Author Topic: Share your HTPC Setup (Read 345351 times)

andaleon · « **Reply #660 on:** Jun 18, 2005 at 11:59 AM »

Updated Set-up and New Paintjob:

1.) Processor: AMD Athlon 64 FX-55

2.) Motherboard: AN-8SLI Deluxe Motherboard.

3.)Videocards: Dual NVIDIA 6800 Ultra PCI-E 16 Video Cards in SLI Mode.

4.) Hard Drives:
4.1) System Drive: Two WD 34 GB 10,000 RPM Raptor SATA RAID 0
4.2) Data Drive: Two Maxtor 300 GB SATA RAID 0, 7200 RPM, 16MB Cache
4.3) Scratch Pad: Two Maxtor 300GB SATA Non-RAID, 7200 RPM, 16MB Cache

5.) Sound Card:     Lynx Audio TWO-B Sound Card AES/EBU output

6.) RAM:      2 GB PC-3200RAM

7.) Optical Drive:   Sony DVD DRU-720 Dual Layer DVD+-R/RW drive.

8.) OS:      Windows XP Professional

9.) TV Tuner Card:   Fusion Gold 3-T HDTV Card

10.) Case:     Cooler Master Stacker PC Case- Custom Paint (Automotive Paint)

11.) Liquid Cooling:
11.1) CPU:    Coolermaster Aquagate Mini R80
11.2) VPU:    Thermaltake Bigwater Water
11.3) VPU Water Block: Koolance VID- NV2-L06 (one each per video card)

12.) Air Cooling:
12.1) Coolermaster Crossflow Fan
12.2) Coolermaster 4-in3 Device Module (2) to cool the Hard Drives

13.) Power Supplies: Two Antec 350 W each Phantom 350 Fanless

GM · « **Reply #661 on:** Jun 18, 2005 at 03:15 PM »

^ sweet!!

jpadua · « **Reply #662 on:** Jul 28, 2005 at 02:40 PM »

Hi,

I've been in talks with Bluegears for their Dolby Digital Live Sound Card the X-mystique 7.1, I would like to make a little survey if anyone here might consider purchasing one. I'm not sure about pricing yet, but definately it wont cost more than an audigy 2, might be even less if we bring it in.

For more information on the XMystique 7.1
http://www.hidiaudio.com/products/mystique.html

Here are some reviews
3Dxtreme
http://www.3dxtreme.net/index.php?id=hdax-mystique1
NGO HQ
http://www.ngohq.com/home.php?page=Articles&go=read&arc_id=29
Gamepyre
http://www.gamepyre.com/reviewsd.html?aid=592&p=1

Let me know what you think... send me a PM thanks!

LtCool · « **Reply #663 on:** Jul 29, 2005 at 06:47 PM »

guys, I have an idea, buildin HTPC via bluetooth interface. the idea is to bypass the IR-Remote which uses line-of-sight.

Bluetooth enable mobile phone + FMA + bluetooth dongle combination.

FMA is an application interface software that enables you to control PCs via bluetooth enable cellphone. You can use the mobile phone as your remote, you can open applications on your computer using only your mobile phone. PowerDVD, Winamp, WinDVD, etc. Audio Volume can also be regulated thru the mobile phone.

here's the FMA link:

http://fma.sourceforge.net/

Cheers,
-LtCool-

jpadua · « **Reply #664 on:** Jul 31, 2005 at 01:53 AM »

Quote from: LtCool on Jul 29, 2005 at 06:47 PM

guys, I have an idea, buildin HTPC via bluetooth interface. the idea is to bypass the IR-Remote which uses line-of-sight.

Bluetooth enable mobile phone + FMA + bluetooth dongle combination.

FMA is an application interface software that enables you to control PCs via bluetooth enable cellphone. You can use the mobile phone as your remote, you can open applications on your computer using only your mobile phone. PowerDVD, Winamp, WinDVD, etc. Audio Volume can also be regulated thru the mobile phone.

here's the FMA link:

http://fma.sourceforge.net/

Cheers,
-LtCool-

You can do that even without FMA. I remote control my htpc with my K700i and a bluetooth dongle. The dongle comes with its own widdcom drivers. You just have to disable windows XP's own BT drivers and set the BT driver to the widcomm one (the CD that comes with the dongle) Once BT Widcomm drivers are up and running you can control the computer already via BT.

If you own a K700i google for the HID configuration editor, you can create your own remote control interface and assign keys and mouse movements to your K700i

LtCool · « **Reply #665 on:** Aug 01, 2005 at 03:14 PM »

Any approach would be acceptable but if your not using K700i with no built-in remote control, HID setup would not be possible. I for one use the legacy T610 which I find FMA the easiest approach, launching any windows applications like explorer can do.

Cheers,
-LtCool-

fweyd · « **Reply #666 on:** Aug 16, 2005 at 06:42 PM »

ask ko lang about TV Tuners...

ano po ba ang pinaka ok na TV Tuner dito ?? pano po yung Sound nun ?? san ko kakabit ?? thnx

im planning on building an HTPC / Gaming PC setup kc e.. pero ung 19" Viewsonic na Monitor ko lang gagamitin..

jpadua · « **Reply #667 on:** Aug 17, 2005 at 05:05 AM »

Quote from: fweyd on Aug 16, 2005 at 06:42 PM

ask ko lang about TV Tuners...

ano po ba ang pinaka ok na TV Tuner dito ?? pano po yung Sound nun ?? san ko kakabit ?? thnx

im planning on building an HTPC / Gaming PC setup kc e.. pero ung 19" Viewsonic na Monitor ko lang gagamitin..

actually the best sana would be a Hauppague PVR150, kaso walang ganun dito sa pinas... the best you can do is a leadtek PVR2000, hardware mpeg2 encoder. Kung on a budget ka, yung winfast TV expert pwede na. Although limitado ka sa leadtek software application lang pero it does the job well.

fweyd · « **Reply #668 on:** Aug 17, 2005 at 11:11 PM »

so bali yung cable ng skycable kakabit ko nalang sa TV tuner ko?? what about the sound po??

jpadua · « **Reply #669 on:** Aug 18, 2005 at 04:50 AM »

Quote from: fweyd on Aug 17, 2005 at 11:11 PM

so bali yung cable ng skycable kakabit ko nalang sa TV tuner ko?? what about the sound po??

yup kabit mo lang.. yung sound manggagaling sa soundcard mo.

alvinthx2 · « **Reply #670 on:** Aug 18, 2005 at 07:43 AM »

I had an HTPC setup way way back when the top of the line models were the p3-600 and athlon 450's and the video card that I am uding was the original G force video card. It was the only way to go as I cannot afford a dedicated scaler. When the scalers were cheap enough, I bought an Esi Vls2000 for my home theatre set up. this unit was capable of a maximun resolution of 960p and uses genesis chips. From then on, I did not use my htpc anymore (athlon 1.7 with ati8500 videocard). Htpc's do not need the best processor, videocard that money can buy. especially today, wherein midrange configurations will do great.

Today I have a neu neo dvd player which can upconvert dvd's t0 1080p for hd and up to 1366 by 768 for computer resolution. With this setup I dont need any htpc anymore to have the resolution that I want. I know that you can tailor fit the htpc exactly to the best resolution and refresh rate that your device can show, but the advantage of having a plug and play device in your theatre system is more important to me than the constant fiddling with the pc.

andaleon · « **Reply #671 on:** Aug 18, 2005 at 11:41 AM »

I too have a taste of both.

I have had the best scaler - a Faroudja DVP 1080HD that can do 1080P,on my new Sony Qualia Projector. My Ayre D1X DVD player ($8000 DVD player) was fed DVI into the Faroudja.

You are right AlvinTHX, that was easy to use and no fiddling necessary.

However, the HTPC I have now can beat that combination. And yes, my HTPC isn't cheap but it still cheaper than my Farourdja/Ayre combo.

Plus, inside that HTPC is an all inclusive solution. All my music , all my DVD and all my High Def files are archived inside the box. No more loading and unloading discs!! I have even forgotten my Ayre DVD player!

My HTPC also serves as my HD Tuner and, man---- you should feel the way DOOM3 and Half Life (if that is your thing.) play on this sucker! It will make you run out of the room!!!!!!!

With the right interface and the right remote, the HTPC should not feel like a PC at all.

Even my techno - phobe wife (she's a very smart woman BTW-just don't like computers) can play the system with one remote.

In short, the HTPC has really gone a looongway from the days your were fiddling with it.

jpadua · « **Reply #672 on:** Aug 18, 2005 at 02:58 PM »

andaleon I totally agree with you

once you have it setup the way you want.... theres really no need to fiddle. not unless youre a tweak freak then, endless fiddling nga yan.

v0elker · « **Reply #673 on:** Aug 18, 2005 at 09:49 PM »

ako im caught in between, i appreciate the flexibility of htpc's pero sometimes i prefer the convenience of consumer electronics eqpt... siguro for me ang ideal setup eh a combination of both, an htpc for much of the work (i.e. ripping dvds/music cd's, watching hi def clips, etc) and a networked dvd/media player (with upscaling and playing content off of a networked attached storage or via a usb connection) for those moments when i just want to keep things simple.

some of the more interesting networked dvd/media players that im eyeing:
http://www.snazio.com/Links/Net%20DVD%20Cinema(new).htm
http://www.z500series.com/

oh and let's not forget the next gen consoles and hi def dvd formats, ahhh, so many things to look forward to hehe

jpadua · « **Reply #674 on:** Aug 19, 2005 at 03:04 PM »

Dumating na pala yung mga Xmystique DDlive Soundcards! anyone interested pm nyo ako

m0rtein · « **Reply #675 on:** Aug 26, 2005 at 12:40 PM »

hi Jpadua,

My HTPC setup:

MSI Mega 865 cube pc
pentium 4 2.4Ghz
1GB Memory
80 GB Barracuda
ATI all-in-wonder x800 XT
Liteon Combo drive
Creative Audgiy 2 platinum pro
Logitech 5300 5.1 speakers
Infocus X2 projector

San b nkakabili ng water cooling system? gusto ko kc palitan ung sa MSI 865 ingay kc ng fan and sobrang init. San ba meron nun Aquagate? Thanks!!!

snapy · « **Reply #676 on:** Aug 26, 2005 at 12:58 PM »

advisable ba bumili ng 2 xeon processors? and a bunch of rams?

make ur pc a server one

m0rtein · « **Reply #677 on:** Aug 26, 2005 at 02:22 PM »

Tanong lng po! San b nkakabili ng mga HTPC cases. puro kc tower case nakikita ko eh. HTPC rulez!!!!!!

number1 · « **Reply #678 on:** Aug 26, 2005 at 10:16 PM »

I saw at PC Options Gilmore selling Lian Li Desktop case (similar flat laying case as a HTPC)

jpadua · « **Reply #679 on:** Aug 26, 2005 at 11:20 PM »

Quote from: m0rtein on Aug 26, 2005 at 02:22 PM

Tanong lng po! San b nkakabili ng mga HTPC cases. puro kc tower case nakikita ko eh. HTPC rulez!!!!!!

Yeah hirap talaga mag hanap nyan dito, wala kasing market kaya walang malaking distro dito na nag papasok ng htpc na case, although I think meron dito na htpc case called Cavalier, dunno lang who distributes it... also ang extereme modz dati marami pa silang stock ng htpc case di ata bumenta.... wala na sila sa greenhills, but I'm sure they have kept their stock... its a matter of finding a contact lang.

I'll be ordering HTPC cases from my supplier in korea next month, if you want I can add an extra order for you para sabay na... just pay for the actual cost plus shipping. I'll be getting HT-540s from Arisetec, visit their website www.arisetec.com and see which case you might want and let me know before I place my order... dati na kasi ako customer nila. kaso may pagka mahalan ng konti kasi limited lang yung orders ko sa kanila.. plus yung customs dito taga...

andaleon · « **Reply #680 on:** Aug 27, 2005 at 12:15 PM »

Quote from: m0rtein on Aug 26, 2005 at 12:40 PM

San b nkakabili ng water cooling system? gusto ko kc palitan ung sa MSI 865 ingay kc ng fan and sobrang init. San ba meron nun Aquagate? Thanks!!!

I had Aquagate and I really can not recommend it.

It does not do a good job in cooling. It's simple to install but you would be better off with some Zalman fans.

I don't know about shipping and other cost, but my sources here in the US are:

www.frozencpu.com
www.performance-pcs.com
www.xoxide.com

Now for the ultimate in water cooling:

www.dangerden.com

Hope these help.

joey · « **Reply #681 on:** Sep 23, 2005 at 05:18 PM »

intel xt

jpadua · « **Reply #682 on:** Sep 27, 2005 at 04:18 AM »

Quote from: joey on Sep 23, 2005 at 05:18 PM

Pasali mga Bosing

Processor Amd Athlon 64 3400

Motherboard ASUS K8V SE Deluxe

Video card ASUS N6600 GeForce 6200 256MB AGP-8X

RAM Geil 2 GB PC400 DDR SDRAM W/ RAMSINK

Hard Drives 1 SEAGATE 120GB SATA
1 SEAGATE 200GB SATA

Sound Card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum Pro THX/DD/DTS

Speaker Logitech Z-5500 Digital, a THX®-certified, DTS/DD 500-watt 5.1 speaker system

Monitor ViewSonic E90f+SB 19-inch Monitor

Optical Drive Lite-On SOHW-1653SX 16x Dual Layer DVD±RW External Drive
Sony DRX-800UL 16x Double Layer/DUAL LAYER DVD±RW Drive
PIONEER 16X DVD ROM

Tv Tuner Leadtek WinFast TV USB II

Casing Lian Li PC-7 Black Aluminum Mid Tower ATX Case

Power Supply HEC WinPower 550-Watts Power Supply

UPS APC Back-UPS RS 1000VA

Floppy Drive Sony Black 1.44

Keyboard Logitech Cordless MX 700 Duo Optical

Mouse Logitech® MX™1000 Laser Cordless Mouse

Mouse Pad Thick bond paper

Gaming Accesories Logitech® MOMO® Racing
Microsoft SideWinder Dual Strike
Microsoft SideWinder game pad
Decoder Sigma Designs’ REALmagic Xcard™
REALmagic™ Hollywood Plus

Hey nice specs you got there

where did you get your Xcard? Do you use a front end?

joey · « **Reply #683 on:** Sep 27, 2005 at 11:08 AM »

My cousin from hawaii gave it to me(Xcard) im using this for my Love nest den as second setup.

agmjr · « **Reply #684 on:** Sep 28, 2005 at 07:36 AM »

hi! i have this sort of a card-a videologic with a sigma design chipset (dvd decoder). para saan ba ito? it was included in the computer that was given to me by my cousin eh, but have since not used the computer at kinahuyan ko na lang. can anyone shed me some information on this. i have surfed for it in the internet pero di ko pa rin ma gets kung para saan ito...i mean what can it do my system? i have an athlon64 with leadtek winfast tv. will this card improve my dvd watching via my pc? btw here is a link of the now discontinued product...http://www.videologic.com/Products/VL-60355/ProductFeatures.asp?Product=VL-60355

joey · « **Reply #685 on:** Sep 28, 2005 at 09:41 AM »

Quote from: agmjr on Sep 28, 2005 at 07:36 AM

hi! i have this sort of a card-a videologic with a sigma design chipset (dvd decoder). para saan ba ito? it was included in the computer that was given to me by my cousin eh, but have since not used the computer at kinahuyan ko na lang. can anyone shed me some information on this. i have surfed for it in the internet pero di ko pa rin ma gets kung para saan ito...i mean what can it do my system? i have an athlon64 with leadtek winfast tv. will this card improve my dvd watching via my pc? btw here is a link of the now discontinued product...http://www.videologic.com/Products/VL-60355/ProductFeatures.asp?Product=VL-60355

i think thats the same with my sigma dvd decoder. it enhances the viewing and audio of a dvd you play. you can also hook it in a A/V reciever the spdif out. the video out can also be hook in any input viewing(ie.. tv, projector, monitor etc...)

jpadua · « **Reply #686 on:** Sep 29, 2005 at 05:01 AM »

Quote from: agmjr on Sep 28, 2005 at 07:36 AM

hi! i have this sort of a card-a videologic with a sigma design chipset (dvd decoder). para saan ba ito? it was included in the computer that was given to me by my cousin eh, but have since not used the computer at kinahuyan ko na lang. can anyone shed me some information on this. i have surfed for it in the internet pero di ko pa rin ma gets kung para saan ito...i mean what can it do my system? i have an athlon64 with leadtek winfast tv. will this card improve my dvd watching via my pc? btw here is a link of the now discontinued product...http://www.videologic.com/Products/VL-60355/ProductFeatures.asp?Product=VL-60355

What you have is a hardware DVD Decoder. Its like having a set top DVD player, but it uses power from your Powersupply and your DVD-rom drive. The good thing about it, is that even if you are running a very low spec CPU, the sigma card will have all the stress not your CPU. Since naka athlon64 ka na you dont really need it. A regular Video card, can do hardware DVD decode. You can already use software DVD players like winDVD or PowerDVD and have even better results.

You dont really need it anymore with what you have. Put that card on a Pentium 2 or something para usefull

jpadua · « **Reply #687 on:** Nov 19, 2005 at 04:23 PM »

Anything new on the HTPC front? havent heard from this thread in a while, by the way I finally got my Silverstone LC16m! will take pictures and post later!

Other heads up,

the latest pure video decoders are out, use them with the latest nvidia drivers, they can now process 1080i material. If you have a 6600GT and up, go grab the new drivers and codecs

jpadua · « **Reply #688 on:** Nov 21, 2005 at 03:16 AM »

HDA, same makers of the Xmystique have finally released their new, Xplosion 7.1 and Xraider 7.1 cards. Both can do both Dolby Digital Live realtime encoding, and also DTS Connect realtime encoding!!!

Main difference of the Xplosion and Xraider

Xplosion - upgradable opamps similar to Xmystique
Xraider - no upgradable opamps, but has front panel connectors

Check it out here.

http://www.bluegears.com

audiofreak · « **Reply #689 on:** Dec 04, 2005 at 04:42 PM »

mga sirs. may question ako. I'm planning to setup my HTPC. I just purchased a LCD/TV with only HDMI as tv out nya. Walang DVI na pwede ko connect sa PC ko. If ever, saan nakakabili ng connector para sa DVI? I already have an adaptor to convert DVI to HDMI. yung cable na lang ang kulang. Thanks!