How To: Build An HTPC (With Windows 7)

[cangelini]

After years of trying (unsuccessfully) to build a HTPC that a family would actually use, Chris Angelini thinks that AMD and Microsoft may have finally gotten it right. He outlines his hardware, software, and asks for reader input in this How To.

How To: Build An HTPC (With Windows 7) : Read more

 

[wmt]

Nice review. Part of my problem with DVR's is limited storage and no way to save to a disk/tape (think vhs replacement). I've solved this with the HD PVR. Seems to work great with a good quality capture, reasonable editing to create DVD or BluRay without ads for those of us who want to archive something for personal use. So I record with the DVR and during off times record to my HTPC with the Happauge.

 

[ravenware]

My main reason for wanting to build is to eliminate the stack of DVDs on either side of my television.

Not sure what software will actually allow me to copy the Media to hard drive to copyright protection bs.
Would be nice to rip all of my simpsons DVDs and shuffle the episodes up.

 

[JeanLuc]

[citation][nom]ravenware[/nom]My main reason for wanting to build is to eliminate the stack of DVDs on either side of my television.Not sure what software will actually allow me to copy the Media to hard drive to copyright protection bs. Would be nice to rip all of my simpsons DVDs and shuffle the episodes up.[/citation]

Well that's exactly what I done with my DVD's. However ripping DVD's to an ISO file will soon fill up a hard drive, especially if you have box sets of TV programmes like I have (I have Deep Space Nine Season 3-7 ripped from DVD and each season weighs in at 58Gb's each). I got around this by encoding all my movies to a high quality XVID format (bar DS9) which has worked quite well. So far I have around 70 movies backed up onto my external Western Digital My Book hard drive, so when I get around to building my HTPC I can watch my movies right of the hard drive without having to worry about find the discs.

The only draw back with this method is that you will lose some picture quality and the ripping and encoding process can take about 1/2 an hour per disc.

 

[suhail_th]

This is still where it was in 2008, Power DVD doesn't play nice with Microsoft MCE Remote, not all keys are mapped... so playing Hi-Def is of not much Joy.

Playing a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD using Integrated 3200 using Arcsoft TMT Produces Stutter.

Ripping these disc's to Hard Drive in ISO is the only viable solution, if we talk about media arrangement.

Also, 3200 IGP doesn't support 7.1 over LPCM.

Not sure how even after so many hurdles, i am still hanging onto the though of a quiet full functional HTPC.

NOTE: using NGRC on iphone is a DREAM for 10 Foot Interface.

 

[rtfm]

if you have vista/mce, check out the my movies add on http://www.mymovies.dk/ its free I have around 380 movies in my collection and this allows you to sort through by genre, rating, title etc and download covers and other info for the films

 

[LuxZg]

OK, I do have a few questions.

First is - total price for hardware? I know it's from AMD, but I'm wondering if this Maui is anywhere to be seen as a complete platform, or do we have to hunt for individual components by ourselves.

Second is - how about satelite cards? Technisat SS2 cards are very popular in my country, but there's no PCI slot on MSI board. So what can you suggest here as an addition to Maui HTPC so we can watch satellite channels as well?

And last but not least, have you even tried using a discrete graphics card? Power supply from article is plenty even for HD4870 card (since this is almost all-ATI/AMD setup) which would alow for a good gaming session on big screen and surround, even on FullHD resolution. Problem is in dual slot cooler and how much would it interfere with rest of the add-in cards. It looks as a no-go because of MSI soundcard, right? So what could you suggest than - that's better than onboard, single slot, HDMI ready, not noisy when in 2D or playing DVD/BluRay etc. HD4850 maybe? Would it be good for HTPC setup in this platform?

As for comments above regarding ripping collections of optical media - with 4 empty slots for 3.5" drives in that HTPC case, RAID support on MSI board, and 1.5TB drives out there - only problem is how deep are your pockets. Not to mention that you can always go the ways of NAS box in the other room with several more HDDs.

 

[chovav]

can the new media center play/sort .mkv files? used to be a pain in the butt with the last version... and is that phenom processor strong enough to play 1080p .mkv files through media center without any lag? I used to have to use windows media player to be able to do that without any lag...

 

[rlevitov]

chris one thing i dont get. whats the differance? i have HTPC for almost 3 yrs now (with VISTA) and i have all above functionality... (minus the Dual Tuner cause in israel we have to use set top BOX to see HD and Cables) i also have a remote and so on and with my old pvr150mce i can also record while playing games and such...

what does windows seven and all above gives beyond the old vista???

 

[lillo]

try WDTV is the best solution and the cheapest

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=572

i bought it last friday and now 2 of my friend also bought one this is a HTPC killer paired with AT&T UVERSE service

 

[BBFATTS]

You mentioned the Playstation 3 in your article, but have you ever tried the Xbox 360? It can connect to your PC too and the Windows Media Center interface that you love so much will come up right on your Xbox allowing you to browse and stream all your pictures, music, and videos as if you were on your PC. The only catch is that it doesn't support all file formats although it does support the most poular ones. The currently supported formats are: WMV, WMA, MP3, MPEG2, MPEG4-Part 2, Simple Profile, and Advanced Simple Profile (Xvid)(DivX). I have 11,000 Mp3s, about 30 T.V. seasons, and a gazzilion photos on my PC, and I 'm able to watch/listen to them all on my Big Screen through my Xbox. I can even open up my pre-made music playlists. I have never experienced any lag and I stream full 1080p video and HD audio which is supported through the Xbox's HDMI and Optical audio outputs. If your looking for a cheap solution to bring your computer's media to your front room try the Xbox for $199.99. Just beware of those high hardware failure rates... For more information go to: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/windowsmediacenter.htm

 

[retxed333]

What HTPC case is that in the thumbnail for the article?

 

[Jakt]

Many of the issues brought up with the Televesion portion of this article have been addressed with Snapstream's "Beyond TV" software. I just wish that there was a way to more seamlessly integrate it with Windows Media Center. I have used Beyond TV for a couple of years now, and it makes Media Center's Television capability look like a toy. I try the MediaPortal (www.team-mediaportal.com) once in a while, and while it is getting better all the time, it still doesn't cut it for me.
With an HP Mediasmart server running in a corner of my basement holding a my movie and music library, and Beyond TV's "Link" software on office PC, I would argue that a pc-based home theater is a truly viable and worthwhile project!

 

[barrychuck]

Great review, and as to your question about remotes with LCD screens for media center, they do exist!! The support was included with VISTA known as Sideshow. To date, I only know of one manufacturer, Ricavision. The remote the Vave 100 http://www.ricavision.com/vave100.html. It works with bluetooth connectivity and has learning IR to run all of your AV equipment. Expensive but worth it for VISTA or Windows 7.

 

[cah027]

I think it would be cool if you included a home surveillance system with cameras around your house recording footage. It would be nice if you got a knock on the door while you were watching a movie and you could bring up the front door cam and see who it was. Then you could decide if you wanted to get up and answer the door or turn down the volume for a min and pretend you are not at home!

 

[ap90033]

Will this record everything a satellite/cable PVR will record? I BET NO. Until you can record everything these units can whats the point???

 

[ncarty97]

What are you using for a remote control? Is the receiver built into the case or sitting out separately?

 

[jschoorl]

I am more than happy with my own build AMD Maui HTPC. I am running it now for a little more than a month. It has replaced my:

- HD satellite receiver (Kathrein UFS-920)
- DVD player (Pioneer DVD 454)
- Receiver (Pioneer DVD-2011)

Because I got a pretty good price for these components I was able to buy all the components for the HTPC+ almost without any additional costs !

Till a month ago I used Vista and now Windows 7. HD satelite setup recorcding and playing now works, with Vista you had to do a lot of tricks. Win 7 is also much faster and setup much easier than Vista. Got the same problems with Arcsoft and PowerDVD.

The best thing about this setup is the 5.1 sound card. I got out of it better sound than with my Pioneer receiver ! I think this is the unique selling point of the AMD Maui platform and I would love to see more of it in the next review (no one is believing me .

My setup can be found on www.htpcplus.com (still based on the Vista setup)

 

[bdollar]

I like the article and I have a question. Not sure if there is a better place to ask since a little unrelated. But how do I find out what that Case is on the picture for this article on the home page. looks like it has a screen that flips over or something. Want to check out the specs on that but I have no idea what it is or where to start. i thought maybe it was one covered in the touchscreen article linked in this article but it isn't.

 

[Guest]

Great article on a growing trend. I just built one myself, using some spare/new parts, including a sempron OCed to 2.8 (to be upgraded), 2GB 1066 ram, Radeon 4670 from Gigabyte (had HDMI built in), and the HT Omega sound card. I put passive heatsinks on anything that needed it(CPU and GPU included!), a single 120mm fan exhausting (variable speeds through the mobo's CPU fan header) and an OCZ SilentXtreme. It does great! Though with movie ISO's, I need a much larger hard drive...

I didn't care to do any TV inputs as I don't have the need. I can do some gaming, movies, internet... I find it to be a good investment

 

[piesquared]

Great review, thanks. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the quality, for both audio and visual. There is one comment a couple posts up about it, but that's all i've read about it so far. I've heard in other places that the sound quality is equal to much more expensive equipment.

 

[FrustratedRhino]

@wmt Apperently you haven't used a Tivo. I have a Tivo HD and it states a "80GB" storage. Well what it doesn't say is a free download on your computer allows you to download all the items from your Tivo to your computer... thus removing the limit from the Tivo. So please research your comment before making yourself look like you are just whining.

Back on topic, I will build a HTPC when a few things are available:
1) I can take my Tivo and get all the functionality via this HTPC. I want to take the CableCard out of my Tivo and use the one card to record Dual channels like my Tivo.
2) I want to not need a separate Reciever (While this setup you listed is a good start, it is by no means a useful realworld reciever that could compete even with a low end 150 dollar reciever, let alone a decent or high end version) I want the functionality of a real useful reciever including HDMI in and out)
3) I want it to have storage that is hotswappable.
4) I would prefer network access for this atleast 1 10/100/1000 port, and possibly a wireless g (n would be ideal) access as well.


Basically the point is, The only reason to build a HTPC is to REMOVE other boxes from the picture, not add another box, that requires another interface.

 

[jackalope]

@Rhino, Have you heard the audio on this platform? I suspect not since you suggest that it could not even compete with a low end $150 AVR.

There are several owners of this platform over at AVS Forums that would shaply disagree with you on the audio performance.

Now it appears you are the one talking out of turn.

 

[cangelini]

[citation][nom]ravenware[/nom]My main reason for wanting to build is to eliminate the stack of DVDs on either side of my television.Not sure what software will actually allow me to copy the Media to hard drive to copyright protection bs. Would be nice to rip all of my simpsons DVDs and shuffle the episodes up.[/citation]

There is software that will do this, and Windows' Movie Library can pick up your "digital collection" just and show you all of the DVD covers to pick through...

 

[jackalope]

By the way, Tivo's are nice units, but they don't have the full functionality and flexibility of a properly set up HTPC. Granted the HTPC will cost more than a Tivo, but you don't have the subscription fees.

With a HTPC, I get
Access to all the content on the internet...Hulu, Crackle, ABC, NBC, Fox, DIY Channel, Sci Fi, channel, the list goes on and on.
Storage for all my digital photos
Storage for all my digital videos
Storage for all my DVDs
Storage for all my music
DVR/PVR functionality for all my OTA shows
Cable card does work on an HTPC as well, but needs to come from a system builder (like Ace). Though I don't use this because everything I watch is either online or OTA
Tons of Internet Radio Station
Great plug ins for MCE that add cool features like instant weather, etc.
DVD/Blu-ray playback.

Tivo just does not do all of this stuff. Now that this platform has an integrated amplifier, that is now covered as well.

This solution may not be right for you, but that does not make it any less vialble for anyone else. If you are happy with Tivo, stick with Tivo, but Tivo is not the perfect solution by a long shot.