HTPC but no idea what I'm doing?

[jinjuku]

I already have Vista so that won't be a necessary expense. I would love to be able to get Dolby TrueHD from my HTPC to my Onkyo TX-SA607 via HDMI, although I think those video cards alone are close to 200 bucks right? Would I even be getting Dolby TrueHD if I am primarily viewing MKV's and not the original BR discs themselves? Thanks as always for your help!

I know that it supports HD audio. Just trying to find out if it bitstream, LPCM, or both. You will need an external player like TMT3 or Power DVD 9 by the way. Don't worry, both products now support MCE.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

$500 huh? Lets see:

Asus Micro ATX mainboard w/ nVidia 8200 chipset: $75

AMD 45Watt TPD CPU: $59

Athena Tech case: $70

2 GB of RAM (two 1GB sticks): $21

Sony BR-ROM/DVD Burner: $90

Western Digital Caviar Green edition 1TB HD: $89

Vista Home Premium 64 bit: $99

This has you at a few bucks above $500. Optional components are TV/QAM tuners (expect $35-$150 depending on what you want). The keyboard/remote I would consider as part of another budget for a Universal Remote.

Don't you need the new ASUS Xonar HD soundcard for TrueHD/DTS-HD?

 

[Nemo128]

When it comes to HTPCs, Linux can be your best friend.

 

[jinjuku]

Don't you need the new ASUS Xonar HD soundcard for TrueHD/DTS-HD?

No. The Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe would allow you to go receiver-less. Also the Xonar has a killer DAC section that is even upgradable.

The only issue that I have with the Xonar is no built in room correction like Audyssey.

 

[split0101]

I had a media PC when I was still in the world of standard definition, and it worked out pretty well. The biggest issue for me was having the PC change channels on my cable box (i.e. act as a DVR). After a testing out a few different IR blasters/software and the such it never really worked out for me.

Then I made my HTPC a DVD/MP3/Photo jukebox and that was good for a while. The biggest issue for me was the WAF. When the PC started acting up it would cause me some grief from the wife. Also it was not that quiet. Some of the components really generate heat and need active cooling. So for my HTPC I had a fan on the CPU heatsink, a fan on the video card, a fan in the PSU, and a exhaust fan. All this added up to be loud enough to be annoying. At the end of the day a HTPC is a PC and not a appliance so always expect issues.

I ended up going with a TivoHD and a Popcorn 110 running into my receiver. This way I get the best of both worlds. The TivoHD is great, does everything a DVR needs to do and then some, and the best part about it is; "It just works". The popcorn is great for watching movies.

Good luck with the HTPC, let us know how it works out.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

No. The Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe would allow you to go receiver-less. Also the Xonar has a killer DAC section that is even upgradable.

The only issue that I have with the Xonar is no built in room correction like Audyssey.

I thought ASUS was bragging that their new Xonar HDAV 1.3 sound card was the FIRST ever to allow bitstreaming of TrueHD & DTS-HD?

 

[samhfoley]

which is the better video card for the money?

SAPPHIRE HD 4870 1G GDDR5 PCI-E

or

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound card - 192 kHz - 24-bit

Still toying with options for building a HTPC this summer..

Looking at this setup from krzywica

Asus P5Q | Q8200 @2.9GHz Thermalright AXP-140+Yate Loon 140mm (27c/45c, idle/load) | 2x 2GB OCZ Reaper 1066 | Saphire 4870 1GB Thermalright T-Rad2+2x Yate Loon 92mm (35c/50c, Idle/Load) | 2x WD 80GB SATA2 in RAID0 | Thermaltake TR2 420W |

Looks pretty sweet, but it'd shoot my budget past the 500 dollar mark, not exactly sure by how much (and not sure which video card to put in there either...), but since I live in Japan I want to build something that is going to last and be a a quality product.

 

[jinjuku]

SAPPHIRE HD 4870 1G GDDR5 PCI-E

or

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound card - 192 kHz - 24-bit

Still toying with options for building a HTPC this summer..

Looking at this setup from krzywica

Asus P5Q | Q8200 @2.9GHz Thermalright AXP-140+Yate Loon 140mm (27c/45c, idle/load) | 2x 2GB OCZ Reaper 1066 | Saphire 4870 1GB Thermalright T-Rad2+2x Yate Loon 92mm (35c/50c, Idle/Load) | 2x WD 80GB SATA2 in RAID0 | Thermaltake TR2 420W |

Looks pretty sweet, but it'd shoot my budget past the 500 dollar mark, not exactly sure by how much (and not sure which video card to put in there either...), but since I live in Japan I want to build something that is going to last and be a a quality product.

You really need to make the determination of a HTPC or Gaming rig. I don't think a HTPC has to be a capable gaming setup. It needs to be a capable HTPC.

You are building a gaming rig if you go that route: More heat will equal more noise which will equal more $$ to get it quiet.

 

[samhfoley]

No I definitely do not need a gaming rig, just a HTPC for watching movies that will deliver me the best 5.1 sound/picture possible.

Which of these cards would be the best for the money?

SAPPHIRE HD 4870 1G GDDR5 PCI-E

or

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound card - 192 kHz - 24-bit

Going back to your previous suggestion. If I were to replace that case with this Antec case (or feel free to suggest another one) , get one of the above video cards, then which MoBo would you recommend?


Asus Micro ATX mainboard w/ nVidia 8200 chipset: $75

AMD 45Watt TPD CPU: $59

Antec Black Aluminum / Steel Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case $142

2 GB of RAM (two 1GB sticks): $21

Sony BR-ROM/DVD Burner: $90

Western Digital Caviar Green edition 1TB HD: $89

Vista Home Premium 64 bit: Own it ALREADY

 

[jinjuku]

No I definitely do not need a gaming rig, just a HTPC for watching movies that will deliver me the best 5.1 sound/picture possible.

Which of these cards would be the best for the money?

SAPPHIRE HD 4870 1G GDDR5 PCI-E

or

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound card - 192 kHz - 24-bit

Going back to your previous suggestion. If I were to replace that case with this Antec case (or feel free to suggest another one) , get one of the above video cards, then which MoBo would you recommend?

If using the digital output the biggest difference resides with your receiver. What DAC does it contain?

I doubt you will see a noticable difference between the integrated 8200 chipset I indicated and the Radeon that you are looking at when it comes to video reproduction. I am not sure why you are looking at the cards you are looking at.

As an aside: The XONAR is an audio card. If using the analog out it is nice becuase the DAC section is killer.

 

[jinjuku]

The Sapphire HD 4870 is a $200 card. You don't need it for HTPC duty. Gaming yes, HTPC no.

 

[split0101]

Samhfoley, are you building a DVR substitute, media jukebox, or a combination of the two? Depending on what your goals for the HTPC are, it will determine what components you should be looking at.

 

[samhfoley]

My receiver is the Onkyo TX-SA607 (the Japanese equivalent of the TX-SR607). I am new to the Home theater game so you'll have to explain DAC to me I don't know, and cannot locate that in my manual (which is 99% written in Japanese!)

That is good to know about the video card/MoBo you suggested. Sorry I got confused between video and audio cards! SO you would recommend adding the Xonar to that set-up you suggested given the receiver I am using?

Yes just a DVR substitute/media jukebox...no gaming

 

[samhfoley]

would this set-up be quiet enough?? Add the Xonar card??...and if so should I get the

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Sound card

or the

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound card - 192 kHz - 24-bit

Asus Micro ATX mainboard w/ nVidia 8200 chipset: $75

AMD 45Watt TPD CPU: $59

Antec Black Aluminum / Steel Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case $142

2 GB of RAM (two 1GB sticks): $21

Sony BR-ROM/DVD Burner: $90

Western Digital Caviar Green edition 1TB HD: $89

 

[jinjuku]

would this set-up be quiet enough?? Add the Xonar card??...and if so should I get the

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Sound card

or the

ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound card - 192 kHz - 24-bit

Asus Micro ATX mainboard w/ nVidia 8200 chipset: $75

AMD 45Watt TPD CPU: $59

Antec Black Aluminum / Steel Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case $142

2 GB of RAM (two 1GB sticks): $21

Sony BR-ROM/DVD Burner: $90

Western Digital Caviar Green edition 1TB HD: $89

You should only get the XONAR if you want to take advantage of the Analog section of the card.

DAC is a device that converts Digitial to Analog. Higher end DAC's do a better job. One big measurement people like to look at is the SNR (signal to noise ratio) the higher the number, generally speaking, the better.

If you plan on using your Onkyo receiver then there is no real reason to purchase the XONAR HDAV 1.3 Deluxe. Start out with the setup I prescribed. The main-board has plenty of expansion for you as funds permit. I think you will be happy with it as a great starter system.

 

[samhfoley]

my only concern in asking about the Xonar card is the use of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD. I will not be able to use those with the system you previously listed right?

Where does my Onkyo 607 rate on the DAC scale you mentioned "higher end models do a better job...."

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You should only get the XONAR if you want to take advantage of the Analog section of the card.

DAC is a device that converts Digitial to Analog. Higher end DAC's do a better job. One big measurement people like to look at is the SNR (signal to noise ratio) the higher the number, generally speaking, the better.

If you plan on using your Onkyo receiver then there is no real reason to purchase the XONAR HDAV 1.3 Deluxe. Start out with the setup I prescribed. The main-board has plenty of expansion for you as funds permit. I think you will be happy with it as a great starter system.

Here is the quote from Asus:

The Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim is equipped with an essential digital HDMI1.3 interface, which bitstreams next-generation Blu-ray quality audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master and Dolby Digital Plus via the ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre application to the user's AV receiver.

Uncompromising HD Digital Audio and Video with World's Only True Blu-ray Audio Bitstreaming

http://fi.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=15840

This reminds me about the blu-ray players when they first appeared; they could bitstream, but they could not INTERNALLY decode TrueHD/DTS-HD.

My impression from reading & past experience makes me wonder if this Asus Xonar can only bitstream TrueHD/DTS-HD.

the ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 is capable of decoding Blu-ray movies and takes full advantage of lossless digital audio formats such as Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio

This also reminds me of what the 1st Gen blu-ray players were saying.

"Capable of decoding" does not automatically mean it can Internally Decode.

To me the only reason to get this Xonar HDAV1.3 is for the Bitstreaming of TrueHD & DTS-HD MA because right now it is the ONLY one on the market with this capability.

Has any Audioholic member had real-time experience with this Asus Xonar?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

my only concern in asking about the Xonar card is the use of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD. I will not be able to use those with the system you previously listed right?

Where does my Onkyo 607 rate on the DAC scale you mentioned "higher end models do a better job...."

Don't worry about the DACs.

I've compared the flagship DACs of Burr-Brown (PCM 1792 & 1796) vs cheaper DACs ($3800 player vs $150 player), and I cannot tell the difference.

Neither can most people. The Audio Critics say that DACs pretty much all sound the same - at least to most of us.

 

[jinjuku]

my only concern in asking about the Xonar card is the use of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD. I will not be able to use those with the system you previously listed right?

Where does my Onkyo 607 rate on the DAC scale you mentioned "higher end models do a better job...."

I believe the nVidia 8200 will allow you to do LPCM. You should be able to do HD audio with the right software. Check out the latest version of Power DVD and Total Movie Theater 3. The software is decoding the HD audio streams to Lossless PCM and sending it over the HDMI as un-encoded audio. The receiver will simply go into multi-channel mode.

 

[jinjuku]

Here is the quote from Asus:

The Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim is equipped with an essential digital HDMI1.3 interface, which bitstreams next-generation Blu-ray quality audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master and Dolby Digital Plus via the ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre application to the user's AV receiver.

Uncompromising HD Digital Audio and Video with World's Only True Blu-ray Audio Bitstreaming

http://fi.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=15840

This reminds me about the blu-ray players when they first appeared; they could bitstream, but they could not INTERNALLY decode TrueHD/DTS-HD.

My impression from reading & past experience makes me wonder if this Asus Xonar can only bitstream TrueHD/DTS-HD.

the ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 is capable of decoding Blu-ray movies and takes full advantage of lossless digital audio formats such as Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio

This also reminds me of what the 1st Gen blu-ray players were saying.

"Capable of decoding" does not automatically mean it can Internally Decode.

To me the only reason to get this Xonar HDAV1.3 is for the Bitstreaming of TrueHD & DTS-HD MA because right now it is the ONLY one on the market with this capability.

Has any Audioholic member had real-time experience with this Asus Xonar?

The XONAR does indeed bitstream the HD audio formats.