Looking to build an HTPC - recommendations appreciated

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MrM

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MrM

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Having been out of "the scene" for a while, I am thinking an HTPC would suit my needs well.. I have been using a laptop until now, and my Ipad has all but replaced it, however I need somewhere central to store photos and musica dn to easily display on a big screen would be an advantage.

So I guess, as I read so often, "spec me" an HTPC, budget not an issue (take £1000 to be a max, but can be more or less, I will only pay for what I need), but wont be gaming on it, so dont need anything too fancy with regard to graphics card. I have searched various "spec me" HTPC threads and nothing quite hits my spot.

Included must be blu ray burner, smart black case (preferably less than 18cm in height), HDD > 1TB. Would like the machine to run reasonably quiet, and if you could recommend an OS that would be great.

Would like to learn more about the audio output (could I connect the sound card to my AV amp via an optical cable?), and with regards to 3D playback (for the future), is it a hardware issue, or a software issue as far as the drive is concerned, or a combination of both? Can the Ipad be used as an input device?

Any other general advice, or info on features would be warmly received.

Thanks in advance

David
 
Silverstone SG05/06
Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3
Intel Core i5
2gb ram
Radeon HD 5850 1GB
1TB f3

probs comes to less then £500

win 7, home edition

1) audio - 5.1 optical or hdmi to amp
2) hardware mostly for 3d.
3) ipad cant be used for a lot to be honest (lol), no idea if there is an app for stuff - probably somewhere.

run and config xbmc on it and your be laughing.
 
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with regards to 3d you need the latest power dvd and I think (dont quote me) a hdmi 1.4 card which the new mid range nividias support.
Audio wise most motherboards come with optical on board so no need for an extra sound card.
U can get some programs for the Ipad (well Iphone but I thought they both could use the same programs) like the xbmc remote and I also have mobile mouse pro to use as a keyboard and mouse works great.
 
Thanks for you replies and suggestions. Excuse what might be dumb questions, but whats the advantage of an Intel I5 chip over an I7? And what does the TDP figure represent? Can any of these chips be passively cooled, and what about thr graphics card?

With regards to the case, I think I'll be going for something that resembles the shape and size of an AV amp, so moving away from the SFF style....
 
It might be a good idea if you where to be a bit more specific about what it is you are wanting to do. If it is just watch the odd Bluray or DVD - or will there be more CPU or GPU intensive applications being run? Would make answering some of your follow up questions easier.

Passive cooling is possible but really overkill. Even the stock Intel cooler is really quite if you are not overclocking your set up. I kid you not.
 
Here are some screenies from my HTPC.

Is this the kind of thing you are looking for?

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media0004.jpg
 
Those pics look super! Yes, watching a movie, ripping a dvd to put on my ipad, playing music, maybe the odd bit of photo editing. Those should cover it. Does that help?
 
I use quite an old athlon X2 AM2 CPU with a 790GX mobo. The 790 has a HDMI output so I can route everything to my TV with one cable.

Howwver, I dont really encode. I dont like downconverted video. Therefore, I use a program called MakeMKV to rip to MKV files, which are top quality, but large. One episode of friends is about 800MB. So I just have 2 X 1TB Hitachi deskstars, although I will soon be swapping for the 3TB version. Get almost everything I want on there.

If you are encoding, you may need a faster CPU, but I dont really think you would. My CPU cost me £20 off Ebay. Mobo was a bit dearer at £50. 2GB of ram isn't much either.

That system zips along both SD and HD video. HTPC's really dont need to be that powerful. Overkill. You;re better off saving cash to buy media to whack on it.

EDIT: Also, the software I use is called Mediaportal. A great free program that uses plugins (forget what they're called) to pull down all movie and show data including series synopsis, episode synopsis, episode stills, fanart and more. This youtube clip shows you it in action http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzi1veB9Vn8

Ipad cant be used as an input device, but you can use airvideo to watch all the videos on your HDD on the ipad wherever you are.
 
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I've specced one for you. Now for me to come on here and spec a PC at this level means I will probably be up against a virtual firing squad. But I honestly dont think you need anything more than this for a HTPC.

wb3wa1.jpg


All you need to add to this is a HTPC case and an OS. Seeing as you have loads left from your budget, I would look for a nice Silverstone case. They make some HTPC cases that look like real good features in your AV rack. As for the OS, a lot of people, including me, still run their HTPC's on XP.

Like I said, I think this would be fine for HD video, but if you feel you are struggling, you can always add a low end card for a few quid more to take care of video. Just a lot neater setup with integrated graphics.
 
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I have used XBMC for ages as my primary HTPC interface and I use a very simple and inexpensive system to do so with no (not one problem) in playback at all. The latest RC4 Dharma build is very stable and I prefer Win7 for my Media system simply for the ease of SMB network access.

With the new Dharma build the work that was done by the CPU is offloaded onto the Graphics card. I used a low profile fan-less HD4550 card (if you are going Linux then go nVidea) but any graphic card that has been produced in the last year or so will be perfect. My CPU in the system is an E5200 one. So you can see it is not very modern or powerful at all. But it does the job perfectly.

And I too have my iPad synced to that PC.

Basically what I am saying is this. For the speed of use a SSD hard drive for the OS is perfect. A quite 1 or 2 TB HDD for storage of your large media files is a good idea or use your home network if you prefer or if you have one. A good case will reduce any noise that you will hear. I used a Silverstone and am very happy with it. The Intel CPU is quite enough to not be heard and so too is the Corsair 450 PSU that I use.

I have tucked my box away behind a wall unit and use a remote air-mouse and keyboard exclusively on that HTPC system - no separate keyboard or mouse at all. We are able to browse the web and send emails and do stuff no problem at all and of course it is a breeze to navigate in XBMC.

There is really no need for high end products at all. The most expensive item will be (or should be) your SSD drive. 60GB is fine as you will be storing your media on a conventional HDD.
 
Really appreciate the input! Will run through all the comments more closely later. Hadn't considered the SSD option before, but is an interesting one. Im completely new to the likes of XBMC, so will do a little research. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction
 
Ok, so after a little bit of reading of reviews and the like, I think Im working towards the following?

Lian-Li PC-C50 - not too tall. Has just 1 (full size) optical drive slot, space for a 2.5" SSD and a 3.5" HDD drive, no display, but not fussed on that. Can remove one internal caddy to make for better airflow, and has built in slots for memory cards...

Crucial 64gb SSD drive & 1.5tb WD Green drive

Waiting for a Sandy Bridge chip with low power consumption and onboard graphics , with compatible motherboard. I believe this should be able to output HDMI 1.4a and thus be 3D ready without needing a separate graphics card.

4gb of suitable ram.

Heatsink and cooler advice would be appreciated.

Pioneer/Lite-On Blu ray writer.

I guess the biggest question mark is the processor and mobo. Anyone got any thoughts?

Also interested in opinion as to whether SB is worth waiting for for my application, or whether I should just go for a current i5 and buy a small HDMI1.4 ready graphics card?

Thanks
 
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