Ongoing My first HTPC build... (1 Viewer)

Len Lekx

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December 10, 2017
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While I've built my own PCs for years now, this is the first time I've built one to be a dedicated HTPC.

Right now, the hardware is pretty much done. The details:

Mainboard: ASUS ROG Stryx B350F-Gaming
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700X 8-core, 16-thread 3.4GHz
CPU Cooler: BeQuiet! Shadow Rock LP
PSU: EVGA SuperNova 750 G2 Gold
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX1060 Dual - 3GB
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws V 2X8GB DDR4 3000MHz
Boot Drive: Adata XPG SX8000 256GB m.2 SSD
Media Storage: WD Gold 10TB and SeaGate IronWolf 10TB - to be configured as redundant storage
Temp. Storage: Kingston 256GB SSD
Optical Drive: ASUS internal 16X BDXL Blu-Ray writer
Case: Silverstone Grandia GB-09B
Keyboard: IOGear wireless compact w/Optical trackball and scroll wheel
Tuners: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1800
AverMedia AverTV HD/Analog capture card

(Waiting on the USB-UIRT IR blaster I ordered last week...)

Software: (yet to be installed...)
OS: Win10 64-bit
Media Player: MediaPortal 2
DVD Ripper/converter: Pavtube Bytecopy (Once I pay for it...)
MakeMKV and Handbrake as secondary
VCR Capture: Golden Videos VHS to DVD Converter

Once I get the software installed, I'll have to rewire my current home-theater setup to get rid of redundant cabling and do some component rearranging. SUCH fun... :ROFLMAO:
 

Len Lekx

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Quick update - MP2 appears to not recognize the AverTV card. I was hoping to use it for live-tv from one or both of my set-top boxes... I now have a Hauppauge Colossus 2 on order as a replacement.

Also - instead of the HVR-1800 card, I went with the 2250 dual-tuner version.
 

milhouse

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Can't speak to the AverTV, but that Colossus I can confirm works. Had one several years ago to capture from a settop box before I switched to a cablecard tuner.

Can I assume the 2250 is the only thing being used for OTA TV capture? I've got one of those, works great with MP. And the Colossus is strictly for VCR capture? Should work fine. It's a pain if you are trying to use for settop box capture. Then you have to deal with IR transmitters and stuff like that.

Everything else - wow, that's a lot of hardware to throw at an HTPC. Even HD video doesn't take much to run smoothly, until you get to h.265 and 4k. Then you need more power. I have very small computers I use - 5 year old Zotac Nanos are plenty, and using onboard video.

milhouse
 

mm1352000

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    Just to note, as per our wiki:
    TV Card Features
    The Hauppauge Colossus and HD PVR video capture devices. TV Server also supports capture inputs on cards with analog tuners, however other capture cards without tuners are currently not supported.

    In other words, support for the Colossus and HD-PVR should currently be considered as exceptions to the rule [that MediaPortal doesn't support capture cards]. For now AVer capture cards will not be recognised at all.
     

    Len Lekx

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    Can I assume the 2250 is the only thing being used for OTA TV capture?
    And the Colossus is strictly for VCR capture?

    Actually, the 2250 is for Clear-QAM capture and one set-top box. (DirecTV receiver) The Colossus 2 is for my cable STB until I can figure out which streaming services give me the programs I want to watch. Once that's done, then the Colossus will do VCR capture and the 2250 will do LaserDisc capture - until I get my entire video collection digitized.

    Then you have to deal with IR transmitters and stuff like that.

    I'll be doing that anyway... I guess I forgot to mention that I obtained a USB-UIRT receiver/blaster so that I could run everything from my Logitech Harmony remote. :)

    that's a lot of hardware to throw at an HTPC.

    I'm trying to future-proof it now, to minimize the upgrades I'll need later. In the near future, I'll considering a 4K set to replace my current TV - so the video card will come in handy. And later, when I add a streamer in my bedroom to replace the cable box I have there now...

    Plus, PavTube ByteCopy can (from what I've read in the docs...) utilize both CPU and GPU cores to speed up conversions. I have a *lot* of stuff to rip - any edge I can get will be good.

    support for the Colossus and HD-PVR should currently be considered as exceptions to the rule

    Yeah - I took a gamble on that one. But my Colossus 2 arrived at my door today, so I'll replace the AverTV card and that should be resolved.
     

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