sam9s HTPC Project! powered by XBMC!!

[akhil7j]

Thanks akhil...
I have the gigabyte 880GM Usb3 mobo and do you think the GT430 "GDDR5" is compatibility. Also this mobo has onboard gpu which is not good enough for bit streaming. If i put in this GT4xx gpu will it disable the onboard gpu and effect the performance of the mobo..

Bitstreaming, Playing BDs, 3D BDs is a piece of cake for you Mobo. Bitstreaming DTS-MA/TrueHD is just transmit the uncompressed audio stream to your receiver, apart from stupid encryption-decryption processes. I don't think you need a GPU to play movies. MVC (BR 3D video codec) decoding is completely done by a dedicated decoding block of the GPU, so it does not load the host.
Only if you have a requirement of playing 3D BluRay Discs then you need a GPU for HDMI1.4a support. GPU has nothing to do with Bitstreaming. Don't get confused. If the chipset supports bitstreaming then it will do it with onboard HDMI port.

I have Intel i3-2100 with H67 basic motherboard and believe me, it does Bitstreaming and plays all my BDs like charm.

 

[manniraj]

Bitstreaming, Playing BDs, 3D BDs is a piece of cake for you Mobo. Bitstreaming DTS-MA/TrueHD is just transmit the uncompressed audio stream to your receiver, apart from stupid encryption-decryption processes. I don't think you need a GPU to play movies. MVC (BR 3D video codec) decoding is completely done by a dedicated decoding block of the GPU, so it does not load the host.
Only if you have a requirement of playing 3D BluRay Discs then you need a GPU for HDMI1.4a support. GPU has nothing to do with Bitstreaming. Don't get confused. If the chipset supports bitstreaming then it will do it with onboard HDMI port.

I have Intel i3-2100 with H67 basic motherboard and believe me, it does Bitstreaming and plays all my BDs like charm.

Thanks akhil..
Yes i have ordered the LG multi-slim blu-ray drive thru 20north and expecting by 1st week of july. Then as per your clarification for pure bit streaming my mobo with onboard graphics should be good enough. Only for 3D blu-ray disc playback i would be needing a separate gpu. Then as of now i am not concerned of 3D so my present configuration should be good enough for playing back blu-ray discs/iso files etc.,
I just brought the lenovo wireless keypad from ebay @1889 with free shipping. 2 more are left over as per the ebay listing..

 

[sam9s]

Oh is it then the investment should be for the future. Based on my mobo which gpu would you suggest if i need the 3D as well

Thanks akhil..
Yes i have ordered the LG multi-slim blu-ray drive thru 20north and expecting by 1st week of july. Then as per your clarification for pure bit streaming my mobo with onboard graphics should be good enough. Only for 3D blu-ray disc playback i would be needing a separate gpu. Then as of now i am not concerned of 3D so my present configuration should be good enough for playing back blu-ray discs/iso files etc.,

your both statements are contradictory, anyway, yes for just playing 1080p 2D content your onboard GPU is sufficient, but I could not find anywhere in the specifications that it bit streams HD audio as well so I would not bet on that. In any case you can try out. In worst case scenario you can always add another dedicated GPU to get the HD audio. That would also make your HTPC 3D enabled in case in future you do decide to go 3D way ......

 

[manniraj]

your both statements are contradictory, anyway, yes for just playing 1080p 2D content your onboard GPU is sufficient, but I could not find anywhere in the specifications that it bit streams HD audio as well so I would not bet on that. In any case you can try out. In worst case scenario you can always add another dedicated GPU to get the HD audio. That would also make your HTPC 3D enabled in case in future you do decide to go 3D way ......

Hi Sam ,
It may look contradictory but i made the decision after i looked at the 3D tv yesterday in one of the showrooms and its very straining on the eyes as i use my specs, so decided to stick to 2D. I cannot verify my on board gpu's capability of bitstreaming as i do not have the capable avr to do that at present. I am saving some bucks for 1911 by the end of this year and planning to source it from US as the prices are falling in Amazon for this model month on month. Presently its going for $399 and i believe its going to go down further by the time i hit my packet.

 

[akhil7j]

Hi Manniraj,

The model you specified above supports bitstreams i suppose. Although it is not clearly mentioned but you can give it a try.

As per your mobo specs...

GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3 - GA-880GM-USB3 (rev. 1.x)
HDMI is able to provide up to 5Gb/s video transmitting bandwidth and multi-channel high quality audio all through a single cable. Able to transmit superior, uncompressed digital video and audio

It should support Bitstreaming.

 

[Vishu_fbd]

congrats man! awesome..

Could you please guide me in setting up the same. I am also in NCR.

Let me know if dats possible. Many thanks.

Vishu

 

[sam9s]

Hi Manniraj,

The model you specified above supports bitstreams i suppose. Although it is not clearly mentioned but you can give it a try.

As per your mobo specs...

GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3 - GA-880GM-USB3 (rev. 1.x)
HDMI is able to provide up to 5Gb/s video transmitting bandwidth and multi-channel high quality audio all through a single cable. Able to transmit superior, uncompressed digital video and audio

It should support Bitstreaming.

Akhil you missed an astrix at the bottom which says specs for only video. I seriously doubt it bitstreams HD audio. Any way the loss is not that much as dedicated GPU for bistreaming is not that expensive.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

 

[sam9s]

congrats man! awesome..

Could you please guide me in setting up the same. I am also in NCR.

Let me know if dats possible. Many thanks.

Vishu

Yep if you want I can get the hardware for you ......assemble, set it up exactly the way you want or just like mine for a very nominal charge . I keep doing these projects here and there.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

 

[Vishu_fbd]

Thanks for replying....

I have an assembled AMD Athlon PC at home with some ASUS Mobo (Specs I need to check). I was thinking to get a new one. Should I reuse the current components in HTPC since it should not be very cpu intensive thing to run HTPC.

What are the damages that will happen? How much power consumption (in watts) are we looking at? As an example, I am not inclined to buy PS3 coz it uses around 230-250W during usage.

I am looking for a GREEN HTPC since I would be upgrading from my current 32 inch Sony to 46 inch LED Sony (EX520 or even 620 if it comes sooner than later).

Nominal charges can be worked upon I have no issues dear , I wana build alongside you so that I can also learn the assembly and do future upgrades myself.

Cheers,
Vishu

 

[sam9s]

Thanks for replying....

I have an assembled AMD Athlon PC at home with some ASUS Mobo (Specs I need to check). I was thinking to get a new one. Should I reuse the current components in HTPC since it should not be very cpu intensive thing to run HTPC.

What are the damages that will happen? How much power consumption (in watts) are we looking at? As an example, I am not inclined to buy PS3 coz it uses around 230-250W during usage.

I am looking for a GREEN HTPC since I would be upgrading from my current 32 inch Sony to 46 inch LED Sony (EX520 or even 620 if it comes sooner than later).

Nominal charges can be worked upon I have no issues dear , I wana build alongside you so that I can also learn the assembly and do future upgrades myself.

Cheers,
Vishu

I believe its Athlon X2..??? and do get the Mobo model number as well. The picture would be more clear then. In all probability the hardware should be reusable. Just for an idea, any Dual Core CPU with a compatible mobo having PCIe slot can be converted to a pretty decent HTPC.
About power usage well its gonna be more then PS3 for sure. But assuming the above hardware with 2x1TB HDD and couple of 120mm fans, you are not looking for a power usage more then 350W. 400W max maintaining the headroom for future upgrade.

Also just an advice, if you are planning to upgrade to 46" LED. I'd strongly recommend LG 42LW6500. Its hell of a TV. More detailed discussion HERE

 

[Vishu_fbd]

I believe its Athlon X2..??? and do get the Mobo model number as well. The picture would be more clear then. In all probability the hardware should be reusable. Just for an idea, any Dual Core CPU with a compatible mobo having PCIe slot can be converted to a pretty decent HTPC.
About power usage well its gonna be more then PS3 for sure. But assuming the above hardware with 2x1TB HDD and couple of 120mm fans, you are not looking for a power usage more then 350W. 400W max maintaining the headroom for future upgrade.

Also just an advice, if you are planning to upgrade to 46" LED. I'd strongly recommend LG 42LW6500. Its hell of a TV. More detailed discussion HERE

Okay so here are the specs:

CPU: AMD Athlon 1.8GHz
Asus K8S-MX Motherboard
Asus K8S-MX Motherboard
Geforce FX 5200 AGP card - 128MB
Creative Sound Blaster 5.1

Can any of the parts be reused for htpc configuration? I do not want any gaming capabilities and 3D may be an add-on option but not required now. Most importantly it should not consume more power! I have seen atom based htpc's using 40W at max load, for me 100-150 W is the ideal cap.

Thanks,
Vishu

 

[baijuxavior]

Okay so here are the specs:

CPU: AMD Athlon 1.8GHz
Asus K8S-MX Motherboard
Asus K8S-MX Motherboard
Geforce FX 5200 AGP card - 128MB
Creative Sound Blaster 5.1

Can any of the parts be reused for htpc configuration? I do not want any gaming capabilities and 3D may be an add-on option but not required now. Most importantly it should not consume more power! I have seen atom based htpc's using 40W at max load, for me 100-150 W is the ideal cap.

Thanks,
Vishu

My pc has the same configuration except the graphics card. The mobo has only AGP slot, so you can't install latest graphic cards with HDMI. With the existing graphics card, you will be forced to use the vga/dvi or s-video output only to the LCD TV. Also this pc configuration is power hungry, so you won't get your green pc dream fulfilled. There may be problems with hd playback also. Try to play some 720p or 1080p BRRIP movies and see whether they play without any hiccups.

 

[Vishu_fbd]

In the spec it is written that it has PCI slots.... wouldnt that be useful to install GPU?

OR

Should I invest in a new CPU+Mobo combo which is just apt for HTPC Configuration? Any suggestions keeping in mind the power consumption?

Sometimes I feel to get the latest ASUS O!Play Mini @3500/- and forget about the other stuff coz none are power efficient except zotac or similar.

Vishu

 

[baijuxavior]

You need PCIe (PCI Express) slot for installing latest GPUs. Better is to buy a media player that supports internal HDD like kaiboer 1055+, or assemble a new HTPC.

 

[Vishu_fbd]

Read this!
AMD Fusion E-350 HTPC | BiggzDESIGN

 

[gevarghe]

Might have missed this detail reading through the thread... What case are you using?

I've been using XBMC for ages now but the htpc is still in my crap 7 year old minitower... I've looked at thermaltake and silverstone cases online but no one in SP road (Bangalore) stocks them apparently. Anyone know a good online Indian retailer that stocks 'em? Hopefully without a ridiculous mark up!

 

[sam9s]

Okay so here are the specs:

CPU: AMD Athlon 1.8GHz
Asus K8S-MX Motherboard
Asus K8S-MX Motherboard
Geforce FX 5200 AGP card - 128MB
Creative Sound Blaster 5.1

Can any of the parts be reused for htpc configuration? I do not want any gaming capabilities and 3D may be an add-on option but not required now. Most importantly it should not consume more power! I have seen atom based htpc's using 40W at max load, for me 100-150 W is the ideal cap.

Thanks,
Vishu

errrrrrrr that a little too old a hardware, you have PCIE, but that just x1, you need atleast x8 or better x16. GPU is also of no good as its AGP. You will be stuck with DVI and also get sound from a seperate channel.

I'd suggest invest some and built a new HTPC, but if you are not comfortable you can go for Media Player. But HTPC has its own advantages (and disadvantages for that matter as well). For me no media player can come across the polished look, feel, UI and YAMJ like XBMC, for me that turned out to be the biggest single reason to dump my media player and go HTPC way .....

You got to decide what you need .....

 

[sam9s]

Might have missed this detail reading through the thread... What case are you using?

I've been using XBMC for ages now but the htpc is still in my crap 7 year old minitower... I've looked at thermaltake and silverstone cases online but no one in SP road (Bangalore) stocks them apparently. Anyone know a good online Indian retailer that stocks 'em? Hopefully without a ridiculous mark up!

I am using Silver Stone LC10. I ordered it via PrimeABGB. Details are there in the opening page itself.

 

[manniraj]

Might have missed this detail reading through the thread... What case are you using?

I've been using XBMC for ages now but the htpc is still in my crap 7 year old minitower... I've looked at thermaltake and silverstone cases online but no one in SP road (Bangalore) stocks them apparently. Anyone know a good online Indian retailer that stocks 'em? Hopefully without a ridiculous mark up!

You can have a look at the theitdepot.com site. They have a very good collection of cases. I bought thru them the silverstone case thru them as well. HTPC specific they have around 8 different pieces so go have a look at the site. Also you can check out primeabgb.com.

 

[Vishu_fbd]

errrrrrrr that a little too old a hardware, you have PCIE, but that just x1, you need atleast x8 or better x16. GPU is also of no good as its AGP. You will be stuck with DVI and also get sound from a seperate channel.

I'd suggest invest some and built a new HTPC, but if you are not comfortable you can go for Media Player. But HTPC has its own advantages (and disadvantages for that matter as well). For me no media player can come across the polished look, feel, UI and YAMJ like XBMC, for me that turned out to be the biggest single reason to dump my media player and go HTPC way .....

You got to decide what you need .....

I had guessed that already after reading the posts here and on other blogs...

My next step post 1st level evaluation:

1. Build Fusion based HTPC. Should I use MSI or Gigabyte mini-ATX board? MSI has coaxial out which is what I prefer.
2. Micro-ATX cabinet (will I get one that 80-120W power supply). Suggest brand.
3. One 80mm premium quality fan. Suggest brand.
4. One SSD (upto 60GB) for booting up. Suggest brand. This is a nice to have component. Will see how much the entire cost adds up.
5. 4GB RAM. Any particular specification and brand?
6. Multimedia Remote. Suggest brand.
7. Win7. Do we need win7 premium or above?

Thanks in advance.