We've been asked a couple of times to do a HTPC spec in the monthly buyers guide, but what "size" PC would people prefer? Low power specifically? SD/DVD only? HD capable - mkv/mp4? Blu-ray capable? - including LPCM 7.1 or just HDMI+HDCP? NAS storage option or single hard drive? ATX? mini-ITX? mATX? Video recording? (I dont know enough about them and never review them to be honest).
I'd say any new media PC being built should be capable of HD and Blue Ray. As for storage etc I'd say just going with a single large hard drive would be ok. On the form factor front, it might be worth doing at least two of the form factors, mATX and mini-ITX as a mATX board will fit in an ATX chassis, and just add an ATX chassis as an option.
Definatly low power capable of blue ray or HD content playback. form factor isn't really a problem, but like most people with HTPC's smaller and quieter the better. When nvidia's ION platform with the Atom, that will be perfect i reckon.
My list of priorities would be - 1) 1080p playback 2) Low power 3) Blu-ray Single HD/Raid1 would be fine, no need for NAS imo.
Lowest power capable of 1080p, mATX with full height cards (low profile limits options too much IMO) bluray, NAS, RAID and HD Audio are both easy to accommodate after the fact, ie just a matter of adding the appropriate bit Something along the lines of: - Base system: CPU, motherboard/chipset, discrete graphics option, PSU - Storage options: single drive or RAID which in turn dictates... - Choice of Case - Bluray drive and software recommendations, HD Audio option - TV options: freeview, freesat
most of the other options like freenas is software based. Maybe some fun with group test on decent TV's and projectors. after all a good HTPC should have a good viewing medium.
"h.264" (mkv) 1080p or just blu-ray 1080p low power? Because the BD spec is more limiting and better supported via UVD/PureVideo HD etc, which means lesser/cheaper CPU. I'm not doing one to add all the options: freeview/sat/dvb/nas because it takes too long and defies the point of a simple buyers guide. Otherwise we'd be getting into "multiGPU preference for a 24", 30"..." "linux preference" and there would be no end. So we're sort of agreed on: 1080p blu-ray element - HDMI and HDCP is a must then. low power smaller the better but with full size cards space for hard drive expansion, but with only a single drive to start with HD, or, at least good "home theatre" audio? For the above, I've not looked properly yet but off the top of my head I'd weigh up: AMD Athlon 4850e (45W) AMD 780G mATX motherboard or Nvidia 8200. GFX - possibly AMD 4000 series with UVD2 - depends if you want HDMI for BD content only, or the Xonar below for everything. 2GB of memory - you dont need much at all if it's only playback and storage. Spec'd with Vista x64 (keep it easy). Asus Xonar HDAV (Expensive, but with HDMI pass-through for true HD audio and allows LPCM 7.1 audio) Ultra quiet PSU.. probably a be quiet! again, otherwise Seasonic S12-II 500W? Corsair HX450W (Ive not used one, no idea how loud). Case - not sure, recommendations for a good HTPC? Does it need an LCD? WD Green HDD. MCE Remote? Or not? Cooler - ? Probably Scythe or Noctua, but tbh, the stock AMD one works for me (I cant hear it). ^^ the above reads just like my own HTPC except with Lian Li case and no Xonar (EMU instead!)
Is there really much in it though? Something like a 4050e has enough power for 1080p mkv, you can't get an awful lot cheaper than that. HD Audio is a bit of a moot topic really, isn't the only option simply to throw in a Xonar HDAV?
lol, true lets say both the HD standards you put above, as most people will either be looking for a cheap solution to BD playback. Plus BD is easier to get hold of rather than the mkv route, because we all know where there from...
When I was building mine, Case was the falling-over point. I ended up with a CoolerMaster ATCS-B desktop case fro £30, I didn't want to spend £200 on a smaller/better designed one.
4350e won't power a 1080p mkv with DTS audio - I've tried it, it fails (My Sunshine rip has AWESOME bass btw) but I'm not sure if that's because it's simply not GPU accelerated because it's not x.264 4.1 compliant
I don't really think we should be thinking of this as a one-size-fits-all affair. People want different HTPC configurations because people use their systems differently. That much is just the same as any gaming PC, and we certainly don't paint a 'good gaming system' with such a broad brush. A relatively low-end computer can actually handle whatever 1080p source you throw at it nowadays, so the hardware probably doesn't need to be updated on a monthly basis. Maybe once every two or even three months would be a better idea. So I propose you create three systems every three months: a uITX system, a uATX low-profile system, and a standard ATX system. Every system has the following baseline requirements: - Capable of 1080p playback from any source, be it Blu-Ray, .mkv, whatever - At least 500GB of hard drive space - HDMI (via DVI-HDMI adapter OK), HDCP - System noise of 25dB or less under load (aftermarket heatsinks, fans, rubber screws, other silencing products OK) - Some kind of wireless keyboard and mouse/similar peripheral uITX (HTPC/HD-playback purposes only) Requirements: - Idle power draw <= 75W - Load power draw <= 100W uATX (should be able to handle light/casual gaming at 1920x1200) Requirements: - At least dual-core - At least two internal 3.5" bays - Low profile - Discrete video and audio - Media Center-compatible remote - Some kind of functional LCD display, either third-party or built into the case - Idle power draw <= 75W - Load power draw <= 150W ATX system (should be able to play most games at decent settings at 1920x1200) Requirements: - At least dual-core - At least two internal 3.5" bays - Discrete video and audio - Media Center-compatible remote and TV tuner - Some kind of functional LCD display, either third-party or built into the case - Idle power draw <= 175W - Load power draw <= 250W - Diosjenin -
Do people actually play games on HTPCs? I must say, the thought of playing games on mine has never even entered my mind
I've known a few (though admittedly I am not one of them). Besides, if you have it in the living room, you can hook up a 360 controller to it and voila! gaming without a console when you feel too lazy to sit up. I think the idea more revolves around the fact that a gaming PC is less specialized than a HTPC, so a more powerful HTPC can serve as both HTPC and gaming PC without having to build two separate systems. - Diosjenin -
Why 1920*1200, I've not seen a 1080p TV take that res. Playing PC games on a TV is great, but it looks better on a decent monitor. When i was looking to build my own HTPC, i was confused to which GPU i should use, for example, i can't watch HD DVD's on my Dell 3007-HC through DVI-D, but i can on my Samsung TV through VGA, so did i want a GPU with HDMI/DVI/VGA or all 3? That was my only problem, not deciding what GPU to use. Sam
What software and what video are you playing back? Some 1080p works, others don't. The idea Tim had was to do a quarterly HTPC guide update with the three systems like you say: 1) Ultra low power, mini-ITX maybe 2) microATX (either slim or full size) 3) uber system - gaming, tons of hard drive space, full ATX.
Playback through Vista Media Centre, Cyberlink decoders, 4850e on a 780g board, have played quite a few different videos including h264 mkv
