Help required for building a new HTPC (1 Viewer)

[davej00]

Take a look at my sig. I use the MSI 6150 based board and it is excellent. I use component out to my 32" CRT and spdif to a AV amp/decoder. I also found you need more than 512M because of the onboard video.

- Dave

 

[Logsyc_]

Topher5000> I'm planning the 512Mo as I have a set of 2x256Mo of PC3200 lying in a cupboard from my game PC I built back in feb (it would not stand 4 stick of RAM at the same time ).
I'd really want to stick to 512Mo to avoid buying more RAM.
On the other hand, I could always get an extra 512Mo later on and loose the dual channel as it's not so much of a loss on an A64.
So unless you all agree that it's a big mistake, I'll stick to 512Mo for the moment.

Wrt the GeForce, it does pump 64Mo from the RAM (I have a Gigabyte K8N51PVMT with the 6150) but as Callifo suggested, I'll probably go for a cheaper MoBo and a 6200 so out the onboard video

You did not mention if the satellite Box is hooked to the TV via the scart plug or not.

And also what about the TV antennae plug to both the TV and the capture card ?
I'm worrried the HTPC would have to be on all the time to watch TV is the antennae is not plugged to both the PC and the TV...

davej00> The GeForce was one of my thought thinking 512Mo would suffice. If not, I'd rather buy a low end video card and not buy any RAM as I mentionned above.

thanks for your help

 

[Callifo]

I dont understand what you mean here. You dont connect the capture card to the tv.... (The video card does that)

I meant TV antennae but I suppose my question shows my lack of understanding of the way it's all interconnected.

Tell me if that's right :
- Sky box is connected to capture card (by S-video ? but then what about sound - or with satellite cable same as the one plugged into the Sky box ?) -> enable capture of satellite
- Sky box is connected to TV by scart - enable viewing of satellite with PC off

- PC is connected to TV by S-vidéo + jack for sound (eventually using a scart adapter or is it bad for signal ?) -> enable viewing of files stored on PC
- TV antennae is plugged into capture card -> enable recording of air TV programs
- TV antennae is also plugged into TV I suppose via a splitter -> enable viewing of air TV with PC off (is that necessary or is there a way around)

From what I've described, there are 2 connection to the capture card hence the 2 tuner hence the Hauppauge 500 - is that right too ?

thanks for your help

A PVR-150MCE has an antenna input and a RCA input. You can plug the Sky box into the RCA in and then plug your roof antenna in to the antenna plug. You can do this all with a single tuner card, but you can only use one source at a time.

The advantage with the PVR-500MCE is that it can watch/record 2 channels at the same time. (But only one channel on Sky as thats a limitation of the STB).

 

[Marcusb]

OK, here are some more answers.

I would still go for a mobo with a 6150. Both MSI and Asus have ones with component out now. These boards are still around the same price as non GFX boards. Try it with your 512Mb of RAM and see how you go. If it is not fast enough then you can think about more RAM or a cheap 6200. You wont have spent any extra money and you may not need the extra bits after all. Never buy extra PC hardware until you have tested if what you have already meets your needs.

I would suggest a bigger hard drive though. Now a 300Gb is not that expensive and you will need lots of space. Normal recording uses around 2Gb per hour. You'll be glad you spent the extra 20euros or whatever the difference amounts to.

If you want to watch TV while your PC is off and even if not, you are best buying a splitter and then sending one antenna lead straight to the ANT in on the TV and one to the ANT in on the PVR 150 card. Depending on how good your signals already are you only need a cheap splitter (around $7 AU) if your signal is not that good already, then you should get a splitter/amplifier (around $100 AU).

Hope this helps

 

[Logsyc_]

Hello ,

A PVR-150MCE ... but you can only use one source at a time.

The advantage with the PVR-500MCE is that it can watch/record 2 channels at the same time.

Callifo> does this mean with the 150 I won't be able to watch the TV and record the satellite at the same time because of only one tuner ?
If it is the case, do I get around this issue by connecting the satellite to the TV via a scart cable and the antennae to the TV via a splitter ?

Marcusb> thanks for the advice on the GeForce 6100, I thought about it and Callifo, Davej00 and Topher5000 warnings made me forget this option.
I'll reconsider and see how the budget goes...

For the HD, I usually don't store movies, programs, so again it will depend on budget but I'll cope with a 160Gb I''m faily sure and a HD is easily changed (I need one on another of my PC for video editing).

thanks again for your help.

This forum is great !!!

 

[Topher5000]

With the 500MCE, you can record from the satellite & watch something different from the antenna or vice versa, all through your htpc, but you can't record one satellite channel & watch a different sat channel, because the sat stb has only one tuner. You'd need another stb to do that.
Marcusb is right about the antenna splitter. That way, you could record one channel from the antenna & watch another antenna channel, but directly from the antenna to your TV.
He's also right about the 6150 mobo. Maybe the on-board video will work okay & you won't need a video card. If you get stutters or freezing, you can always add a video card & disable the on-board video, keeping your 512mb of RAM.

 

[Logsyc_]

Hello guys,

I'll do a recap to make sure I got it right :

Here's the beast :

- Case : Antec NSK2400 (MiniPC Desktop avec alimentation 380W) (99 €)
- MoBo : ASRock 939NF4G-SATA2 (NVIDIA GeForce 6100) - Micro ATX (57,9 €)
- CPU : AMD Athlon-64 3200+ Socket 939 BULK (92.95 €)
- Cooler: Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu S939 (24.9 €)
- TV card: Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 (79,5€)
- HD : 160 Go PATA 7200 Tr/min Hitachi, 8 Mo de cache (60.95 €)
- DVD : Graveur de DVD IDE Multiformat LG Noir (39.9 €)

Total : 452.35 €

I stuck to the GeForce and will see for the 6200TC depending on stuttering/freezes.
I chose a 7000B to quietly cool the A64.
I selected the PVR 150 as I'm planning to connect the TV antennae to both TV and Hauppauge via a splitter, and connect the sat box to both TV and Hauppauge via scart and Svideo +RCA (respectively TV and Hauppauge).

Did I get it right ?
Do I miss something ? A remote comes with the Hauppauge (so I guess I do not need any - or won't it work with MP ?).

thanks again

 

[Callifo]

If you get the PVR-150MCE version of the tvcard you also get built in FM radio. That version wont come with a remote though, but I tend to think the MCE2005 remote is better than the OEM hauppauge remote anyway.