Topic: Unofficial HTPC users thread: Tips, Tricks, and everything HTPC

[jojitv]

Anybody knows where I can buy an SPDIF header connector for the motherboard so I can connect it to my receiver digitally? Thanks.

[jojitb]

hello tukayo. 

kung wala kang mabili,you have 2 options:
1. if you have a defective dvd player, you can get the spdif coax and the optical connectors. 
2. get a female coax connector from any hardware store. drill a hole, copnnect the connector.  get a spare cd-drive audio cable and use that  to connect the connector to the mobo header.

[gunblade977]

Anybody knows where I can buy an SPDIF header connector for the motherboard so I can connect it to my receiver digitally? Thanks.

I saw someone in tpc selling those coax headers. You may want to check it out here

[jojitv]

hello tukayo. 

kung wala kang mabili,you have 2 options:
1. if you have a defective dvd player, you can get the spdif coax and the optical connectors. 
2. get a female coax connector from any hardware store. drill a hole, copnnect the connector.  get a spare cd-drive audio cable and use that  to connect the connector to the mobo header.

I saw someone in tpc selling those coax headers. You may want to check it out here

Thanks guys. Will check out your suggestions.

[koykoy]

quick questions lang po mga bossings (though i posted this also at the pv8 bang thread)

1. how do you guys connect a pc source assuming there is no hdmi in the video card? vga or dvi-hdmi?
2. for those with plasma tv, would it be right to set the resolution of the pc to 1024x768 (plasma native) or something else?
3. can you still enjoy 720p with vga?  or may notable difference na if mag hdmi nalang

[jojitv]

quick questions lang po mga bossings (though i posted this also at the pv8 bang thread)

1. how do you guys connect a pc source assuming there is no hdmi in the video card? vga or dvi-hdmi?
2. for those with plasma tv, would it be right to set the resolution of the pc to 1024x768 (plasma native) or something else?
3. can you still enjoy 720p with vga?  or may notable difference na if mag hdmi nalang

To answer your questions...

1. I use VGA.
2. I'm using an LCD tv and I set it to 1368 x 768 to preserve it's aspect ratio and not looked stretched. And it's also the maximum resolution supported by my tv.
3. Yup, though I can't really compare since my pc doesn't have an hdmi connection.

[Clondalkin]

quick questions lang po mga bossings (though i posted this also at the pv8 bang thread)

1. how do you guys connect a pc source assuming there is no hdmi in the video card? vga or dvi-hdmi?
2. for those with plasma tv, would it be right to set the resolution of the pc to 1024x768 (plasma native) or something else?
3. can you still enjoy 720p with vga?  or may notable difference na if mag hdmi nalang

1.  Use VGA, Component/D-Terminal and DVI-HDMI for MKV depende sa HDTV.   For the CRT HDTV - D-Terminal via the HDTV Out of the ATI card;  For the LCD - straight DVI;  For the Plasma pede pareho VGA and HDMI (using the DVI/HDMI dongle provided by ATI).

2.  Set it to the native resolution of the plasma, ASSUMING, your card supports that.  Problem with non-full HD plasma, usually walang exactly same setting available in your card.  Just find what looks best with your 1024x768 panel - movies will be fine, but regular computing would probably strain your eyes.

3.  Of course. Pati nga original HD DVD napapalabas ko through VGA (I dont have BD).　 Until now, Panasonic suggests that VGA is the "default" PC connection port - analog connection on a digital TV.   "Notable" is hard to quantify and qualify.  But there is difference if you look for it (especially when looking at crispness of letters and pictures - but for moving image, initally lang, and then the eyes get adjusted after a while).

If you watch original BD or HD DVD and connect through any digital connection, your monitor must be HDCP compliant.  If not, switch to analog.

 

[Niknok]

mga bros,

i need some advise.  ive been much into watching divx movies lately, the usual non-HD kind, mostly 700MB and coded in stereo, a few in AC3.  i usually play them via my sony DVD/HTiB to a bravia 32" but getting weary burning discs.  I saw this small formfactor IBM thinkcentre at SOS surplus at 5.5K running a P4 2.8GHz(?), 256MB Mem, 80GB.  I can probably upgrade the memory to 512 or 1GB and I already have USB HDDs so I dont need to upgrade the HDD.  Do you think this will be a good HTPC to play the divx files without stuttering? how about the HD Divx (H264/X264 ba yun?), will it play ok?  the thinkcentre is black and will fit nicely into the piano black theme of bravia...do you think this is a good buy?

buying a new PC is out of the equation right now...i think i will need 15K up for a minimum spec setup for that.  and i dont have a budget for that.

[HD_MOVIES]

mga bros,

i need some advise.  ive been much into watching divx movies lately, the usual non-HD kind, mostly 700MB and coded in stereo, a few in AC3.  i usually play them via my sony DVD/HTiB to a bravia 32" but getting weary burning discs.  I saw this small formfactor IBM thinkcentre at SOS surplus at 5.5K running a P4 2.8GHz(?), 256MB Mem, 80GB.  I can probably upgrade the memory to 512 or 1GB and I already have USB HDDs so I dont need to upgrade the HDD.  Do you think this will be a good HTPC to play the divx files without stuttering? how about the HD Divx (H264/X264 ba yun?), will it play ok?  the thinkcentre is black and will fit nicely into the piano black theme of bravia...do you think this is a good buy?

buying a new PC is out of the equation right now...i think i will need 15K up for a minimum spec setup for that.  and i dont have a budget for that.

yep. enough power to play those divx. my 24/7 torrent-rig (netvista celeron 1.8ghz, 256mb) can play divx flawlessly even utorrent is running and downloading those 1080p/720p MKV's..

[nerveblocker]

mga bros,

i need some advise.  ive been much into watching divx movies lately, the usual non-HD kind, mostly 700MB and coded in stereo, a few in AC3.  i usually play them via my sony DVD/HTiB to a bravia 32" but getting weary burning discs.  I saw this small formfactor IBM thinkcentre at SOS surplus at 5.5K running a P4 2.8GHz(?), 256MB Mem, 80GB.  I can probably upgrade the memory to 512 or 1GB and I already have USB HDDs so I dont need to upgrade the HDD.  Do you think this will be a good HTPC to play the divx files without stuttering? how about the HD Divx (H264/X264 ba yun?), will it play ok?  the thinkcentre is black and will fit nicely into the piano black theme of bravia...do you think this is a good buy?

buying a new PC is out of the equation right now...i think i will need 15K up for a minimum spec setup for that.  and i dont have a budget for that.

I had a Fujitsu P4 1.6GHz before and it played my Divx,Xvid, AVI, VOB files flawlessly.  If you are just going to play SD contents, with a tight budget, I guess that rig you are eyeing is good enough.  Just buy a soundcard with SPDIF out to attach to your receiver for those files with AC3.  Just make sure that the USB outputs are already 2.0 coz the one I got before had only 1.1.  This would be very important if you are transferring large files.  The onboard memory was only 512MB and I had to upgrade it to 1GB i.e. if you can still find RAM cards that are DDR1 (they are more expensive too compared to the newer ones). 

Just test first the rig as you bought it without changing anything.  If it doesn't hiccup on any of your video files, i suggest that you don't change or upgrade anything anymore.  These prebuilt PCs are made up of a combination of parts to function well with its given power supply.  You might have problems later with incompatibilities of parts if you desire to upgrade any of the components.       

[Clondalkin]

mga bros,

i need some advise.  ive been much into watching divx movies lately, the usual non-HD kind, mostly 700MB and coded in stereo, a few in AC3.  i usually play them via my sony DVD/HTiB to a bravia 32" but getting weary burning discs.  I saw this small formfactor IBM thinkcentre at SOS surplus at 5.5K running a P4 2.8GHz(?), 256MB Mem, 80GB.  I can probably upgrade the memory to 512 or 1GB and I already have USB HDDs so I dont need to upgrade the HDD.  Do you think this will be a good HTPC to play the divx files without stuttering? how about the HD Divx (H264/X264 ba yun?), will it play ok?  the thinkcentre is black and will fit nicely into the piano black theme of bravia...do you think this is a good buy?

buying a new PC is out of the equation right now...i think i will need 15K up for a minimum spec setup for that.  and i dont have a budget for that.

I would suggest that you try to be patient , do with what you have right now, and try to save more money to get a better PC that would last you longer.    When it comes to personal PC purchase, I dont think it's wise to spend your savings on a practically obsolete hardware.  You'll only get very disappointed once you realize it's limitations and limited upgrade options.  Kung purely business application, ok pa.

But yeah, it will play avi and divx.  Might not be able to handle high def though - and that's what you should be watching with your Bravia.

[Alfie]

mga bros,

i need some advise.  ive been much into watching divx movies lately, the usual non-HD kind, mostly 700MB and coded in stereo, a few in AC3.  i usually play them via my sony DVD/HTiB to a bravia 32" but getting weary burning discs.  I saw this small formfactor IBM thinkcentre at SOS surplus at 5.5K running a P4 2.8GHz(?), 256MB Mem, 80GB.  I can probably upgrade the memory to 512 or 1GB and I already have USB HDDs so I dont need to upgrade the HDD.  Do you think this will be a good HTPC to play the divx files without stuttering? how about the HD Divx (H264/X264 ba yun?), will it play ok?  the thinkcentre is black and will fit nicely into the piano black theme of bravia...do you think this is a good buy?

buying a new PC is out of the equation right now...i think i will need 15K up for a minimum spec setup for that.  and i dont have a budget for that.

6 months ago, I ordered 3 desktops at a shop in Gilmore,with a 2.8 Dual Core processor, 80G HDD, Asus MoBo,complete with LG DVD writer and they threw in a floopy disk reader with free keyboard,mouse and AVR.....all for 9.5K.

That was 6 months ago.....it's probably cheaper now.

Honestly...I find the surplus products of SOS and HMR expensive, the ones being victamized are those who didn't do a proper research. If you buy one of those, you'll end up with garbage in about 6 months, but if you'd spend and try to revive the P4 2.8.....you'll end up with a higher cost after 6 months. for e.g. the DDR RAM is more expensive that the DDR2, their Video card is the limited expandable AGP cards, IDE HDD is more expensive than SATA..etc.

However, in the end, it's still your choice. 

[Niknok]

wow thanks for the very valuable and informative advise.  hindi ako nagkamali na dito sa pdvd magtanong. 

sometimes the itch is too hard not to scratch, in this case buying a good looking and cheap PC, but obsolete.  your inputs are like caladryl, medyo nabawasan yung kati...hehehe

im not totally scrapping the idea though, 5.5k PC is good enough for me to throw down the drain if it can serve me maybe 3 years with the current HT rig i have.

here's some thoughts:

1.  i dont want just any PC, it has to blend well with my current setup.  I actually removed my other gear (silver-colored old dvd player, VCR, compo, etc) because i like the simple look of just the LCD and a HTiB.  so even if there are better deals for PCs out there i wont be attracted to it unless its as small as a VCR and black.  im even willing to pay a little extra for the look.

2. So finding a slim formfactor HTPC is tops on the requirement list.  the ACER x3200 at 16K+ looked to be the winner but i realized its overkill just to watch SD Divx and play music,  when a 5.5K  used Thinkcentre (which I think looks just as good as the ACER) can do the job.  I didnt mention the ACER in my first post because im sure most will be biased for it.  you see with 10K saved with an old PC, i can almost buy a 1HP aircon for xmas...

3.  i realized the bravia home theater is very limited with music...the DAV-DZ270K which i use dont have tone controls (or equalizer) or dsp...and worst of all, it adds a 2sec gap between mp3 tracks...so i find myself burning to audioCDs just to remove the 2sec gaps or connect my laptop or ipod to play music.  not cool.

there you go...somebody pls convince me to buy the acer...

[nerveblocker]

Sticking here in pinoydvd would later convince you to go HD specially when you get to see HD contents played on your Bravia. In my experience, once I've tried HD I wouldn't want to go SD anymore. Until when can you hold the itch to go HD? Pinoydvd will scratch it for you. 

Better yet save for a rig that can play HD contents already and don't settle for SD. You can send Ninjababez a pm for a cost efficient HTPC that won't burn a hole in your pocket. You can go for the Acer X3200 and can ask users such as Alfie for advise. Anyway, these prebuilt PCs can be had on installment basis.   

[ninjababez®]

Anybody knows where I can buy an SPDIF header connector for the motherboard so I can connect it to my receiver digitally? Thanks.

I saw someone in tpc selling those coax headers. You may want to check it out here

ok na seller yan si XPC42 .. i have an extra bracket with me, if you want DIY natin dito sa apartment, since testing mo lang naman (makati)

[ninjababez®]

wow thanks for the very valuable and informative advise.  hindi ako nagkamali na dito sa pdvd magtanong. 

sometimes the itch is too hard not to scratch, in this case buying a good looking and cheap PC, but obsolete.  your inputs are like caladryl, medyo nabawasan yung kati...hehehe

im not totally scrapping the idea though, 5.5k PC is good enough for me to throw down the drain if it can serve me maybe 3 years with the current HT rig i have.

here's some thoughts:

1.  i dont want just any PC, it has to blend well with my current setup.  I actually removed my other gear (silver-colored old dvd player, VCR, compo, etc) because i like the simple look of just the LCD and a HTiB.  so even if there are better deals for PCs out there i wont be attracted to it unless its as small as a VCR and black.  im even willing to pay a little extra for the look.

2. So finding a slim formfactor HTPC is tops on the requirement list.  the ACER x3200 at 16K+ looked to be the winner but i realized its overkill just to watch SD Divx and play music,  when a 5.5K  used Thinkcentre (which I think looks just as good as the ACER) can do the job.  I didnt mention the ACER in my first post because im sure most will be biased for it.  you see with 10K saved with an old PC, i can almost buy a 1HP aircon for xmas...

3.  i realized the bravia home theater is very limited with music...the DAV-DZ270K which i use dont have tone controls (or equalizer) or dsp...and worst of all, it adds a 2sec gap between mp3 tracks...so i find myself burning to audioCDs just to remove the 2sec gaps or connect my laptop or ipod to play music.  not cool.

there you go...somebody pls convince me to buy the acer...

save 15k and ill do the rest for you  
tip: sell your old hardware

[docelmo]

Sirs,
How to tweak the audio settings, I am using a giga 780G mobo via optical to the avr...

when i play the same dvd on the dvdrom drive using powerdvd and then on the pio696...the audio
output is weak on my htpc....this is very evident dun sa "echo dance" scene sa Flying Daggers.
Pano dapat setting para maging pareho ang tunog...both are using the same cable...

TIA!

[nerveblocker]

Sirs,
How to tweak the audio settings, I am using a giga 780G mobo via optical to the avr...

when i play the same dvd on the dvdrom drive using powerdvd and then on the pio696...the audio
output is weak on my htpc....this is very evident dun sa "echo dance" scene sa Flying Daggers.
Pano dapat setting para maging pareho ang tunog...both are using the same cable...

TIA!

Have you checked your AVR if it is outputting the digital signals i.e. either DD or DTS?  It might be processing analog signals only such as DPL2.  While your HTPC is playing, toggle with the surround modes of your AVR.  Baka naka-DSP lang or something.

Another problem is that if you have an HDMI connection from your HTPC to your AVR.  It might be passing through analog signals through the HDMI and not from your optical connection.

[docelmo]

Have you checked your AVR if it is outputting the digital signals i.e. either DD or DTS?  It might be processing analog signals only such as DPL2.  While your HTPC is playing, toggle with the surround modes of your AVR.  Baka naka-DSP lang or something.

Another problem is that if you have an HDMI connection from your HTPC to your AVR.  It might be passing through analog signals through the HDMI and not from your optical connection.

Yes, output is "DTS" from the htpc to the onkyo...but still there is a significant difference in sound reproduction...

The HDMi is connected to the pj...

Thanks!

[docelmo]

Yes, output is "DTS" from the htpc to the onkyo...but still there is a significant difference in sound reproduction...

The HDMi is connected to the pj...

Thanks!

Yung RealtekHD audio, meron bass management settings...ilan db dapat ang setting for fronts, center, surrounds and sub?

[nerveblocker]

Put the volume of your media player to maximum then adjust the main volume of your PC to approximate the output of your dvd player.

[buhakee]

Sticking here in pinoydvd would later convince you to go HD specially when you get to see HD contents played on your Bravia. In my experience, once I've tried HD I wouldn't want to go SD anymore. Until when can you hold the itch to go HD? Pinoydvd will scratch it for you. 

Better yet save for a rig that can play HD contents already and don't settle for SD. You can send Ninjababez a pm for a cost efficient HTPC that won't burn a hole in your pocket. You can go for the Acer X3200 and can ask users such as Alfie for advise. Anyway, these prebuilt PCs can be had on installment basis.   

i agree, once you sample HD content, you wouldn't want to go back to SD DVD hehehe...i used to be content with my upscaling pio dv600, but when i saw an HD movie from an HTPC, i was convinced...i am also in the process of building an HTPC slowly...very slowly....hahaha

[ninjababez®]

i agree, once you sample HD content, you wouldn't want to go back to SD DVD hehehe...i used to be content with my upscaling pio dv600, but when i saw an HD movie from an HTPC, i was convinced...i am also in the process of building an HTPC slowly...very slowly....hahaha

for all you your htpc needs .. questlogic
just look for ej and franz for advice and bang for the buck setup 

[deo]

mga prends, meron ba may alam sa inyo pano palabasin ung subtitle ng mkv movie sa windows media center? sa xmbc meron eh...kaso pag dating sa media center wala may kailangan bang install? thanks!

[jojitv]

What's the maximum recommended length for a VGA cable? I'm planning on moving my PC farther away from the TV. TIA.

[deo]

What's the maximum recommended length for a VGA cable? I'm planning on moving my PC farther away from the TV. TIA.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-projectors/2668-how-long-can-vga-cable-run.html

gano ba ka haba? sa office naman wlang problema dati diba, naka kabit ung laptop sa projector sa training room pag nag memeeting tayo. ok naman kahit mahaba...

[jojitv]

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-projectors/2668-how-long-can-vga-cable-run.html

gano ba ka haba? sa office naman wlang problema dati diba, naka kabit ung laptop sa projector sa training room pag nag memeeting tayo. ok naman kahit mahaba...

Mga 5meters lang naman. Naisip ko lang kasi na baka may signal loss na pag medyo mahaba. Thanks.

[ninjababez®]

Mga 5meters lang naman. Naisip ko lang kasi na baka may signal loss na pag medyo mahaba. Thanks.

vga is susceptible to loss, but 5 meters is tolerable IMO.  just make sure you dont get your cables from cdrking.
i tried around 5 pcs on their shelf, all had distortion ..

[jojitv]

vga is susceptible to loss, but 5 meters is tolerable IMO.  just make sure you dont get your cables from cdrking.
i tried around 5 pcs on their shelf, all had distortion ..

Thanks for the info sir. I'm thinking of getting this cable from monoprice.com. It's a vga cable w/ audio cable included.

[ninjababez®]

Thanks for the info sir. I'm thinking of getting this cable from monoprice.com. It's a vga cable w/ audio cable included.

kewl, hdmi analog version