Is there any support for a Media Server Sticky?

[darien87]

Here is a parts list of a basic HTPC.

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=7339412

But that can be trimmed back or beefed up depending on what you want exactly.

Hey, don't go telling everybody what my HTPC is gonna be!!!!

It's mine, mine, mine!!!

 

[krzywica]

Hey, don't go telling everybody what my HTPC is gonna be!!!!

It's mine, mine, mine!!!

Lol, yes thats the INITIAL list, and has changed, and will continue to do so I'm sure.

Too bad you guys wont be in the loop until Darien posts pics of the final product. His lovely new sparkling HTPC nestled into his equipment rack.

 

[itschris]

I was talking to one of the sales guys at pcAlchemy about the OrigenAE x15e case. He was really down on the LCD displays saying that they interefere when using Blu-ray drives. Any thoughts on that? I finally decided on that case instead of the SilverStone, but now I'm wondering if the LCD is a bonus or a potential problem. The other case I'm looking at would be the Origen x11 w/o he display.

Getting back to what we were talking about earlier... I wouldn't be playing games... I'm too old at 38. The controller nowadays have way too many buttons. I just play asteroids on my desktop. I don't want the pc to do the processing and I just want to send everything to the receiver... so that go to the receiver via toslink? I thought HDMI carries both audio and video and that I would use HDMI input on my receiver and then everthing would get processed and go the TV on the HDMI out? Just when I think I got this figured out...

 

[krzywica]

I was talking to one of the sales guys at pcAlchemy about the OrigenAE x15e case. He was really down on the LCD displays saying that they interefere when using Blu-ray drives. Any thoughts on that? I finally decided on that case instead of the SilverStone, but now I'm wondering if the LCD is a bonus or a potential problem. The other case I'm looking at would be the Origen x11 w/o he display.

Getting back to what we were talking about earlier... I wouldn't be playing games... I'm too old at 38. The controller nowadays have way too many buttons. I just play asteroids on my desktop. I don't want the pc to do the processing and I just want to send everything to the receiver... so that go to the receiver via toslink? I thought HDMI carries both audio and video and that I would use HDMI input on my receiver and then everthing would get processed and go the TV on the HDMI out? Just when I think I got this figured out...

I don't have any experience with the Origen products. Looks like a very niche product, and seems to have more functionality as a "jookbox" than anything else. Personally I prefer using my main display as a GUI. But I can see where a device like this would have a lot of advantages.

The Origen case looks very sharp. Though I wish they had some pictures of it internally so I could get an idea of build quality, cable management, and ventilation routing. But I'm sure you can get a case with equal aesthetics and quality for a lot less money.

As far as HDMI goes....as far as I know there are not any video cards on the market that support audio through HDMI. Howver Nvidia's new 9800 cards will support full HDMI video and audio throughput as far as I know, and are being released mid to late March as of right now.

 

[itschris]

Here's a pretty in depth review of the Orgien x15e case. It's abot year or so old and there have been updates, but you can get a good feel for the case. I've read other reviews on their stuff and from what I cant tell they're top notch in every way.

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?type=3&id=74&page=1&desc=origenae_x15e_htpc_atx_case

Thanks for the info on the card. So at that point, I'll just have one HDMI cable from my video card to my HDMI input on my receiver... correct. Doing it that way... the receiver will do all the decoding and processing from the HTPC blu-ray drive or ripped DVD's... correct? Than at that point... what will the sound card be used for? Would I even need one? You nailed my confusion perfectly... but I think the pieces are coming together.

 

[krzywica]

Yes that looks like a very high quality case. With the exception of ventilation. Whenever you sandwitch the hottest components together in a case it will usually end in disaster.

They haven't released the official specs for the 9800, but from viewing the prerelease pictures I think the optical audio jack on the video card is actually an input to support the HDMI output. But thats purely speculation on my part. Because your video card doesn't do ANY sound processing. Only the old ATI all in wonder cards did any audio output.

 

[itschris]

The sound card is basically there for what then if the video can actually be output via the HDMI when it becomes available on the video cards?

Here's what I think I'm going with along with my Sufire Amps

 

[itschris]

I have to wait for the LMC-2. By then, I'm sure video cards outputting HDMI will be available. I'll start with just one terabyte drive or smaller drive and start building a big ugly server box in the other room with a RAID array of several drives when it comes to that. I think I'll hook up a 14 or 17 inch touchscreen to make life easy for the girls in the house and eliminate the need to have the tv on to scroll through for music. I just don't thing the small 7" LCD's on some of the cases really make sense considering the size and amount of info on the screen. I'd be up there with a magnifying glass just to see what I'm doing. Now if I can find a wireless touchscreen that I could keep on the coffee table, that be great. I think once I outgrow the one drive, I'll move that to the server and install Vista on a small solid state drive for total boot up speed and have everything mapped and use CAT6 connection to the server. That's the general plan and I feel good about it... until one of you guys comes along and punches a bunch of holes in it and wrecks my world.

 

[krzywica]

The sound card is basically there for what then if the video can actually be output via the HDMI when it becomes available on the video cards?

The sound card will most likely feed the video card with audio. But I'm not sure as the specs have not yet been released, so that is pure speculation on my part. If they had pics of the PCB I could tell you for sure, but the heatsink shroud is covering the whole card.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/01/05/exclusive_nvidia_geforce_9800gx2/

I have to wait for the LMC-2. By then, I'm sure video cards outputting HDMI will be available. I'll start with just one terabyte drive or smaller drive and start building a big ugly server box in the other room with a RAID array of several drives when it comes to that. I think I'll hook up a 14 or 17 inch touchscreen to make life easy for the girls in the house and eliminate the need to have the tv on to scroll through for music. I just don't thing the small 7" LCD's on some of the cases really make sense considering the size and amount of info on the screen. I'd be up there with a magnifying glass just to see what I'm doing. Now if I can find a wireless touchscreen that I could keep on the coffee table, that be great. I think once I outgrow the one drive, I'll move that to the server and install Vista on a small solid state drive for total boot up speed and have everything mapped and use CAT6 connection to the server. That's the general plan and I feel good about it... until one of you guys comes along and punches a bunch of holes in it and wrecks my world.

You've got the right idea. The beauty of custom computer builds is that no one is the same, you can add or remove things here and there to meet your personal tastes and requirements.