underpools Machine
Introduction
I started to build a HTPC recently and now it is finally finished (beside I still have a few smaller problems with some functions, but I will solve them ).
The reasons for me to build such a Media Center were that I want to have a All-In-One solution to watch TV, Pictures with slideshow, listen to music and radio and so on.
Additionally, our old TV broke down and so we need a new one. So we bought the Philips Aurea TV Full HD with HDMI connection. So it was certainly obvious that the Media Center should have an HDMI ouput connector.
Further, we got a Satellite unit with DVB-S (digital TV). We had cable TV, but that was expensive and we want to be independence. So the Media Center would get a DVB-S card to view high definition television.
As you see, we had a bigger modification in our living room and the HTPC is only one part of it.
So here we go:
Wishlist
This were my requirements for the HTPC:
Hardware
It took a long time before I decided which hardware is the right for me. For almost every hardware part I read benchmarks and compared devices, because I want to have something good which I can rely on. I can only recommend to you all to do this the same way. I was really suprized about how many problems can be caused by the wrong hardware. Its really worth it to spend an hour more for that.
The following hardware is now installed in my HTPC:
Connection to other devices
The new Media Center has connection to internet, satellite and other devices:
Operating system, configuration and software
I thought about installing Windows Vista on my HTPC, but then I took Windows XP. The reason: I use Windows Vista as my "normal" system to work and play. But why should I install it on my HTPC? Vista needs more resources and more RAM (despite the SuperFetch mechanism) than XP and is not that stable than XP with SP3. The resources should be taken for watching TV and Blu-Ray and not for the OS which runs in the background.
So here is my software:
Basic:
MediaPortal:
Plugins:
Additional:
Special Solutions:
I integrated it to MediaPortal with the help of MoPhat's great Plugin. See here for details. The Plugin integrates PowerDVD seamless into MediaPortal. That means, you can access PowerDVD directly from the MediaPortal Main Menu with one Click. MediaPortal minimizes and PowerDVD maximizes. A skin from MoPhat for PowerDVD (monochrome style) makes it possible that PowerDVD looks like MP.
With the help of the script, the keys on your Remote Control are the same than in MP. When you click on your back button, PowerDVD will exit and MP will maximize. Its great!
So I had the idea with the script of MoPhat. I got the source code generated with AutoHotkey and opened it with my editor. Then I changed It to open and close my Browser instead of PowerDVD. I recompiled it and set MultiShortcut to open this script. Now I enter Opera with one click in the main menu and get back with my back button on my remote. Its fantastic!
If you have questions to this special solutions and need help, don't hesitate to contact me. I explained those both solution only short here, I know.
Hardware bought at...
Here I want to give a short overview where I bought my hardware:
This was my overview about my MediaCenter. I hope you like it. If you have questions, suggestion for improvement or comments please contact me or reply on this post.
Thank you all here in this great forum for the help you offered me to solve the problems I had with my MediaPortal. Further I want to say thank you to all Members of the MediaPortal Team for this great software. You did (and still do ) a great job. Iam absolutely happy with my solution and my whole family is it, too.
Greetings,
underpool
UPDATE:
Now Updated to:
MediaPortal 1.0.0.0 RC2 with TV server 1.0.0.0 RC2
and SVN mediaportal-svn-09-06-2008--11-16-Rev20143
All working beside some problems with the TV server. It crashes sometimes (MP hangs up) when clicking on My TV in the main menu.
Introduction
I started to build a HTPC recently and now it is finally finished (beside I still have a few smaller problems with some functions, but I will solve them ).
The reasons for me to build such a Media Center were that I want to have a All-In-One solution to watch TV, Pictures with slideshow, listen to music and radio and so on.
Additionally, our old TV broke down and so we need a new one. So we bought the Philips Aurea TV Full HD with HDMI connection. So it was certainly obvious that the Media Center should have an HDMI ouput connector.
Further, we got a Satellite unit with DVB-S (digital TV). We had cable TV, but that was expensive and we want to be independence. So the Media Center would get a DVB-S card to view high definition television.
As you see, we had a bigger modification in our living room and the HTPC is only one part of it.
So here we go:
Wishlist
This were my requirements for the HTPC:
- Very low noise or quiet
- Energy efficient
- Support for the Full HD TV
- Blu-Ray Support
- Remote Control /IR
- Network streaming support to connect to our NAS (network storage device)
- Internet access
- Seamless integration in our living room
- User friendly, easy to use for my whole family
Hardware
It took a long time before I decided which hardware is the right for me. For almost every hardware part I read benchmarks and compared devices, because I want to have something good which I can rely on. I can only recommend to you all to do this the same way. I was really suprized about how many problems can be caused by the wrong hardware. Its really worth it to spend an hour more for that.
The following hardware is now installed in my HTPC:
- Case: Antec FUSION V2 silver
- Power Supply: Antec 450 Watt Supply
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (miniATX)
- Graphic Card: onboard ATI Radeon HD3200 with HDMI out
- Memory: 2x Corsair XMS2 1024MB DDR2
- CPU: AMD Athlon 4850e 2500MHz Dual Core
- Cooler: AMD CPU boxed Cooler, 2x 120 Case Fans
- Sound: onboard ALC889A HD Audio 7.1 Channel with DTS Connect and Optical out
- HDD: Western Digital WD5000AACS 500GB Green Power
- Blu-Ray/DVD Drive: LG GGC-H20L black
- TV-Card 1: digital everywhere FloppyDTV S2 (DVB-S2)
- TV-Card 2: Hauppauge WINTV Nova-HD-S2 (DVB-S2)
- Card Reader: Akasa AK-CR-01BK Combo Multi Card Reader
- Remote Control: Auvisio VRC-1100 Ro
- Keyboard: KeySonic ACK-540RF wireless
Connection to other devices
The new Media Center has connection to internet, satellite and other devices:
- 2x Connection to satellite for recording and watching at the same time
- Connection to LAN (100 Mbit/sec, 1000 Mbit/s soon ) for Internet connectivity (6 Mbit/s) and NAS access (Photos, Videos, Music)
- Stereo Connection to hi-fi system with dolby surround
- Connection to USB Webcam for Voice-Chat (Skype)
- HDMI Connection to Philips Aurea TV (full HD), but only picture, no sound (-> hi-fi system)
Operating system, configuration and software
I thought about installing Windows Vista on my HTPC, but then I took Windows XP. The reason: I use Windows Vista as my "normal" system to work and play. But why should I install it on my HTPC? Vista needs more resources and more RAM (despite the SuperFetch mechanism) than XP and is not that stable than XP with SP3. The resources should be taken for watching TV and Blu-Ray and not for the OS which runs in the background.
So here is my software:
Basic:
- Windows XP with SP3 (customized with nLite)
- All available Windows Updates
- Removed thing I don't need on a HTPC (Outlook Express, MSN, Games)
MediaPortal:
- MediaPortal 1.0.0.0 RC1 with TV server 1.0.0.0 RC1
- SVN-Snapshot installed: svn-07-11-2008--10-18-Rev19603
- Monochrome Skin 2.2
Plugins:
- KeyBoardInputPlugin 1.1.0.0 for the remote control
- HDStarter - Blu-Ray/HD-DVD Player with PowerDVD for watching Blu-Ray Discs
- MultiShortcut 1.0 for starting Opera Browser
- WebEPG
Additional:
- Cyberlink PowerDVD 7 for Blu-Ray Playback (delivered with the Blu-Ray Drive)
- Opera 9.5 (customized) for Surfing
- Haali MediaSplitter
- ffdshow Codec
- Skype for VoIP
Special Solutions:
Blu-Ray:
I integrated it to MediaPortal with the help of MoPhat's great Plugin. See here for details. The Plugin integrates PowerDVD seamless into MediaPortal. That means, you can access PowerDVD directly from the MediaPortal Main Menu with one Click. MediaPortal minimizes and PowerDVD maximizes. A skin from MoPhat for PowerDVD (monochrome style) makes it possible that PowerDVD looks like MP.
With the help of the script, the keys on your Remote Control are the same than in MP. When you click on your back button, PowerDVD will exit and MP will maximize. Its great!
Browser:
So I had the idea with the script of MoPhat. I got the source code generated with AutoHotkey and opened it with my editor. Then I changed It to open and close my Browser instead of PowerDVD. I recompiled it and set MultiShortcut to open this script. Now I enter Opera with one click in the main menu and get back with my back button on my remote. Its fantastic!
If you have questions to this special solutions and need help, don't hesitate to contact me. I explained those both solution only short here, I know.
Hardware bought at...
Here I want to give a short overview where I bought my hardware:
- Satking.de: FloppyDTV DVB-S2 Card
- Caseking.de: Antec Fusion V2 Case, Akasa Multicard Reader
- PEARL: Auvisio Remote Control
- Mindfactory AG: All other stuff (Mainboard, CPU and so on)
This was my overview about my MediaCenter. I hope you like it. If you have questions, suggestion for improvement or comments please contact me or reply on this post.
Thank you all here in this great forum for the help you offered me to solve the problems I had with my MediaPortal. Further I want to say thank you to all Members of the MediaPortal Team for this great software. You did (and still do ) a great job. Iam absolutely happy with my solution and my whole family is it, too.
Greetings,
underpool
UPDATE:
Now Updated to:
MediaPortal 1.0.0.0 RC2 with TV server 1.0.0.0 RC2
and SVN mediaportal-svn-09-06-2008--11-16-Rev20143
All working beside some problems with the TV server. It crashes sometimes (MP hangs up) when clicking on My TV in the main menu.