The holiday HTPC

Larry Faeo aka; Stone 17 Dec, 2008 at 11:26am ET Article published in Tech

Problems

Though the build went smoothly overall, it was not without hitches. The primary issue was that I could not mount the Xigmatek cooler with the fan oriented to push air through the sink and out the top of the chassis. Instead I had to mount the fan on the top face of the Xigmatek and pull air upwards through the heatsink. This heatsink was simply too large with a fan to play nicely with the Blood-Iron’s northbridge cooling.

To compensate for this issue, I intend to eventually replace the northbridge cooling with something that features a lower profile. In the mean time, I added a case fan to the front of the case and another on the side panel. Both of these fans pull air into the case. This has been working out well and my case and CPU temperatures have been more than acceptable.

Setup

Installation of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 was uneventful. This version of Windows XP comes with 3 discs labeled; Disc 1, Disc 2 and updates for Media 2005. It actually requires both discs for the OS install and during Disc 2 when it prompts you to insert the SP2 disc you use Disc 1 again and it resumes the rest of the install. I installed all drivers and updates then settled in to see how it all worked.

As my video card handles both audio and video output, I wanted to verify that Windows was using the proper sound device. When I checked the Windows audio devices panel, I was satisfied to see that the correct choice was already made for me. The digital audio from this graphics card device is actually quite good and I have no plans to change it. There were absolutely no compatibility issues with any of the hardware.

Windows automatically selected the right audio device for me.

I only had one setting to change that was very minor in nature and was easily resolved. When I played a movie that I knew was widescreen (2.35:1) it played in full screen (16:9 for me). To correct this, I had to check “Maintain Aspect Ratio” under the Radeon’s Display Properties > Advanced > Catalyst Control Center > DTV > Attributes menu; once I had done this, all was well.

Changing the aspect properties so movies will play in the format as they are on the original content

This option will maintain the aspect ratio of the source during playback. No visual distortion!

Concerns

While not a terribly big surprise given that Sony developed the format, I had heard that software support for Blu-ray was often frustrating. I was skeptical that the bundled Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 software would work, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it has played all my HD-DVD and Blu-ray content thus far. In spite of this, I’ve still read complaints about compatibility from users with my version of PowerDVD, and I fear I may one day own a disc I cannot play.

Final impression

I really have been enjoying this new Media Center PC a lot. It plays DVDs, HD-DVDs, BDs, CDs, FM Radio, Internet Radio, cable TV and Broadcast HD TV. I installed camera software and Adobe Photoshop to manage my photos as well, and it has been a breeze. As of right now, I don’t yet know if I would change anything beyond the purchase of a case designed for HTPC use.

This HTPC racked up a final bill of $1,375.05. While it is more than I have typically spent building a new computer in the past, I am sure it will get more use and provide me with a lot more satisfaction then most systems have. So if you want to build a new system that is different from what you have done in the past, and have a little more cash to put into a new system, this is certainly an exciting way to go!

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Comments

17 Dec 2008 ~ 11:46am jared So can you watch Blu-ray movies in MCE (using the CyberDVD decoder) or do you actually have to use their DVD app for playback?
17 Dec 2008 ~ 12:11pm BuddyJ Nice. It's surely future-proof, but for a pure media center, it really seems like overkill. You can do full 1080p HD playback on a 780G motherboard with the integrated graphics alone as I understand it using the lowest clocked AM2+ chips. Why'd you go for the big Intel, full ATX board and HD 4830? Will you be doing encoding too?
17 Dec 2008 ~ 2:09pm Mt_Goat

jared wrote:

So can you watch Blu-ray movies in MCE (using the CyberDVD decoder) or do you actually have to use their DVD app for playback?

MCE has no provisions for HD or BD and so far I can not find a way to add it to MCE via the other programs option.
17 Dec 2008 ~ 3:12pm Mt_Goat
Buddy J wrote:

Nice. It's surely future-proof, but for a pure media center, it really seems like overkill. You can do full 1080p HD playback on a 780G motherboard with the integrated graphics alone as I understand it using the lowest clocked AM2+ chips. Why'd you go for the big Intel, full ATX board and HD 4830? Will you be doing encoding too?

For me it is more than just a pure media center. It is also intended to replace my previous build as my main PC and be capable of doing everything including Folding@Home.

I tried the BD/HDDVD drive on a few different combinations to test for minimum compatability and found the following;
- Opteron170 OC 2.4 / 2GB DDR400 / Nvidia 7600 = very poor playback
- Opteron170 OC 2.4 / 2GB DDR400 / ATI 1800 = poor playback
- Opteron170 OC2.4 / 2GB DDR400 / HD 4830 = barely passable playback
- E7200 / 4GB DDR800 / Nvidia 7600= slightly jittery playback
- E7200 / 4GB DDR800 / ATI HD 3850 = very good playback
So for another $20 or so more than the 3850 I upped to the 4830, which is a lot more card. It is also harder to get massive HSF's to fit in micro boards. My fullest extension is to do video editing.
17 Dec 2008 ~ 3:20pm Nolf-Job Aside from maybe an obvious disdain for Vista, might I ask why you opted for MCE 2005 instead of a Vista version?
17 Dec 2008 ~ 3:54pm jared That was going to be my next question, I know MCE 2005 is showing it's age and it is unknown if MS will ever add blu-ray support to it.

What about Vista? Does anyone know if Vista MCE (or whatever it is called) supports HD-DVD or Blu-ray within MCE itself?
17 Dec 2008 ~ 4:03pm Mt_Goat

Nolf-Job wrote:

Aside from maybe an obvious disdain for Vista, might I ask why you opted for MCE 2005 instead of a Vista version?

I have tried vista more than once and just don't care for it. It uses too much system resources, makes control harder and doesn't offer enough to make me want it. Vista Home premium isn't too far off in terms of features but it just doesn't perform for me!

jared wrote:

What about Vista? Does anyone know if Vista MCE (or whatever it is called) supports HD-DVD or Blu-ray within MCE itself?

I have looked and so far there is no support. I really don't see where it would be of any real benefit anyway.
17 Dec 2008 ~ 4:06pm BuddyJ Gotcha! If you're doing video editing etc, it makes perfect sense.
18 Dec 2008 ~ 5:38pm Komete Great review and advice. At some point down the road, I plan to build one, and like you I want it to have more power than just a regular HTPC. But I would rather not run any media center sort of OS. Are there any freeware programs that load from within Vista or XP that'll give you the same features? I've tried out HP's solution and liked it but then you need an HP.

Also, how is the image quality using an LCD TV from within windows? Text on websites clear enough? What about using it for photo shop?
18 Dec 2008 ~ 5:53pm Snarkasm

jared wrote:

What about Vista? Does anyone know if Vista MCE (or whatever it is called) supports HD-DVD or Blu-ray within MCE itself?

I'm not sure if Media Center itself supports either at the moment, but I know it'll play HD-DVD and Blu-Ray through software (I've played HD-DVDs via a version of PowerDVD or whatever with the 360's drive). I think it's slated to get BR write support with SP2, but I'm not sure it'll have native support (and thus via the Media Center) any time soon. Still, being able to play via programs is just as good as playing through Media Center in my view, but I think you can do that on MCE05 just fine as well.

In other words, you can cross your fingers, but it'll probably end up the same either way.

Also, Komete, you can get something like MythTV or the like that is some alternative MC software. I think even XBMC works on top of some OSes now.

The trouble with using TVs for monitors is usually pixel density. I had a 32" LCD TV that was only 1366x768 when used in VGA. That's worse than my 19" 1680x1050. It's just that everything's HUGE.
18 Dec 2008 ~ 5:56pm Thrax XBMC is a fine solution, but has no support for tuner cards.

The ultimate HTPC solution is MythTV. Nothing else comes close, but it has a steeper learning curve.
18 Dec 2008 ~ 6:17pm jared MediaPortal is XBMC with Tuner support. It was actually developed after one of the original XBMC devs left the project to start his own work. It on the same level as MythTV - assuming you don't mind using the Windows platform.

http://www.team-mediaportal.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaPortal

A handy page that will help you decide which platform is right for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_PVR_software_packages

(clearly MediaPortal and MythTV are the winners here)
19 Dec 2008 ~ 12:13am Mt_Goat

Komete wrote:

Great review and advice. At some point down the road, I plan to build one, and like you I want it to have more power than just a regular HTPC. But I would rather not run any media center sort of OS. Are there any freeware programs that load from within Vista or XP that'll give you the same features? I've tried out HP's solution and liked it but then you need an HP.

Also, how is the image quality using an LCD TV from within windows? Text on websites clear enough? What about using it for photo shop?

I don't really see where the MCE component itself is an end all in any way what so ever. The biggest thing I see with it is that you can use a universal type remote that comes with many HTPC cases and tuner cards to run everything. I have no problem using stand alone software to do the desired task! As I pointed out, I will likely end up using separate software for HD DVD and Blu Ray. BTW my remote that came with the tuner card (and is MCE compliant) runs my Power DVD program just fine as well as WMP! Also as I pointed out in the article MCE 2005 is Windows XP Professional with the MCE added. And you can use the MCE as you wish or not. I would buy the same OS again and probably just not use the MCE for my next desktop build. It will save my some cash if nothong else since it is XP Pro in reality.

Viewed on my 52" 1080p (1920 x 1080 resolution) Windows looks to be stretched as far as it can go. I had to enable large font and clear type to read well. But at the 10' viewing distance I have from my bed it looks and reads OK. As a matter of fact I have been using this set up more than my desktop lately. Pictures and everthing else look great and it is just the native windows resolution that craps out. I feel that a 40" or 42" panel would be optimum for maximum size.
19 Dec 2008 ~ 12:18am Mt_Goat

Snarkasm wrote:

The trouble with using TVs for monitors is usually pixel density. I had a 32" LCD TV that was only 1366x768 when used in VGA. That's worse than my 19" 1680x1050.

It is much better with 1080p than 720 for sure.

It's just that everything's HUGE.

So much better for pROn!
22 Dec 2008 ~ 11:37am drasnor

Mt_Goat wrote:

The biggest thing I see with it is that you can use a universal type remote that comes with many HTPC cases and tuner cards to run everything.

Intelliremote is a cheap way to get most any kind of computer remote to work with Windows. I've been using it for years with the Live! Drive in my HTPC because Creative's software sucks. Recent versions support all kinds of craziness (ATI's RF remotes, Bluetooth remotes like cell phones and Wiimotes, etc.) I'm using it currently with the external box on my Audigy2 ZS, a Logitech Harmony remote, and XP x64 Edition. You know it's solid if it can make that hodgepodge work flawlessly .

-drasnor