ThaClown's HTPC & Server build

[ThaClown]

Here is my build/setup:

HTPC

-
- D-Vine MCE303 Black
- MSI K9AGM2
- AMD A64 X2 5000+ Black Edition
- Zalman CNPS7000C (with speed control)
- 2GB (2x 1GB) Transcend DDR2 SDRAM PC6400
- 300W PSU Silent
- Microsoft Windows XP Pro (stripped)
- WD500GB SATA300 16MB, WD5000AACS
- DVD drive Samsung DVD-/+/RAM SH-S202J

1) Arrival:

Ordered via E- Bay Colorcase delivery was very fast and easy.
Well packaged and a very complete case.
Pics coming soon!

2) The case:

Great looks, low profiles, display, solid construction, and a very good price.
You get alot of crews, some cable holders, driver CD, a metal front for the DVD slot and a MCE Remote.
Problems:
- HDD tray is a bit fiddly to remove.
- IRTrans module was not installed (is not hard, just could have been predone)

3) Components:

I already had the MSI K9AGM2 and HD2400Pro, so wanted to build around that.
Upgraded my old dualcore for the AMD 64x 5000+ and choose the lowprofile cooler from Zalman (With the speedcontrol I can't hear it)
The WD500GB SATA300 came out of my server and is very silent (don't need more HDD space, all is on the server)

4) The build:

The build was smooth and fast.
Small problems:
- the HDD- and DVD tray is a bit hard to remove/install. The screws are located very low in a narrow part of the case. Get a long screwdriver with magnetic top!
- The optical drive placing (inside the DVD tray) has to be very exact for the open/close button to work. To place it, the DVD tray has to be removed.

5) The Install:

Software:
- Windows XP Pro (Full update, removed all that I don't need)
- Media Portal RC3
- ATI Catalyst 8.10
- Haali Media Splitter
- CoreAVC
- FFDShow Tryout
- Deamon Tools Lite
- Quicktime Alternative Lite
- Real Alternative
- VSFilter
- FLV Splitter
- IR Trans Software
- DVDFab (needed for Media Slayer)
- MPlayer (needed for Media Slayer)
- Bulk Rename Utility (for renaming files)

Plugins:
- My TVSeries SVN
- Media Slayer 10d
- UitzendingGemist.nl
- Moving Pictures
- Last.FM (included in RC3)
- External Display (included in RC3)
- RSS Ticker
- Skins: AEON 1.2 and Monochrome 2.2.
I use my own Monochrome TV Series mod and emphatic's AEON TV Series mod.
I used the AEON menu generator for creating custom menu with Moving Pictures, Uitzending gemist and Last FM.
- Ziggo Dutch TV logos
- Mptray4Irtrans (to use the MCE 'start' button to startup Media Portal)

Installation:
- Codec's I used Goose's codec guide Audio via SPDIF, upscale to fullHD.
- Deamon tools: Disabled Secure Mode, enabled Autostart, no updates, select correct drive.
- DVDFab: set no preview, fulldisk DVD9 mode, no updates, no sound/warnings, no folder creation.
- IR Trans Software: select launch at startup, DLPort i/O, MCE driver, and USB at install.
To mod the startup message see here
- Mptray4Irtrans to startup with Green MCE button (put a link in the windows startupfolder)

Media Portal config:
- General: Deamon, Automount via deamon tools (select same drive as in Deamon Tools config).
- Remote: select IRTrans and MCE Remote.
- Weather: select your city.

Plugins configuration:
- External Display set Localhost, 16 char, 2 lines.
- MP-TVSeries, import parsing/logo rules from Monochrome skin, scan for <series> - <season>.<episode>.<ext> (I rename all my TV Series this way)
- Moving Pictures, I set my movie folders on my Server as removable (this way my BD is not cleaned when the server fails)
- Media Slayer, point to MPlayer and DVDFAb, set to FullDisk mode, MP3 mode.
- RSS Ticker, choose you RSS url and logo for it (I use NU.nl), activate weather.

Codec's:
- Movies Video: FFDShow
- Movies H264: CoreAVC
- Movies Audio: AC3 Filter
- DVD Navigator: default DVD navigator
- DVD Video: FFDShow
- DVD Audio: AC3 Filter
- Music Audio: AC3 Filter

6) How does it run?

Everything plays well, very smooth:
DivX nice with FFDShow upscaling
ISO and Video_TS play well with deamonTools and FFDShow Upscaling, DTS audio when avalible
.MKV and Blue-Ray Rips run fine, did not test the CPU% yet but no jutters at all with Planet Earth or Star Wars 1080P..
Icons and FanArt works great!
It is quiet as a mouse..
Did not test the temp yet...

Problems:

- MCE Keyboard does not work.
FIXED!
See here

- Start button on MCE Remote makes the screen toggle from fullscreen/window.
FIXED!
simply edit the apps.cfg from irtrans/remote folder and delete the EHOME related line:

[APP]MEDIACENTER
  [ACTIVE]
  [APPNAME]%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe
  [CLASSNAME]eHome Render Window
  [TYPE]MCE
  [REMOTE]mediacenter
  [COMMANDS]
    EHOME	[FNC]HOME    (this was ehome)
    PLAY	[FNC]PLAY
    STOP	[FNC]STOP
    REC	[FNC]REC

- Remote commands get executed twice.
FIXED! see here

TODO:

- Set startup and hybernate settings for MCE remote for complete usage without keyboard/mouse
- Change Windows startupscreen and wallpaper
- Setup Emulators

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SERVER

- Windows XP pro
- Some black Midi case
- MSI K9AGM2
- Athlon XP 3200+
- AC CPU Freezer 64 lp
- CM Silent Case Fan (2X)
- 512MB DDR2
- HighPoint RocketRAID 2320
- WD500GB SATA300 16MB, WD5000AACS (OS)
- 4x Samsung HDD 1TB 32MB SATAII in RAID5 (Media)
- FireDTV-C

Configuration:
Windows XP Pro (updated and removed what I dont need)
Movie and TV serie folders shared over network.
4x 1TB HDD = 2 RAID5 sets of 1.5TB (CP Pro can't handle bigger RAID sets then 2 TB)
TV Server RC3 installed.

Problems:
- The new raid got a bit hot, fixed it by adding a extra fan next to the HDD tray (ugly mod but hey, the server is below a desk anyway )

TODO:
- Shutdown/hybernate & wakeup via network (tips are welcome!).
- Maybe a automatic backup for my Client settings.

[joystick]

hi,
very nice!

just a quick hint:

IR Trans Software
DLPort I/O

you do not need DLPort i/O anymore, just activate the plugin during Irtrans SW installation
everything will work fine!

cheers

joystick

[Stutch]

Looks fantastic, nice setup Clown. I have been looking at that case recently, how would you rate it in terms of size, ease of installation and heat?