Building Another HTPC

[six_storm]

Was thinking about HTPC, but purchased this, IAMM NTD38HD:
http://www.iamm.co.kr/new_2007/eng/index.php?m=2&s=1

Very happy with the device :) Internal 2" LCD can be used to browser music collection without switching-on TV, and it can play almost any SD/HD video format.

That's a nifty little device!

I played around last night with MediaMonkey, converting songs in to different loseless file formats when I finally realized something. Most of my music library (99%) have been transferred from one PC to another: when I ripped all of my CDs a few years ago, I just ripped them into the standard iTunes default of 128k AAC formatted M4As, nothing high quality. So I took a few songs, converted them into 2 other formats: WMA loseless and 320k MP3. I listened to the whole song, speakers and headphones, and could not hear a difference in the audio quality. I also looked at the file size of WMA lossless and wow, it does take up quite a bit of HDD space.

I decided to just transfer all of my music to either 128k or 320k MP3s since I won't be losing any real audio quality.

[LovingSticky]

It has one shortcomming though - it cannot play Lossless audio files (WMA and/or FLAC). Had to convert WMA Lossless files to 320KB CBR..

[six_storm]

So here are two cases that I've been keeping my eye on:

Silverstone SUGO SG02B-F - $93 after tax/shipping

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-163-112-14.jpg

OR

Lian-Li PC-A05B - $120

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-112-130-20.jpg

Both cases are very nice and they would house my equipment very nicely. With the Silverstone case, I can keep the case small and compact. But with the Lian-Li case, it looks better and will give my equipment a little bit more room to breathe. I would have to add a fan to the Lian-Li since it only has one case fan.

What do you guys think about these?

I'm also still working on my music collection, converting all M4Ps to 128k MP3s so VMC will read them. MediaMonkey is the shiz! :D

[Monolyth]

I finally got everything up and running. Cut my Raptor drive in half, Vista's partition taking 34GB while the Data drive is taking 35GB. I transferred a few movies, both AVI and DVD rips, and a few MP3s. Amazingly, all of the codecs I downloaded (see below) work like a charm! The MCE remote works really well and is easy to use, however, it has a little lag when changing the volume. Oh well.

Codecs:
QTLite
AC3 Filter
xViD
FFDShow
CoreAVC 1.0.6

Now I need to transfer all of my iTunes music to MP3.

Nice list of codec's. I run CoreAVC+AC3Filter for all my h.264 needs. ;)
For MPEG-2 I'm using Mainconcept MPEG-2 Video Decoder, I tried an old copy of PureVideo I had sitting around and while it worked for watching movies it would not work with AVISynth, since I've gone back to using D2V's for my AVISynth scripts in MeGUI I may try PureVideo again, Mainconcept loves to up their merit's and that's pissing me off!

[mullet]

I just ordered this.

SILVERSTONE SST-LC17-B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163055)

LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136133)

I downloaded this software and I really like it for HD playback.
ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre (http://www.arcsoft.com/public/software_title.asp?ProductID=34)

And a review http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2822&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=1

[Monolyth]

I would recommend Vista Codec Pack, but if you don't want that, then at least install Halli Media Splitter, some files like MKV, TS, M2TS etc.. might not play at all without it

For codec purists it's best to stay away from packs (for regular users they are okay), they can cause all kinds of conflicts and their quality can be questionable as well.

@mullet:
I was actually looking at that exact case to replace my old HTPC. :)

[six_storm]

I think I'm gonna wait another week to order my case since I'm still not 100% decided on one yet.

Yeah, I've always heard that Codec packs aren't the best way to go. I used the K-Lite pack for the longest time, but when it comes to VMC, AVIs won't play.

[mullet]

@mullet:
I was actually looking at that exact case to replace my old HTPC. :)

I should get it this week I will take a lot of pictures to give you an idea, I will probably upgrade the mobo & CPU. I am wondering is a FX55@2.8 and 2GB DDR 400 is going to pan out with Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, we shall see.

[six_storm]

After pondering on what case I should get (all day at work :D ), I decided to get the Lian Li A05-B. I just about ordered from Newegg since they seemed to be the only one selling it, but I looked again on FrozenCPU.com and found it for $13 cheaper. Stupid Tennessee tax rapes me all the time.

Anywho, I looked at a few A05-B threads and found that it was one of the coolest looking mATX cases I've ever seen. Sure the SilverStone HTPC case would've been cooler to have but that would've been almost $50 more.

Maybe I'll get the case before the weekend and I can get it put together to take a few pictures. Here's one for right now:

EDIT: My fiancee has put my USB cord somewhere around the house and I can't find it. I'll post them later tonight.

[nekrosoft13]

For codec purists it's best to stay away from packs (for regular users they are okay), they can cause all kinds of conflicts and their quality can be questionable as well.



normally i would agree, stay away from stuff like klite codec packs. but Vista Cocec Pack is very basic.

FFDSHOW 32bit/64bit
Halli Media Splitter
AC3Config
Gabest
XVID + 64bit extension
RealMedia Support

that is pretty much all, it has every component that i would normally install. Just in one simple pack.

[nekrosoft13]

I think I'm gonna wait another week to order my case since I'm still not 100% decided on one yet.

Yeah, I've always heard that Codec packs aren't the best way to go. I used the K-Lite pack for the longest time, but when it comes to VMC, AVIs won't play.

that is because k-lite has no x64 support and vista media center is pure x64

[Monolyth]

I tried PureVideo again but for some reason it's just too dang choppy for MPEG-2 M2TS streams go figure that a software solution (Mainconcept) is more smooth lol!

Finally got Black Hawk Down encoded the way I want (first try it didn't detect the video as progressive >:| and dropped my framerate from 23.976 to 19!!! Ugh chop-city - this is the reason I'm back to using DGIndex to verify that it's progressive), 39GB's down to 11.5GB's (AC3 only tho, no LPCM *tear*), now that's how you save space! Visually I could not tell the difference between the BR original and my re-encode. I <3 this. All I need now is a dual harpertown encoder box and I'll be in heaven hehe, using my main machine atm is teh sux.

normally i would agree, stay away from stuff like klite codec packs. but Vista Cocec Pack is very basic.

FFDSHOW 32bit/64bit
Halli Media Splitter
AC3Config
Gabest
XVID + 64bit extension
RealMedia Support

that is pretty much all, it has every component that i would normally install. Just in one simple pack.

I've actually started shying away from FFDShow at least for the time being. Really my only use for FFDShow at this time would be to attempt to enhance a DVD-level res video and even then you've gotta go in and tinker on a per-DVD basis. I don't mind doing such things once on a re-encode, I would rather not do it on a viewing basis as I would be changing settings more then actually watching movies hehe.

[nekrosoft13]

i use gabest for mpeg2, had few issues with mainconcept in the past.

about the progressive thing, that is a common problem when converting HD-DVD to BR. Especially with VC1 and H264 steams. It is easier to fix on VC1 thanks to VC1conv utility that removes the pulldown.

on H264 sometimes can be abit more tricky sometimes.

i also see no difference when re-encoding huge movies. if done properly there really is little to no difference.

about the re-encoding, I have quad core phenon server/media server that i use for encoding. around 30-40% then my intel machine, but atleast the intel system is free to other things.

[six_storm]

that is because k-lite has no x64 support and vista media center is pure x64

K-Lite's 64-bit pack isn't really 64-bit?

[nekrosoft13]

apparently it isn't, other wise it would work.

[Monolyth]

i use gabest for mpeg2, had few issues with mainconcept in the past.

I did initially but after setting merits/blocks in MPC's external filters all is well. ;)

about the progressive thing, that is a common problem when converting HD-DVD to BR. Especially with VC1 and H264 steams. It is easier to fix on VC1 thanks to VC1conv utility that removes the pulldown.

on H264 sometimes can be abit more tricky sometimes.

Pulldown's are a pain in the *bleep*.

i also see no difference when re-encoding huge movies. if done properly there really is little to no difference.

Tru dat, the only cruddy part with BR are the subtitles, the whole idea of "image" based subtitles was a bad idea IMHO. SupRip's OCR is less-then reliable most of the time so I've pretty much given up hope on some BR subtitles (especially ones where they differ from DVD).

I'm all BR -> 264 MKV atm as I don't have any HD-DVD's, once I get caught up on my BR's I will start re-doing some of my older DVD's that have yet to make it to BR, I'm shying away from buying any HD-DVD since the format is dead.

about the re-encoding, I have quad core phenon server/media server that i use for encoding. around 30-40% then my intel machine, but atleast the intel system is free to other things.

I've got an encoder machine lined up on NewEgg, but I'm kinda worried especially with the x264 folks talkin about the newer FPGA-based PCI-e cards coming out in the $200-$400 range that will just blow away even CUDA on h.264 encoding. Perhaps if I wait long enuff I can simply parts out my current Gaming box for an encoder box, till then I shall bide my time and just run my re-encodes overnight heh. ;)

Ran into a nice little problem with DGIndex last night w/Ocean's Thirteen (VC-1), found out it can't do VC-1 at all. Luckily the analyze in AVISynth detected all progressive (as I suspected it would). I hadn't watched my BR copy of Ocean's 13 until I started working on the re-encode...wow now I realize why it was so low rated on Blu-Ray.com...HORRIBLE PQ.

[nekrosoft13]

about VC1

vc1conv VC-1 Elementary Stream Converter
Converts HD DVD 29.97 fps streams with pulldown flags to 23.976 fps progressive

http://www.w6rz.net/vc1conv.zip

very simple to use, demux the video to video.vc1 and run CMD and type

vc1conv video.vc1 fixed.vc1

program name then source and then target.

that is all, all pulldown will be removed.

[nekrosoft13]

i believe ripbot and eac3to also use vc1conv for their functions.

[nekrosoft13]

I did initially but after setting merits/blocks in MPC's external filters all is well. ;)


MPC? media player classic? are those merits system wide?

I use WMP11 for all playback, PowerDVD Ultra8 for BD on Disc.

I play/set merits with gspot

[Monolyth]

MPC? media player classic? are those merits system wide?

I use WMP11 for all playback, PowerDVD Ultra8 for BD on Disc.

I play/set merits with gspot

Yah their system-wide, verified w/GSpot. ;)

[Monolyth]

about VC1



http://www.w6rz.net/vc1conv.zip

very simple to use, demux the video to video.vc1 and run CMD and type

vc1conv video.vc1 fixed.vc1

program name then source and then target.

that is all, all pulldown will be removed.

I prefer TSMuxer (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=134104) for such operations. :)

[nekrosoft13]

i use txmuxer all the time for demux'ing and remuxing but when ever i tried it to remove pulldown from vc1(HD-DVD) it never worked correctly.

[JaggEdges]

Does anyone how (or if) the All-in-Wonder works with the IGP of the Gigabyte MA78GM in Hybrid Crossfire configuration?

[six_storm]

Just checked the status of my case and it's on its way! Should be here tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have a slow day and I can work on putting everything together. Will post pics tomorrow night if not Saturday some time.

[nekrosoft13]

i want to see those pictures ;)

almost bought the same lian-li case, but before i do i want to see how it will look on the inside