why does the HTPC has to be in the living room?

infinityloop · 2005-03-25, 09:42

why does the HTPC has to be in the living room?

thats the question my wife asked me 2 weeks ago.
and that brought me up to this idea.

what you need:

1. USB2 DVD burner like the Sony DRX-700UL

2. Logitech Cordless Desktop Express
3. 2x PS2 extensions
4. USB2.0 HUB
5. 2x USB 2.0 extensions
6. Microsoft MCE2005 USB Remote Controle
7. S-Video cable
8. CAT5 cable
9. 2 LED`s (HDD, Power from an old computer case)
10. 1 switch (from an old computer case)
11. a nice box for the LED`s and the switch (still looking around for that)
12. drilling machine
13. in my case an cellar or an storeroom (where you place you HTPC!!!)

now i can turn on the HTPC from the living room and its absolutely quite!!!!

i will post some photos of my "utterly quiet" HTPC solution today.

Pingus · 2005-03-25, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon111

why does the HTPC has to be in the living room?

thats the question my wife asked me 2 weeks ago.
and that brought me up to this idea.

what you need:

1. USB2 DVD burner like the Sony DRX-700UL

2. Logitech Cordless Desktop Express
3. 2x PS2 extensions
4. USB2.0 HUB
5. 2x USB 2.0 extensions
6. Microsoft MCE2005 USB Remote Controle
7. S-Video cable
8. CAT5 cable
9. 2 LED`s (HDD, Power from an old computer case)
10. 1 switch (from an old computer case)
11. a nice box for the LED`s and the switch (still looking around for that)
12. drilling machine
13. in my case an cellar or an storeroom (where you place you HTPC!!!)

now i can turn on the HTPC from the living room and its absolutely quite!!!!

i will post some photos of my "utterly quiet" HTPC solution today.

Just windering about the 7. How long is your S-Video, I have had a simmular set-up, but it included a 15 meter cable, and I thought the quality was somewhat poorer, but then again cable quality may differ ??

FullMoon · 2005-03-25, 14:20

My htpc is in my study and I run the s-video and audio lines to my tv, with an audio split to my stereo (for music only). I use an x10 relay to turn my computer on if I have to, and an ati remotewonder (rf) to control. I also have the Hauppauge remote and ir receiver, and used that to program my universal remotes using girder, so I can do everything but move the mouse with my universal remotes. I run the cables through the wall. The only time I go into the study is to load dvd's, but I have universal USB enclosure in case I want to take my DVD drive external.

Do not have any led's, and I was trying to get an LCD operating (having all sorts of problem with the one I got, taking a break for a while) I would like to have something that provides feedback specifically when a show is being recorded off my satelite box so my wife doesn't change channels (don't record enough to dedicate a box to it for $5/month).

infinityloop · 2005-03-25, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by janglarsen

Just windering about the 7. How long is your S-Video, I have had a simmular set-up, but it included a 15 meter cable, and I thought the quality was somewhat poorer, but then again cable quality may differ ??

10m S-Video HQ Cable no quality issues!

hakuna · 2005-03-25, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon111

Quote:

Originally Posted by janglarsen

Just windering about the 7. How long is your S-Video, I have had a simmular set-up, but it included a 15 meter cable, and I thought the quality was somewhat poorer, but then again cable quality may differ ??

10m S-Video HQ Cable no quality issues!

10m S-Video NQ Cable no quality issues!

Pingus · 2005-03-26, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by edgarmoon

My htpc is in my study and I run the s-video and audio lines to my tv, with an audio split to my stereo (for music only). I use an x10 relay to turn my computer on if I have to.....

What is the x10 relay and how is it connected to the htpc ??

FullMoon · 2005-03-27, 01:51

I wired in the universal module (you can search on ebay) into the on switch with a second relay, so I can turn my computer on or off by wireless remote.

2005-03-27, 09:39

Or you can do as I have done with a coupple of computers, rip the internals out of a normal dvd player that has stopped working. I`ve done this with a few NAD cases with positive results.

Its a bit tricky to get the dvd-rom to fit in the standard dvd-opening of a normal dvd player case, but it works after a while.

The buttons on the front of the case can easily be modded onto a usb gamepad controllers mainboard. The front of the NAD case I currently use has the perfect media-buttons; up, down, left, right, enter and menu. With theese buttons there is nothing you cant manage to do in mediaportal. The other buttons has the same function as they would have in the normal dvdplayer, except from the "open" button that is hard wired to the dvd-roms mainboard.

I have replaced the display of the NAD case with the same 2x16 vfd that comes with the Accent kanam HT200 and HT400 cases, just to get some kind of info from it as well.

So, by using a firewire-to-ide adapter I can use the NAD case just as another dvd player, while the computer is in the room nearby giving me all the bennefits of a computer except the noise. There is two usb cables, one parallell-cable (for the vfd), one seriall-cable (for the ir-receiver) one firewire cable for the dvd-rom and power for the dvd-rom.

If you want there is enough room in the nad case to make use of less cables from one room to another. If you use vfd panels based on usb, a ir-receiver/tranceiver on usb, and a usb2.0 dvd-rom you can put a usb-hub in the case having just one usb cable to the computer. I think the "headroom" in the usb 2.0 system should do just fine with all this on one cable.

Buttons:
The buttons that comes up as a logitech gamepad and a ms sidewinder gamepad on the computer (had to use two cheap 10button gamepads to cover the 14 buttons on the NAD) triggers a Girder command that "does the rest" in mediaportal. When it comes to this part one can make the buttons do almost anything.

In addition to the 14 buttons on the front panel of the NAD, i have 6 not-used buttons on the gamepad-mainboards. Theese buttons can be used for several nice functions. You can for example have one button wired to the doorbell ?? I have done a little thinking about wiring one of the buttons to our babycall as well, but havent done anything about it more than that.

well... thats a few words on the subject at least.

DrErling
btw, keep those mp updates comming! :wink:

Pingus · 2005-03-27, 10:56

Wow, all your inputs just keeps getting better and better, are anyone thinking about showing us some pictures of the case-mods and the different solutions ? the cabling and other great hints ?

2005-03-27, 12:43

Some pictures...

Picture of the two modded gamepads soldered to the NAD_keypad_motherboard. This is one heck of a timeconsuming part of the mod. Lots and lots of cables.. :shock:

The case with DVD-rom:

DrErling

EDIT: The main reason for me putting the dvd-rom and controls in the nad case is that I have filled my htpc case with Thermaltake BigWater watercooling, so there is no space for the dvd-rom. But this project is adaptable to those of you that need to place a noisy computer in another room. (my computer runs pretty silent at 3.0@3.5 with idle/load 27/36 so I havent thought of moving it yet)

2005-03-25, 09:42	#1 (permalink)
infinityloop Project Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 127.0.0.1 Age: 28 Posts: 5,833 Thanks: 144 Thanked 104 Times in 73 Posts Country: My System	why does the HTPC has to be in the living room? why does the HTPC has to be in the living room? thats the question my wife asked me 2 weeks ago. and that brought me up to this idea. what you need: 1. USB2 DVD burner like the Sony DRX-700UL 2. Logitech Cordless Desktop Express 3. 2x PS2 extensions 4. USB2.0 HUB 5. 2x USB 2.0 extensions 6. Microsoft MCE2005 USB Remote Controle 7. S-Video cable 8. CAT5 cable 9. 2 LED`s (HDD, Power from an old computer case) 10. 1 switch (from an old computer case) 11. a nice box for the LED`s and the switch (still looking around for that) 12. drilling machine 13. in my case an cellar or an storeroom (where you place you HTPC!!!) now i can turn on the HTPC from the living room and its absolutely quite!!!! i will post some photos of my "utterly quiet" HTPC solution today.

2005-03-27, 10:56	#9 (permalink)
Pingus Portal Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 42 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Wow, all your inputs just keeps getting better and better, are anyone thinking about showing us some pictures of the case-mods and the different solutions ? the cabling and other great hints ? __________________ Regards! ... See Ya, Jan _________________ MP 0.2-FINAL @ Asus P4P800, P4-HT 2.6GHz/800FSB, 1024PC3200, 1xPVR 150MCE, ATI RF (RW1) Remote. Windows XP Pro DK SP 2, DirectX 9.0c, .NET 2.0, DScaler MPEG Codecs.

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2005-03-25, 14:20	#3 (permalink)
FullMoon Portal Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 38 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My htpc is in my study and I run the s-video and audio lines to my tv, with an audio split to my stereo (for music only). I use an x10 relay to turn my computer on if I have to, and an ati remotewonder (rf) to control. I also have the Hauppauge remote and ir receiver, and used that to program my universal remotes using girder, so I can do everything but move the mouse with my universal remotes. I run the cables through the wall. The only time I go into the study is to load dvd's, but I have universal USB enclosure in case I want to take my DVD drive external. Do not have any led's, and I was trying to get an LCD operating (having all sorts of problem with the one I got, taking a break for a while) I would like to have something that provides feedback specifically when a show is being recorded off my satelite box so my wife doesn't change channels (don't record enough to dedicate a box to it for $5/month).

2005-03-27, 01:51	#7 (permalink)
FullMoon Portal Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 38 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I wired in the universal module (you can search on ebay) into the on switch with a second relay, so I can turn my computer on or off by wireless remote.

2005-03-27, 09:39	#8 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	Or you can do as I have done with a coupple of computers, rip the internals out of a normal dvd player that has stopped working. I`ve done this with a few NAD cases with positive results. Its a bit tricky to get the dvd-rom to fit in the standard dvd-opening of a normal dvd player case, but it works after a while. The buttons on the front of the case can easily be modded onto a usb gamepad controllers mainboard. The front of the NAD case I currently use has the perfect media-buttons; up, down, left, right, enter and menu. With theese buttons there is nothing you cant manage to do in mediaportal. The other buttons has the same function as they would have in the normal dvdplayer, except from the "open" button that is hard wired to the dvd-roms mainboard. I have replaced the display of the NAD case with the same 2x16 vfd that comes with the Accent kanam HT200 and HT400 cases, just to get some kind of info from it as well. So, by using a firewire-to-ide adapter I can use the NAD case just as another dvd player, while the computer is in the room nearby giving me all the bennefits of a computer except the noise. There is two usb cables, one parallell-cable (for the vfd), one seriall-cable (for the ir-receiver) one firewire cable for the dvd-rom and power for the dvd-rom. If you want there is enough room in the nad case to make use of less cables from one room to another. If you use vfd panels based on usb, a ir-receiver/tranceiver on usb, and a usb2.0 dvd-rom you can put a usb-hub in the case having just one usb cable to the computer. I think the "headroom" in the usb 2.0 system should do just fine with all this on one cable. Buttons: The buttons that comes up as a logitech gamepad and a ms sidewinder gamepad on the computer (had to use two cheap 10button gamepads to cover the 14 buttons on the NAD) triggers a Girder command that "does the rest" in mediaportal. When it comes to this part one can make the buttons do almost anything. In addition to the 14 buttons on the front panel of the NAD, i have 6 not-used buttons on the gamepad-mainboards. Theese buttons can be used for several nice functions. You can for example have one button wired to the doorbell ?? I have done a little thinking about wiring one of the buttons to our babycall as well, but havent done anything about it more than that. well... thats a few words on the subject at least. DrErling btw, keep those mp updates comming! :wink:

2005-03-27, 12:43	#10 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	Some pictures... Picture of the two modded gamepads soldered to the NAD_keypad_motherboard. This is one heck of a timeconsuming part of the mod. Lots and lots of cables.. :shock: The case with DVD-rom: DrErling EDIT: The main reason for me putting the dvd-rom and controls in the nad case is that I have filled my htpc case with Thermaltake BigWater watercooling, so there is no space for the dvd-rom. But this project is adaptable to those of you that need to place a noisy computer in another room. (my computer runs pretty silent at 3.0@3.5 with idle/load 27/36 so I havent thought of moving it yet)