Re: Solid, Stable HDTV MCE Computer?
- From: "Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:06:03 -0500
I would state (and thought I did) that the nVidia 5200 is an absolute
minimum. Mine worked fine for regular TV, with two exceptions...the 1080i
DVI output was "jittery" - picture seemed good enough but it jumped up and
down maybe 10 pixels or so, making it unacceptable. The other problem is
mine had no fan, and toasted itself after 6 months. I replaced it with an
ATI 9550, which works great for regular TV. Its DVI output at 1080i also
jitters, but not nearly as bad - it's almost watchable.
I don't have HD - having an over-the-air tuner just didn't make sense given
the apparent lack of standards in that area. Cable HD would be better, when
MCE supports it someday, but even then I'd have to pay $10/month for it plus
it requires a set-top box, limiting it to one TV in the house. Maybe someday
it'll be both great and cheap...
Dana Cline - MVP
"Dave" <Dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2E12906A-E40A-4269-AAE2-53A75FB18A98@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I'd agree with Dana as far as this: you don't truly know what you are
> getting unless you build the box. However, she recommends FX5200 or
higher
> video card...but that's not good enough for HDTV (I found this out the
hard
> way).
>
> If you want to build an HD system that is reliable, I humbly submit the
> template below based on my experiences over the past 8 months building my
> HTPC. I say "humbly" because there is a lot of corporate knowledge on
this
> site, and people are very helpful, in general. The only downside to this
> forum is that here, as is the case any time you have specialized
knowledge,
> you may find the jargon to be a bit overwhelming.
>
> So, here is my list:
>
> CPU:
> If you go Intel, I'd go with a Pentium 4, 2.8E or better (I'm not an
Athlon
> guy, so I don't know the "equivalent" chip on that side)
>
> OS:
> Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (we are in their forum,
after
> all ;) )
>
> Tuner cards:
> 1. Standard TV: Definitely, I'd go with the Hauppauge 500MCE. Two tuners
> in one PCI slot.
> 2. HDTV (over the air only): AVerMedia AVerTVHD A180 - I installed one of
> these and it was as easy as following the instructions.
>
> Memory:
> 1GB DDR...don't spend extra for heat fins, low latency, etc...not needed
>
> Hard drive:
> 250GB or more SATA. If you want to go a step further, put the OS and
> programs on a 40+ GB drive, and have the SATA HD exclusively for recorded
TV.
>
> Video card:
> Short version: NVidia 6600GT-based card
> Long version: I just found out how important this is. Upgraded to HDTV
and
> my 9550 did not cut it. After researching, I went with the NVidia 6600GT.
> NVidia promises that the 6xxx cards will give you something called
Purevideo,
> which ostensibly includes various video improvements in addition to
hardware
> video decoding (making life easier for your CPU). Also, and importantly,
MS
> recommends a memory bandwidth of 10GB/s for HDTV. On this note, I found
out
> another important fact: EVERY VIDEO CARD IS DIFFERENT. I was going to
> purchase an NVidia 6600-based card, because NVidia will tell you the 6600
CAN
> exceed this mark. But each video card manufacturer implements the chipset
> differently, so the 6600 you buy...may not. Mine...did not. The 6600GT
> will.
>
> Other notes:
> 1. I'd get at least a 350W power supply, preferably a 400W
> 2. But the Microsoft remote and receiver--works extremely well
> 3. Heat control: HTPC cases, in general, will not be mistaken for wind
> tunnels. The relatively low air flow may require you to purchase
aftermarket
> cooling products. The only one I have replaced is my CPU cooler. For
this I
> went with a Zalman (CNPS7000B-ALCU). The max fan speed is adjustable, so
you
> can determine how to trade off heat vs. noise.
>
> Well, I could go on with other products and tweaks, but these notes
> represent the bulk of what I've learned.
>
> "Dana Cline - MVP" wrote:
>
> > Replies inline below...
> >
> > "Jethro" <Jethro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:C78898A2-4283-43C6-AD07-C75EB777BF6F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Hi, I'm thinking about diving in to MCE and HDTV/DTV. What I would
like to
> > > know is what people are experiencing first hand as working CONSISTENT,
> > SOLID,
> > > and RELIABLY. I really don't have enough time to do a ton of tweaking,
> > > debugging, etc. Tried that with an older PC, PVR-150, and SageTV. I'm
> > > returning it.
> > >
> > > - What brand/model MCE computer are people experiencing the most
stable
> > > performance? Doesn't have to be latest model.
> >
> > From monitoring conversations here, it seems the most stable machines
are
> > home-built...
> >
> > >
> > > If customizing or building myself, what are the key parts to look for
> > (most
> > > agreed upon, best working standards):
> > > - Graphics card (currently have standard TV, will probably have to
upgrade
> > > to HDTV or large computer CRT):
> >
> > The graphics card should be an nVidia 5200 or better, or an ATI 9200 or
> > better. Generally the "or better" works best...
> >
> > > - Tuner card (if I have options):
> >
> > Lots of options on tuner card. I like Hauppauge but there are plenty of
> > others that are compatible.
> >
> > > - HDTV card:
> >
> > Right now, all that is supported is over-the-air HD. Cable HD is not
> > supported but hopefully will be in the future.
> >
> > > - Realistic minimum CPU/Memory requirements:
> >
> > I use an Athlon-64 3000 with 1Gb of memory, which works great. My new
laptop
> > uses an Intel Pentium M 1.5Ghz, and supposedly it supports Media Center
too.
> >
> > >
> > > Also, couple questions about functionality of MCE:
> > > - Is there a way to edit/backup HD content to DVD for watching on DVD
> > player?
> >
> > Can't answer that as I don't have an HD tuner. Sorry...
> >
> > > - Is there a built-in method for editing/backing up standard TV
content to
> > > DVD for watching on DVD player?
> >
> > Built-in? No, not really. There's a way to do it using the Sonic
encoder,
> > but that encoder isn't sold separately and legit copies are mostly only
> > found when buying an MCE system from a brand-name builder.
> >
> > > - Can you view photos and listen to music if it is stored on another
> > > networked computer (running XP Home)?
> >
> > Sure - I do that all the time (actually it's on shared drives on my 2003
> > server).
> >
> > >
> > > Thanks for any and all help! I'm sure this thread will help many
thinking
> > > about diving into MCE. It seems like HTPCs are geared mostly for the
> > computer
> > > tech-head types who have a lot of time to tweak everything to get max
> > usage.
> > > I like the way MCE has worked when trying in a store, VERY easy!
> >
> > Take a look at the hardware page on my web site at
> > www.mediacenterstuff.com - has some information and links for home
> > builders...
> >
> > Dana Cline - MVP
> >
> >
> >
.
- References:
- Solid, Stable HDTV MCE Computer?
- From: Jethro
- Re: Solid, Stable HDTV MCE Computer?
- From: Dana Cline - MVP
- Re: Solid, Stable HDTV MCE Computer?
- From: Dave
- Solid, Stable HDTV MCE Computer?
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