Ask Engadget: Best HTPC under $3,000?
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 13th 2008 11:15PM
posted Nov 13th 2008 11:15PM
This week's episode of Ask Engadget takes things back into the living room -- or the bedroom, or wherever you have a TV -- and looks at the selection of HTPCs below the $3,000 range. And c'mon, who's not into getting a bargain this day and age? "My query is related to a what is commonly referred to as a Home Media PC. Recently I have gone through the wringer searching online for an HTPC which has the possibility of being upgraded when the time comes. I need it to do all the usual PC things (but on a 46-inch HDTV) and would also like to play RTS games, edit music / video and not go broke in the process. Looking online, most pre-fab vendors are charging upwards of $4,000 to $6,000 for potent media PCs -- what are my options for getting one between $2,000 and $3,000 (or less)?"
We know, the bulk of you are just moments away from blurting out "DIY!one1!," and while that's obviously a perfectly reasonable response, feel free to share of pre-built machines that just might fit the bill here. Later, you can beam in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com, but only if you feel led. No pressure.
DIY!one1!
build one yourself. that way your not paying for labor and any unnecessary custom features, and it'll be a lot cheaper.
Amen to that. The one you build yourself is definitely the best bet under $3K! For example, 6 months ago I built one that included everything needed (except a Blu-ray drive) for $420 including shipping. Today I can slip a Blu-ray drive in there for cheap as heck, but who needs that when you have streaming video and *ahem* other HD options.
and as for pre-built machines, i don't bother, but that's just me, so i can't really suggest any companies to turn to.
Check out the newegg homepage... there's an ad that shows an HTPC building contest between two dudes and they seem pretty decent.
If you're not comfortable building your own, you might know a friend or relative who would help. Also, you could try joining HTPC forums to read more on what others recommend.
Agreed, build it yourself.
Here is what i have:
$100-$150
Case: http://www.mce701.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16
$70 Motherboard with NVIDIA nForce e-7150/630i, Built-in HDMI w/ HDCP, optical out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188021
Cpu doesnt have to be ultimate, but a lower-mid range C2D will suffice when decoding 1080p files and blurays.
$1100 for 8tb of storage
8-bay enclosure from rosewill
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132016&Tpk=rosewill%208%20bay
TB drives are easy to find sub $100 now.
I wish i had a clone so i could catch up on all the movies and tv i have recorded.
After all this, do yourself a favor and install XBMC for windows. With the new MediaStream skin, life will never be the same for you.
Oh wow playing RTS on build-in graphics...
Did you even read it? The requirement I mean.
Under $3.000 you can build a great PC for yourself. If you want it to be HTPC, then you have to explain in detail what exactly you mean under "HTPC".
If its "to do all the usual PC things (but on a 46-inch HDTV) and would also like to play RTS games, edit music / video and not go broke in the process" then its pretty easy. We just need to build a... PC. A quiet one and one that has HDMI to connect it to a TV instead of a monitor.
This really simplifies the task.
1. Find a friend who knows a lot about PCs. I could help a bit but I can't contact you (the one who asked for help) or anyone else. Find someone you know personally or a friend of a friend. Its better that way. And forget about already-built PCs, I have yet to find a company that makes decent PCs and sells them with little % for "labor".
2. Ask for the following:
- how to build a quiet PC
- what CPU you can afford (core 2 quad Q9450 or Q9550 is a great thing, Q8200 is cheaper alternative)
- what motherboard to choose for a quiet PC (I recommend ASUS mobos, been using them for years and happy about it, I recommend P35 or P45 chipset, its not super-expensive but pretty good for both gaming, OCing, doing what you usually do ect and its not as expensive as X48/X38)
- I recommend installing water cooling (will set you back another $600 for pump, reservoir, triple radiator, CPU block and GPU full-cover block, all great components, but will make the PC quiet, because the most noisy "stock" things are CPU and GPU coolers)
- use an expensive case and expensive power supply (not 1000W, some 500-600W will be enough from a decent company like Zalman, Hiper, Cooler Master, Thermaltake... read some reviews to find out which one is quiet enough, I use Zalman 850W and its SUPER quiet, $160, my case is Lian Li P80, $400, and its worth every cent - pump and reservoir are inside, lots of free space too)
- use super-overpriced coolers - Noctua NF-P12 or something like that, the last model they made - its absolutely amazing piece of work, $15 each, you need 3 for water cooling (optional) and 5 more for the case (3 on the front door if you take P80 case I mentioned, one to cool motherboard if you use water cooling for CPU and one for exhaust cooler on the case, its always noisy no matter what case it is)
- as for video card - I have GTX 280 and pretty happy about it, but ATI 4870 HD is a great thing too, but for Full-HD you need 4870 with 1gb memory onboard, any more powerful card than these two will be complete overkill, I used them both with 30-inch monitor and eXtraHD resolution (2560x1600)
- some sound-proofing material (around $30) for the case really makes it quieter
- Scythe Quiet Drive. this small thing will make you forget what sound an HDD makes. I forgot mine year ago and don't want to remember.
Lets sum it up:
Case - $200 minimum, Lian Li makes good ones
CPU - $200 minimum, C2Q for video editing is preferred over C2D, more cores - faster encoding
Video card - if you use a build-in video, you'll hurt yourself, a lot. it can NOT decode a blu-ray video as well as discrete graphics - tomshardware had some articles about it, and they said even a $100 card does a better job than any build-in solution. Far better. I recommend a $300 4870 to play games. Please note: should have HDMI out or HDMI to DVI connector (my GTX280 from MSI has one, and 4870 had one, HDMI cable sold separately)
Motherboard - P35 or P45, $150 approx.
Sound card - X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatality series. Non-fatality series Gamer is a piece of crap, same level as a build-in sound - its a piece of software on a chip, which makes CPU do all the job, unlike the "fatality" series card, which has its own sound CPU. makes things sound better and work faster. yes I have one. $200 approx.
Memory - DDR2 (make sure mobo works with DDR2, NOT DDR3) 4gb 800mhz will be more than you'll ever (probably) need. $80.
HDD - you choose. I got 1TB and its more than enough for me. I took WD AECS 1TB drive, happy with it. $300 for me, $200 or less for you.
PSU - make sure it has at least 2x8 PCI-E connectors, you'll need them in the future. Module connections are recommended. $150 or so.
So far its $1480. Toss in $600 for a great water cooling set and its still well under $3000. It will be powerful enough to play practically any game (Crysis not included, Crysis Warhead not included) on maxed out settings in Full-HD resolution. And with water-cooling you'll be able to squeeze some more juice from it to rival those Core i7 CPUs at a much smaller price.
I'd look at newegg.com for parts, never bought there anything but heard its a good place for PC components shopping.
This is gonna be one crazy pc
I'm using an AMD duron 1800 with 128mb ram for an HTPC (my neighbor was recycling it. The system is fanless, except for the psu, boots in approx 25 seconds, and plays 720p blu-ray rips (of course, I didnt actually rip them on that pc)
Anyway, what im tryingto say is that before you build this thing, make sure you really want to do all this stuff ON YOUR TV
I basicly just use mine for watching, well, TV and movies, so i spend my money on other hardware. And BTW, if you dont have a nice setup, like a desk in front of your tv, pc gamining can get really annoying. Again, I would say do that elsewhere, and get anxbox for the TV (but of course im sure you already have one)
I know I'm just adding to the chorus, but pretty much any decent PC will make a decent HTPC with some adjustments.
I was running a nice 3.6ghz dual core, 3gb ram system with a last-gen nvidia card. I just recently added a $99 Hauppage tuner that will tune HD-OTA, analog cable/tv, and FM. I ran a $15 HDMI cable to my TV and I was good to go. The tuner came with a remote for Vista Media Center and I already had a wireless kb/mouse. Now I can use the guide to tune my cable and OTA, record like a Tivo, watch all the "instant" netflix I want, and browse all other local and online media all from my couch and with a remote. The great part was that it just took a couple hundred bucks to do this with my existing computer. You can do this from scratch for under $1000 if you already have an HDTV. There are some nice cases (Antec comes to mind) that look more like home theater components so you don't need to have a tower sitting beside/behind your home theater if you don't want. A decent dual core cpu, a few gigs of RAM, a decent vid card and tuner card, and a nice big hard drive (newegg had a 1TB today for $114) and you are good to go. Throw in a wireless kb/mouse and remote for easy couch-potato mode.
@pcmike how did you make a htpc for $420? I find that hard to believe. with what parts? Do tell. Can it run anything worth while or record HD?
I built a 3 HD, 2 analog gaming / htpc for about $1400 with:
Intel Q6600 cpu
ASUS P5QL-E mobo
Evga 9800 GTX+
4 GB ram
1 Hauppauge 2250 tuner
1 Dvico Fusion HDTV5 RT Gold tuner
1 Hauppauge MCE 500 tuner
2 x 500GB seagate HDD (in raid 0)
Origenae S16V case
Antec 650 watt PSU
It even has a recording light. :)
@ Shinigami:
Thanks for the info dude, that helped and cleared up a lot of things. My roommates and I were just talking about we really needed to invest in putting together a decent HTPC setup.
HTPCs are the most fun to build, mainly because these cases are the newest of new.
Antec Veris Fusion
ASUS P5Q-VM
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB)
EVGA GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready
WD 640GB
Pioneer Sata 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black
This totals $611 before shipping (Newegg). I do not see where anyone gets $3000!
ya! thats the way to go, build your own! but i personally would go with and ATI over Nvidia any day, the new 4850's and 4870's are cheap and kick butt.
You're forgetting the HDTV tuner(s). Don't waste money on that Antec case. looks cool, who cares. you can get nice looking htpc cases for
with the $2389 left, you can buy a nice 52 inch 1080p LCD!
:-D
it is ludicrous how cheap LCDs are now.
You can get 52" Samsung 1080P LCD's for just around $2k. With the left over $350 dollars you can buy a PS3/X360/Wii and hook that up too. A PS3 would let you watch BluRay as well as being a nice gaming console.
I second the recommendation of the Fusion. It's this case I bought for my own system, and it works great!
Looks awesome but since that's way under his budget I'd say a 1TB hard drive. I agree with magnum870 this looks to be the best I also compared to Nvidia
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121276
ATi cards are more commonly found in HTPC builds from OEMs and knowledgeable HTPC DiY-ers. "ATi 3650 All in Wonder" is an excellent (the only) choice for this application.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=ati+wonder&x=0&y=0
I totally forgot the CPU!!! Nobody caught that too, and we call ourselves DIYers ;)
Add another ~200 for a Q6600 (we want to be encoding video don't we?).
hey I WANT THE CAPS LOCK KEY http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121276 is a better choice since he said he wants to game on the computer, but i totaly agree he should get some sort of a TV tuner card.
and as i said earlier would killermojo tell me why he recommended a 640GB instead of 1TB hard drive.
What everyone seems to be forgetting here is the ideal HTPC is supposed to be QUIET. Sticking in powerful Quad core CPUs and GPUs is fine n' all but generally defeats the whole point of an HTPC. It's no good watching a film if you have a noisy fan/hard drive running in the background. It's the reason why HTPC's are so expensive as the cooling and case components are generally of much higher quality in order to keep them quiet. Silent fans, heatsinks, and PSUs aren't as cheap as noisy ones. You need to take into account airflow as a lot of silent components are passive as well. This generally restricts the actual components as they can not as powerful due too much hear or noise such as the case with GPUs and PSUs.
Finally most people also seem to be ignoring TV tuners as well. If you don't follow this, you might as well just build a standard desktop.
Mac Mini + XBMC
http://xbmc.org/
Lowish cost + minimal messing around. Has everything you need to view HD content. Just add external storage over the network.
Can also swap the hard disk with a flash based drive to make it even quieter.
Its not great for games but get a PS3/Xbox360/Wii to sort that out
That's not even remotely helpful.
"all the usual PC things ... also like to play RTS games, edit music / video"
What good would a Mac Mini do for any of those? Are you going to honestly try and convince this person that a mac mini has the ram and horsepower to be a video editing box?
It's okay, most people don't read beyond the headline.
"...which has the possibility of being upgraded when the time comes."
That pretty much rules out any Mac.
Classic Mac response.
Get a Mac Mini +
1. Load custom software
2. Add external storage
3. Add external capture card
4. Add TV capture software (Myth/Beyond, etc)
Oh yeah - and it won't solve your underlying issue about wanting to play games. Brilliant!
Believe it or not, Macs are not the best solution for every single problem.
@ Bjsguess
[Insert indignant Apple fanboy response here]
@ bjsguess
Dude,just use Windows.
Much easier than what you just listed.
I don't know about building one, haven't spec'd out a computer in more than a year :P
I was recently looking at some PVR software though, LinuxMCE looked REALLY awesome, but getting it installed was a huge hassle cause of some display issues and then getting the Internet working proved too much trouble for me and I tried Ubuntu with MythTV, but again I was having too much trouble with getting Linux working at 100%
I don't want to use Windows Media Center, but right now I'm gonna try SageTV for Windows, it's a little pricey compared to free, but being able to use an OS I'm more comfortable with is worth the moniez. I used it before way back in the day and it's made a lot of progress in 2 or 3 years since I gave it a shot so I'm looking forward to it. From what I've read, I think it's the best PVR software for Windows, but other options are BeyondTV and of course Windows Media Center.
If you're comfortable with Linux you could try LinuxMCE, Myhbuntu, or just install MythTV on top of what ever distro you're comfortable with.
I'm also wondering about these $3000 to $6000 HPTCs being mentioned above, what sort of specs do they have?
As the others said, if you build one at least, you'll have one at a large fraction of the cost, not even close to $3000, that is absolutely ridiculous!!!!
Tell that to companies that successfully sell $7000+ PCs during world economy crisis...
Not really, I used to be fanatic regarding trying to get stuff to work. Like 10 years ago play with Slackware and see how to build partition tables and get your cron jobs done. Nowadays if something doesn´t work (I´m not an ICTer) I dont start fiddling with the buttons I pickup the phone or mail the ICT department and ask them to get it fixed and not to forget, how long does it take.
I find myself more and more in a position I expect my hardware to work and less intersted in what happens in the box. Now I can certainly imagine that people tend to go to a store or order online whatever they need and don´t want to think about how to put it together and get the software to work correctly. They want to get a box, open it plug it in and done. If it doesn´t work they dont start meddling themself they pickup the phone and ask Alienware or whoever when it gets fixed.
Yeah. Jesus. $3k? You don't need much in the way of expensive hardware for this task, just LOTS of disk. We're not talking a gaming machine, it's a video playing machine.
"...and would also like to play RTS games, edit music / video..."
Actually, we are talking about a gaming machine. Sometimes it helps to read the requirements before making suggestions...
Still it has to be CPU strong anyway to decode 1080p video so to make it a gaming machine only costs $300-400 more at most to put a high end card in and buff the power supply.
who the hell spends $3000 on an HTPC? You can build one for $500ish. a good one too. Anyone paying more than ~$800 (blu-ray burners are expensive) for an HTPC is a sucker. unless its got a built-in touchscreen on the display or something.
The best is the one you build yourself ;)
45nm quadcore
passive gpu
plenty of ram
huge hdd
nice looking case
Passive GPU and RTS don't really click if you ask me. But its easy (and inexpensive) to make it quiet enough not to be annoying. Just use expensive coolers, water cooling and sound-proofing materials in expensive (and large) case. More expensive, but more powerful. And quieter than what most companies offer.
I'm amazed at how good my setup is: XBMC on an old xbox and FreeNAS on an old PC (with a new 1TB HDD).
Only thing it doesnt do is record TV, but you can set that up apparently...
Cost me about $350 in new parts, including the hard drive :D
I'm with you - except right now my movies are scattered across 2 20gig drives, a 60, a 120, a 55, a 250(all on various locations throughout my netork), and about 40 backup DVDs (5 divx rips each). Time to organize....
mine cost about 300.00 mostly using used parts. it is connected via hdmi to a 47lg50 and looks amazing. all you need is a silverstone case and nobody will know the difference between your 300.00 build and their 3000.00 one.
For a total cost of $1240
I even threw in a pretty nice GPU for gaming...
Case: $160 Antec Veris Fusion
PSU: Included with case 400W
Motherboard: $120 ASUS P5Q
Processor: $190 Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4Ghz)
Memory: $55 4GB
HDD: $115 1TB 7200RPM
Optical: Pioneer Blu-Ray ROM
Networking: Onboard Gigabit LAN and Edimax 802.11a/b/g/n card
Video Card: $300 Sapphire ATi Radeon HD 4870 1GB
OS: $120 Windows MCE
All the prices came from newegg except for the case, which came from buy.com
That PSU won't cut it for overclockers... and Q6600s/4870s just BEG to be overclocked. 500W minimum for a system like that.
Yeah i guess, but who said anything about overclocking? That's a solid build you've presented.
go with 2gb so u dont need 64 bit vista if u use vista cause there r tons of incompatibilitys
You guys keep talking about DIY but that means he doesn't get a real HD tuner (OTA by itself doesn't cover it). The best experience is with a CableCARD tuner. The cheapest ones you can get are from Dell (XPS 420) or HP (m9400t). They'll run you for $1-$2k depending on options and coupons available. The problem with these is that they come in regular towers as opposed to a nicer htpc cases, for that you'd have to spend big on velocity micro, niveus or some other boutique which goes to your $3k range.
I would agree. I have built my own for many years, but for my HTPC I bought a system to get CableCards. That's really the only reason I can think of to buy pre-built over building it yourself.
As for suggestions: I'm very happy with my Velocity Micro Cinemagix Grand Theater. Dual CableCard tuners cost $600, so that put the total cost at around $2500. I haven't had too many problems with the CableCards (did have to replace one after about a year), but I did my research, and I know others have different experiences.
I agree. The true integrated experience will require a DCT. I have the HP d5000t. Considering replacing the standard PC tower case with one optimized for HTPC use.
The Cost? $1100 (single ATI DCT tuner). Take the cable tuner away and you have a price that's pretty much on par with a DIY.
Online coupons baby.
if you need cable cards, why not get the hardware that accept the cable cards (a nice graphics card that supports it would do the trick) and then get the cards from the cable company. they're gonna charge you that danged monthly fee, but it's usually cheaper than the actual cable box rental. and then you can DIY and have cable cards which is the best way to get your tv. but then again guys, what's wrong with the solid coaxial cable plugged in? i know where i live (upstate, ny time warner cable) people with standard cable can get hd channels so long as they have cable and an atsc tuner. if his card had one (mine does) he'll get hd tv on his HTPC
oh yea, you also could get the hdtv box from the company and then use firewire to link it to the htpc.
that also works...
Asus P1-AH2 (or similar book type barebones), AMD Processor 64bit 5200+ x2, Small hard drive < 80GB, 2GB RAM, DVD-ROM. That's like $300 - $350, buy one for each TV, we'll just round to $1000. Add a 2TB NAS for say $600 - $700. Maybe $100 for a few Microsoft Media Center remotes.
Depending on what you want to do You can spend the rest of the money on HD Tuners and install MythTV, or go with no tuners just media playback and XBMC.org on Ubuntu.
Go to newegg.com, and buy parts there, then build it yourself.
Most, if not all pieces are complimentary to their slots (PCI-E only fits in PCI-E) so if you just make sure you're putting things in their complimentary slot, you should have no problem building the PC. Then all you'd need is a copy of windows to put on, and drivers (Which should be on the disks delivered with the items you bought.
Here's a decent spec'd PC for cheap, with everything.
LG Bluray Burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136155
Intel C2Q Q6600 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
WD Caviar 750GB : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131
Asus P5Q-E Mobo: newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131296
OCZ 4GB DDR2 : newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227352
Thermaltake 750W PSU : newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153036
9800GTX+ : newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130376
$1100 + Tax + Case for a very upgradeable, very nice system.
My last 2 media centers were compliments of Slickdeals.net. It's pretty easy to find a smoking deal on a prebuilt machine and then add in the missing pieces for little cost. Most won't be designed to sit in your media rack - I just store mine in a cabinet. Last one I picked up was an AMD Quad Core from HP. Came with Vista Ultimate, tuner card, 500gb at a cost of $325. Upgraded the on board video and was set with a very nice box.
You bet. I did a similar deal. A gateway with e6300, 2gb ram, 400gb hd, dvd burner, 7600gs video card, atsc/ntsc dual tuner with remote, vista home premium. Cost me a whole $275 shipped. I use the xbox360 as an extender.
thermaltake armor plus black aluminum atx case
(2x) geforce 280 1gb ddr3
1300w power supply (just because you can)
(4x) 2gb ddr3 dual channel ram
128gb ssd
foxconn blackops x48 atx intel motherboard
intel core 2 quad Q9650
total comes to $3022.92....just throwing it out there...
all on newegg...forgot...
a 128gb SSD is a huge waste of money for an HTPC... ditch that and get a couple 500gb drivers or a 1tb one.
yah definitely no ssd big waste of money
get one of these if you're ok with no name brand http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145167
otherwhise get WD for $9 more http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136293
I'd say, buy a Mac mini with a large external hard drive and a TV tuner. Then spend the rest of the money on a proper desktop PC with it's own monitor so you can sit in front of it and edit your videos and you music and play your games in a comfortable manner. Really, you don't want to do serious work from your couch.
No upgradeability on the mini... go and upgrade the desktop machine instead.
The big con is that Blu Ray is out of the question.
As is 1080p, the mini sucks
@ the guy who said the 48xx ATI series was cheap, keep in mind that series is probably overkill for RTS. an older 38xx model is a smarter choice to keep the cost down and framerates up. I'm running a 9600GT, and it's overkill for most non-crysis games, and it is HUGE. the ATI cards just seem to be smaller.
my suggestion for buying from a manufacturer would be a base model HP mini tower for around 300-400 with a standard 1 year warrentee. buy TV tuner, video card, RAM, and additional HDD for another $200-250. the price comes to about the same as building your own b/c of the cost of vista and a warentee on Motherboard, PSU, and Processor.
so your range in prebuilt systems with a 'personal' touch is between 500 and 650 dollars. you get basic dual core performance tied to a decent graphics card and lots of memory and storage. and if it breaks, you aren't completely screwed.
happy hunting!
HD-PVR? the Cablecards are great, but theres too much to fuss with... they work a few weeks, then dont work... and so on. at least in my experience. i switched to hd pvr and bootcamp my mac pro and it works solid. refurb mac pro $2400, hd pvr 1212 $250, xp license $99 =circa 3k. im sure you can build a pc for less... or use a lesser spec'd mac, just so long as it has 256mb vid ram.
No DRM! 1080i
WD TV $99 + Passport 320GB $99 = $198
Yeah, that would be a perfect setup for video editing and gaming
Really? I use Windows, and so does 90%+ of the marketshare.
@ OCEAN 'CLAK' 20th...
10% of us feel bad for you.
sorry ROFL I didnt realize your comment wasnt directed at me... I didnt even see the post inwhich you were replying to until now. yea that dude is being a waste... people should embrace all 3 platforms. again I apologize for taking a shot at you
somebody gonna get a hurt a reeeeeeaaaal bad.... (quoted from Russell Peters)
LMAO... your not serious right?
The DIY alternative is to go to a local computer store.
Yes, OMG, they still exist! They'll take the $700-$1,100 DIYs here, slap a markup, and you'll still get out under $2,000. And until they go under, you'll have local support!
Then you'll be stuck supporting a system you didn't build. And you paid $1,000 extra for it!
See folks? *Progress*.
SageTV is by far the best DVR software available with a strong support forum. They also have HD media extenders.
I agree, Sage is very nice, I'm running it on my HTPC box under Windows XP. One thing that distinguishes Sage from most of the other media center software is that it can be run in two parts, the GUI runs as a normal application but the scheduling and recording engine can be set to run as a Windows Service so it is available as soon as the machine boots up and runs without anyone having to login and start up a desktop.
For details on the box (which is about $400 for the hardware and $250 for XP and Sage) see:
http://www.vermeulen.ca/computer-gigabyte-ma78gm.html
which is built on the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard that has on-board ATI graphics (with DVI and HDMI output) which does a good job of 1080P. The case is the Antec New Solution Series NSK2480, which is a low cost HTPC component-style case.
This case is nice and quiet. The CPU is a relatively low-end AMD 4850 (dual core) running the stock fan. Because the motherboard controls the fan speed the CPU fan is very quiet during all playback operations so a more expensive aftermarket heatsink/fan is not necessary.
The only reason for using a faster CPU would be if you want to do video transcoding (say compressing from MPEG2 to H.264) on the box, in which case get a quad-core setup.
PS3 ($399) at the TV networked with your current computer plus TVersity, Play On, a good tuner card and extra storage (another $200-1000). That covers a hell of a lot of content sources: Blu Ray, TV, downloads/archives, many music formats, and occasional gaming... all controllable via a bluetooth remote and taking up very little space.
$3000 is a huge budget for a home built HTPC.
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H
CPU - Phenom or better for the faster Hypertransport. Remember the faster it is the louder it is going to be. I'd recommend the 8450
Case - Silverstone, etc. I'd always recommend a full ATX case. More room, better and quieter cooling, same size as a receiver.
RAM - 2 gigs is plenty. Not worth running 4 gigs requiring 64bit WinOS. Still a lot of 3rd party support is missing for 64 bit.
Video - 4850 or 4870 Full Dolby and DTS lossless over HDMI. Can't beat it. plus enables hybrid crossfire to conserve energy.
Power - Silverstone, Antec, Zalman, Seasonic, pick your poison. 80PLUS certified and quiet.
HDD - Add a few terabytes or something small and serve it up through the network.
Tuners - Haugpauge, Pinacle, etc.
Remote - I prefer a learning Gyration remote. Controls everything but also doubles as an extremely effective in-air mouse when needed.
Blu-Ray - Why not add one when they can be had for a little over $100.
OS - Vista 32bit - Is Vista Media Center the best? maybe not? is it the easiest to just have everything work? Absolutely. Can't wait for windows 7 though just because of their Media Center.
You can easily put this together for a little over $1000.
Great build u just forgot to tell him to blow the remaining $2000 on a nice TV, try looking at Fry's if you have one for the TV they have great deals otherwise newegg for TV
Actually probably newegg for everything they almost always have best prices by far if u havnt been there i highly recomend using power search
Say... why do you need sound through HDMI into TV if you can connect it directly to speaker system?
Um... who needs a tuner on the PC if you plan to connect it to TV?
@ Shinigami
"Um... who needs a tuner on the PC if you plan to connect it to TV?"
Anyone who wants to use their HTPC as a DVR
HP Pavilion Elite M9260F Media Center PC
Includes BluRay and HDDVD (I've got 30 HDDVDS to get rid of). 1TB HD space, 4 gig Ram, TV, HDMI, Wifi including keyboard mouse.
Got it for $750, include a 32in or whatever inch LCD and your good to go.
Max Money: $1300+/-
I built my own, but you're better off buying one from a manufacturer for the cablecard support and adding a new video card, etc yourself.
Say... Does HTPC absolutely need to be small? I understand it needs to be quiet and powerful enough for high-def movies, some video encoding ect but small... Just hide it behind something. If you manage to get the airflow through the case from the frontal intake to the rear exhaust without any side holes, you can simply hide it behind a TV. Or a soundproof wall. And it will be nice and powerful.
Oh and those companies making $3000 HTPCs usually use much cheaper components but add some ridiculously expensive stuff to the mix just to bump up their profits. And still use build-in video cards, build-in sound cards. In one word - horrible!
$3,000???? Is this some kind of sick joke for the rich? I bought a HP Slimline pc for $300 that is the size of a cable box, quiet, and plays 1080p via hdmi smoothly. Added another $100 for a 1TB hard drive and I'm all set.
Launch World in Conflict (RTS) and you'll have your answer.
I don't play pc games so I have no idea how it will run. The graphics card is an ATI 2400. All I know is 1080p movies play as smooth as butter, and that's what I bought it for. Dead silent.
I went a little overboard on the configuration. Everything is from newegg.com All parts where chosen to be quiet. It may say HTPC, but watch out Alienware.
2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB $299.98
1x Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 $139.99
2x GIGABYTE GV-R485MC-1GH Radeon HD 4850 1GB $399.98
1x ZALMAN ZM1000-HP 1000W $199.99
1x G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 $144.99
1x ASUS Rampage Extreme LGA 775 Intel X48 $389.99
1x Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz $319.99
1x Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Ultimate $169.99
1x Pioneer Black Blu-Ray Reader and 12X DVD±R $149.99
1x Antec Black Aluminum / Steel Fusion Remote $219.95
Total_________________________________________$2,424.84
You don't need 2 video cards. Ever. Its all marketing. For best experience get the most powerful single-chip card you can afford. For the moment its GTX280, but 4870 1gb is real close.
DDR3 is made to take money away from fools. It costs more ($50-100 more) and gives you 1% speed boost. Means it doesn't give anything.
Rampage Formula, not Rampage Extreme. Its a DDR2 mobo, the rest is the same. Trust me, I have Formula, and I was going to get Extreme, so I took my time to read all reviews I could find.
Case - Lian Li. Only. Buy one and you'll agree with me forever.
4gb ram = 64-bit OS. Don't worry, its nothing scary.
1000W is overkill. 650W - 850W will be enough for next 5 years or so. Companies put 1000W just because of marketing and numbers. Same as multiple video cards.
You didn't mention X-Fi sound ($160 and higher price, I recommend Fatal1ty series and Titanium series). Yes, its better than build-in sound. Anyone who argues never tried that (they don't argue after trying).
Q9550 is the best thing mentioned, can't argue.
And guess what? It will be less expensive than $3000! And more powerful (ok, same powerful but cheaper).
Oh and use Scythe Quiet Drive for HDDs. Also don't forget some super-air-cooler for the CPU - $60-100. It will make the system much quieter and allow some OCing. Means it will save a lot of money.
Another vote for DIY. I built my HTPC for under $700, running Windows MCE 2005. No low spec parts either. My next HTPC will be dual core Atom based. So far, I priced one out for around $500.
Really, there's no need to pay a premium price for an HTPC from off the shelf. Total rip-off. I think that's part of the reason why MCE didn't quite gain mass popularity.
Someone please explain what setup i should do if I've got a digital cable box which currently has hdmi into the tv. Should i get a pc with a tv tuner card (dell or hp), build one with a haupauge, or do i even need a tv tuner card? If I've only got one HDMI in on the tv, how would one connect the cable box to the computer to the tv? I'm looking at a tv with 2 hdmi ports which would make life easier in my mind.
Shuttle XPC barebone systems are a great place to start. Super small footprint, powerful and extremely quiet and, for my money, as esthetically appealing a pc as I've ever seen. Throw in a 4850 or 4870, wireless mouse and keyboard, HDMI out to your panel and you're good to go.
I'm currently using a Mac Mini/external drive as a HTPC and it does a fair job but the lack of discrete graphics is the limiting factor. I can playback 720P mkv files with no problem but it chokes on anything above that. Front row would be great if it worked with VLC but, it doesn't. Next build will be a Shuttle with XP Media Center or Vista.
1) Mac Mini $600
2) Plex (http://www.plexapp.com) or OSXBMC (www.xbmc.org)
3) Done...watch any content in HD or SD, get trailers and fan art all in 1 small cube.
I dont understand why you would need to spend 3k on a HTPC, I agree that the know-it-all's here will say super quad-core and fire-draws video card but at the end of the day a $600 or cheaper unit can push you 1080p content and sound with very little effort. If you're really on a budget get a Popcorn hour and call it a day.
What about games? Mac mini can now run RTS? Its real-time strategy, mostly made for PCs, not Xbox or PS3.
WTF is running games on a HTPC????
You sound like a fan of the $1046 Alienware in the next room that confuse real functionality with high end parts that make you vagina wet.
Even better is you can ran xbmc on an appletv at 1/2 the price of the mac mini. Runs just the same - runs brilliantly!
I use it every day, now. And you can upgrade the internal hard drive easily enough.
No one in their right mind would buy an OEM desktop or HTPC. Trust me, putting together a computer is really easy. Check out NewEgg.com for the best deals and little to no cost shipping or tax. I just put this system together:
AMD Phenom Black Quadcore 9600 2.3 Ghz(x4) $120
4 (4x1 GB) GB OCZ Gold Series 800mhz DDR2 RAM $40 after mail-in rebate
320 GB Samsung HDD $50
ECS 780GM-A Motherboard w/ ATI Radeon HD 3200 built-in (HDMI out) $80
Samsung 22x DVD+-RW $25
580 watt power supply $30
Case $30
Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse $30
Grand Total: $405
I paid no shipping and no tax. You could easily up the RAM, add a discrete graphics card, up the processor, HDD, etc. for only a few hundred bucks more. $3000 is absolutely unnecessary and ridiculous.
What about TV tuners, a Blu-ray player, & operating system?
"No one in their right mind would buy an OEM desktop or HTPC. Trust me, putting together a computer is really easy."
But it's time consuming - installing the OS and all the drivers one-by-one. I used to always build my own, but now I only buy pre-built. I'd much rather spend my Saturday with family and friends than with a computer.
@Evan
How do you spend time with family and friends without a computer?
HE'S NOT ONE OF US!!!
@Alex
I was just throwing out an example of my last ultra-cheap build. An ATI All-in-Wonder HD graphics card would take care of the tuner and power for those 'RTS' games. Of course, they could always add a second tuner for just a bit more to take full advantage of the DVR functionality in Media Center. Granted, I didn't add an OS to the price as I personally already had a Vista HP license from another desktop that downgraded to XP. So for a cool $1000 you could probably pop in probably the 9850 Phenom quad-core, get a more expensive case, throw in an ATI All-in-Wonder, Vista HP, and a BD reader.
@Evan
It really isn't time consuming at all. As long as you take it step-by-step for putting it together and are patient you shouldn't be spending more than a few hours from start to finish. Most of your time will be invested in picking the actual parts, where to buy, etc. Personally I think its a lot of fun, not so much the drivers part, but having full customization of your build, picking specs, looking for good prices. etc.
Wow, I need more hobbies after writing that last sentence.