[bmcclure937]

I am a newly registered member but have been browsing the forums for a few weeks now... I am weighing my options and deciding on the best solution for my home theater setup.

I would really appreciate your input! My setup consists of the following:

• Panasonic TC-P54VT25 (Full 3D)
  
• Panasonic 3D BluRay Player
  
• Panasonic 3D Bundle - Avatar 3D BluRay and 2 Glasses
  
• Yamaha 667 AVR
  
• Harmon Kardon 5.1 Speaker Setup
  

Thank You!!

My final build includes the following:

[CPU] AMD Athlon II X4 3.0GHz AM3 95W ($100+FS) http://fwd4.me/tkV
[MOBO] GIGABYTE AM3 Micro ATX ($65+$8) http://goo.gl/Won
[RAM] G.SKILL RIPJAW SERIES (2x2GB) ($55+FS) http://goo.gl/5ZpOR
[GPU] ASUS GT430 1GB 128-bit DDR3 ($70+FS) http://tinyurl.com/4gu7ojs

[CASE] Antec NSK2480 ($118 FS) http://goo.gl/BkHxX
[PSU] Antec EarthWatts 380w (included with case)

Future Purchases:

[SSD] I know it is highly recommended to use a SSD. I had one ready to purchase but then realized I had 2 spare 2.5" drives sitting here. I might as well put one to good use until SSDs drop in price in the coming months. There will be tons of deals as the newer SSD technology is announced!

[HP IR Receiver] Sooner than later! I will not have a way to easily control my HTPC until I purchase the IR Receiver. This will be purchased much sooner than a SSD.

[Logitech Harmony Remote] I need to choose a model... but I am going to purchase a Logitech Harmony to make things easy! I am hoping for seamless integration with my XBMC Live box. I have always had a hard time navigating with a keyboard in XBMC anyhow!

[CPU Cooler] If I am not satisfied with the stock CPU heatsink/fan then I will purchase a third-party cooler!


Thank You to everyone for their help! I am going to place my order soon... so if you have any last words regarding my hardware choices speak them now!

[poofyhairguy]

One thing you have not mentioned is budget. If you want to get the guaranteed best HTPC on the planet that does everything you want, get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as..._-56158018

Reason why is because it has a HDMI 1.4 3D capable GPU. Now XBMC isn't fully 3D capable yet, but with that Asrock and the DS Player version of XBMC on Windows you should be able to bitstream DTS-HD today to your receiver. Also when XBMC DOES become fully 3D capable, you will be supported. Note that system is barebones, so it also needs a SSD and some RAM like most ION systems. If you want for like $200 more they sell the complete model. Beats the pants literally off a Mac Mini.

If you need it to cost less than that, you might consider building one.

[bmcclure937]

Ouch! I was actually checking out that ASRock and I think it may be a little out of my price range at this time. I was hoping for $400 max and wanted to run XBMC Live... so I can boot directly to XBMC and have more of a set-top box feeling. Plus, my fiance would kill me if I got that when I have honeymoon and wedding expenses coming up!

Is there any timeframe on when DTS-MA passthrough may be capable on the ION2?

If I have to sacrifice 3D capability in order to stay within my budget then I am okay with that. I would like to try to have DTS-MA in the future. I wonder if Boxee's code for DTS-MA is GPL... since they just recently added support for the Boxee Box (if I recall correctly).

What would you recommend in my price range? What do you personally use/prefer?

[eskro]

hi bmcclure937, for your price range, you might have to sacrifice 3D...

in another thread we talked about building a budget HTPC...

its located here --> http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=88338

[bmcclure937]

I have no issues building a custom XBMC HTPC but do like the design and silent operation of some pre-built solutions. Don't get me wrong, I would rather have the most bang for my buck (custom-built or pre-built)... but I would also like to get a little more feedback on pros/cons of some of the pre-built Atom/Ion systems before I decide to go custom!

For example, what about the Acer Aspire Revo 3700? I heard a lot of great things about the Revos running XBMS and heard they are one of the best options to stream 1080p. (although they probably do not have DTS-MA )

What about Zotac, Shuttle, or lower-end ASRocks? Or are they all basically the same since they run on Ion2?


Thanks again for your help! (and would you recommend running XBMC Live - what I was planning to do for a seamless set-top box feel - or running XBMC on top of Windows?)

[poofyhairguy]

The Shuttle is the current "in" system because it is ION2 and fanless. I also am a big fan of Zotac systems.

With any ION system you can use XBMC Live to get the appliance feel. Read this blog for configuration info:

http://www.xbmcboxes.com/

Only thing I am nervous about is you seem gung-ho about having DTS-HD bitstreaming. Sure there is work in Linux on bitstreaming for ION2, but reports say its hit or miss with the gt2xx series (which the ION2 is). Only guaranteed bitstreaming solution is the gt4xx series (like that ASrock). That for certain is the only way to have 3D support.

If you can accept not having true 3D support and maybe never having DTS-HD bitstreaming, then get an ION2 system. Honestly though if I was you I would be building a HTPC based on a GT430 instead.

In fact, as an owner of a 3D TV, that is what I did.

[PatrickVogeli]

what about the Asrock ion 3d?

http://www.asrock.com/nettop/overview.la...D%20Series

[poofyhairguy]

what about the Asrock ion 3d?

http://www.asrock.com/nettop/overview.la...D%20Series

It has PC (as in hackish) 3D support, not full TV 3D support. Basically no better than any other ION2 system.

[eskro]

if I was you I would be building a HTPC based on a GT430 instead

If you have a 3D HDTV, i agree

If not, go with an ATI Radeon 5xxx series custom build...

its less pricy than NVIDIA systems and its DTS-HD MASTER compatible!!

[bmcclure937]

Yes, I do have a 3D HDTV and I would be able to fully capitalize on the 3D functionality (as well as TrueHD audio and DTS-MA bitsreaming).

I understand the limitations of the ION2 and may need to settle for this platform if my budget restricts me. But building a custom XBMC box for cheaper has also caught my eye. I will need to do some further research but will definitely refer back to this thread if I have questions!

My main question is whether the gt4xx series is able to support 3D playback and DTS-MA bitstreaming in XBMC Live... as that is the platform I intend to run. Like I have stated before, I would prefer to directly boot to XBMC (as quickly as possible). XBMC Live seems like the best solution to obtain the set-top box experience.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday. I will be out of town with family so will not have time to look into this further for a couple days.

[eskro]

gt4xx series do support 3D playback and DTS-MA bitstreaming

[bmcclure937]

I understand that. My main concern was whether or not the gt4xx would support that functionality under Linux when I run XBMC Live

Thanks for the prompt reply and great help!

[eskro]

better ask in linux section....

but im sure it will

[gstreet]

... Honestly though if I was you I would be building a HTPC based on a GT430 instead.

In fact, as an owner of a 3D TV, that is what I did...

assuming you start building from a gt430, the rest is basically all about how you want your HTPC to look?

What hardware did u use other than gt430?

pis

[bmcclure937]

assuming you start building from a gt430, the rest is basically all about how you want your HTPC to look?

What hardware did u use other than gt430?

pis

This is the tentative parts list I quickly came up with last night when I started scoping out parts on Newegg for a custom build. My wish list is at this LINK

Obviously, I have a couple case, mobo, PSU, and SSD options. I would not buy all of them. I think it is possible to build quite a beefy system with a gt430 for around (or under) $500. This would blow the pants off of any pre-built system.

I am not sure if this is in my budget yet or if it would be more practical for me to drop 3D support and DTS-MA bitstreaming for a more affordable ION2-based setup.

I still need to weigh my options. Either way, I am waiting until after CES to see if there are any announcements that would shake up the HTPC/XBMC world. Technology progresses so fast that it is best to wait until you actually NEED it to build your HTPC... and I will not actually NEED mine until middle of next year once I have my home theater completely set up after my wedding!

The only thing I am concerned about with a custom system is the noise compared to an ASRock or other pre-built setup...