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HTPC...again
#148250 09/26/06 11:11 PM
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I still don't fully understand how a HTPC works, but the more I hear/read the more interested I am.

Thoughts

1) I recently read some tests in which PC based video cards were blowing stand alone DVD player performance away. (FAR away) That included players such as the Denon DVD-3910!

2) TivoHD...$899 + $12.95/month???? There's got to be a better/cheape way to record/playback HD.

3) Convienence...having my entire music collection ripped at the highest possible bit rate MP3's and stored on disk is hard to pass up. If I want some critical listening, I can always pull the disc off the shelf.

Questions:

1) Amplification? We all go out and buy recievers with 120 watts per channel, stand alone amps, etc...what gives? What's driving the 5.1 (or 7.1) channels in a HTPC?

2) DVR capabilities...Tivo is fantastic. How's DVR work in a HTPC? How would I hook up the PC to my cable? How does programming show to record in the future work?

3) HDTV...I've heard that you cannot record HD. True?

4) HD-DVD/Blu-Ray...Assuming down the road you can buy ad HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray DVD drive. If I throw that into the HTPC...is the DVI out of the video card going to be able to pass the full 1080p signal? Are cards going to need to incorporate HDMI to make HD-DVD/Blu-Ray playback on a HTPC possible?

5) How important is processor speed? RAM? Dual Core? A lot of money can be saved here if the machine doesn't need to be a monster.

6) (this one is specific to my Sony KDS-60A2000 tv) The TV has an HDMI input and a VGA input, but no DVI. Can I buy a DVI to HDMI cable and run that between the PC and TV?

I'm sure I'll think of more...

Re: HTPC...again
spiffnme #148251 09/26/06 11:17 PM
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As for #2 Thought, you're not going to get a decent HTPC for less than $899. The $12.95/month, I can't speak to.

As for #3 Question, the reason you can't record HDTV is you've got nothing to decode it from cable or satellite--2 way cable cards are not available at all yet, and will not be available for the home builder market. 1 way cable cards are available, but I don't know of an HTPC interface that will take one. Please correct me if I'm wrong...


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Re: HTPC...again
Ken.C #148252 09/26/06 11:25 PM
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Two years of TivoHD would cost $1210. I could build a HTPC for close to that, and have a lot more than a Tivo when I was done.

Not being able to record HDTV would suck though.

...If I have a set top cable box, couldn't I run the output of the cable box into the PC - letting the cable box do the decoding?

Re: HTPC...again
spiffnme #148253 09/26/06 11:28 PM
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I think that there is some technical hurdle to doing that, but I can't recall what it is.

By my measure, 3 years of HDTiVo is $1100, with the box at $799 and a $299 contract. But that's just me being argumentative.

Ah, here's another downside to the HDTiVo: cable only, no satellite.

Edit #3: This is from Microsoft's FAQ on XP Media Center Edition:

Does Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 support HDTV? What do I need?

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is the first PC operating system to support playback, pause, and recording of free, over-the-air high-definition television (HDTV) right out of the box. Just connect the Media Center PC that has HDTV support to an antenna that can receive a high-definition TV signal, and get up to six times the image quality of standard TV. Media Center PCs with HDTV support are available through various manufacturers and retailers.

Can I receive HDTV over cable or satellite?

Not at the current time. You can use standard connectors such as S-Video to connect your cable box or satellite receiver to your Media Center PC, and then watch and record high-definition TV programs. However, the HDTV programs will be in standard TV format. In order to watch and record a true HDTV signal using Media Center, you must have access to local channels broadcast over the air and receive these freely available signals with an HDTV antenna. For more information on HDTV antennas and over-the-air reception, please visit the CEA Antennaweb.org Web site.

Last edited by kcarlile; 09/26/06 11:34 PM.
Re: HTPC...again
Ken.C #148254 09/27/06 12:02 AM
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OK...so my math was wrong, but still, at $1100 that's darn close to building a real nice PC.

Re: HTPC...again
spiffnme #148255 09/27/06 12:10 AM
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OK, back to the rest of the questions:

1) Think of the HTPC as a preamp with perks.
3) Haven't a clue, but you're probably going to be back to recording by time/channel, not program.
4) Nope, you need a video card that supports HDCP--HD Copy Protection. I think that locks you to HDMI. Incidentally, your TV also has to support HDCP, which I'm sure it does, since it's brand new. The OS also must support HDCP--that means Vista, not XP, and very, very likely not Linux.
5) Important, especially if you're doing HD processing. If you're just using it as a DVD player and MP3 player, not so important. Big hard drive? Veeeerrry important. And with that hard drive comes risk. How much are you willing to assume? Do you need to consider backup? I would certainly consider redundancy, and that means RAID--and not that piddly RAID 0 crap. That's 2x as dangerous as a standalone HD.
6) Yes. But not for HDCP enabled content.

Fairly tangential to your questions, but it could be an interesting read anyway: Cable Card Primer

Last edited by kcarlile; 09/27/06 12:11 AM.

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Re: HTPC...again
Ken.C #148256 09/27/06 12:20 AM
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What's an example of HDCP enabled content? I just want to watch a dang DVD or TV.

Re: HTPC...again
spiffnme #148257 09/27/06 12:21 AM
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Blu-Ray, HDDVD, HDTV.


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Re: HTPC...again
Ken.C #148258 09/27/06 12:33 AM
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Basically anything over 480i resolution...ah.

Re: HTPC...again
spiffnme #148259 09/27/06 01:18 AM
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