New HD-HTPC Build

[Big Adam]

(Piccies will follow)

Ok, so over the years I've had several setups which have acted as Home Theatre PCs but I've never had a system that's truly acted as a fully integrated HTPC and media hub. Well now I've finally got the hardware to complete the project so this thread will detail how it develops.

The aim is to have a minimal power silent 24/7 dual dvb-t tuner HTPC with separate dedicated (non-24/7) media store.

Media storage duties will be handled via Silverstone's new NAS box with 5x Samsung 500GB SATA2 Spinpoints in Raid5 config. 2TB should be more than enough (for now!).

Audio-visual goodness will be provided by:
Pioneer 50" Plasma Panel
eAR Master One Processor
Flying Mole Power Amps
Canton CD360F and CD50 Speakers

The HTPC itself will be a mCubed Mini chassis with:
AOpen i945Gtm-VHL
Intel T7200
2Gb PC5300 SODIMM (with an extra 1Gb 'Readyboost')
Gigabyte Silentpipe 8500GT
Seagate 'Cuda 300Gb SATA HDD
Vista Ultimate
Black Gold (Sweetspot) DVB-T Tuner (Single for now. Will be upgraded to dual-tuner model when BG release it soon).

I'm hoping to crack on with the build this week, so will post pics as it develops. :)

[Fatal1ty]

Sounds good BA, look forward to the pics when all arrives.....

[Fireblade]

Sounds very impressive BA, and I too am looking forward to updates - and pics of the build :cool:

It could prove to be inspirational to many of us who don't [yet] have a dedicated HTPC setup - let alone a HD system ;)


A 50" Pioneer plasma, eh! Is it the same one as Brumster bought not too long ago (if you remember the thread) - or one of their [much more expensive] 1080p screens?

[Big Adam]

A 50" Pioneer plasma, eh! Is it the same one as Brumster bought not too long ago (if you remember the thread) - or one of their [much more expensive] 1080p screens?
Ha! This is an MXE1 industrial (ie no-tuner) Panel. 1280x768 native resolution. It'll take 720p over the DVI connection but you're right, a 1080p panel will eventually be on the shopping list when the prices have dropped! :)

Put together the Silverstone last night with a couple of Noctua fans set to ultra-low speed. These fans ARE incredible. Solidly built and the motor magnets are so strong you can 'stick' the fans to metal objects (like a fridge).

Just had time to switch it all on and be greeted with a wailing fan-speed warning (despite the fans turning). I'll have a tinker tonight and either ramp up the speed slightly or disable the warning. Pics tonight hopefully.

[DarkEntity]

There are some nice Samsung DLP 1080p TV's at about the 1600quid mark....As soon as they hit 1000ish my 42" HD Plasma will be in the bedroom lmao :D

[Fireblade]

There are some nice Samsung DLP 1080p TV's at about the 1600quid mark....As soon as they hit 1000ish my 42" HD Plasma will be in the bedroom lmao :D

1080p screen are certainly coming down in price... but you may have to wait quite a while for 'em t' get as low as £1,000 :eek:

I've got my eye on this 46" Samsung LE46M87BDX (http://www.letshave-it.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=470) LCD @ £1,400 just now (1080p / Dual TV Tuners / 15,000:1 / 3x HDMI) :cool:

[Big Adam]

Awww nuts! There was a more serious reason for the wailing. The DS351 is an ex-NAS box! Seems to be a failed main controller board. Everything spins up as it should but none of the LEDs on the board light up. :(

I'll have to drop the boys a line and arrange a swap-out. I really like this thing. It looks so good next to the mCubed. Hopefully this is just an early production glitch.

[Fireblade]

What a bummer :( "There's always one", eh :rolleyes:

That's the sorta thing which usually happens me!
I'm almost certainly the one person for whom the phrase "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any" was intended :D

[Big Adam]

"If it wasn't for bad luckIronically that's my favourite Ray Charles track.

Ah well, will be a bit busy tonight but will hopefully have some time tomorrow to work on the main HTPC while I wait for the DS351 to be repaired/replaced.

[kdobey]

1080p screen are certainly coming down in price... but you may have to wait quite a while for 'em t' get as low as £1,000 :eek:

I've got my eye on this 46" Samsung LE46M87BDX (http://www.letshave-it.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=470) LCD @ £1,400 just now (1080p / Dual TV Tuners / 15,000:1 / 3x HDMI) :cool:

That's exactly the one i am considering.
You get that for less then 1000 stg. Check out www.beyondtelevision.com or dabs.com. Check out http://shopping.trustedreviews.com/UK/product/34948958/Samsung_LE40M87BD_40LCD_TV (google for the words "trustedreviews samsung m87" - with out hte quotes) and you get a number of retailers cheeper then that.

Unfortunatly here in Ireland we get screwed for kit like that - I very close to jumping on a ferry and driving over to collect one - weekend away AND a bargain !!

Any one driving to Ireland anytime soon ? :)

[Westy5]

kdobey:

The LE46M87BD is £1402 delivered on one link and dabs don't do that model.

The trusted review is to the small 40" model - and that retails for about £1k

[Fireblade]

That's exactly the one i am considering.
You get that for less then 1000 stg. Check out www.beyondtelevision.com (http://www.beyondtelevision.com) or dabs.com. Check out http://shopping.trustedreviews.com/UK/product/34948958/Samsung_LE40M87BD_40LCD_TV (google for the words "trustedreviews samsung m87" - with out hte quotes) and you get a number of retailers cheeper then that.

If you're looking at the 40" model you've linked to there... I'm not surprised it's a lot cheaper than the 46" (http://shopping.trustedreviews.com/UK/product/35614110/Samsung_LE46M87BD_46LCD_TV/) model I'm mulling over/linked to above!


As Westy has already mentioned in the post above mine :D

[kdobey]

Opps - I was referring to the 40 inch not the 46 - Sorry.
So ignore that.

I'm pretty close to buying the 40 inch - I've hesitated over the 46 inch - I just don't think i'll be far enought away from it and it will look grainy (not because of hte quality of the set but because of the size of my room - also the wife is likly to do her nut ;) )

[Jamestk]

1080p screen are certainly coming down in price... but you may have to wait quite a while for 'em t' get as low as £1,000 :eek:

I've got my eye on this 46" Samsung LE46M87BDX (http://www.letshave-it.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=470) LCD @ £1,400 just now (1080p / Dual TV Tuners / 15,000:1 / 3x HDMI) :cool:

I thought the general rule was LCD for 32 inch or less and plasma for 42 inch and above. I'm not 100 % that LCD at 42 inch is quite as good as a plasma

[jameson_uk]

I thought the general rule was LCD for 32 inch or less and plasma for 42 inch and above. I'm not 100 % that LCD at 42 inch is quite as good as a plasma
It is if you are plugging a PC into it... Screen burn from a PC would be quite bad on a plasma

(I also think the LCD for <= 32" is no longer valid. It was mainly a price thing in that LCDs over 32" were really really expensive compared to Plasma rather than the actual quality. Also I think the LCD technology has moved on a great deal in the last few years so that are getting much better)

[Westy5]

Hey BA,

Know you haven't posted for a while but..

How's the build at the mo? Did you ever upgrade the Black Gold tuner to the dual? If you did how's it performing?