HTPC or simply a PC for the living room

  • Thread starter Thread starter Peter
  • Start date Start date
P

Peter

Hi!

I'm thinking about building a PC for the living room, basically for
watching DVD/TV and listening to music:

* Playing music; WMA, mp3, FM radio, Internet streaming radio using
traditional 2-channel stereo into an existing amplifier/loudspeakers
* Playing DVD using the same audio setup plus a PC flat screen
* Watching slideshows
* Watching TV
* Recording TV on HDD
* Casual surfing

Interfaces
* WiFi to existing WinXP server where most files will be stored/backed
up; any ripping would be done here aswell
* WiFi to internet broadband gateway/router
* FM radio in
* CATV/Digital in
* CD/DVD player internal
* USB
* Memory-media
* x.1 audio out configurable to 2.0
* Wireless remote/keyboard
* xx" PC TFT monitor

Priorities
* Low noise/silence
* Nice, modern design
* Small/resonable footprint
* Convenient handling with remote & keyboard
* Set and forget operation :-)

Since the low noise-requirement is quite important to me it sounds
resonable to start off with a system with a low power requirement -
meaning slower clock; question is just how slow can you go and still
have a useful system? I'm looking at the mini-ITX stuff but have no
experience of the VIA processors and their actual performance in
relation to what I want to do with the system. Any advice? Could you
have passive/heatpipe cooling on these? Or ATX and mainstream
processors like AMD/Intel? Possibly sounds like a safer bet in terms of
upgrades? What about the mobile ones for lower power/less cooling
requirements?

OS? Is there a choise? I would love to hear that there is a Linux
distro that without weeks of work would let me do what I want :-).
Perfect if I could boot it over the network from the server :-)
 
Peter said:
Hi!

I'm thinking about building a PC for the living room, basically for
watching DVD/TV and listening to music:

* Playing music; WMA, mp3, FM radio, Internet streaming radio using
traditional 2-channel stereo into an existing amplifier/loudspeakers
* Playing DVD using the same audio setup plus a PC flat screen
* Watching slideshows
* Watching TV
* Recording TV on HDD
* Casual surfing

Interfaces
* WiFi to existing WinXP server where most files will be stored/backed
up; any ripping would be done here aswell
* WiFi to internet broadband gateway/router
* FM radio in
* CATV/Digital in
* CD/DVD player internal
* USB
* Memory-media
* x.1 audio out configurable to 2.0
* Wireless remote/keyboard
* xx" PC TFT monitor

Priorities
* Low noise/silence
* Nice, modern design
* Small/resonable footprint
* Convenient handling with remote & keyboard
* Set and forget operation :-)

Since the low noise-requirement is quite important to me it sounds
resonable to start off with a system with a low power requirement -
meaning slower clock; question is just how slow can you go and still
have a useful system? I'm looking at the mini-ITX stuff but have no
experience of the VIA processors and their actual performance in
relation to what I want to do with the system. Any advice? Could you
have passive/heatpipe cooling on these? Or ATX and mainstream
processors like AMD/Intel? Possibly sounds like a safer bet in terms of
upgrades? What about the mobile ones for lower power/less cooling
requirements?

OS? Is there a choise? I would love to hear that there is a Linux
distro that without weeks of work would let me do what I want :-).
Perfect if I could boot it over the network from the server :-)
Click to expand...

Since you mentioned Linux you might want to check into MythTV but last time
I checked it was a major endeavor just to read through the installation and
configuration instructions, much less actually do it and have it work.

http://www.mythtv.org/modules.php?name=MythInstall
 
Got my PC hooked up via component in my living room. The pc is quiet.


Its got 3 120mm fans in it running at 7 volts. Would like 5 volts but
fan controller dont do that.

Got a zalman coole ron my CPU and videocard. VERY VERY quiet :)

I mean you can hear it but once you have the TV on or some mosuic or a
movie you can't even noirce its on. When i get my NEW pc it iam going
to transplant it to a Media pc. You know the flat cases and use the
HUGE case as my games case. With the same cooling and connected up to
the other component port at the back of my TV for WideScreen gaming.

Everything is possible. Dont know about Linux last timei tried that it
gave me a headache, And stress me out NO END. being married is easier
:p

Any questions glad to help.
 
Its got 3 120mm fans in it running at 7 volts.
Click to expand...

Do you really need three? I've got one 120mm in the rear running at 5v
and no heat issues. At the most you should only need one in at the
front and one out at the rear.
 
Its my Gaming case :0


Do you really need three? I've got one 120mm in the rear running at 5v
and no heat issues. At the most you should only need one in at the
front and one out at the rear.
Click to expand...
 
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