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

[ninjababez®]

Ah thanks.  It's really more about the aesthetics than the savings for me.  Kung ilalagay ko kasi sa sala, I'd want it to be as small as possible.

get a lianli, silverstone, & zalman casing .. your casing will look like a vcr .. if youre low on budget you can get either gunblade's tower (dont know the brand) or a diva casing like mine ..

[jojitb]

@jojitb
thanks for the info regarding the XBMC for windows. Last time I checked ala pa sila release na windows version. Meron na pala ngayon, ma downlaod na nga  Yung Xbox 1 ko with XBMC ang unang file/movie server ko. ganda nga ng user interface nito, customizable skins pa. I assume same din sa windows version? Also, dami na ba available na codecs, kaya na x264?

The latest Atlantis version of XBMC (Linux/Windows/OSX/Xbox) is quite stable and can already play almost all videos (hidef or SD) I can throw at it.  In fact I haven't used my XBOX1 for almost a month.

The only caveat right now is that XBMC does not use GPU acceleration for playing videos (although it does utilize dual-core procs).  The suggested specs for playing hiccup-free "birds of planet earth mkv video" is a 3GHz dual core processor (AMD or Intel).  For 720p, I've used an  Athlon X2 2GHz without any problems.

jojitb actually the only issues we had with the creative audigy value was the driver support ..
creative was so greedy they wanted us to switch to xfi onwards model for vista ..

Well, kung HTPC lang naman I would prefer to use XP para less resource intensive. Saka sa mga walang Audigy, a 300 peso alternative is great isn't it?

Help naman.  What're the specs for the most inexpensive HTPC rig you can think of?

ito ang aking el-cheapo XBMC HTPC dream setup.  (PCX Prices unless otherwise stated)

CPU:  Intel E2160     2850  (GAISANO)
MOBO: ECS GF7100PVT-M3     2840 (This has DVI and can be connected to your HDTVs via HDMI to DVI adaptor/cable)
MEM: 2GB Transcend DDR2800     1440
HDD: 1TB WD Green Power     5995 (PCHUB)
CASING:  Icute QS02     1900 (PCHUB or 2k from another seller in TPC)
PSU: 500W Generic     500 (PCHUB)
DVD:  Liteon 20x DVDRW SATA     1320
REMOTE: CDRKING PC Remote     480 (CDRKING)
===============================
TOTAL                   16845

Overclock the E2160 to 3GHz, install XBMC and Eventghost and you will have a low-power, quiet, cheap 1080p HTPC.  Do not overclock if you do not need 1080p yet.  I think this is cheaper that an AMD X2 + 780G setup.  Kung tipid na tipid ka talaga, you can try to get an E1200 (2050pesos @ Gaisano) and OC it also.

My current HTPC is an E2180 at 3GHz and it consumes around 70W (well, Volt-Amperes to be accurate) when playing HD videos. 

I also have a dream torrent downloader/media server setup.  Focus is on file serving speed (gigabit) and power consumption.  But since that is not an HTPC anymore, I don't think I could post it here.

[ninjababez®]

ito ang aking el-cheapo XBMC HTPC dream setup.  (PCX Prices unless otherwise stated)

CPU:  Intel E2160     2850  (GAISANO)
MOBO: ECS GF7100PVT-M3     2840 (This has DVI and can be connected to your HDTVs via HDMI to DVI adaptor/cable)
MEM: 2GB Transcend DDR2800     1440
HDD: 1TB WD Green Power     5995 (PCHUB)
CASING:  Icute QS02     1900 (PCHUB or 2k from another seller in TPC)
PSU: 500W Generic     500 (PCHUB)
DVD:  Liteon 20x DVDRW SATA     1320
REMOTE: CDRKING PC Remote     480 (CDRKING)
===============================
TOTAL                   16845

Overclock the E2160 to 3GHz, install XBMC and Eventghost and you will have a low-power, quiet, cheap 1080p HTPC.  Do not overclock if you do not need 1080p yet.  I think this is cheaper that an AMD X2 + 780G setup.  Kung tipid na tipid ka talaga, you can try to get an E1200 (2050pesos @ Gaisano) and OC it also.

My current HTPC is an E2180 at 3GHz and it consumes around 70W (well, Volt-Amperes to be accurate) when playing HD videos. 

I also have a dream torrent downloader/media server setup.  Focus is on file serving speed (gigabit) and power consumption.  But since that is not an HTPC anymore, I don't think I could post it here.

i wont recommend this on a generic psu ..

[jojitb]

i wont recommend this on a generic psu ..

A generic PSU will prolly safely supply 100-150W.  This setup, even if OC'ed most likely won't even get near 150W because the
nvidia onboard video and chipset is quite energy efficient.

But I agree, if you can add a thousand or 2 more pesos get a branded psu.

[ninjababez®]

A generic PSU will prolly safely supply 100-150W.  This setup, even if OC'ed most likely won't even get near 150W because the
nvidia onboard video and chipset is quite energy efficient.
But I agree, if you can add a thousand or 2 more pesos get a branded psu.

ok let me rephrase then, i wont gamble overclocking with a generic psu ..
remember that clocking it higher also raises the temps .. at this point the extra voltage and heat mosfets tend to fry ..

[nerveblocker]

I have downloaded, hooked and tried XBMC for windows. The interface and functions really beats the crap out of windows media center. I am presently running on Vista with both video and audio ouput from HDMI to my receiver. Video playback on mkvs are great and flawless but on audio, it seems it doesn't support ouput via HDMI. I think the digital  output in the audio settings pertain to either coax or optical but not thru HDMI.

So far my Audigy Value soundcard only has drivers for XP. So I am contemplating to reverting back to XP to be able to use my soundcard for XBMC. Definitely buying a newer vista supported soundcard is not an option for me. I just need a digital connection to pass the signals to my receiver.

[ninjababez®]

I have downloaded, hooked and tried XBMC for windows. The interface and functions really beats the crap out of windows media center. I am presently running on Vista with both video and audio ouput from HDMI to my receiver. Video playback on mkvs are great and flawless but on audio, it seems it doesn't support ouput via HDMI. I think the digital  output in the audio settings pertain to either coax or optical but not thru HDMI.
So far my Audigy Value soundcard only has drivers for XP. So I am contemplating to reverting back to XP to be able to use my soundcard for XBMC. Definitely buying a newer vista supported soundcard is not an option for me. I just need a digital connection to pass the signals to my receiver.

according to this doc (although explanation was quite vague), it should work .. experiment mode on sunday ..

[nerveblocker]

according to this doc (although explanation was quite vague), it should work .. experiment mode on sunday ..

It doesn't matter if my OS is XP as long as on start-up XBMC is the one running the show. 

[Clondalkin]

It doesn't matter if my OS is XP as long as on start-up XBMC is the one running the show. 

Nerveblocker - the time you spend reformatting your system to replace Vista with XP and then reinstall your drivers and applications is more valuable than the cheapest Vista compatible Creative X-fi or any equivalent soundcard.  Besides, don't you think it's about time to have Vista supported soundcard in any of your machines?  - ganda pa ng tunog (kahit walang receiver).     

[nerveblocker]

I am contemplating on that. Why go backwards when you can go forward, right? I am just weighing my options here. My MOBO has a built in optical out which might save me money than buying a new soundcard. BTW, is a dedicated soundcard better than the built in MOBO SPDIF if I just need the digital output to pass the signals to the AV Receiver which does the decoding?

[Clondalkin]

BTW, is a dedicated soundcard better than the built in MOBO SPDIF if I just need the digital output to pass the signals to the AV Receiver which does the decoding?

If the AVR does the decoding, I dont think it would make any marked difference whether you use a dedicated soundcard or the on-board one.   How is the sound quality when you connected through the built-in SPDIF?

Question is will your machine be connected to a receiver all the time? 

[jojitb]

I believe that XBMC uses the default audio device defined in the control panel. 

In order to output sound via HDMI just put the HDMI sound device as your default output.  If you already did that then I do not know what else to do since I am using my CMI soundcard to pass through via spdif. I'm not using HDMI yet.

Actually that is one of the complaints I have against XBMC.  You still cannot define the output device yet.  Unlike in Media Player Classic.  So what I do right now is to use XBMC for analog audio and MPC when I want to use my receiver. 

What I really wanted was to have simultaneous analog output and digital passthrough. Like what we have with ordinary DVD players.  But I guess this is not possible yet. Maybe in the near future XBMC can implement this.

[Clondalkin]

PQ-wise, which looks more stunning?  MPC or XBMC?   Do they use the same codec?

[SiCkBoY]

ito ang aking el-cheapo XBMC HTPC dream setup.  (PCX Prices unless otherwise stated)

CPU:  Intel E2160     2850  (GAISANO)
MOBO: ECS GF7100PVT-M3     2840 (This has DVI and can be connected to your HDTVs via HDMI to DVI adaptor/cable)
MEM: 2GB Transcend DDR2800     1440
HDD: 1TB WD Green Power     5995 (PCHUB)
CASING:  Icute QS02     1900 (PCHUB or 2k from another seller in TPC)
PSU: 500W Generic     500 (PCHUB)
DVD:  Liteon 20x DVDRW SATA     1320
REMOTE: CDRKING PC Remote     480 (CDRKING)
===============================
TOTAL                   16845

Very nice, bro.

[jojitb]

PQ-wise, which looks more stunning?  MPC or XBMC?   Do they use the same codec?

XBMC uses its own codecs.  default XBMC is better, but since MPC can be configured to use whatever codecs you want, it theoretically could give better PQ.

[ninjababez®]

I believe that XBMC uses the default audio device defined in the control panel. 
In order to output sound via HDMI just put the HDMI sound device as your default output.  If you already did that then I do not know what else to do since I am using my CMI soundcard to pass through via spdif. I'm not using HDMI yet.
Actually that is one of the complaints I have against XBMC.  You still cannot define the output device yet.  Unlike in Media Player Classic.  So what I do right now is to use XBMC for analog audio and MPC when I want to use my receiver. 
What I really wanted was to have simultaneous analog output and digital passthrough. Like what we have with ordinary DVD players.  But I guess this is not possible yet. Maybe in the near future XBMC can implement this.

i already set it to hdmi, when i was there .. ill check it out on sunday siguro ..

[SiCkBoY]

- NVIDIA GeForce 7100 igp bro ... not meant for playing hd movies IMO .. unlike 780g you can tweak it to do the scaling ..

Actually, according to Maximum PC, the Zotac nForce 630i is not a bad feature-set for a compact board, particularly if you're in the market for an HTPC build, where the integrated WiFi could end up a major selling point (and yep, it is for me since the router is right beside the sofa). 

Kaya lang, ang mahal ata masyado 

[ninjababez®]

Actually, according to Maximum PC, the Zotac nForce 630i is not a bad feature-set for a compact board, particularly if you're in the market for an HTPC build, where the integrated WiFi could end up a major selling point (and yep, it is for me since the router is right beside the sofa). 
Kaya lang, ang mahal ata masyado 

hmm .. ill stick with 780g .. that is an older chipset anyway (btw zotac is overpriced and overrated IMO)

[koykoy]

The only caveat right now is that XBMC does not use GPU acceleration for playing videos (although it does utilize dual-core procs).  The suggested specs for playing hiccup-free "birds of planet earth mkv video" is a 3GHz dual core processor (AMD or Intel).  For 720p, I've used an  Athlon X2 2GHz without any problems.

Confirm ko lang if what is a good player that uses GPU acceleration when playing 720p?  I tested a 720p olympic swimming and there are hiccups with VLC but ok naman with Mediaplayer with CoreAVC codecs. 

[jojitb]

coreavc is also purely software-based but is much more efficient in decoding h.264 than ffdshow. Although picture quality is said to be less also.

to check if your GPU does hardware decoding of h.264 videos, check out this link:
http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2564&Itemid=230&limit=1&limitstart=1

[Clondalkin]

Confirm ko lang if what is a good player that uses GPU acceleration when playing 720p?  I tested a 720p olympic swimming and there are hiccups with VLC but ok naman with Mediaplayer with CoreAVC codecs. 

Nvidia series 8 and higher as well as ATI HD 2xxx and higher can help offload the burden from the CPU during playback of HD DVD or BD, but not MKVs.

There are some articles about how to set-up MPC Home Cinema to utilize GPU acceleration but the procedure looks quite complicated for an average user.

 

[jojitb]

if you have a supported GPU, just follow this to use hardware decoding of h.264:

http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/

[Clondalkin]

if you have a supported GPU, just follow this to use hardware decoding of h.264:

http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/

Yeah, an avid HTPC user should try this and discuss it PinoyDVD style.  Mukhang madaming issues based on feedback.  I would have dun this already if I were still in my 20s.  I can provide lots of DXVA compliant 1080p contents though.   

[cHess]

sirs, in relation to the topic being discussed, may i asked our experts what is really the best player to use in HTPC set-up? Any recommendations best pq and sq? how can i update or install or remove codecs? Thanks in advance.

[ninjababez®]

sirs, in relation to the topic being discussed, may i asked our experts what is really the best player to use in HTPC set-up? Any recommendations best pq and sq? how can i update or install or remove codecs? Thanks in advance.

safest bet is media player classic ..
but im toggling between KMplayer, media player classic and windows media player .. soon xbmc ..

[cHess]

can this players capable of playing mkv files? how about powerdvd8? i saw some are using this.

[ninjababez®]

can this players capable of playing mkv files? how about powerdvd8? i saw some are using this.

the players i mention are capable .. most players are actually, just make sure you have the codecs to play mkv files .

[ninjababez®]

coreavc is also purely software-based but is much more efficient in decoding h.264 than ffdshow. Although picture quality is said to be less also.
to check if your GPU does hardware decoding of h.264 videos, check out this link:
http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2564&Itemid=230&limit=1&limitstart=1

does this mean my IGP cant do Advanced HD Deinterlacing, if im not using a phenom? 
Graphics processor

ATI/AMD 780G IGP
[Radeon HD 3200]

VC-1 decode ability 
full

H.264 decode ability 
full 

MPEG-2 decode ability 
advanced

Advanced HD Deinterlacing
Disabled with Athlon 64 family, performs like 3470 with Phenom family.

[Clondalkin]

sirs, in relation to the topic being discussed, may i asked our experts what is really the best player to use in HTPC set-up? Any recommendations best pq and sq? how can i update or install or remove codecs? Thanks in advance.

Experience tells me I need 3 very good software players to handle all kinds of contents.   These are what I use.

1.  KM Player - most extensive in terms of tweaks and varying looks and absolutely most convenient for subtitle re-sync (a must for my queen).

2.  MPC - Arguably the best looking default PQ when using good codecs (latest version of FFDshow for instance).  Clearly more efficient than KMP when handling very high bit rate 1080p contents. 

3.  PowerDVD7 for HD DVD or DVD playback only.  It will also play BD if I have one.


For non high def contents, WMP has very good PQ and SQ.   Subtitle is a little bit complicated though.  If you need subtitle, use KMP or MPC instead.

For SQ, just make sure to download and install AC3Filter so that your software player will be able to decode multi-channel audio properly.  For KMP, you dont have to set anything but for MPC, you have to configure it properly.

Codec installation is very simple. Just download and install the latest FFDshow or CCCP (whichever you prefer).  No need to change any settings, unless you are curious and would want to play around.  Para malinis, install the codecs last (that is, after you install the software players).

[jackryan]

Quick question, has anyone tried using a virtualization software such as VMWare or MS VirtualServer to have various configuration for their media center software on their HTPC? Will this work and offer another way of encapsulating the media player and operating system combinations?