Easy HTPC

Building an AMD HTPC – Capable of Blu-ray HD – Audio Playback

Introduction

It has been quite a while since I last went under the hood of my current Home Theater PC (HTPC), but judging by the gradual degrading performance that I was beginning to see when watching the latest movies, it was pretty clear that an upgrade was in order.

While 720p HD video content plays back relatively well, action-packed and even regular scenes in 1080p HD content struggle quite a lot – the GIGABYTE H971 Home Theater PC, which we reviewed back almost exactly two years ago (here), still impresses us ‘till this day with completely rock solid stability. But when it comes to current day video and audio, it is now sadly dated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly fine for DVD playback and DVD quality audio, but now with Blu-ray HD audio from Dolby and DTS tracks out and in truck loads on Blu-ray discs, this HTPC has seen its day when it comes to high-end HTPC features.

With way too much Intel chip action in this office, we decided it was time to get some AMD silicon in play around here. So, we contacted our friends at AMD to see if they would hook us up with a processor to use in our new HTPC build. They obliged rather nicely with not only one, but four of their latest processors to try out – ranging from dual-core all the way up to quad-core – we’ll pick one today based on a range of tests.

We also have a bunch of other hardware to show you in this article, which go into building this AMD based HTPC. We searched long and hard for the right hardware for this Blu-ray playing beast and not only does it do it well, it does it probably better than any other HTPC that you have seen before. For one, it is able to output Blu-ray DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD as it were intended by the movie studios (using bitstreaming). It also does it in style.

Let’s take a look here and see what we recommend for an AMD HTPC build in 2009 and then we’ll put it to the test and see just what it can do and exactly how much power it is going to suck out of your wall, all while entertaining you in your lounge room.

Read the whole build process-

via Building an AMD HTPC – Capable of Blu-ray HD Audio Playback Introduction :: TweakTown.

Medion has never really been our go-to manufacturer for new hotness, but we’re really digging this new X9613 all-in-one model it’s showing off. Even better than the sexy, the computer is fronting a 24-inch multitouch display, a miniature SideShow screen, a gloriously large physical volume knob, and a bunch of convenient media controls along the bottom. Internals aren’t bad either, with a Core 2 Quad Q9000 processor and GeForce GT240M graphics. The price range, unfortunately, is rather steep at 1,499 to 1,900 Euro (about $2,142 to $2,714 US). Lucky for us, US prices are usually quite a bit lower than straight-up conversion, though there’s no promised roll-out just yet to bank on.

Via Engadget.com

Pundits may argue that the modern day HTPC has no place in the modern day living room, but we disagree. In fact, with the economy still struggling to regain its swagger, folks are staying in and finding entertainment at home more than ever. It’s that truth that spurred us to start this here project: building a fully capable, Blu-ray and TV tuner-equipped HTPC for less than a grand. And lo and behold, we made it happen. If you’re interested in seeing exactly how we pieced together a mighty fine entertainment box for less than the starting price of most pre-configured systems, hop on past the break with your notepad open.

If you’ll recall, we did a similar piece on HTPC building way back in early 2006. A format war and a digital TV transition later, we figured it was finally time to issue a revised edition. With disposable income becoming an increasingly rare commodity, we put a soft $1,000 cap on our model rig, and we did our darnedest to construct a solid, potent media PC that could easily be built by any DIY’er reading this now.

Read More.

Via Engadget.com

Back in May, Netflix officially was added to Windows Media Center–the Vista version, that is. The new app, which uses Microsoft’s Silverlight streaming video technology, should automatically show up in your Vista Media Center menu. But if you’re using any version of Windows 7? No dice. Sure, there are several work-arounds developed by the enthusiast community (there have been for years, in fact), such asMyNetflix and vmcNetflix. But even as Microsoft announced this, and a version for the Xbox, there was nothing for Windows 7. Until today.

Yesterday, during Steve Ballmer’s keynote at a Microsoft Financial Analyst Meeting in Seattle, Mike Ybarra (general manager of Windows Product Management at Microsoft) publicly demonstrated Netflix smoothly integrated in the Windows Media Center menu. The app will be completely touch-enabled, which I believe means it takes advantage of Windows Presentation Foundation, the new way programs are written for Windows to take advantage of the power of the GPU. No word on when it will be made available, or if it will roll out to beta, release candidate, or miscellaneous (read: Bittorrent) versions of the OS. I could only grab this blurry image, but if you’re curious, watch the demo yourself–I’d advise skipping past the bluster to the 1 hour, 2 minute mark.

What’s also interesting were Ybarra’s other comments: “Now we know that there’s a trend happening right now where people are using more and more media on the PC. In fact, there’s a lot of articles out there about a shift from people watching on the TV and coming to the PC. And as we approach Windows 7’s general availability on October 22nd, we’re going to have some more announcements around this particular area.” My guess: Hulu integrated in the online section of the Windows Media Center guide. Please? Pretty please??

Via Appscout.com

Our Download of the Day today is XBMC Media Center 9.04.1.

XBMC is an award winning media center application for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and XBox. The ultimate hub for all your media, XBMC is easy to use, looks slick, and has a large helpful community. Try it now!

Media Management
XBMC supports viewing and playing a vast library of audio, video and image formats. XBMC has a sophisticated library management system that allows you to organize all your media to give you quick and immediate access.

Fluid Interface
XBMC provides a user friendly interface that’s intuitive, very flexible, and easy to use. The interface is completely customizable through user-created or downloadable skins.

Plug-ins and Extensibility
XBMC has a built-in Python interpreter that allows users and developers to write their own scripts and plugins that run inside XBMC using it’s own widgets and controls. It also has a built-in web server that allows it to be controlled remotely.

Visualisations
XBMC’s audio player supports many visualisations including ProjectM and Goom. In addition, it allows easy development of visualisations using a simple API.

Download.

Via Tweaktown.com

COMPUTEX 2009: Introduced by our friends at Zotac, Origen-ae has a long history of gorgeous HTPC cases often too expensive for many of us to buy. The designs are exquisite and the quality is truly second to none.

At $200 this little puppy isn’t cheap, but if you want one of the most beautiful mini-ITX cases money can buy for your new Zotac 9300-mini ITX or Ion motherboard, then this has to be it.

With a front LCD screen and built in 150W PSU, it’s got a great set of features and superb internal placements for the hardware: the DC-DC compnent is bolted to one side – the 2.5″ hard drive/SSD spot is on the other, and even though the slimline optical drive is above the motherboard and cooling-wise there’s enough space for them both.

It has two holes for some very thin 80mm fans to draw the airflow though and the two pieces of U-shaped 5mm thick aluminium that make up the chassis outsides are curved into a simply gorgeous shape. Inside the aluminium continues, but is now a more standardised 2-3mm thickness to save cost and weight, but it’s not as flimsy as the sheets often used on some case side panels.

Via Bit-tech.net

We’ve covered Windows 7 from rumor to release candidate, which you can currently download and install for free. Now, it’s enchilada time: Here’s everything of value that we learned about Win 7, packed in a complete, easy-to-read guide.

Note: This is one awesome guide. If you have been sitting on the fence, deciding to install Windows 7 or not, this guide should help your decision.

Read the Complete Guide here.

Via Gizmodo.com

Netflix’s streaming service will appear on Windows Media Center within the next couple of days.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft has struck a deal to bring Netflix’s streaming movie service to Windows Media Center, the companies said Tuesday.

Netflix’s more than 12,000 “Watch it now” movies and TV episodes are only available to users of Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate. XP users won’t be able to access the service.

Owners of Windows Media Center will also be able to search the entire Netflix library, manage their DVD queues, and “filter searches by titles that are available to watch instantly,” Microsoft said in a statement.

Microsoft continues to try to boost the amount of content available on Windows Media. In March, the company launched a new sports channel, including replays of the past NCAA basketball tournament.

“We’re building on our broader vision to alleviate the need to jump from Web site to Web site to find TV shows, movies, sports and news,” Microsoft said in a statement. ” “With Windows Media Center, (users) can now find it in one place.”

For Netflix, the partnership offers the Web’s No.1 video rental service the chance to reach scores of of Vista users. Netflix’s deal with Microsoft’s Xbox videogame console proved to be a boon for the company.

Netflix has steadily been crossing the once wide chasm between the PC and the television by striking partnership deals with a wide assortment of set-top box makers, including Roku, and LG.

To access Netflix’s service, Windows Media Center owners must first subscribe to the rental service. Then, to stream movies, they can start Windows Media Center on their computers by selecting the new Netflix tile under TV+Movies heading.

Via Cnet.com

Acer’s Aspire Revo has been doing the rounds in recent weeks as the first nettop to sport NVIDIA’s ION platform – that’s GeForce 9400M-class graphics coupled with an Intel Atom processor.

Today, the supposedly-affordable-and-tiny 1080p-capable PC has become available at Play.com, and it’s… well, surprisingly affordable. Today’s listings show the base model – equipped with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N230 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8GB SSD, GeForce 9400M graphics and a Linux operating system – etailing at a cost of £149.99.

Not a whole lot, considering that the system is essentially a small-and-low-power HTPC that’s capable of high-def output. The Revo’s armed with HDMI or VGA out, eSATA, six USB ports, a memory-card reader, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a wired keyboard and mouse, too.

Of course, the Linux flavouring might not appeal to all users, and the single-core Intel Atom processor may struggle with certain tasks. But for a penny under £150, it’s hard to complain. If, however, you insist on doing so, there’s another option – the £249.99 Acer Aspire Revo, beefed up with 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Microsoft’s Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.

Via Hexus.net

ZOTAC has today followed in the footsteps of Point of View by announcing a pair of all-in-one platforms built upon NVIDIA’s ION technology.

Continuing the trend, ZOTAC’s mini-ITX ION board comes in two unique varieties – one equipped with a single-core Intel Atom N230, and the second equipped with a dual-core Intel Atom N330.

Promising to deliver “a premium computing experience in a miniature mini-ITX form factor”, the ZOTAC ION features an NVIDIA GeForce 9400m IGP – complete with 16 processor cores – and makes light work of high-def video playback thanks to NVIDIA’s PureVideo HD technology.

Taking a slightly different approach, ZOTAC’s boards offer standard DDR2 DIMM slots, as opposed to the SODIMM slots found on Point of View’s ION boards. Elsewhere, it has opted to abandon the implementation of PCIe slots, though a Mini PCIe slot is available as an optional extra. External TV tuners only, then, for the standard model.

The board offers three SATA ports and one eSATA, as well as VGA, DVI and HDMI connectivity. There’s Gigabit Ethernet, but integrated Wi-Fi is an optional extra – as is an on-board DC-DC power supply.

With the number of optional extras, one would imagine that ZOTAC’s base bundles will be priced competitively. Those eyeing the board up for a HTPC build will also be happy to hear that ZOTAC tells us that passive cooling is possible – contrary to the above image.

Read.

Via  Hexus.net