Help required for building a new HTPC (1 Viewer)

[Logsyc_]

Hello,

I've recently hear about this forum and I must say I've been impressed by the quality of its content.

As you might imagine I'm planning to build an HTPC (to replace my VCR that just died and my DVD reader which doesn't even read MPEG2...).

The project :
The PC will sit below the TV, space available : (H 17.5cm, W 64cm , D ~30cm)
I want to be able to record TV programs (analog french TV) + use time shifting (Media Portal does it I 've seen) as well as record the satellite (digital satellite of English programs - SKY not to name it)
It must be silent !!! passive system are preferred (at least MoBo + Video Card/TV card), fan controlled by either Speedfan or Fan mates, I'll probably fit a Zalman 7000 or similar on the CPU if it turns out to be to loud (A venice core should not heat that much doing this sort of task - unless it's more demanding that I imagine :?: so I'll pass on the heatsink for the moment)

The budget :
400€ roughly

What I was thinking about :

- Case/PSU: Antec NSK2400 (MiniPC Desktop avec alimentation 380W) (99 €) - cooled by 2 120mm Tricool fans
- MoBo : ASRock 939NF4G-SATA2 (57.9 €) - maybe another one with a graphic chip (depends on the TV card)
- CPU: AMD Athlon-64 3000+ Socket 939 BOX (89,5 €)
- RAM : 2x256Mo de PC3200 (I already have it)
- Video Card : ATI All-in-Wonder VE 64 Mo DDR (PCI) (49.9 €) but a TV card is probably better
- Remote control : Sapphire ? maybe another one, depending on the TV card

- HD : 160 Go PATA 7200 Tr/min Hitachi, 8 Mo de cache (60.95 €)
- DVD writer : Graveur de DVD IDE Multiformat LG (34.9 €)

Prix Total : 392.55 € + remote

And of course I have a few questions :
1-How do I connect all of these, esp. the sky box to the PC (through the TV, ??)
2- If the satellite is connected to the PC, I need to have the PC switched on to watch Sky, not very convenient...
3- What TV or video card do you recommend for my PC ?

I have a license of Win 2000 pro that shoud work for Media Portal (can you confirm ?).

thanks for your input

 

[Callifo]

I dare say a Radeon 7500 might no cut it. A cheap DX9 card is more what you want.

I also think W2k wont work, it did for a while but I think lately its been removed from the requirements.

1-How do I connect all of these, esp. the sky box to the PC (through the TV, ??)

Usually you connect the video out from the Sky box to the computers analogue capture card. That way you can have it pluged into the computer and tv at the sametime and you wont need the PC on all the time.

3- What TV or video card do you recommend for my PC ?

For a small budget a 5200, or more idealy a 6200 is pretty decent.

 

[Logsyc_]

Hi Callifo,

Thanks for that quick answer !

If I get you right, I need XP (which is a bad news as I already payed for 2 licences for my other PCs, and I'd have a useless Win 2K licence ...).
You recommend a 5200 or a 6200 - do you mean without any TV card ?
As far as I know there's no version a VIVO 6200 card so I'll need an card to record the TV anyway... so I must have misunderstood you.

Can't I get away with a onboard video (like a GeForce 6100 or 6150, which are decent chipset) and a TV card (which one would do the trick ?)

What do you think about the rest of the PC (CPU, RAM, Case/PSU) - I would imagine it's plenty enough seeing you use a Sempron on yours (I though about a sempron at first but seeing that A64 are going down in price due to the imminent release of Conroe CPU, I turned to an 3000+ s939 ).
If you say a s754 sempron 2600+ is plenty enough event in the years to come, I might go back to the original idea and use the money for a better TV card... And a sempron would no generate as must heat which is good dB wise

 

[Callifo]

You recommend a 5200 or a 6200 - do you mean without any TV card ?

Well the TV card will depend on your intent, but seperate tv and video cards are always better (the all-in-one cards seem to always have problem for some reason).

Can't I get away with a onboard video (like a GeForce 6100 or 6150, which are decent chipset) and a TV card (which one would do the trick ?)

From what Ive read a 6150 card seems to work well with MP, the only difference between that and a 6200 is that the 6200 can come with component out (which if you dont have DVI on your TV, is best).

What do you think about the rest of the PC (CPU, RAM, Case/PSU) - I would imagine it's plenty enough seeing you use a Sempron on yours (I though about a sempron at first but seeing that A64 are going down in price due to the imminent release of Conroe CPU, I turned to an 3000+ s939 ).

It all depends on what you want to do in the future. I put this machine together over a year and a half ago and it still great. For HDTV it wouldnt be fast enough but it will be a long time before we get an expensive TV set capable of 1080p. When that times comes Ill need to do a complete upgrade pretty much as its a Socket 462/A board and so cant be improved.

In terms of TV card since you only have analogue, you might be better off looking at a Hauppauge PVR-500MCE. That can record 2 channels at the same time (eg from you Sky STB and another analogue channel) and also has FM radio.

 

[Logsyc_]

Ok, I think I get a clearer picture now

In terms of TV card since you only have analogue, you might be better off looking at a Hauppauge PVR-500MCE. That can record 2 channels at the same time (eg from you Sky STB and another analogue channel) and also has FM radio.

What about a cheaper one because I'm not sure I need 2 tuners , the 500MCE is about 170€ and very hard to find in France it seems
Can you recomment a cheaper version with hardware encoding too ? the PVR -150, the 350 or another brand ???

thanks

 

[Callifo]

A Hauppauge PVR-150MCE only has 1 tuner and FM radio.

 

[Logsyc_]

Sorry I edited my post while you were answering

A Hauppauge PVR-150MCE only has 1 tuner and FM radio.

Does it mean I cannot connect the TV and The Sky Box simultaneously to the PC capture card ?
So I'd have to keep switching cables at the back of the PC...

This might be a very good argument to getting a PVR-500.

 

[Callifo]

Does it mean I cannot connect the TV and The Sky Box simultaneously to the PC capture card ?
So I'd have to keep switching cables at the back of the PC...

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

 

[Logsyc_]

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

 

[Topher5000]

Logsyc_,
The HTPC I just built uses an MSI K8NGM2 mobo that has the 6150 video chipset. It has Dolby Digital output over either optical or coaxial cables. It also has s-video, component, vga & dvi out.
My satellite box is hooked up to my 150MCE by it's s-video output & RCA (analogue) audio out. My HTPC outputs to my front projector over a dvi cable (actually an hdmi cable with 2 dvi-to-hdmi adapters. The audio is routed to my Harman Kardon receiver over coaxial digital (an RCA cable).
The one thing I notice with your set up is the amount of RAM. I had one 512 mb stick of DDR400 & mine would freeze when switching between the tv guide & live tv & would sometimes lock up when exiting. Putting another 512mb stick solved this. It may be because the on-board video uses some of the RAM. Then again, it makes for a small, simple build that would fit in a lot of cases. EDIT: The freezing was probably caused by the on-boardvideo only using 64mb of the RAM. I bumped it up when I installed the second stick.