My HTPC isn't a HTPC...

[moltas]

I am not sure if I could say that my HTPC project is finished...or if it ever will

Anyway I have chosen a slightly different approach to get Media portal on my telly. I wanted my PC totally invicible and also totally silent. These criterias made me to put the PC in the cellar. This had it's pro's and con's.
No need to buy expensive cases, fans etc since the computer wasn't present at all. On the other hand I had to solve the problem of connecting my PC over such distance (20 metres).

I have cat5 cables for the Internet connection and the television antenna (terrestrial). I also have a cat5 cable for the transmitting of audio, video and IR. I found a neat product that solved the last bit - Kat 5 Mark II

Once I got the cable correct the Mark II delivered extremely high quality audio and video. I had been using a wireless audio/video extender and was quite satisfied with the quality but the Mark II delivers far superior quality! Thumbs up!!

The only flaws is the hardware itself, the power contacts and the cat5 contact on the reciever easily falls out. When you buy something that cost as much as the Mark II you expect that kind of things to be of the same quality as the rest.

None the less I can recommend this product if you want the highest quality and have the money. The minor flaws with the contacts the won't stick isn't really a problem unless you plan to move the boxes around during operation.

If anything is badly explained feel free to ask!

/Moltas

[Efros]

similarly my mediapc resides in the basement, facilitated by a long HQ composite video and audio cable, the picture from my diamond pvr550 card exceeds that from the direct cable feed. Firefly remote takes care of all the control aspects, 700 Gb of local and network storage gives me all the storage I need, for now at least!

Pc itself consists of an old K7S5A Pro mobo, Athlon XP overclocked to 2.2 GHz, 640 Mb memory, Fx5200 Graphics card, twin 40 Gb local HDs. Total cost of new components 90 dollars, cost of old components next to nothing, value of a media pvr noiseless in the basement...priceless!

[questuk]

Fx5200 Graphics card

Can i ask, if the above card can accept a different screen refresh rate from the monitor?

As i would like the PC monitor to run at 85Hz and the TV-out to run at 50hz (for PAL TV in the UK)

Also can you Boot the PC into TV-out without the Monitor attached? as most seem to need a PC monitor to be present.

And finally whats the quality of the image on the TV? as good as DVD output?


Regards


Gary

[moltas]

Originally Posted by questuk

Also can you Boot the PC into TV-out without the Monitor attached? as most seem to need a PC monitor to be present.

I'm not sure but the TV can be set as the primary output which indicates that it won't need a monitor...

And finally whats the quality of the image on the TV? as good as DVD output?

On my system using the Kat5 device it's just as good. There is some sort of check that the signal recieved is the same as the signal sent.

Regards ,
Moltas

[Efros]

Originally Posted by questuk

Fx5200 Graphics card

Can i ask, if the above card can accept a different screen refresh rate from the monitor?

As i would like the PC monitor to run at 85Hz and the TV-out to run at 50hz (for PAL TV in the UK)

Also can you Boot the PC into TV-out without the Monitor attached? as most seem to need a PC monitor to be present.

And finally whats the quality of the image on the TV? as good as DVD output?


Regards


Gary

I have the monitor in the basement hooked to two machines with a kvm switch, Not had any issues booting but then I dont recall booting without a monitor attached. I run in Clone view so I believe the refresh rates are the same for monitor and TV (60 Hz in the US) but as I dont use the monitor very often this is not an issue. As to the image quality it very much depends what you are watching, certainly when watching dvds in the Htpc it is as good as from a dvd hooked up using a composite cable, not as good as a component hookup though. Watching divx movies is more preferable on the htpc than watching on my divx capable dvd player (Philips DVP642).