So I'm Building First HTPC (1 Viewer)

[osxfreak]

So I've dreamed of one day having a HTPC. With the economy being as it is, and well me having a PC laying around the house I decided I wanted to build an HTPC on teh cheap.

I currently use this PC to Stream Video's from it's External 800gb Hard Drive to my PS3 using a program called TVersity. But this limits my ability to record shows, as well as view the PC screen on my Hitachi 42" Plasma

So with a Google search, I stumbled on to MediaPortal and FELL IN LOVE.

So far I've Updated the crap out of this PC, so that is all up to date.

The PC is an old Dell Optiplex running Windows XP Professional
It has a C3824 Processor,80547,Pentium 4 Prescott DT,3.0GHZ,1 MEGB 800FSB Processor.

Internal Hard Drive,80GB,I,8M,7.2K Serial ATA,Maxtor-Calypso

1GB of Ram

Intel 82915g/GV/910GL Express Chipset family onboard video

I just purchased a GIGABYTE GV-R455D3-512I HD4550 HD video card.
This was taken off another users choice in a recently built HTPC.

Now I'm NO GAMER, so won't be playing games on this PC. Maybe the occasional Pogo visits but nothing like COD or WOW. This will basically be a PC that I can hook up to my TV and either play downloaded video's, use with my video surveillance system or watch TV recordings.

So with all that being said my first question is will MediaPortal work on this PC. Right now I get to the Initializing DirectX and it hangs. I've verified I have the latest DirectX installed. So my thinking was that the onboard video chip is not working great with this program.

My second question is what for the $$ Is a good and not blow the budget TV receiver card? I'd like one that can record the HD Channels I get from my Comcast Cable Provider(if possible). And one that will take advantage of the 16:9 aspect ratio with out stretching the users to be fatter then they are.

Any tips would be appreciated. and If you think the PC is too old or inferior to got his route, plese feel free to let me know.


Thanks

 

[etheesdad]

Yes it will but it may be a bit iffy with HD content especially 1080i. For standard def it will be really good. I had a 2.8ghz p4 with 1gb ram and a less powerful gpu than that and it made for a perfect win xp - mp - s-def box.

I got an DTV2000H from ebay for $40 and a HVR-1100 (Hauppauge) from a 2nd hand pc parts place for $45. The Hauppauge is a really good card. The channel change on the DTV2000h is a little slow. (AU $)

I reckon as long as you dont want excellent HD performance, and are ok to run XP then its a great box. Should be lots of fun.

Best of luck with it.

more info here
http://www.cyberlink.com/prog/bd-support/diagnosis.do
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/content_provider/film/ChoosingPC.aspx

 

[osxfreak]

Thanks for the information. I just looked up the 1100 and found a couple for $35 (us) so not a bad price for them.

So if you were to tinker a bit more, and go for a more recently made Hauppauge card, or any other card what card would you go for?

I'm kinda thinking Amazon.com: Hauppauge 1187 WinTV HVR-1250 PCI Express Hybrid High Definition TV Tuner Card Media Center: Electronics this might be a card I can grow in to for the future. Or is the 1100 perfectly fine for bringing in Digital Cable TV in to the PC?

As for the HighDef, I'll have to look in to what I would need for that. Maybe a Purchase for the future... But if I can get the TV Card to support that, then it might be wirtht he extra cost.

What you think?

Thanks once again.. I'm a newb to this stuff, but learning

OSX

 

[etheesdad]

well if I could get any hauppauge card Id get an HVR 2250!

From my reading you cant go far wrong with hauppauge cards, as far as hardware quality goes, but Id suggest searching the model number(s) you are considering in this forum to see if there are any issues with the one(s) you're looking at with MP.

The 1250 is a very nice card from what Ive seen in various forums.

I dont know about digital cable as I only use dvb-t

You shouldnt have to shell out any extra for a card that will to HDTV. Any current model should, as I understand it.

 

[osxfreak]

well if I could get any hauppauge card Id get an HVR 2250!

From my reading you cant go far wrong with hauppauge cards, as far as hardware quality goes, but Id suggest searching the model number(s) you are considering in this forum to see if there are any issues with the one(s) you're looking at with MP.

The 1250 is a very nice card from what Ive seen in various forums.

I dont know about digital cable as I only use dvb-t

You shouldnt have to shell out any extra for a card that will to HDTV. Any current model should, as I understand it.

OK you suck... Looks like i'm spending the extra $$$ on the 1250 now. I like the Dual Tuners, recording one and watching the other is a nice idea, plus wife is used to that with the Tivo upstairs..

Oh and seriously.. Thanks

OSX

edit: Hmm don't see it as a supported card. Darn. OK looks like it's two 1100's then

 

[etheesdad]

As far as I know a 1250 is a single tuner card.

disadvantage with 2x 1100's (or any 2x separate tuner card config) is that u may need a signal splitter box/amplifier installed behind the htpc to use 2xdvb-t to spilt the aeiral signal to the two separate inputs (1x per card).

Its no biggie but requires separate mains power. Splitter/amp costs about $40

Thats one of the advantages of the 2250 (only one aerial cable input necessary) but they cost a lot more.

There are plenty of other dual tuner cards. Dvico have some excellent models too.

 

[osxfreak]

Yeah I think I was geting confused on the 1250 card. Your right it is single tuner card.

Since I won't be doing ANY over the air recordings of HD channels or Standard Tv Channels, I'm not sure what my best solution is then...

But I did lok at this one:

DViCO FusionHDTV Tuner PCI, USB: Home > Products > HDTV7 Dual Express

as well as

Hauppauge Computer Works : WinTV-PVR-500 Media Center

I think both of these will do what I want. Record 2 TV shows that are sent from my Digital Cable Provider and allow me to send tem to my Plasma TV via the new video card.
Now the task of finding out if these work with MediaPortal. If anyone know for sure please let me know.

OSX