE version) as well as the bundle package due to the 10% off coupon posted on their website. But I don't know if I'll be able to make the purchase before that ends.

Now, let's see if I can finish convincing the wife we really need this.

 

[todpod]

The wifey can be a thorny issue. Just hooked a HTPC in our bedroom, and made sure she the LOTR movies and the other crap she likes to watch. She thinks it a great idea, but I had most of the parts. Its too loud though need to convince her that we need a new case and m/b that would be quieter. If I could find a really cheap matx socket 370 board, or a cheap striped down dell like you are going to get with no hd etc.