Hello everyone! Im looking to built a HTPC/Media Center PC, whatever you may call it. Here is some background.
Im tired of paying for the poor quality of cable TV. I live in an area where I should be able to get both SF bay area and Sacramento OTA TV. Ive done an initial test with old rabbit ears, and it looks promising. So Im in the process of building a DIY antenna that is posted all over the internet that is supposed to get really good reception. Id also like the ability to stream Netflix. Now, I could get a digital converter box for my Tivo, and buy a Netflix ready device for the TV and have multiple devices hooked up to my TV, or I can take some time and build an HTPC that will have a PVR, Blu-Ray/DVD, Netflix streaming, and a variety of forms of internet TV, etc, in one device. (I should get HD PVR ability with the HTPC; no HD with Tivo) I welcome any and all input regarding this build; recommended components, configurations etc. Its been a few years since I last build a computer from scratch and I need to catch up on some of the tech. I do, however, have some questions that are important to me, but someone answering this request may have a solution or work around which may render said concern moot. At the moment, I like a simple style case, something like: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=LC13-E&area=usa I like how everything is covered and hidden until its needed. However, there is no IR. So, if I plan to use a remote to control the HTPC, Ill need an IR dongle. I dont want dongles. I want a clean, neat and tidy finished appearance. I guess I could go RF, with a hidden USB dongle out the back USB port (or I may even be able to hide the dongle inside the case) but then I would need two remotes, an RF one for the HTPC and a IR for the TV and Audio receiver if I choose to add one in the future (unless those features can be added to the HTPC) Im having trouble finding an affordable universal remote that handles both IR and RF. Ive read many different forums and web pages on HTPC builds, and the thing I read about most is noise. Most of the noise is generated from fans cooling the unit, therefore low power/ low heat components are important such that less fans and lower RPM are needed. So should I just be looking at the processor wattage? Does 32, 45, or 65nm processors make a difference? And lets not forget the age old question Intel or AMD? Im not a PC gamer. Ideally Id like a motherboard with integrated video and sound. (runs cooler?) HDMI and digital Audio out on the MB would be preferred. (If someone objects, please tell me why and give recommendations). Should I get one really large drive for both the OS and media storage? Would two physical drives, one for the OS and one for media, be better? (Ideally Id like to use Mythbuntu, but I may have to start with Windows 7. Netflix has yet to support linux. Any recommendations on a TV card? Is any one card better than another? On a side note, I was looking for a card with dual inputs, one for cable TV and one for OTA. Does such a card exist? From what Ive seen, its either cable or OTA, not both. Ive also read that the media center software (windows) can only handle one TV card at a time. (I know I said I was dropping cable, but since I will still have internet via cable, I may still get some ClearQAM) Thoughts, concerns, ideas, input are welcome. In advance, thank you very much! Aaron PS, I'd like to keep the build affordable, but I'm open to spluge on an item or two if the reasoning warrants. _______________________________________________ vox-tech mailing list vox-tech@lists.lugod.org http://lists.lugod.org/mailman/listinfo/vox-tech