Building a media center pc

[AllYourBase]

I am considering building my own media center pc, i've been looking around and just wondered if anyone could give me a few tips on what components i might need to buy.

The basics I would like are a 200GB HDD, dual freeview tuner - this one perhaps, a snazzy black case! It should also have wifi and be able to connect to xbox 360. I would like to play multiregion DVDs and possibly have it connect to a HDMI socket, or a standard d-sub VGA socket.

Where to start? Any tips???

[sj33]

There are not many cards with a HDMI socket right now, mainly because it's royality-based and DVI is not.

This Radeon X1600 Pro from Sapphire has a HDCP-compliant HDMI

http://www.sapphiretech.com/uk/products/products_overview.php?gpid=145

A mid-range card too, so not too loud or hot, and has AVIVO... ideal for a Media Center I reckon.

I think it passes SPDIF sound through, too.

[andrewfee]

I had looked into this a while back, as I wasn't happy with the range of Freeview PVRs available, and it looked to be at least ?500-?600, and there are a lot of issues most people don't realise.

To get 1:1 mapping on a HDTV, you usually have to use VGA - which is 60Hz only, so Freeview stuff (50Hz) won't play back smoothly, as it'll have to do a framerate conversion.

If you want 50Hz, you'll have to use a DVI > HDMI lead, but you won't get 1:1 mapping this way, and it'll be useless as a PC. (and you'll get stuff scaled twice)

When I tried out most of the software available, I've found that HTPC scaling / deinterlacing / processing is average at best, when compared to AV equipment designed to do it. (eg upscaling DVD players like the Oppo)

Personally, I ended up with a Topfield TF5800 PVR - dual freeview tuners with PiP. Record two, watch one etc - all the standard PVR stuff. While it's recording two, you can watch another channel live, as long as it's on one of the same MUXes (and have another live via PiP too) which I think is unique to this box.

It's got RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite out on the back, as well as optical for digital audio. (still only stereo though)

Where it differs from most PVRs is that it can run "TAPs" - topfield applications, I believe, which allows you to really customise how the box works. Mine now uses 2 weeks of Radio Times data, rather than the Freeview EPG, which provides ratings, reviews, episode numbers etc, and has added a ton of functionality like "control timers" - basically you can set "recordings" as searches on the EPG data. So I've got "Starts with CSI" on Channel 5 between 9pm and Midnight, 7 days a week, and to put it into a folder named CSI. This catches CSI, CSI: Miami and CSI: New York, but not stuff like "The Real CSI" (or whatever they call it) and files it away.

It involves a little bit of work to set up initially, but once it's done, it's completely maintenance free. (unless you want to use the RT data, which involves plugging in a USB lead to your computer for 5 seconds and sending it over, once every week or two)

The USB port on the back also lets you grab the data off the box - it's about 1minute for 100mb iirc, so a long recording might take you 20 mins, but you get the raw untouched MPEG data (this box doesn't compress / alter it) which can be played back, or burnt onto a DVD etc.

It's been 100% stable for me, without a single crash in the 6 months or so I've had it.

It's passively cooled, so no fans, and the 160gb is virtually silent. (the only noise you can hear is the occasional click of the hdd) The 250gb is a lot louder, as the drive has more platters and vibrates a lot more - this put me off enough to downsize, but 160gb is plenty imo. (about 80-100 hours)

I think you're about ?250 for the 160gb, and ?300 for the 250gb model. You can get them in silver/black.


Anyway, I know that doesn't help about a media centre PC, but I just thought you might want to know what put me off building one near the beginning of the year, and that there are now good alternatives.

[AllYourBase]

Looks like quite a good card, ?93 from eBuyer - I have to say I am not that fussed about hdmi, I would expect the d-sub VGA input to give me an excellent picture too. What cheaper options are good?

I think the Antec overture II case might be a good choice for me. Any opinions on this?

[AllYourBase]

I had looked into this a while back, as I wasn't happy with the range of Freeview PVRs available, and it looked to be at least ?500-?600, and there are a lot of issues most people don't realise.

That's quite good to know. I had just assumed recording freeview would be a piece of cake. I currently use a Humax PVR9200T which is an excellent budget bit of kit with it's dual freeview tuners and 160GB HDD. Still it's a little limiting, I would like more PC type functions. Sounds like the toppy is a bit more advanced but ultimately not what I am looking for.

[andrewfee]

That's quite good to know. I had just assumed recording freeview would be a piece of cake. I currently use a Humax PVR9200T which is an excellent budget bit of kit with it's dual freeview tuners and 160GB HDD. Still it's a little limiting, I would like more PC type functions. Sounds like the toppy is a bit more advanced but ultimately not what I am looking for.

Fair enough, I just thought I'd mention it incase it did everything you wanted and save you a bit of money.

Looks like a nice case on the outside.

[AllYourBase]

Fair enough, I just thought I'd mention it incase it did everything you wanted and save you a bit of money.

You did bring up a good point regarding the 50 -> 60Hz framerate conversion for the freeview signal. Does anyone else have an opinion on this, if it's going to be crap I might as well just stick with my current PVR.

[EvilBoris]

You did bring up a good point regarding the 50 -> 60Hz framerate conversion for the freeview signal. Does anyone else have an opinion on this, if it's going to be crap I might as well just stick with my current PVR.

Don't all LCD screens run at 60HZ refresh rate anyway regardless of what input they get?

[AllYourBase]

Don't all LCD screens run at 60HZ refresh rate anyway regardless of what input they get?

That's my understanding, so long as the media pc can handle the conversion from the 50Hz freeview signal to the 60hz VGA input it should be ok I thought - I don't know if that is sheer grunt of the processors, a certain firmware or software conversion. From what I have read about this subject I am confused - a little tempted to just suck it and see but don't want to throw money away!!

[EvilBoris]

That's my understanding, so long as the media pc can handle the conversion from the 50Hz freeview signal to the 60hz VGA input it should be ok I thought - I don't know if that is sheer grunt of the processors, a certain firmware or software conversion. From what I have read about this subject I am confused - a little tempted to just suck it and see but don't want to throw money away!!

Surely the same conversion happens if you watch a PAL dvd on your PC screen? I've never seen any evidence dof anyhing dodgy

[AllYourBase]

Well possibly, andrewfee and various boffins on avforums seem to have issue with this, of course some don't which leads me to think it is more due to having a overloaded processor because of other reasons