HTPCentric

Thermaltake is getting ready to release two new HTPC cases.  They already have some nice products on the market and these two look to up the ante a bit.  Thermaltake is treating these cases like something pretty special and by looking, I can understand why.

The collection is called LUXA2, which actually has it’s own website, where you’ll find details on several of the offerings.  They start with the LM100 Mini and go all the way up to the LM300 Pro Touch, featuring a 7” touchscreen.

While we’ve seen these features in other cases, Thermaltake just seems to get it.  From site images, I find the cases elegant as well as functional as they look big enough to hold any components you’re looking to use.  The LM100 Mini is of course smaller and I have to assume designed to be used as an extender type of box.

While saving money is always an issue, I will say that these are the types of boxes I’d love to use to build a new HTPC.  I couldn’t find any pricing info, but one look says one of these cases will probably run you a few hundred dollars.

S3 Graphics announced this past week that it has released a new video card specifically for use in playing HD content, the Chrome 540GTX.  While it doesn’t look like this would be much good for gaming, if you’re building an HTPC rig, it might be a card to consider.  Sporting HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort, the card should allow you to hook your HTPC up to your monitor of choice and get the best HD picture possible.

Product Highlights:

Advanced Display Connectivity:  Display interfaces include the newly introduced DisplayPort, HDMI, dual-link DVI. Integrated digital display support with HDCP content protection allows users to connect to a multitude of monitors and displays for HD content viewing across a secure display path. Built-in HDMI transmitters with Dolby 7.1 digital surround sound and HD Audio controllers allow seamless audio/video HDMI connectivity.

Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1 Support:  An S3 proprietary unified shader architecture supports the latest additions to DirectX® 10.1 allowing realistic 3D rendering and increased visual acuity through improved Anti-aliasing, Image/Texture improvements, higher precision formats, and programmable lighting effects. These improvements allow Chrome 540 GTX users to experience life-like rendering and image quality in supported DirectX® 10.1 applications.

ChromotionHD™ Video Technology:  Featuring a fully programmable video architecture with true HD quality 1080p playback for Blu-ray™ and HD-DVD™ content, the ChromotionHD™ engine supports the latest HD standards including H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, WMV-HD, and AVS, for a stunning movie experience. The video engine is also highly optimized with the decoding and post processing display pipeline that allows simultaneous acceleration of single and multiple video streams in HD format with vibrant colors and picture clarity.

S3 Graphics PowerWise™ Technology:  Sophisticated algorithms and power control mechanisms allow the Chrome 540 GTX to deliver the optimal balance between performance and power on-the-fly, to meet performance and application requirements for power efficient graphics computing on desktop and small form factor (SFF) PCs.

PCI Express®2.0:  The Chrome 540 GTX supports the latest advances to the PC component interconnect by offering users the ability to boost the graphics performance of their current systems with the high throughput PCI Express® 2.0 bus technology. The faster connection speed also allows users to take advantage of additional S3 Graphics technologies such as AcceleRAM™ which leverages system memory for image data storage.

The card is available to US customers for $69.95 directly from the S3 Graphics store.

I found another pretty good deal on an HTPC case.  This one involves a mail in rebate but still, not a bad price at all if you’re building a new system.

The Sunbeam UV Blue Clear Acrylic HTPC Case can hold an ATX motherboard and looks as though it’ll provide plenty of space for storage and video solutions.  I know that I would have to add some lighting which might make it distracting in a home theater situation but it might look sexy.

Newegg has this little case for $49.95 after a $30 mail-in rebate.

If you’re a SageTV user, you may already have one.  If you’re thinking of getting into the HTPC arena, you need to read about it.  That’s where Brent Evans of GeekTonic fame comes in.  Awhile back I watched his video of unboxing the HD200 HD Theater he received from SageTV.  Now that he’s had time to play with it, the review is here.

From the review:

The extender concept at SageTV has become so successful, you could ask a sample of SageTV users whether they have at least one HD100 or HD200 extender and I’ll bet 90% or more would answer yes.  Now one year later on December 2008, SageTV began selling the new "HD200 HD Player" that is a "step up" from the HD100 with many new features.  After putting the HD200 through the paces for about a month at the GeekTonic House, it’s finally time to share how the new SageTV HD200 performs compared to the earlier SageTV HD100 and how it stacks up as a HTPC extender and as a Stand-Alone Media Player.

Brent has a huge number of pictures with the post as well as all the details on construction and functionality. 

Not only that but when you head over and read, you find out that he’s giving the review unit to a lucky Geektonic reader!  I don’t use SageTV in my home so you don’t have to worry about me gunning for it but I know a few people who do, so keep reading over at GeekTonic for future details!

It’s understandable why I would have found this on We Got Served.  Server applications are one of the most storage intensive systems you can build.  But we here in the HTPC community, depending on how we use our machines need just as much if not more.  I currently have over three TBs attached to my Media Center machine and I’m sure I’ll be adding more before the end of the year.

If you just use your HTPC as a DVR, then you probably don’t need more than one or 1.5 TBs.  Even this is depending on the content.  Recording SD stuff, I have yet to fill 450GBs that I have set aside for recorded TV.  Archiving, however, is a different story.  The rest of my storage space is full of over 300 movies as well as over 1,000 episodes of television.

It’s when you use your machine like mine that you’re happy to read the post that We Got Served put up today.  Western Digital has released a 2TB green drive.  I have one of their 1TB models in my machine now and it runs like a champ.  Cool too!  With 1.5TB drives now available for $139USD, I’m sure this monster will be priced just right by the time I’m ready.

From the post:

As hard drive capacities increase, the power required to run those drives increases as well. WD Caviar Green drives make it possible for energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of system performance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation.

Reduced power consumption - WD has reduced power consumption by up to 40 percent compared to standard desktop drives with the combination of WD’s IntelliSeek™, NoTouch™, and IntelliPower™ technologies.

Helps enable eco-friendly PCs - WD Caviar Green drives yield an average drive power savings of 4-5 watts over standard desktop drives making it possible for our energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of system performance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation.

Cool and quiet - GreenPower™ technology yields lower operating temperatures for increased reliability and low acoustics for ultra-quiet PCs and external drives.

Massive capacity - Capacities up to 2 TB offer the most available capacity for storage-intensive programs and space-hungry operating systems, like Window Vista®, with plenty of room left over for photos, music, and video.

Head over to We Got Served to read the rest.  How much HDD space do you have in your current build and do you think you have enough?

I know what I paid for my current system and budget was a major concern at the time.  This is still a concern and it got me thinking of how much the average person would pay for an HTPC.  I was able to keep my current system under $650 and it does what I want it to do.  I built it back in April of last year and used the following parts:

• Intel Core 2 Duo - 2.40GHz, 2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB, Allendale, Dual Core
• KFA2 GeForce 8500 GT Video Card - 512MB DDR2, PCI Express, SLI Ready, DVI, VGA, TV Out, OEM, Video Card
• Lite-On DH-20A4P-04 SuperAllwrite OEM DVD Burner - 20x DVD±R Burn, 16x DVD±R Read, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD±R DL, 12x DVD-RAM, 48×32x CD-R/RW, PATA, Black
• ZEROtherm / CF800 / Socket 775 / Copper Base / Heatpipes / CPU Cooler
• OCZ Vista Upgrade Edition Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 2048MB)
• XFX nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard, NVIDIA, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express, SLI Ready, Gigabit LAN, S/PDIF, USB 2.0 & Firewire, Serial ATA, RAID
• Thermaltake PurePower 430-Watt Power Supply - ATX, Dual 80mm Fan, 20/24-Pin, SATA Ready, PCI-E Ready
• Samsung Spinpoint T166 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, Serial ATA-300, OEM

Obviously these are not top of the line parts but again, I got out for under $650 with shipping.  Even less once I sent in my mail-in rebates.

So, what would you pay for an HTPC?  What parts would you change out or would you build something completely different from my system?  I ask not just to engage the community, but to also do a bit of a market survey.  I know how to build systems and I figure why not turn my love of all things HTPC geek into a side business.  I certainly don’t think that it’s anything I could make a living doing (especially where I live) but it would be a lot of fun and maybe allow me to sponsor my own blog.

Leave a comment and let me know what you want/expect from an HTPC and what you think a good cut off price would be on a system capable of HD playback.

It probably wouldn’t be my choice (I’m not big on the green) but if you’re looking to start that first, or hell, second or third HTPC project and you don’t want to drop on a touchscreen monster, Newegg has the Apevia Black/Green Aluminum X-Master HTPC case with a 500W power supply for $59.95 after rebate.  That deal includes free shipping to boot!

Again, I wouldn’t pick the case just due to the color but of the four reviews its received on Newegg, three of them are five star.  Not too bad if you’re looking for a second machine to throw in another room.

I originally published the below back in Sept of ‘08 when I was starting to think about moving my Media Center machine to a main living area.  While I still haven’t completed that project, I thought this post might be helpful to people in regards to HTPC in general.  Don’t be fooled by the fact that the article says Media Center.  These keyboards are meant to be used for controlling your PC which means they should work just fine no matter what software you choose.

——————–

If you’re like me, your Media Center system has a few other uses than just running Media Center. I don’t use it for much, and what I do use it for is related to media, but the things I do use it for require more than a remote control. For myself, my Media Center sits at a desk with a monitor hooked to it. I currently use an Xbox 360 to power the main TV in my house. Eventually however, I’d like to move the Media PC to my living room. When I do, I’m going to need the same control I do now but from the comfort of my couch.

While I haven’t purchased one yet, the best tool for this is going to be a wireless keyboard and mouse. To me, there are going to be a few requirements when I do look to buy one. One, range: It has to function properly to at least a 20ft, and built in mouse/trackball. I don’t want to have to move a mouse around on my couch. I decided to go out and do a search on a few keyboards that would fit the bill. No reviews here as I don’t own any of these products yet, but I wanted to give you an idea of what you can find.

First up is the Logitech diNovo Mini. A handheld keyboard, depending on how much you need it, this might be perfect. Full function but small enough to sit on a side table, and I happen to like the fold over cover to keep dust off of the functional part. This being a bluetooth device, Logitech claims a range of 30ft. And with an integrated touchpad, this device meets my requirements. The touchpad can be used both as your mouse control and to click through menus, which seems to me would make navigation quick and easy. This along with a backlit keyboard makes this a nice little addon to your Media Center PC. With an MSRP of $149.99, it’s a little pricey but I’m sure worth it if you need control in a small form factor.

Next up is the nMediaPC 2.4Ghz Wireless Keyboard with Trackball and Remote Combo. nMediaPC has decided that if you’re using a wireless keyboard and trackball, you probably need a remote too. And they could be right. Most people using MCE most likely already have a remote they love, but hey, for $79.99 at Newegg, it might be worth it.

Considering that they’ve not only put a trackball on the keyboard, but in the middle of the remote as well. I find that kind of a novel idea and something that might be nice to see in some of the universal remote solutions that are out there. Using wireless tech allows this keyboard and remote to operate at up to 30ft away (10 meters per the site). That seems a little far to me but I’ve already said that my next remote will be RF so I can control it from the next room or even in my kitchen. This would be perfect for that.

The last keyboard I found is the Vidabox Premium Wireless Keyboard with Laser Trackball. Ian Dixon of The Digital Lifestyle recently showed an unboxing of this device:

Going for $69.99, it features a laser trackball, of course, as well as a Media Center green button. This is is convenient and could allow this keyboard to be used as your regular remote if it’s easier for you. Another feature, which I’m sure other keyboards offer at this point, but isn’t listed on other sites is auto shut-off. This of course can prolong your battery life. There’s nothing worse than dying batteries when you’ve just sat down to enjoy some couch computing.

I hope this will help you choose a keyboard for your media center system. This is a device that I’m soon going to need. For me, the Logitech diNovo seems like something I’d like to try. I like the small form factor and the fact that it’s from Logitech. They have a proven track record and that means something to me. That said however, pick a keyboard that fits what you need and fits your budget. For under $100 you can have what I’m sure is a great wireless keyboard no matter which of these three you might choose.

If you’re looking to jump into the HTPC arena, one of the first things you need to do is decide how.  Building a custom PC isn’t for everyone but if you’re a computer hobbyist, it’s your best option.  We’ll be covering OEM systems here but to me you can get a lot more bang for your buck if you build your own.

If you’ve never built a computer before, HTPC or not, you might need a little help.  Luckily for you the guys over at TweakTown have recently decided it was time to build an AMD based HTPC.  It’s a great article with lots of detail. 

From the article:

While 720p HD video content plays back relatively well, action-packed and even regular scenes in 1080p HD content struggle quite a lot - the GIGABYTE H971 Home Theater PC, which we reviewed back almost exactly two years ago (here), still impresses us ‘till this day with completely rock solid stability. But when it comes to current day video and audio, it is now sadly dated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly fine for DVD playback and DVD quality audio, but now with Blu-ray HD audio from Dolby and DTS tracks out and in truck loads on Blu-ray discs, this HTPC has seen its day when it comes to high-end HTPC features.

Again, if an OEM system is for you then you probably don’t have a need to read the whole article.  At the same time I would say that if that’s the direction you’re thinking of going, you might want to read and find out easy it can be to build a custom system.  My current Media Center system was the first one I’d built from scratch and I had it done in less than a day.

Either way, take a look and I’m sure you’ll be impressed.

As always, if you have questions or comments, leave them here or send us a message on Twitter!

It’s one of the most basic parts of a PC.  The thing that holds it all together.  Without it a PC is just a stack of parts on a motherboard.  We’re talking about the case.  In my home, my main MCE machine sits in a standard ATX case.  My goal was to build something that would be hidden away.  Now that I’m about to move things around and the box will be in my living room, I’m starting to reconsider how I want it to look.  As such, I’ve started searching around for an HTPC case.  these are a bit different than your standard PC case in that they look like they belong in a home theater setup.

I certainly can’t list every case on the market, but I want to touch on a few of the options that are available to you if you’re looking to put together your first custom project.  I’m going to look at this from my prospective since I’m looking for one as well.  I only have a few requirements:

• Needs to accept ATX motherboards-Different people like different boards and I don’t want to be forced into a choice on down the road.  If it can handle ATX than a small board should fit too.
• Lots of space-If I want to expand later, I don’t want to have to squeeze everything in.  We’re talking HTPC here so room for lots of hard drives is a must as well as multiple add-on cards.  i.e.:  tuners, video cards, expansion slots, etc.
• Good ventilation-These parts need to breathe and I don’t want to run 20 fans to keep everything cool.  This box is going in the living room so it needs to be quiet.

(continue reading…)