hmm I think its time to revive this thread once again
its been quite a while.
So for those interested in building an HTPC here's a short list of things you might need. So you can cross check with the stuff you already have and maybe stuff you might want to buy.
An HTPC is basically a PC built with entertainment features in mind... for the most part it is used mainly with your Home Theater System hence the name "Home Theater PC".
Here's a basic Checklist:
1. HTPC Casing - A case that is asthetically pleasing, usually in a desktop configuration (not a tower) that can blend in with your Home Theater equipment. HTPC cases are not so abundant here, but there are a few who sell them.
-Extreme Modz carry some Silverstone HTPC cases
-Axis global has the new coolermaster Cavalier 4.
2. Powersupply - any powersupply will do, but if you will be using a powerful graphics card, like the ati 9800pro or the newer Nvidia cards, I suggest you get a powersupply that is ample enough to provide all the juice your PC might need.
A good powersupply would be an HEC PowerOP 475w. Its pretty quiet and the fan is automated to change speed when the PSU gets too hot. Its pretty silent, and has enough wattage to power lots of peripherals and several harddrives. Another nice thing about is that the cables are sleeved so you your cables can be easily arranged for good airflow inside the case.
3. Motherboard - This all depends on what type of CPU you plan to use, so I'll just layout the basic. Find one with spdif output (digital audio output). Most motherboards now have this so you wont have a problem finding them. This allows you to send Audio digitally to your Home Theater Amp and have the amp do the AC-3 or DTS decoding.
My personal favorite is still the Nforce 2 based motherboard. If you are planning on using an AthlonXP then look for a board that has an NForce2 Chipset with MCP-T. This chipset has dolby digital "encoding" anything thing that can spit out 5.1 from your PC will be encoded into Dolby Digital, Including Games!
4. Processor - This is more of a personal preference, but it all really depends on what you plan to do with your HTPC. For basic DVD, MP3, CD-Audio, Internet and some games, I suggest not to go lower than an AthlonXP 2500 or its intel equivalent.
5. Memory - 512MB DDR. Minimum. This is enough for your PC to handle most current softwares out today.
6. Hard Drive - Again this all depends on what your needs are. This is all relative, but for basic usage, 80GB would be more than sufficient. If you plan to store DVDs to your hard drive or record a lot of TV programs, then you will need a lot of storage. SATA drives are recommended. Ths bigger the better 120GB - 200GB. Add more drives if you need the space.
7. DVD drive or DVD-RW. - Most current crop of DVD drives and DVD-RW drives are sufficient. I sugget going for a lite-on DVD-RW since you can flash this to dual layer in the future. Lite-on's are a bit noisy but there are ways to quiet the beast through software. Nero Drive speed can lower the read and spindown speed of your drive to make it quiet.
8. Video card - I would suggest ATI... maybe the 9600, 9800, XTs and X800. This all depends again. If you would just want to use this for video output then, the 9600 series would be sufficient. ATI is known to have very good overlay for video. The latest crop of Nvidia cards are also good.
9. Sound Card. If your motherboard already has the spdif output, then you can skip this part. There are only 2 soundcards available here, that I can suggest. The Audigy 2 ZS or an M-Audio Revo. Advantages of the other are simple... Audigy better game support. M-Audio better audio quality. Both are really good, they just have their own little niches.
10. TV-Tuner. - Hardware MPEG-2 cards are always better, but they cost a lot and not much is available here. The Hauppauge PVR-250 is a standard. For software encoders, The Leadtek WinfastXP is pretty good (this is what I use) and relatively cheap.
Now for the Software:
OS - WinXP home or professional.
DVD Player - WinDVD or PowerDVD, MediaPlayer Classic (free)
MP3 Player - Winamp (free)
DVD Region management - DVDIdle or AnyDVD , RegionKiller (free)
DVD ripping software - DVDshrink (free)
Frontend Software - This is what ties all your software into one interface.... This usually takes up your whole screen and you are presented only with buttons you specify to launch your MP3 Player, DVD Player, CD player, TV Tuner etc.
myHTPC (free)
Media Portal (free)
Of course you would want to use your new HTPC wirelessly. Look for any wireless keyboard and mouse combo. Unfortunately only a few are available here locally, so we are really limited to the Logitech Wireless Combo. Its actually has a pretty good range, enough for you to enjoy your HTPC from your couch.
How to connect the HTPC
If you do not own an HDTV, then your only choice is to connect the HTPC via s-video, most of the latest video cards already have s-video output built in. If you will be connecting to an HDTV, you can use a VGA cable or DVI.
Connect your the digital output of the HTPC to the digital input on your amp.
Power on and enjoy!