Looking for feedback

[Wickeke]

I am very close to getting approval from the CFO, also known as The Wife, to purchase a HTPC and home server. But she wants me to price it out completely, none of this "you said it would cost $500 but it ends up being $1,000". I have been reading CrimandEvil post Ultimate HTPC Guild and this is what I have come up with. What I am looking for is if I am missing anyting that might cost $, or have anything I dont really need. Breaking it out by server, HTPC and misc stuff.

Home Server:
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower
MoBo: ASRock K10N78M
CPU: AMD Atlon II X2 240
PSU: Corsair CMPSU - 400W
Memory: Crucial 2GB 240 - Pin DDR2 1066 x 2
HD: Caviar Green 1TB x 2
Blu-ray: LiteOn 4X BD-ROM
OS: Window Home Server

Total: $696.90
In CrimandEvil server build I didn's see a CD/DVD/BD player. Dont you need one to load software?
Also I have see that there is a new version of WHS in Beta, but can't find any release date info. Any one know if/when this is coming out?

HTPC:
Case: Antec NSK1480
MoBo: ASRock H55M Pro LGA 1156
CPU: Core i3-530 2.93GHz
Memory: Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1333
HD: Caviar Green 1TB
Blu-ray: LiteOn 4X BD-ROM
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Total: $564.89
Misc:
Software to copy DVD's and Blu-Ray's to the server - AnyDVD HD and CloneDVD $130

I don't have cat5 cable running to everyroom so:
MoCA: Netgear 199.99
What if i want to add another HTPC, do I have to get another pair of these. Can you have more than one HTPC using these?

That's what i am thinking, am I missing anyting?
Thanks for you input.

Wick

 

[Schro]

If you're planning on storing a significant number of BD rips, a hat trick of 1TB drives really isn't going to cut it. I would use all 2TB drives (you can get them on a good sale for about $100 each). Even then, you'll chew that up VERY quickly with BD rips...

What TV tuner(s) will you be using for this? If you're considering cable card, then keep in mind that you'll likely need extenders rather than additional HTPCs if you want to view all of the content they record.

I just got the Netgear MoCa kit on Fleabay for $80 shipped after trolling the listings for a week or so . I can report in on how well it works once it arrives. You _should_ be able to buy them individually and have up to 16 nodes on the network. Actiontec makes MoCa adapters as well that are available on Amazon as either singles or pairs (and its usually cheaper to buy singles than the pair on there). I can report in on how well it works - Wireless N isn't cutting it for flawless 720p to a media extender (works 98% of the time with a burp occasionally).

Do you need a BD drive in both? I figure its only needed in the box doing the BD ripping...

Are you planning on using a remote control? Basic Windowz one? Harmony?

AV cables?

Do you have a budget for this project or as long as you get everything "in" the budget, it can be approved?

I would favor a 785 or higher series AMD board and a cheap quad over the i3 setup.

An alternative to building a WHS box would be to steal this HP Mediasmart EX490 from the Egg and add more drives...

I can't answer the BD codec question. i think it depends on how you rip/encode/transcode the video - if your'e playing straight from disc, yo'ull likely need to buy a codec.

 

[Carlitos714]

i would go with the i3 for sure!

 

[SJetski71]

You can save some dough by getting a great deal on this 2TB WD hard drive instead ~ $91.70 shipped: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1539985

That's if you move quick enough because it's been posted on every hot deal forum.

 

[Wickeke]

If you're planning on storing a significant number of BD rips, a hat trick of 1TB drives really isn't going to cut it. I would use all 2TB drives (you can get them on a good sale for about $100 each). Even then, you'll chew that up VERY quickly with BD rips...

What TV tuner(s) will you be using for this? If you're considering cable card, then keep in mind that you'll likely need extenders rather than additional HTPCs if you want to view all of the content they record.

Good point, will probable go with the Caviar Green 2TB drives in the server.
As for TV tuners, after talking with our cable provider (Insight) the cards do not allow On Demand functionality. So we will be keeping the cable box. This will be used to replace out existing Blu-Ray player and give us the option to watch any of our existing movies with out hunting for the disk.

So if the HTPC isn't going to be use to record live TV is there any point in have a 1TB drive?

Do you need a BD drive in both? I figure its only needed in the box doing the BD ripping...

The only other PC with a BD drive would be the HTPC and it seem this would be a PITA to rip movies from. So maybe a better idea would be to put the BD Drive in my gaming rig.

Are you planning on using a remote control? Basic Windowz one? Harmony

I have the 5 device Harmony remote. I assume I will need some type of adptor for the HTPC for this to work.

Do you have a budget for this project or as long as you get everything "in" the budget, it can be approved?

I want to keep in under 2K which I think is do able.

I would favor a 785 or higher series AMD board and a cheap quad over the i3 setup.

Is this person preforence? From CrimandEvil's post this set up will allow you high quality play back with out the need for a video card.

An alternative to building a WHS box would be to steal this HP Mediasmart EX490 from the Egg and add more drives...

Ok nub question, how do you connect a monitor to this? Or do you just remote into it? What happens if you need to reinstall the OS?

Thanks Wick

 

[morgwon]

you connect to it via remote desktop connection. If you need to reinstall the OS the installation disc automatically detects mediasmart servers on your network.

 

[Wickeke]

for the HTPC OS Windows 7 64 or 32 bit?

 

[CrimandEvil]

for the HTPC OS Windows 7 64 or 32 bit?

Home Premium and 32 vs 64 isn't a big deal any more. Go 64.

If you want to save some dough on the MoCA then:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...=Actiontec+MI424-WR&_sacat=See-All-Categories

I don't add in a drive for a WHS build simply because it doesn't require one. You connect to the WHS over remote connect and do all your administration stuff through that. It's not meant to be hooked up to a moniter and keyboard directly. I've got a ton of drives sitting around not being used, add to that I can throw an install onto a USB stick and be done with it.

You rip on a different system and then transfer it to the WHS box over the network. I rip mine on my HTPC using Auto rip and compress.
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/81697.aspx

 

[Schro]

Good point, will probable go with the Caviar Green 2TB drives in the server.
As for TV tuners, after talking with our cable provider (Insight) the cards do not allow On Demand functionality. So we will be keeping the cable box. This will be used to replace out existing Blu-Ray player and give us the option to watch any of our existing movies with out hunting for the disk.

So you have one of the cable providers that are rare as hen's teeth that doesn't suck at on-demand? You can get a CableCard tuner which would allow you to record all the content you want and then play it back when you demand the HTPC to do so... From what I've seen of on-demand products, its usually nothing more than a virtual DVR and there's nothing additional contentwise other than convinience.

So if the HTPC isn't going to be use to record live TV is there any point in have a 1TB drive?

Given that a 1tb drive runs about $20 more than a 500GB drive, you might as well go 1TB (or even two if you caught that $91 deal). You may want to store you music or other files locally on the HTPC to speed up the menu responsiveness when dealing with a ton of album art. You can always use some of the drive on the HTPC as overflow space for the WHS box as well.

The only other PC with a BD drive would be the HTPC and it seem this would be a PITA to rip movies from. So maybe a better idea would be to put the BD Drive in my gaming rig.

Thats how I roll.

I have the 5 device Harmony remote. I assume I will need some type of adptor for the HTPC for this to work.

I bought one of these and use the IR receiver with my Harmony 880. Doesn't seem to be in production anymore, but I'm sure there's equivs available....

Is this person preforence? From CrimandEvil's post this set up will allow you high quality play back with out the need for a video card.

I haven't read his post, but from research I've done, the board/processor you selected as well as the 785G or up AMD chipsets should meet your needs for 1080p playback. The 785 does not have full support for bitstreaming some BD Audio format that is above the price range of my aging Denon receiver, but it should be present in the 790 as well as the Intel board.

I wouldn't call it personal preference, but moreso bang for the buck - you can spend about the same or a little less on an AMD system thats a quad core instead of the dual core i3. Sure, clock for clock and core for core, the i3 will spank an Athlon, but if you have to chose between 4 cores and 2 at the same price point.....