Building Another HTPC

[mullet]

Updated my sig, this HTPC kicks ass really smooth blu ray & HD DVD playback. The 780g + 4850E X2 45W cpu dropped my cpu usage from 50% with the FX55 to 20% with the 4850E X2. Best money I ever spent.

[six_storm]

Updated my sig, this HTPC kicks ass really smooth blu ray & HD DVD playback. The 780g + 4850E X2 45W cpu dropped my cpu usage from 50% with the FX55 to 20% with the 4850E X2. Best money I ever spent.

Sounds awesome mullet! I want to jump into the Blu-Ray scene but I have my doubts about it catching on. Oh well, I guess we will see one day.

[nekrosoft13]

I’m having issues with the Radeon 3400 something (forgot the exact model). CPU usage doesn't seem to be the problem since it stays low (40-60%) when playing blu-ray movies in PowerDVD, or 1080p h264, vc1 files.

But some movies simply won't play smooth.

Hard to explain in some movies it seems like it skipping half of the frames. In other movies it seems like it is playing frames back slower, then audio and video goes out of sync, and video skips 10+ seconds to catch out to audio.

PowerDVD8 is upgraded to latest version, and these "problem" movies playback fine in both of my other PCs (Q6600/GTX280) and (A9550/NF8200).

Anyone experienced anything like that?

[nekrosoft13]

BTW, someone should re-name this thread to something like definite HTPC thread ;)

[mullet]

What are your spec's for your HTPC? did you use the driver for the 3450 or get the latest off ATI site.

[nekrosoft13]

AMD 4400 939 at 2.6ghz
4gb ddr
ECS nforce 4 motherboard
no bd-drive (was testing with my LG GGW-H20L

driver as far as I know there is no specific driver for 3450, i went to ati site, click on driver, select the 3400 series, and it points to the same 8.10 driver.

[mullet]

I had some problems with the 8.10 and then used the driver from ASUS 3450 CD which I usually never do but it worked better. I will say this that FX55 & DDR400 I ran first just didn't have the power to run Blu-Ray with out skipping and lagg.

[nekrosoft13]

but the weird thing is, it plays some movies perfectly.

for instance Godfather series, it plays all first and third fine. but second movie plays in slow motion.

and second movie is the longest, has lowest bitrate.

[mullet]

Are they the same compression?

[nekrosoft13]

H264

[mullet]

Try this.

http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/download/patches_112_en_US.html

And movie review.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1067721

[nekrosoft13]

well i have the latest version of PowerDVD8 installed

2008-10-23 PowerDVD 8 Ultra Updates: This update file updates PowerDVD 8 Ultra to PowerDVD 8 Ultra build 2217. For PowerDVD retail and online purchase versions only. To check the updates for hardware bundled versions, click here for instructions.

[mullet]

Ahh that's right you have 8.

[mullet]

Mediaportal

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=33868&stc=1&d=1225691736

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=33869&stc=1&d=1225691736

[nekrosoft13]

anyone tried this keyboard/pad for their HTPC?

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/3848&cl=us,en

[mullet]

anyone tried this keyboard/pad for their HTPC?

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/3848&cl=us,en

I was really looking at this hard a month or so ago, I read some mixed reviews.

[nekrosoft13]

i had issues with bluetooth connectivity before, not totally convinced about that product. but for 150 bucks it should work perfectly, not sure why they went with bluetooth.

[mullet]

I would be more intune for a Logitech remote then that.

[nekrosoft13]

great my HTPC broke, need to figure out tomorrow if it is ram, or something to do with motherboard.

this is what happens when you build a pc from old parts laying around

[crainger]

PS3 time?

*runs away*

[nekrosoft13]

you better keep running.

today after work i need to figure out what actually failed. Computer just shuts down, usually few seconds after entering windows, both vista and xp are affected.

not caused by BSOD, because there is no error, it just powers off.

[six_storm]

I haven't used my HTPC in a few weeks . . . . we haven't had any time to watch movies or TV shows that I've downloaded. :(

[nekrosoft13]

if ram is the cause, i will have to RMA it, but if the board, there is no point in buying 939 board.

will go with this
ECS A780GM-A AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135075

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADO5200DOBOX - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103210

I already have good Crucial 2GB DDR2, later I will have to add ATI Radeon 4550, for full HDMI 7.1CH audio out.

[crainger]

PSU perhaps?

[nekrosoft13]

it is possible, but i think the board is at fault here, it will run with one memory stick, but if you try with two, it either will get stuck pre-post, at post, or will loose power few seconds after entering windows.

tried 3 different memory sets, didn't help.

I had ordered

MSI KA780G AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130210

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADO5200DOBOX - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103210

I have ram, 2GB Crucial Ballistix, later will grab Radeon 4550, for full 7.1ch HDMI out.


NOTE: :| board was in stock yesterday, they better send it out.

NOTE2: Board supposelly will support AM3 processors.