HTPC Section

[Nemo128]

Dunno if it's ever been suggested, but throwing it out there.

A number of other sites have HTPC specific sections, and I think with the breadth of knowledge all the members here have, AH could have the best one out there. I know I'd participate a lot if there was one.

It could be an HTPC-Network Media Device-Media Streaming section for dealing with all means of getting computer-based media to your setup. Not only HTPCs, we could cover all options!

Even using it as a support section for users trying to do media streaming or HTPC gaming would be great.

What ya think?

 

[Adam]

Good idea - it's been suggested before (probably two or three times in the past six months). Clint has said that he will add such a section when he thinks that the number of topics/posts reaches the appropriate point (I hope that I paraphrased him correctly).

 

[itschris]

Good idea - it's been suggested before (probably two or three times in the past six months). Clint has said that he will add such a section when he thinks that the number of topics/posts reaches the appropriate point (I hope that I paraphrased him correctly).

I suggested it awhle back too. I have a feeling that having the sectinon alone would cause plenty of interest and generate a lot of discussion and advice.

 

[Livin]

with all the Free & Open Source HTPC software out now this is going to be a must have for any forum that wants to keep their user base... I don't even own a DVD player and don't plan on buying a bluray player... HTPC all the way!

 

[Nemo128]

with all the Free & Open Source HTPC software out now this is going to be a must have for any forum that wants to keep their user base... I don't even own a DVD player and don't plan on buying a bluray player... HTPC all the way!

Absolutely. Right now I am streaming all my media to my XBox 360. WMV-HDs for movies and transcoding for TV episodes through TVersity.

I think a section for resources like that would be wildly popular. It's probably not discussed much now because there's no defined place for it.

 

[Alex2507]

Absolutely. Right now I am streaming all my media to my XBox 360. WMV-HDs for movies and transcoding for TV episodes through TVersity.

I think a section for resources like that would be wildly popular. It's probably not discussed much now because there's no defined place for it.

I disagree. I think it's not discussed much because a $3,000 HTPC can't match a $100 DVD player in PQ, reliability and usability.

One of the admin's (Clint) built one and scrapped it for parts because it sucked so hard.

Settle down you computer geeks. Obviously I'm using a little artistic license in summarizing the situation and I know squat. HTPC's and car audio are thought to attract a bad crowd too. AH members may not be the upper crust but most of them are old enough to shave and don't live with there moms.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[jliedeka]

I've been thinking about an HTPC for a while but I'm more in the mode of building over buying. I'm a programmer and a big linux geek. (No windoze or macs in my house) I'd love to see some good discussions about quiet hardware and such.

Jim

 

[Nemo128]

I disagree. I think it's not discussed much because a $3,000 HTPC can't match a $100 DVD player in PQ, reliability and usability.

Whoever spends $3k on an HTPC and can't destroy a BD player in all 3 areas doesn't know what they're doing...

It's exactly this mentality that makes the segment look so bad. If people knew the truth about them, they'd be more open to the idea. I've convinced everyone I've discussed it with simply by showing them the real potential, and not telling them that it takes a pimply nerd with inch-thick glasses living in their parents' basement to do it.

 

[Nemo128]

I've been thinking about an HTPC for a while but I'm more in the mode of building over buying. I'm a programmer and a big linux geek. (No windoze or macs in my house) I'd love to see some good discussions about quiet hardware and such.

Jim

Defly, I refuse to buy OEM PCs. Never have, never will.

Dead silent PCs can easily be done. Hard drives are dirt cheap for anyone that wants storage.

If you love Linux, XBMC with halfway decent hardware will play anything you throw at it. Couple hundred bucks.

 

[Alex2507]

Whoever spends $3k on an HTPC and can't destroy a BD player in all 3 areas doesn't know what they're doing...

I resemble that remark.
You convince Clint and I'll be all over it.
At least I think he knows what he's doing ....

 

[droht]

I agree with the OP. May not be top priority for everyone today, but seems likely to become more prevalent in the future.

 

[droht]

I also think a desktop or computer based 2 channel system area also makes sense. Lots of folks have second systems (or primaries) with tunes on hard drive and smaller/fewer components due to space constraints.

 

[Nemo128]

I'd love to head up something for that. There's too much snake oil in the computer world.

 

[MidnightSensi]

What I really like about Audioholics is that the mods have done a good job of not splitting the forum up too much. They have found a good balance of keeping it organized versus turning it into a mess.

That said, I think its a really interesting discussion, but it might be able to fit into a sticky in the DIY Forum instead.

Is that a good balance?

 

[mudrummer99]

What I really like about Audioholics is that the mods have done a good job of not splitting the forum up too much. They have found a good balance of keeping it organized versus turning it into a mess.

That said, I think its a really interesting discussion, but it might be able to fit into a sticky in the DIY Forum instead.

Is that a good balance?

That is probably the best solution to this series of threads (I made one to the same extent last year and was promptly shot down) I have seen yet. Maybe one of our more learned/venerable people would do a write up on the building of an HTPC and what components to particularly pay attention to when shopping. This would have to be very well thought out, though, since as well all know, PC parts change faster than just about anything else in the world. Coming up with a build that would be specific enough to make shopping for the parts easy, but general enough to last over atleast a couple generations of equipment would probably be somewhat time consuming. Anyone up to the task?

Mike

 

[Nemo128]

*raises hand*

 

[jostenmeat]

I'm not very interested in HTPCs, nor know anything about them, but I thought one or two of you might be interested in this monster build. The guy is the most avid poster of controlled, comparative screen shots, and PQ threads in general. That's how I ran into it, as the link is in his sig, and I like checking out his threads:

Project: Tandem 1.0 HTPC Worklog*PIX*

enjoy?

 

[Funkmonkey]

there is no denying that this is the future of the HT experience. Granted tech hasn't quite caught up yet, but in a few years (for better or for worse) there will not be many stand alone players. Look to the current offerings of Receivers for a clue. They have built in amps, room correction, 7.1 (or .2) channels, music streaming capabilities, all available codex, built in DAC... Everything that we listen to/watch has been processed on a computer, why should it take fifteen different devices to get it back to our eyes and ears??? Even though Blu-Ray "won", it is going to be fairly short lived. The future of music and film content for home enjoyment is undoubtedly through a device that we currently call a HTPC. We will be downloading all media into a one-box johnny that is connected to both the internet and some sort of box-less speaker system before we are old enough to not remember vinyl. Memory is getting cheaper by the day... my iPod has more memory in it than the desktop computer that I bought as couple of years before it. Seriously, the time is now.

 

[jostenmeat]

there is no denying that this is the future of the HT experience. Granted tech hasn't quite caught up yet, but in a few years (for better or for worse) there will not be many stand alone players. Look to the current offerings of Receivers for a clue. They have built in amps, room correction, 7.1 (or .2) channels, music streaming capabilities, all available codex, built in DAC... Everything that we listen to/watch has been processed on a computer, why should it take fifteen different devices to get it back to our eyes and ears??? Even though Blu-Ray "won", it is going to be fairly short lived. The future of music and film content for home enjoyment is undoubtedly through a device that we currently call a HTPC. We will be downloading all media into a one-box johnny that is connected to both the internet and some sort of box-less speaker system before we are old enough to not remember vinyl. Memory is getting cheaper by the day... my iPod has more memory in it than the desktop computer that I bought as couple of years before it. Seriously, the time is now.

I disagree at least on one point, funkmonkey. There have been threads about this subject, I believe in the bluray forum here. We don't have the bandwidth quite yet. Some companies allow limited amounts of dl, maybe even only 25gb a month. My $50 Godfather collection itself is 200gb. Then if your provider offers poorer SQ, poorer PQ, higher compression, who are you going to complain to? People have complained about DRM with BD, but it seems that those who know say that it will only be worse with DLs.

HTPCs are cool in their own right, but what do you think videophiles are loading them with? Bluray.

The time will come. But I don't think it's here quite yet. If you care about convenience (and even that is arguable IMO), then have at it. If you want the best PQ and SQ available, go with bluray. That's what I did. JMO.

 

[krzywica]

I've been thinking about an HTPC for a while but I'm more in the mode of building over buying. I'm a programmer and a big linux geek. (No windoze or macs in my house) I'd love to see some good discussions about quiet hardware and such.

Jim

Check out the HTPC link in my sig and navigate to the "after mod" section, this is the best performing HTPC I have built/seen yet. It is also completely silent from the listening position at 2 in the morning with only the HTPC running. I can only hear it if I go behind the TV and stick my head next to it.

I'm not very interested in HTPCs, nor know anything about them, but I thought one or two of you might be interested in this monster build. The guy is the most avid poster of controlled, comparative screen shots, and PQ threads in general. That's how I ran into it, as the link is in his sig, and I like checking out his threads:

Project: Tandem 1.0 HTPC Worklog*PIX*

enjoy?

That is kind of a crappy hardware list...nice PQ and detail in the thread but that guy apparently has not done a lot of research as to silent PC hardware and silent build techniques. Most of the components he has selected are "quieter" per say but not even close to silent.