Spec me a HTPC please!

[D-Ranged]

My mum and dad have just done the front room up and has asked for a nice theatre setup.

We have already sorted the TV out (40" Sony) she wouldnt go any higher as she said that was big enough... fail.

I have never built a HTPC before so not sure on what i need in regards to gfx cards etc and will probably go over kill on it.

It is going to be used for recording TV programs, watching freeview (the tv has it already built in but im assuming you need a freeview card to record freeview and watch it on the HTPC???) Watching films on Bluray but also AVI's etc from the HD.

If someone could spec me one for £300-£350 with a bluray writer that would be awesome!

 

[Baboonanza]

Not going to happen. A Blu-Ray writer is £100 alone.

IMO your best bet is to go Mini-ITX with a separate Blu-Ray player. This will be much less complicated to operate for your parents too, since there is no Media Center software that has Blu-Ray playback integrated well.

Even then it's not easy:
Atom N330 ION mobo: - ~£105
InWin BM639 case & PSU: ~£51
2GB PC6400 DDR2 RAM: ~£45
DVB-T dual Tuner USB: ~£40-50
640GB Eco HDD (WD Caviar Green for example): ~£45-50
Remote & reciever (Fractal Shape): ~£20-30

Linux XBMC - free, but may be difficult to get PVR functionality working
Windows 7 Home for the Media Center - ~£75 (?)

And that's about as cheap as you'll be able to do it I reckon, and requires some shopping around. Postage will add some more to the cost as well. And you'd want a bigger HDD if you plan on any sort of media library and maybe a Wifi dongle.

 

[D-Ranged]

Not going to happen. A Blu-Ray writer is £100 alone.

IMO your best bet is to go Mini-ITX with a separate Blu-Ray player. This will be much less complicated to operate for your parents too, since there is no Media Center software that has Blu-Ray playback integrated well.

Even then it's not easy:
Atom N330 ION mobo: - ~£105
InWin BM639 case & PSU: ~£51
2GB PC6400 DDR2 RAM: ~£45
DVB-T dual Tuner USB: ~£40-50
640GB Eco HDD (WD Caviar Green for example): ~£45-50
Remote & reciever (Fractal Shape): ~£20-30

Linux XBMC - free, but may be difficult to get PVR functionality working
Windows 7 Home for the Media Center - ~£75 (?)

And that's about as cheap as you'll be able to do it I reckon, and requires some shopping around. Postage will add some more to the cost as well. And you'd want a bigger HDD if you plan on any sort of media library and maybe a Wifi dongle.

Sorry forgot to mention.

Dont need HD's or Operating system as i already have them.

Thanks for that though