HTPC + Digital Cable

[CoreDuo]

I've been researching an HTPC solution for a while now.
I need feedback on the HTPC Specs

Biostar TA790GX XE
AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750
4GB A-DATA DDR2
NVIDIA GeForce 9500GT
LG GGC-H20L Bluray/HDDVD-ROM drive
Hauppauge HVR-2250
3xWD Caviar Green 1TB (on-board RAID5)
Seagate Barracuda ST3250410AS 250GB (System)
Corsair 520HX PSU
Silverstone LC13B-E

My main concern is Digital Cable (Premium HD).
What is the best possible way to be able to record and watch HD channels simultaniously?
I've considered a Hauppauge HD-PVR solution, and this would require 2xHD-PVR and 2xCable Settops, correct? HD-PVRs seem to work on a hit and miss basis, and there seems to be a lot of reliability issues concerning this.

I looked into CableCARD PCs, and I don't like the issues concerning DRM on recordings.

I am open to any suggestions as to what software should be used in this situation. SageTV and BeyondTV look to be the best options (correct me if i'm wrong). There also seems to be a new application called DVBSBridge, which integrates the HD-PVR into Vista Media Center (http://www.dvblogic.com/hdpvr.php).


Am I being ambitious?

 

[CrimandEvil]

I've been researching an HTPC solution for a while now.
I need feedback on the HTPC Specs

Biostar TA790GX XE
AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750
4GB A-DATA DDR2
NVIDIA GeForce 9500GT
LG GGC-H20L Bluray/HDDVD-ROM drive
Hauppauge HVR-2250
3xWD Caviar Green 1TB (on-board RAID5)
Seagate Barracuda ST3250410AS 250GB (System)
Corsair 520HX PSU
Silverstone LC13B-E

Are these parts all brand new or have you not bought them yet (I hope you haven't)??

My main concern is Digital Cable (Premium HD).
What is the best possible way to be able to record and watch HD channels simultaniously?
I've considered a Hauppauge HD-PVR solution, and this would require 2xHD-PVR and 2xCable Settops, correct? HD-PVRs seem to work on a hit and miss basis, and there seems to be a lot of reliability issues concerning this.

The only way you're going to record HD Cable is with a HD PVR or by buying an OEM CableCard system.

I looked into CableCARD PCs, and I don't like the issues concerning DRM on recordings.

But you're going with a Blue Ray drive. Obviously you don't have that much of an issue with DRM.

I am open to any suggestions as to what software should be used in this situation. SageTV and BeyondTV look to be the best options (correct me if i'm wrong). There also seems to be a new application called DVBSBridge, which integrates the HD-PVR into Vista Media Center (http://www.dvblogic.com/hdpvr.php).

As far as I know it's VMC with DVSBridge or SageTV. I'd highly suggest SageTV since it's the better PVR app.

 

[groebuck]

You can use the fire wire to your hd-pvr (from cable company) if it is there, enabled and you can do all the tweaks to get it to function - you can incorporate your Media Center to it (not sure about other HTPCs).

There was a pretty good article in Maximum PC about building a HTPC sans tv tuner. They used BOXEE as the front end and pulled down television content from the major networks etc.

for me - TIVO really serves that purpose between cable and HTPC. I got my Tivo HD PVR from CC going out of business open box for 89 bucks. Got the Tivo service and the Tivo To Go software - set it up to a wireless N bringe on the 5 GHZ range and upgaded the tivo HD to 1TB.

I get netflix on demand with it, amazon movie dls (in sd booo) but for the money I saved not having a cable dvr I can get HBO and record movies and pull them off to other media - I can schedule tv recordings over the web - it even emails me on conflicts and such. Between that and streaming ripped dvd content to my ps3 - or just watching a BRdvd on the ps3 I am pretty much set.

heck I can even stream music to my tivo and run slide shows of pics .. and my ps3 so all in all I am set without having a dedicated pc as the control.

 

[valve1138]

Set up properly Sage and the HD-PVR work great together.

There are issues with certain set top boxes though. And there are some good tips to get it working great over on the SageTV forums. Stuff like locking the output res on the STB and setting a tuning delay for example.

I have 2 HD-PVRs with some DirecTV HD stb's working great with Sage recording HD and Dolby Digital sound. It's a really ice setup IMO.

 

[valve1138]

You can use the fire wire to your hd-pvr (from cable company)

The Hauppauge HD-PVR is a component video capture device that plugs into a USB port on your PC. Firewire is not used at all for capture, although some people use it for channel changing.

 

[groebuck]

oh sorry I thought they meant the cable co - HD-PVR.

Another option is HD Homerun - with is a networked based dual tuner that mce picks up. You can go to siliconedust's site to see what QAM channels you can get from your provider.

 

[CoreDuo]

@CrimandEvil

I haven't bought them yet, is there something wrong?

 

[CrimandEvil]

oh sorry I thought they meant the cable co - HD-PVR.

Another option is HD Homerun - with is a networked based dual tuner that mce picks up. You can go to siliconedust's site to see what QAM channels you can get from your provider.

He wants to get the premium HD channels he gets in his HD package into this HTPC; none of your suggestions get him there. The HD HomeRun is not an option; he only has two options which were outlined earlier.

@CrimandEvil

I haven't bought them yet, is there something wrong?

Yes. None of it makes sense on a price to performance ratio.

 

[Dangman]

Yes. None of it makes sense on a price to performance ratio.

QFT

Small example:
- For $5 more than the Seagate, you can get twice the space:
$60 - Western Digital WD5000AACS 500GB 5400RPM to 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
- No need whatsoever for the 9500GT as the onboard video of the 8200 or 8300 motherboard chipsets is more than enough for HD content.
- Speaking of motherboards, that Biostar doesn't offer anything worthwhile over the this mobo for HTPC duties:
$73 -Asus M3N78-VM GeForce 8200 HDMI mATX Motherboard

In addition, RAID5 using onboard motherboard RAID controllers can use anywhere from 10 to 60% depending on the size of the array and the CPU being used at all times. Any chance of you upping your budget a little to separate the HTPC and its server duties?

 

[CoreDuo]

QFT

Small example:
- For $5 more than the Seagate, you can get twice the space:
$60 - Western Digital WD5000AACS 500GB 5400RPM to 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
- No need whatsoever for the 9500GT as the onboard video of the 8200 or 8300 motherboard chipsets is more than enough for HD content.
- Speaking of motherboards, that Biostar doesn't offer anything worthwhile over the this mobo for HTPC duties:
$73 -Asus M3N78-VM GeForce 8200 HDMI mATX Motherboard

In addition, RAID5 using onboard motherboard RAID controllers can use anywhere from 10 to 60% depending on the size of the array and the CPU being used at all times. Any chance of you upping your budget a little to separate the HTPC and its server duties?

Based on reviews of other 790GX reviews i gathered that the onboard RAID was decent for what it was required to do, and I was able to avoid the need for a PCI/PCIe RAID card. The 9500 GT is there because the TV its being connected to only has component in at 1080i, but i wanted to option of using HDMI in the future in the event of the TV being replaced. Maybe i didn't look hard enough, but it appeared as though the 9500 GT is cheaper than HDMI -> Component. I was trying to combine the server duties because wireless is the only viable way of networking it. I can't run ethernet because i live in a town house and its allegedly against the contract. As for the HDD, i didn't see that before, thanks.