squiffy said:
I built my system from the ground up to be a HTPC. Couldn't care less that it doesn't look like a piece of audio gear. Rather save £260 for something that does exactly the same thing. It works "smoothly" just as yours does, except you paid half the value of the system on the case alone.
The original poster asked about an HTPC. He didn't ask for a normal case. He asked about an HTPC case. That's a wide, low, deep case that looks like a piece of consumer electronics and would not look out of place in your living room. Your suggestion looks like a PC and is therefore not an HTPC case.
squiffy said:
Talking rubbish, as usual. Put your HTPC into a cupboard, close the doors. Now try and operate it with the IR remote. You can't.
Well, if I put any IR remote operated device in a cupboard it won't work. I don't want it in a cupboard. I want to be able to look at it and think "That's nice, look how it all integrates together well".
squiffy said:
Oh and buy another case without VFD + IR reciever built in and operate it with IR. You can't, at least with the dongle you can unplug and plug it into the new system. Why buy a new (expensive) HTPC case everytime, just use the dongle
As long as the new case is Windows Media Centre compliant it will work fine. If I'm buying a new case it will most likely come with a new remote transmitter anyway. What you are saying is like don't buy a laptop with a built-in trackpad because you can't take it with you to your next laptop. It's a weak argument.
squiffy said:
So the MS IR receiver, if placed ontop of the cupboard will allow you to operate the HTPC whilst it's out of sight. So it doesn't matter if the HTPC is pink with fur, because you won't see it. One install has everything behind a fake wall.
Well, in the event that I was the sort of person who wanted to call a builder in every time I wanted to change a DVD I could indeed take 18" off the width of my living room to hide the fact that I was embarrassed about the way my HTPC looked. But while I was having it all bricked back up, and my wife was vacuuming up all the dust he'd caused during the DVD swap and making the builders a cup of very sweet tea, I could comfort myself with the thought that I'd saved £240
squiffy said:
So give me a £60 HTPC case over £300 that does exactly the same thing.
Well, sadly you've already bought one, so no need. I would say that you've wasted a at least £40 as I could have bought a generic black case with a 450W (their figure, not mine) PSU for £20 that does what yours does. Why spend £60 on a Silverstone when a no-name does the same job? Especially if it's to be walled up? This argument is also very, very weak.
squiffy said:
No need, I have no use for additional PCI cards, a soundcard & videocard is enough for my needs. I can always fit the MATX board into a ATX case if I desire. But I can't fit a ATX into MATX case.
I've got 2 tuner cards in mine. And a wireless network card. And a good sound card so the loading on the CPU is as low as possible. I think lots of PCI slots is a very good thing. Again, I think your argument is just that, an argument. It's the overclockers version of "Did you spill my pint?". It's weak down the pub, and it's weak in here.
In fact, I would say your arguments are a bit, well... Squiffy. Think it through. The two systems we're talking about are chalk and cheese. One costs double what the other one does. Trying to justify the cost of something is always difficult because value is always in the pocket of the beholder, and I'm never going to convince you otherwise. The fact of the matter is that I suggested what I bought. You've suggested what you bought. I think yours is rubbish. You think mine is way too expensive, so you won't like the fact that I'm off down Overclockers on Saturday afternoon to get a Kentsfield for it. That's my choice. I live with it. And my wife. And I like all those things. Be happy!
also such a small unit can't upgrade, adding hard drives etc.
- that came to 600 quid!