HTPC solution sought... tips/experience/thoughts appreciated

[Arwin]

Sounds like a nice box Arwin. Is it pretty quiet? I like that Boxee integrates with the osx media server (frontrow) and remote, but I do have the dinova...

So far it's been just about inaudible, and I literally sit 50cm from its fan. They're always at their quietest just after purchase of course, but I've been hearing very good things from others as well. Playing a game like the demoes of Sacred 2 or Trine didn't even seem to affect the fan, stayed well below the level of my PS3 when it's idling.

 

[MfA]

Hmm, scratch that ... last I looked they dynamically linked against GPL libraries with closed source code, and distributed it together, but they seem to have bettered their ways.

 

[Sxotty]

Agree witih rolf, but the 4850e x2 is plenty fast compared to an Atom. Also the Mac Minis are C2D 2.0 GHz...just fine for 1080p.

Exactly that is what I was saying in the first post. The atom just isn't up for HTPC duty yet. I don't think intel ever wanted it to be.

 

[MfA]

So far it's been just about inaudible, and I literally sit 50cm from its fan.

Hmm, nice to hear that even the cheap PC manufacturers have started to learn a thing or two. It's simply not expensive to build quiet systems, they just never bothered in the past.

How is the seek noise?

 

[V3]

Don't go with mac mini, I've got one and it's pretty useless as HTPC solution. I suggest you go with some SilverStone HTPC case if you want something that'll blend in with your other equipments.

Go with high end CPU if you plan on upscaling and all other stuff, you will need it. The hardware solution is nice but a little troublesome when they're not working, for example I can't get mine working with 1080i materials (mine is 4850), there are ghosting in dark scenes with moving objects. Lots of small little issues that I don't get say with PS3 playing the file. (The problem with PS3 is it doesn't always play the video, which is a bigger issue).

If you plan to go HDMI make sure whatever it is you're using work with your receiver. Also get remote that just work with the software you're planning to use. Remote is quite troublesome to setup.

 

[Mize]

V3, after listing your problems with HTPCs I have to ask what you find the shortcoming of the mac mini to be? If you're using it for a DVR, yes, you're much better off with Vista or a Linux distro, but if you're playing DVDs, avis, mpgs, etc. and streams what's are the shortcomings?

 

[V3]

If you read my previous posts, you'll know I used my HTPC for PVR too, I tried it with mac mini and as you noted, better off with Vista or Linux.

My mac mini has DVI out, with VGA dongle (It's not the newest model). Most of my HDTVs have HDMI and VGA but no DVI. I only have one smallish LG that has DVI. The VGA of the mac mini is kind of wonky. Sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't. I tried it with like 10 different monitors that I have with me at the time. I thought the dongle was faulty at first but after several exchanged, it's probably the mac mini it self that's faulty. It worked fine with DVI though. I probably could have gotten a DVI to HDMI cable of some sort and I probably wouldn't get audio, but this is going to add to more expense to what is already pretty poor value purchased.

So now the mac mini is stuck with smallish LG TV that has DVI. Hardly the HTPC solution I intended when I got it, which is something small that can be moved around the house. The newer model maybe better but I am not going to suggest to anyone to find out.

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

The cheapest thing is get a Xbox 360. It can play file off your other systems by network just put the video files in the my videos folder and the 360 can see and play them. The 360 will decode the video file so it doesn't eat up the CPU on the computer that the video file is on. One thing you will have to do is get a live account so you can get the updated codec packs from microsoft.

 

[PARANOiA]

Lots of suggestions here are pointing me to a literal HTPC (i.e. a PC that happens to have one use, being hooked up to my TV and amp). How is running a PC with just a remote control? I can't imagine it would be too nice in general. Any experience there? Are you HTPC users still mouse/kb dependant at all, or is it an "emergency only" thing when you need to do something funky?

The cheapest thing is get a Xbox 360. It can play file off your other systems by network just put the video files in the my videos folder and the 360 can see and play them. The 360 will decode the video file so it doesn't eat up the CPU on the computer that the video file is on. One thing you will have to do is get a live account so you can get the updated codec packs from microsoft.

I have a 360 - they don't play MKVs and don't support subtitle files at all :/ If they did I'd be set of course.

 

[Zaphod]

How is running a PC with just a remote control? I can't imagine it would be too nice in general. Any experience there?

Depends on the interface. For instance, I find that with MediaPortal you can control pretty much everything with only six buttons (up/down, left/right, action/back), but at the same time it allows you to assign pretty much any action as you please to make your setup any which way you like it for better access to advanced features. XBMC is also very good with remotes.

Total couch potatoes can also get by doing lots of things in "plain Windows" with mouse emulation and macros (depending on the remote device), but I prefer just pulling out the mouse and keyboard whenever I have to step outside the media front-end (which is very rarely).

 

[Arwin]

Lots of suggestions here are pointing me to a literal HTPC (i.e. a PC that happens to have one use, being hooked up to my TV and amp). How is running a PC with just a remote control? I can't imagine it would be too nice in general. Any experience there? Are you HTPC users still mouse/kb dependant at all, or is it an "emergency only" thing when you need to do something funky?

If you run Vista you should be fine. I think Vista contains very good support for remote controls (witness a lot of devices you can buy that only support Vista).

 

[Sxotty]

I use xbox remote in vista with good rresults, but a media center remote would be beter.

 

[PARANOiA]

I use xbox remote in vista with good rresults, but a media center remote would be beter.

You mean the remote that comes with the 360 Pro? Or used to anyway - not sure what's in the box today. Interesting. So I'd just need an IR receiver and a normal PC? Interesting idea.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Depends on the interface. For instance, I find that with MediaPortal you can control pretty much everything with only six buttons (up/down, left/right, action/back), but at the same time it allows you to assign pretty much any action as you please to make your setup any which way you like it for better access to advanced features. XBMC is also very good with remotes.

Total couch potatoes can also get by doing lots of things in "plain Windows" with mouse emulation and macros (depending on the remote device), but I prefer just pulling out the mouse and keyboard whenever I have to step outside the media front-end (which is very rarely).

Yep if you use MediaPortal you should be able to control just about everything media related with only the remote so no need for m/k at all.

As for hardware I only use desktop ''htpc'' case instead of a normal tower but its still ATX sized mainly because I also wanted enough space for a few hdd's as my htpc is also used as server. Downside of this is the hdd's run quite hot as there is no space for fans in the front and only 60mm fans in the back which are way to noisy. Than again, its been running like this for 2 years I think and the hdd's are still fine while they run way above 40 degrees I think.

So that might be something to consider. Also with the really small cases you are stuck with mini atx probably so you are a bit more limited in your hardware and extra options (no space for standard pci(e) cards).

as for noise, a boxed cooler is probably fine. The one with my x2 runs as silent as 3rd party fans are going to get and since most of the time its only running at 1Ghz you dont hear it at all. In my experiance 3rd party coolers only offer a sound advantage as soon as you really start pushing the hardware but that likely wont happen with a htpc and if you are watching a movie you wont hear a boxed fan at full speed anyway probably.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Heck, you don't even need a high end CPU.

I've got a HTPC using a Opteron HE running a 1.8 ghz that is more than capable of handling everything I throw at it. The Radeon 3450 (passively cooled) handles all the video decode and outputs HDMI+audio. Been thinking of upgrading that to a 4350 since I think it has better power characteristics.

I only have 2 fans in the case. One for the PSU and one large exhaust fan. The CPU is passively cooled with a thermalright tower heatsink that gets airflow from the exhaust fan.

I've been thinking of putting in a passively cooled PSU also. I don't remember the numbers, but the whole thing draws well under 100 watts, so I should be fine with a passively cooled PSU even with the low airflow.

And when my budget allows, I may end up switching the cast to a dedicated HTPC case which would match the rest of my home theater stuff. Although since the case is hidden behind the TV and cabinets, you can't see it anyways.

The only thing that is visible if you know where to look is the IR receiver.

Regards,
SB

 

[Davros]

I dont know if this is any use but my motherboard came with a remote control
maybe others do too..

 

[Sxotty]

You mean the remote that comes with the 360 Pro? Or used to anyway - not sure what's in the box today. Interesting. So I'd just need an IR receiver and a normal PC? Interesting idea.

I got remote with hddvd drive.

 

[Fox5]

There are mini-itx boards out there that come with built in wifi and support dual (and even quad) core cpus.

Media center interface is important, I'd recommend boxee, it integrates into streaming video websites as well so you can use a remote to browse everything.

 

[Mize]

I just made some major mods to my set up. Put a SiliconDust HD Homerun dual digital, network tuner on my LAN. Running Myth backend on my main server (quad) and frontend on my mac mini. Cool thing is that my PS3 can see myth (other TV) and playback anything that's been DVR'd, although it can't play live TV. Anyone know if Yellow Dog Linux 6.2 on a PS3 can playback video smoothly in the Mythtv front-end?