Home Theater PC Build

[Locuststakethesky]

Looking at building a new HTPC (my current one is an old SFF Dell I put an HDMI video card in).  I want to install a tuner card in the new one so I can get rid of my cable boxes.  Here is the build I put together one Newegg:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20323471

Comments?  Has anyone done anything similar?

[RVR II]

Here's a picture of my setup..



Using a newer Dell motherboard with Windows 7, i3 Core ,4gigs of DDR3 RAM, and 1 TB hard drive and my Vizio 55" TRU-LED HDTV as a monitor via HDMI. I just use the auxiliary seeing on my Pioneer receiver for my surround sound. The case is a PGS QX-2000
Also have a 1,5 TB external hard drive I store all my Star Trek episodes & movies on

[Locuststakethesky]

Nice setup!  Currently I store all my TV&Movies (including Star Trek  ) on a 2tb HDD in my desktop PC, which is in my office on my 2nd floor.  I also have a 500gb in that PC strictly for Rifftrax, then I have both of those backed up to a 3tb external.  In my living room I have the little Dell, which I think has a core2duo Intel and 2gb of RAM, and that is HDMI'd into my receiver and 47inch LED.  The HDD in there is pretty small, but that's ok because I don't store anything on it, I just network it from the desktop upstairs.  This works great currently, plays 1080p HD just fine, but the reason I'm considering the upgrade is to get rid of my cable box, and use the new machine also as a Cable Box/DVR.  Then I could basically do everything from the once machine (cable, DVR, network files, Netflix, Youtube, everything) using XBMC.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

but the reason I'm considering the upgrade is to get rid of my cable box, and use the new machine also as a Cable Box/DVR.  Then I could basically do everything from the once machine (cable, DVR, network files, Netflix, Youtube, everything) using XBMC.

They make cablecard tuners for PCs?  Unless you happen to be in a rare area where everything on cable isn't encrypted?

[Locuststakethesky]

Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe - 4-channel Internal Cable TV Tuner Card for CableCARD
Amazon  YouTube

[Sideswipe]

Here's a picture of my setup..

I cant in good conscious approve of your wallpaper!

[RVR II]

Would you rather it be Optimus Prime?? 

[MartyS (Gromit)]

I cant in good conscious approve of your wallpaper!

I have to agree, it's not the worst looking version of the Enterprise but it comes from an abomination of a movie...

FYI, I'd say Enterprise B was the worst looking version.  I think I like the original and the A refit about the same.  Although I do like the round warp engines better.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

As someone who's built PCs, but only windows, I'm wondering if I'd be able to put together a Raspberry Pi HTPC system.  Anyone have any experience with this or thoughts on it?

I've been close to buying one of those Pi things a few times, if you get a complete kit I don't think you have to do any soldering or anything, just plug all the parts together and put it in a box with a few screws.

Now for installing the Linux operating system, I know that has gotten much easier on a PC, from what I understand you have to install it on a flash drive and plug that into the Pi.  I've been using Linux for many years at work so it's hard for me to tell if you would have problems with it.  There are tons of websites out there for the Pi so it might be easy to get help.

What would you plan to do with it?  I'm not sure what browsers are supported, or if you can get flash to run in Linux, so you might be fairly limited in what you can use it for.  Should be fine for playing video files, but web stuff might be limited.

[RVR II]

I cant in good conscious approve of your wallpaper!

I have to agree, it's not the worst looking version of the Enterprise but it comes from an abomination of a movie...

FYI, I'd say Enterprise B was the worst looking version.  I think I like the original and the A refit about the same.  Although I do like the round warp engines better.

I have since removed the Enterprise theme pack and replaced it with some lightning pics..

I would love to create a Battlestar Galactica theme pack from pics of the original 1978 series but the quality of pics I've found overall are not that great 

[MartyS (Gromit)]

I cant in good conscious approve of your wallpaper!

I have to agree, it's not the worst looking version of the Enterprise but it comes from an abomination of a movie...

FYI, I'd say Enterprise B was the worst looking version.  I think I like the original and the A refit about the same.  Although I do like the round warp engines better.

I have since removed the Enterprise theme pack and replaced it with some lightning pics..

Was that the only background in that pack?  No shots of the original big E?  My 3 foot model and lighting kit should be in my hands tomorrow.  Half excited half dreading it, it's going to be a lot of work if I want it to look authentic...

I would love to create a Battlestar Galactica theme pack from pics of the original 1978 series but the quality of pics I've found overall are not that great 

I would have thought screen grabs from the HD version that has been out for a while would be all over the place by now.

[Sideswipe]

Would you rather it be Optimus Prime?? 

Why the hell not?  Or one of the other better looking Enterprises.  That is the worst one in my opinion.  The proportions are all wrong and its to bulbous.

[RVR II]

I cant in good conscious approve of your wallpaper!

I have to agree, it's not the worst looking version of the Enterprise but it comes from an abomination of a movie...

FYI, I'd say Enterprise B was the worst looking version.  I think I like the original and the A refit about the same.  Although I do like the round warp engines better.

I have since removed the Enterprise theme pack and replaced it with some lightning pics..

Was that the only background in that pack?  No shots of the original big E?  My 3 foot model and lighting kit should be in my hands tomorrow.  Half excited half dreading it, it's going to be a lot of work if I want it to look authentic...

I would love to create a Battlestar Galactica theme pack from pics of the original 1978 series but the quality of pics I've found overall are not that great 

I would have thought screen grabs from the HD version that has been out for a while would be all over the place by now.

Yeah there were others. It just happened to be on that particular pic..

Didn't you say the HD version of the original Battlestar Galactica series was out in Europe but not in the U.S. I haven't been able to find it anywhere 

[MartyS (Gromit)]

Didn't you say the HD version of the original Battlestar Galactica series was out in Europe but not in the U.S. I haven't been able to find it anywhere 

It seems to only be available in Germany, region B/2.  Can't tell from this page if there is an english language track on it or if it's only German:

http://www.amazon.de/Kampfstern-Galactia-komplette-Blu-rays-Amazon/dp/B00GUI0IDK/

[MartyS (Gromit)]

What would you plan to do with it?  I'm not sure what browsers are supported, or if you can get flash to run in Linux, so you might be fairly limited in what you can use it for.  Should be fine for playing video files, but web stuff might be limited.

I want it to be able to be a media hub. There's some program, xbca or something like that, which runs on it. I essentially want to add cloud storage to a local area network and then either stream files to it to play on my tv or plug in hdd to it and play them directly.

Wow, found this page, looks really interesting:

http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspberry_Pi

And you can get a kit with the OS+XBMC already installed for only $70:

http://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-Theater-Supply-Ethernet/dp/B00CKW85BW/

Dosen't look like it comes with a cover so you'd have to add this:

http://www.amazon.com/Multicomp-Clear-Raspberry-Enclosure-MC-RP001-CLR/dp/B009NKNDVG/

Now, it only has 2 USB ports, and you'll need one for mouse/keyboard, so if you want to plug a hard drive into it you'll need to use wired internet (no wifi dongle).