Building the best HTPC possible (1 Viewer)

[bearhntr]

Hello All -

After playing with many other softwares and OS configurations, I have decided that the best solution for me and my choice of HTPC is going to be MedaPortal. So here is my dilemma (see my hardware configuration below), I want to build the best HTPC possible and be able to make a GHOST image of the OS partition in case something crashes. I am hoping to be able to start from scratch with a clean OS installation and install all the drivers and CODECS right the first time.

I have already tried an installation of MP once, and found it rather difficult to get everything working as desired. I was not able to play .MKV files (probably something I did)....so I am going to start over from scratch. Before I start again, I have some questions below my hardware/software information:

MSI G41TM-E43 (motherboard)
-- INTEL CORE2/QUAD Q6600
-- 4GB DDR2-800 RAM
-- (2) HITACHI 7200RPM 1TB HDD
-- HDD1 (PART 1 - 60GB/PART2 - REMAINDER)
-- HDD2 (PART 1 - ENTIRE)
-- SAMSUNG SH-S243N DL-DVD burner/player
-- WINDOWS 7 PRO (X86) - see no need to ULT
-- MSSQL 2008 (INSTALLED AS PER YOUR FORUMS)
-- SAF6 CODECS INSTALLED


EVGA GT430 (video card)

ATI TV WONDER DIGITAL CABLE TUNER (tv tuner)

---------------------
Questions:

1) What is the best method for ripping or converting (currently have 108 MPEG files) my DVD collection to a format that will play on my home audio receiver and yield the 5.1 surround sound? Currently only the MPEG2 files that I have been using will do this, but they are HUGE! Apparently my SONYY STR-DE985 is not capable of processing AAC audio either optical digital or coax digital. Must be AC3/DTS. I would like to use either MP4 or MKV. I have a purchased copy of WINXDVD RIPPER which will rip them into just about any format, and I also have a copy of DVD Fab. Both do an excellent job, but the WINX does not utilize the CUDA of my card -- YET.

2) What is the best method for install CODECS to the machine - I currently have the latest SAF6 installed, and did not change any of the defaults. Just installed it. I am not able to play any .MKV files on my machine....I am sure I left something out.

3) Which is better? MSSQL 2008 or MySQL? I would like to do the easiest installation with the minimal of additional software installs and configurations.

4) After reading the forums, I chose the HDD partitioning at the best possible configuration, with the intent of using the 1TB HDD2 for Movies and Music (currently ripping my CD collection), and the 2nd part of HDD1 for pictures and the installation of software. Windows 7 apparently hates it when you move certain folders off the C: drive - but I think I got that resolved. Is there a more efficient method of partitioning my 2 1TB HDDs. I do not want to RAID them. I get scores of 1800+ when using the PASSMARK software product.

I chose Windows 7 x86, as I see no need to have more than 4GB of RAM on the HTPC, and just about every application does not run in pure x64 mode - including MSSQL. I also saw no need to install the ULTIMATE version of Windows 7 - nothing really gained from that upgrade, no need to use BitLocker for an HTPC or MS Virtual Machines.

Any any all advice is greatly appreciated. I have looked and looked for a STEP-BY-STEP installation guide for MP, and while the installation steps in the portal are okay. I would love to see a basic step-by-step for installing the software from the OS installation to a completed installation (excluding plug-ins). I know there are a lot of variables that come into play when doing an installation but I am sure that there are BASIC steps that need to be done for every installation.

Again - thank you in advance for any & all help.

Curtis

 

[porky996t]

Hi Curtis,

Just a quick response to your very detailed post.

1. I use Handbrake for ripping from DVD to .mkv or .mp4. It does seem a popular choice on this forum anyway. It is free too! You can download it from >>HERE<<

2. Two points here. Are you using SAF 6.0 'unlocked'?? If you download it and install without unlocking it doesn't release some of the codecs. If you PM Hoborg, the SAF developer, he should, by return PM tell you how to unlock it. Also I play .mkv's all the time without problems. You may have to check if you have the .mkv file extension listed in the in the video configuartion part of the main MP config panel. If you click on the '+' at the side of Video in the config panel, you should see a subsection noted at "extensions". If you click on this you will see if .mkv is listed, if it isn't you can easily add it by putting it in the blank space at the top of the list and clicking the "add" button.

Sorry I cannot help with points 3 & 4; there are others out there who are far more intelligent than I, and will be able to point you in the right direction.


HTH,



M.

 

[Jay_UK]

Hi there,

In relation to your perfect HTPC points 3 & 4...

3) MySQL suffers more from database corruption more than MS SQL if power is lost or the HTPC is hard rebooted. (I used to run MySQL but after getting several corruptions switched to MS SQL and had no issues since).

4) If you want a "better" solution (IMHO), install a small SSD for the OS and the Mepo installation (will improve responsiveness and feel of MePo), then depending on your media place it accross the two HDD (if you dont want RAID). My setup is Movies on one HDD, TVSeries/Music/Pictures/Online Videos on the other. The reason for that is due to the storage capacity of each time of media.

J.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

WINXDVD RIPPER which will rip them into just about any format, and I also have a copy of DVD Fab. Both do an excellent job, but the WINX does not utilize the CUDA of my card -- YET.

Freemake video converter uses Cuda and yes it free, make sure you deselect ads on install and change default AAC sound for mkv to AC3.

2) What is the best method for install CODECS to the machine - I currently have the latest SAF6 installed, and did not change any of the defaults. Just installed it. I am not able to play any .MKV files on my machine....I am sure I left something out.

Personally use just the LAV filters available from the MP desktop extensions installer, too many posts here regarding SAF.

3) Which is better? MSSQL 2008 or MySQL? I would like to do the easiest installation with the minimal of additional software installs and configurations.

I just use the default MySQL which works fine for me.

Using your method of Partioning makes it harder to restore a system drive image in event of a calamity, mine is 30gb for OS, this makes it easy to store a backup locally (currently 21gb used)

If you cannot find what you need here Installation - MediaPortal Wiki then ask.

Welcome to MP

 

[bearhntr]

M,

I appreciate your response. I was surprised that I did not have 10 replies within 2 hours after my post. I guess these forums are not as busy as some of the others that I visit.

I have tried HANDBRAKE, but found all the knobs, switches, pulleys, cranks and levers too much to handle. I never could get consistent results - even using the pre-sets. Maybe I will give it another whirl. I am building the system again from scratch, and want to install the minimal amount of software to do my tasks. I will be ripping my CDs and the remainder of my DVDs to this machine. I would really like to get more movies on the machine by going with a .MP4 or .MKV file as apposed to the .MPG files which are 4-8GB in size. :-(

I was under the impression that MP was not going to play the .MKV files if I was not able to double-click on them in the folder and get them to play, while the .MP4 files would play.

I do know from SONY (I e-mailed them) that the receiver I have (circa 2003-04) will not play AAC, only AC3/DTS. The .MP4 and .MKV files that I had tried were playing with Dolby PL or PLII (simulated surround) - whereas my receiver is capable of 7.1 surround. I would really like to have the extra space back.

I know nothing about the SAF unlocking - so my assumption is that I did not do this. I will have to figure out how to PM on these forums. Are these the best CODECS to use for a new install?

I am trying to get as much information as possible for the build so that I can do this only once. ;-)

Thanks again for your reply.

Curtis

J,

Thanks for your replies. I had thought about the SSD for the machine - but not cost effective for me at this time. I got a really good deal on the (2) 1TB HDDs. That is why I want to get the OS installation going, and then GHOST it. That way I have a restore option. I am going to get an external HDD (until I can build my backup server - to be used for backing up all the machines in my house - will be running Windows Home Server). Maybe I will decrease the OS installation partition to something like 30-40GB and go that route.

As for the MSSQL vs MYSQL - we have several applications in my office that can use either and I got the same response from people here. They say go with the MSSQL, and I did use the installation guide from MP to get the MSSQL 2008 installed to the machine - I had no errors with that at all. I am assuming that I would want to install that onto the driver where I choose to save my TV shows (i.e., D: drive). The C: drive should only have WINDOWS and MP installed and any of the other apps I choose to use??

Thanks again,

Curtis

Ray,

Thanks for your reply.

I have never heard of that application to RIP DVDs. I will have to look into it. I think I have tried everything. So work great, and others not so great. One that I was using would crash 60% of the time, or stop at the 1-2% mark and just act as if it was ripping, but in actuality was doing nothing.

Thanks for the information on the HDD configuration. That does make a lot of sense until I can get my Windows Home Server up and running to keep my backups.

Curtis

 

[jonm]

Any need for Ghost with Windows 7, what with its own built-in image backup?

 

[bearhntr]

Jon,

I agree - but that can be a pain sometimes. I like to create a bootble DVD with the GHOST file andhave the ability to restore an image completely to the machine.

Curtis