HTPC
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Pyx
- (Anasazi)
- Ancient
- Posts: 4422
- Character name: Anasazi
- Location: Netherlands
- WoW character race: Draenei
- WoW character class: Shaman
HTPC
Is there anyone with a Home Theater PC, or HTPC in short, meaning a special system optimized for media playback on your TV without it being a hot, noisy monster? Good looks wouldn't kill either as such a system would be found in the living room.
Re: HTPC
"All druids believe in god, we call it Nature"
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Pyx
- (Anasazi)
- Ancient
- Posts: 4422
- Character name: Anasazi
- Location: Netherlands
- WoW character race: Draenei
- WoW character class: Shaman
Re: HTPC
Hmmmm, so basically I need to choose between either:
1) a dedicated HTPC, which is basically a full PC, albeit optimized for low noise and power usage, situated next to the TV;
2) a combo of a NAS (a networked bunch of harddisks, stored away in a dark place) and a media streamer connected to the TV.
Option 1 seems to have potential to be expensive, noisy and ugly. But, being a full PC, it is also the most flexible and futureproof solution.
Option 2 might be cheaper, is certainly more unobtrusive and could do the job as well.
Two examples, first option 1 aka the HTPC:
- Case = Antec Verios Fusion @ EUR 172 or Zalman HD503 @ EUR 198
- PSU = BeQuiet 300W @ EUR 34
- motherboard = Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3 (runs very cool, very stable) @ EUR 88
- processor = AMD Athlon II X2 240e, 2.8GHz (TDP: 45W!) @ EUR 74
- cooler = Scythe Shuriken (low profile) @ EUR 25
- video = Ati Radeon 5450 (DX11, passively cooled, TDP of 16W and still capable of native BluRay decoding) @ EUR 60
- RAM = 2 Kingston ValueRam of 1 GB each @ EUR 60
- HDD's = 2 Western Digital AV-GP (quiet, cool & low power) of 1 TB each @ EUR 150
- BluRay = Samsung BD-ROM/DVDRW @ EUR 91
~ EUR 754 - EUR 780
Second the combo of a NAS and media streamer:
- Synology DS207+ or QNAP TS-210 Turbo NAS, both @ EUR 199
- HDD's = 2 Western Digital AV-GP of 1 TB each @ EUR 150
- HDI Dune BD Prime 3.0 media-player & BluRay player @ EUR 399
~ EUR 748
Hmmm ...
1) a dedicated HTPC, which is basically a full PC, albeit optimized for low noise and power usage, situated next to the TV;
2) a combo of a NAS (a networked bunch of harddisks, stored away in a dark place) and a media streamer connected to the TV.
Option 1 seems to have potential to be expensive, noisy and ugly. But, being a full PC, it is also the most flexible and futureproof solution.
Option 2 might be cheaper, is certainly more unobtrusive and could do the job as well.
Two examples, first option 1 aka the HTPC:
- Case = Antec Verios Fusion @ EUR 172 or Zalman HD503 @ EUR 198
- PSU = BeQuiet 300W @ EUR 34
- motherboard = Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3 (runs very cool, very stable) @ EUR 88
- processor = AMD Athlon II X2 240e, 2.8GHz (TDP: 45W!) @ EUR 74
- cooler = Scythe Shuriken (low profile) @ EUR 25
- video = Ati Radeon 5450 (DX11, passively cooled, TDP of 16W and still capable of native BluRay decoding) @ EUR 60
- RAM = 2 Kingston ValueRam of 1 GB each @ EUR 60
- HDD's = 2 Western Digital AV-GP (quiet, cool & low power) of 1 TB each @ EUR 150
- BluRay = Samsung BD-ROM/DVDRW @ EUR 91
~ EUR 754 - EUR 780
Second the combo of a NAS and media streamer:
- Synology DS207+ or QNAP TS-210 Turbo NAS, both @ EUR 199
- HDD's = 2 Western Digital AV-GP of 1 TB each @ EUR 150
- HDI Dune BD Prime 3.0 media-player & BluRay player @ EUR 399
~ EUR 748
Hmmm ...
Re: HTPC
Number 2 is what I do. I use my PS3 to play the media which is zapped wirelessly through the air from a PC. PS3's can't play poo though, so I run TVersity media server (because it's free) on the PC which transcodes media on the fly if the PS3 doesn't handle it.
You no take candle!