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Your Very First HTPC? But Where do You Start?
(2012-03-19, 22:26)latx Wrote: Hi!

I just bought these components:

ASUS F1A75-M PRO DDR3 S-FM1 M-ATX
AMD A-SERIES X3 A6-3500 2.1GHZ SOCKET FM1 BOX
OCZ VERTEX PLUS 2.5" 60GB SSD SATA/300 MLC
ANTEC MINUET 350 PIANO SVART SLIMLINE 350W

Got it set up with Win7 and running smooth, but I can not seem to get dts or any other sound other then Stereo through the HDMI? What am I doing wrong ^^

I've tried XBMC(put the receiver supports dts etc on), tried Mediaportal(ack!), vlc and windows mediaplayer classic.. Every one seem to just be giving me stereo :/

1. Update the latest GPU driver from here- AMD Catalystâ„¢ Display Driver
2. If you have AVR, make sure that you connect your system this way- HTPC-->AVR-->HDTV via HDMI cables
3. Select AMD HDMI audio output in Windows 7 control panel and XBMC
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
My setup now is this;

HTPC -> Receiver(Onkyo TX807NR) -> 1080p lcd screen

I'm gonna download latest drivers and check the Win7 control panel tomorrow!

Thanks for the fast reply Tongue
Reply
Ok, I never thought i would but i need help building a HTPC, as i was advise by some, from AVSFORUM, so here i am a new member (coming from Plex):
(i have worked with apple tv 1, 2 and 3, roku, popcorn systems, etc. but none offer the DTS support for 7.1 or 9.1 audio; nor offer good 3D file streaming from server). My requirement is to take full advantage of all the most of the Audio/Video formats, currently support by blu-ray players.

here is my quick setup:
1. Synology NAS server DS412+ or DS712+ (with XBMC server and 4tB hard disk space ) - this server will be media player and will have mkv files, 3D movies, HD audio, movies with 7.1/9.1 audio (DTS), blu ray back up copies etc..
2. Main Room (theater room) will have 7.1 surround sound system with Denon Receiver and 2012 65" Panasonic plasma and this is where i plan is use the HTPC (XBMC client connected to NAS server) -- htpc connected to the devon receiver and from devon receiver to tv.
3. Other rooms will be not have 7.1 surround system but will use xbmc or something similar to stream, including 1080p content ( most likely i'll use apple tv 3 iif it will ever get jailbroken, roku 2 not bad but no you tube and interface sucks, but might use roku 2 for these rooms for now)

What i am looking for:
- Able to stream flawless from blu-ray back up copies, 3D movies, mkv files, 7.1 audio etc.
- Around 400 range less than 500.
- Runs cool, low cosumption and quiet
- Not too big
- supports at least 7.1 or 9.1 Audio to my surround system
- HD Audio
-plays good blu-ray disc movies
-simple

thanks Mac
Reply
Welcome to the forum Mac! This build should work.....

1. SILVERSTONE Sugo Series SG06-B Black Aluminum
2. ASRock Socket FM1/AMD A75M-ITX USB 3.0
3. AMD Fusion A6-3600 APU Quad-Core Socket FM1 2.1GHz HD6530D 65W Retail
4. G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3
5. Patriot Torqx 2 PT232GS25SSDR 2.5" 32GB SSD
6. Panasonic UJ240 6x Blu-ray Burner BD-RE
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
Wink 
Hey guys -- new to the Forums here and I've been collecting as much information as I can before finally breaking down and posting. I feel like my head's going to explode from all the options for my first HTPC. One minute I've decided on getting a pre-built and the next I'm considering building my own.

Ideally, I'd like to find a pre-built HTPC that is pretty much good to go (willing, of course to buy RAM/Hard Drive separately if it's barebones.) However, if building my own HTPC is easy (I've built a few custom desktop computers several years ago) and a great way to save money, I'd consider that too.

Let me paint you a picture of what I want from my ideal media center and you guys could perhaps let me know what would work best for me or if I'm not even making sense. By the way, I've checked the 'What group am I?' thread and I'm Group 5, I would say. Also trying to keep the budget around the $300 range if possible. Here are things I'd like to do with my HTPC setup:
  • Connect to my TV via HDMI (duh)
  • Load XBMC on it (Live? or Windows 7? I'm undecided.)
  • Hook up my 1 TB External Hard Drive via eSATA (since I already own it.) This would store my downloaded TV shows and Movies
  • Stream Netflix HD with no stuttering at all
  • Stream Hulu (highest quality) with no stuttering
  • Install sabnzbd, Sickbeard, and Couchpotato on it so I can manage all my usenet downloading/sorting right off the HTPC
  • Be able to put NES/SNES/n64 emulators on there and play with perfect performance
  • Blu-ray drive just for watching blu-ray movies occasionally? Low priority but would be a nice bonus.

Let me put this out there too: I'm not a pack rat when it comes to downloading and storing TV shows and Movies. Typically, I'll download a recent TV show episode/season, watch it, and then delete it. Also, I'll download a movie I want to watch and then delete it when I'm done. That's not to say I don't want a good chunk of storage just in case. But, I'm not wanting to build a NAS with like 4 Terabyte drives in it. Trying to keep things on a smaller budget here.

Also not worried about doing Wi-Fi. Definitely going to hook the device up directly to my router via ethernet.

So, is it realistic to find an HTPC that does all of that for a reasonable price? I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and feedback. Go easy on me, I'm new to this whole thing!
Reply
magpieswarble please create your own thread.
Reply
(2012-03-24, 06:26)bluray Wrote: Welcome to the forum Mac! This build should work.....

1. SILVERSTONE Sugo Series SG06-B Black Aluminum
2. ASRock Socket FM1/AMD A75M-ITX USB 3.0
3. AMD Fusion A6-3600 APU Quad-Core Socket FM1 2.1GHz HD6530D 65W Retail
4. G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3
5. Patriot Torqx 2 PT232GS25SSDR 2.5" 32GB SSD
6. Panasonic UJ240 6x Blu-ray Burner BD-RE
Thanks for the response:
Couple of questions, what is the smallest SSD drive, i can use for Windows 7 (don't need anything bigger since, everything will be on NAS).?
You also recommended AMD A6-3600 - Should i use A8-3850 instead?
And any recommendations on simple nice remote and hardware for it...and do i need a bluetooth keyboard or no? ( the unit it will in in cabinet)?
Any video (hdmi) or Audio cards; or everything on mb?

And if i want to step up little bit and built with Intel what do you think of following, will it support all the 3d and blu ray stuff: (copied - saw someone else using this built on this forum)

Case: Wesena Mini ITX7-2 http://www.wesena.co.uk/product.php/6/2/itx7_2 $107.00

ASRock H67M-ITX/HT LGA 1155 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...m-itx%2fht $119.99

Mini-Box PicoPSU-160-XT http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TWE...00_details $48.45

12.5A 150W AC-DC adapter http://www.short-circuit.com/product/150w-acdc.html $50.75

Core i3 2125 LGA 1155 http://www.microcenter.com/single_produc...id=0376494 $130.67

OCZ Agility 3 60gb SATA 6Gb/s http://www.microcenter.com/single_produc...id=0364779 $65.34

Microcenter 4GB DDR3-1333 http://www.microcenter.com/single_produc...id=0353218 $19.59

Enermax Fan Uc-8Eb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6811999199 $8.12

SILVERSTONE 3.5 to 2 X 2.5-Inch Bay http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BH3...00_details $7.99

Thermaltake Slim X3 Low Profile 36mm Height http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6835106152 $22.99

8 inch 4Pin Molex Male to one SATA http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00301Z...01_details $6.25

80mm Steel Mesh Filter http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00152Q...00_details $3.95

Arctic Silver 5 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6835100007 $6.95

IR Receiver with cable for CIR http://shop.inteset.com/Products/5-ir-re...oards.aspx $21.95 + Shipping

(still need to add the blu ray drive and change the SSD to 32gb or smaller)

Reply
(2012-03-25, 21:47)wildzx Wrote:
(2012-03-24, 06:26)bluray Wrote: Welcome to the forum Mac! This build should work.....

1. SILVERSTONE Sugo Series SG06-B Black Aluminum
2. ASRock Socket FM1/AMD A75M-ITX USB 3.0
3. AMD Fusion A6-3600 APU Quad-Core Socket FM1 2.1GHz HD6530D 65W Retail
4. G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3
5. Patriot Torqx 2 PT232GS25SSDR 2.5" 32GB SSD
6. Panasonic UJ240 6x Blu-ray Burner BD-RE
Thanks for the response:
Couple of questions, what is the smallest SSD drive, i can use for Windows 7 (don't need anything bigger since, everything will be on NAS).?
You also recommended AMD A6-3600 - Should i use A8-3850 instead?
And any recommendations on simple nice remote and hardware for it...and do i need a bluetooth keyboard or no? ( the unit it will in in cabinet)?
Any video (hdmi) or Audio cards; or everything on mb?
32GB SSD should be perfect for W7+XBMC. If you are multi-task person, A8-3850 is the best choice. With A8-3850 or A6-3600, you do not need a discrete GPU. It's equipped with a powerful AMD HD6550D. For an all-in-one system, you'll enjoy A8-3850 than i3.....here is the comparision- AMD A8-3850 APU Review: Llano Hits the Desktop.

For MCE remote/keyboard/mouse combination, this might be your best option- Lenovo N5902 Enhanced Multimedia Remote with Backlit Keyboard ..

>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
(2012-03-26, 02:37)bluray Wrote:
(2012-03-25, 21:47)wildzx Wrote:
(2012-03-24, 06:26)bluray Wrote: Welcome to the forum Mac! This build should work.....

1. SILVERSTONE Sugo Series SG06-B Black Aluminum
2. ASRock Socket FM1/AMD A75M-ITX USB 3.0
3. AMD Fusion A6-3600 APU Quad-Core Socket FM1 2.1GHz HD6530D 65W Retail
4. G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3
5. Patriot Torqx 2 PT232GS25SSDR 2.5" 32GB SSD
6. Panasonic UJ240 6x Blu-ray Burner BD-RE
Thanks for the response:
Couple of questions, what is the smallest SSD drive, i can use for Windows 7 (don't need anything bigger since, everything will be on NAS).?
You also recommended AMD A6-3600 - Should i use A8-3850 instead?
And any recommendations on simple nice remote and hardware for it...and do i need a bluetooth keyboard or no? ( the unit it will in in cabinet)?
Any video (hdmi) or Audio cards; or everything on mb?
32GB SSD should be perfect for W7+XBMC. If you are multi-task person, A8-3850 is the best choice. With A8-3850 or A6-3600, you do not need a discrete GPU. It's equipped with a powerful AMD HD6550D. For an all-in-one system, you'll enjoy A8-3850 than i3.....here is the comparision- AMD A8-3850 APU Review: Llano Hits the Desktop.

For MCE remote/keyboard/mouse combination, this might be your best option- Lenovo N5902 Enhanced Multimedia Remote with Backlit Keyboard ..
ok, thanks. And can i use Wesena Mini ITX7-2 with the A8 setup; if so what other stuff will i need to built it completely with the Wesena case (such as power supply etc.)? Also, should i go with bluetooth or IR?

Reply
Ok, here is the list i and planing to buy (already purchased the case): Any mistakes or recommendations or missing any hardware that i should add:

case: Wesena Mini ITX7-2
cpu: AMD A8-3850
Motherboard: ASRock Socket FM1/AMD A75M-ITX USB 3.0
SSD: Patriout Torqx 2.5" SSD 32GB SATA II
PSU: Pico PSU- 150-XT Plus 150W Adapter Power Kit http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT-1...-Power-Kit
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 Or should i go with 2 x 2GB total 4gb
8 inch 4Pin Molex Male to one SATA (do i need this)
Any cheap cheap blu-ray drive (don't need burner)?
Any bluetooth or IR remote hardware (looking for simple remote; just to XBMC HTPC use)?
Reply
wildzx please create your own thread.
Reply
Hey all,
Just wanting to know what everyone reckons about my first HTPC build bellow:


Motherboard: ASUS P8H61-M-LX-V3 59
CPU: Intel Pentium G620 65
RAM: Corsair CMV4GX3M2A1333C9 (2x2GB) DDR3 29
GPU: ASUS GeForce GT430 1GB Low Profile 59
OS SSD: OCZ Vertex Plus 60GB SSD 75
Storage HDD: Western Digital Green 2TB WD20EARX 125
PSU: I will be using a spare 600W I have 0
Case: Silverstone ML03 Black Slim HTPC Case 79
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 24x DVDRW 22
TV Tuner: Leadtek DVR3200H 55
Remote: Motorola Nyxboard Hybrid 63.83 (USD excluding shipping)
OS: Ubuntu 11.10
Total: $636.83

All prices are in Australian and from PCCasegear.com.au.
Also a build without the SSD is $556.
The main purpose of the box is to be able to watch video (DVD rips, Blu Ray rips, etc) and occasionally audio from the other PC's in the house as well as hopefully having a platform to watch netflix in 1080p if it or a similar service comes to Australia and finaly to be able to stream MLB.com which requires flash (hence ubuntu as the OS). I have also included the TV Tuner so that i can also use MythTV until XBMC has its own PVR capabilities.

I welcome all sugestions.

Cheers Bigfoot
Reply
Bigfoot43 please create your own thread.
Reply
(2012-03-26, 06:52)eskro Wrote: Bigfoot43 please create your own thread.
will do..thanks

Reply
(2012-03-26, 06:52)eskro Wrote: Bigfoot43 please create your own thread.

not a problem u can delete that post. sorry about that should have been paying more attention
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