Building dedicated home theater system

[Lone Cloud]

Well I've never done it before, but I'm building one. Got a case that's not a tower that will fit in my rack. Cool look. Aluminum, display, volume knob

The motherboard is one that has all kinds of outputs like HDMI and DVI. Advertised that it will work with and amplify graphic card output. 1080p claims on box.

Got AMD Phenom II chip, 4 mb RAM ( both installed without problems) and need only reader/writer and hard disk. Have maybe 60 % of the wires connected. After I get the storage and writer in, then I'll install the ATI 4670 card and my TT 3200 S-2 card

Since I am completely new at this, I have put batteries in my smoke detectors and have gotten a brand new fire extinguisher and kept it within reach at all times.

It's a maze of wires, that's for sure. It'll hopefully be a good dedicated home theater computer system when it's done. I didn't go completely top of the line on the chip or the RAM because I am figuring it won't have any of the standard programs usually found in off the rack pcs.

If it works, and I don't burn my house down, I think it'll last a good long while,
and i think i'll be able to upgrade the chip and the RAM to extend its liife

I hope it works well with my Sony vw60 projector system. As long as there's no flame and smoke involved

 

[14karat]

No visuals?
Curious to know where you picked it up since I'm about to splurge on a MB & CPU that is similar.
Also, I'm sure you meant 4GB RAM and not 4mb...

 

[Lone Cloud]

well, I installed the 1 tb hard drive and dvd writer. turned it on and voila! nothing but blank screen and weird noises coming from it

got it at Fry's. you are right about the ram = showing my age

 

[14karat]

Did you try booting it before you added the drives?
You should get a splash startup screen if your CPU & memory are all playing well...

 

[Lone Cloud]

The top is open and the disconnect of the SATA cables is easy. I'll try booting it without the drives later tonight.

I want to get Windows XP loaded and then add the wireless card, the ATI card and the technotrend card one by one after that.

 

[14karat]

I guess everyone has their own technique, but I typically add the CPU (+ heatsink, of course) and the RAM, plug in a monitor and keyboard and fire it up.
Then I'll go in the BIOS menu and watch the CPU temp for a little while to make sure nothing is overheating before I start filling up the box with the drives, cards, etc...

 

[ftaseeker]

HTPC feedback

Hi,

Some things for you to consider:

OS: Windows or Linux

• if Windows, more readily available software
• if Linux, MythTV is probably the best

Motherboard:

• AMD 780G, 790GX will do HD decode just fine with low CPU use in Windows but not (yet) Linux
• Nvidia GeForce 8200 supposedly will do HD decode just fine in both Windows and Linux

CPU:

• Phenom II is a very good bang for the buck, I just got a 940
• Core 2's with large caches more expensive

FYI, a GeForce 8400GS will decode OTA HD and scale it to 1650x1050 just fine with about 30% CPU loading on an old Asus motherboard with a socket 939 Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (actually 3800+ but overclocked to 4200+ levels)

Please note, Windows Nvidia HD drivers seem to require HDCP from monitor, otherwise monitor blinks every couple of seconds. Use analog VGA cable or component video.

Well I've never done it before, but I'm building one. Got a case that's not a tower that will fit in my rack. Cool look. Aluminum, display, volume knob

The motherboard is one that has all kinds of outputs like HDMI and DVI. Advertised that it will work with and amplify graphic card output. 1080p claims on box.

Got AMD Phenom II chip, 4 mb RAM ( both installed without problems) and need only reader/writer and hard disk. Have maybe 60 % of the wires connected. After I get the storage and writer in, then I'll install the ATI 4670 card and my TT 3200 S-2 card

Since I am completely new at this, I have put batteries in my smoke detectors and have gotten a brand new fire extinguisher and kept it within reach at all times.

It's a maze of wires, that's for sure. It'll hopefully be a good dedicated home theater computer system when it's done. I didn't go completely top of the line on the chip or the RAM because I am figuring it won't have any of the standard programs usually found in off the rack pcs.

If it works, and I don't burn my house down, I think it'll last a good long while,
and i think i'll be able to upgrade the chip and the RAM to extend its liife

I hope it works well with my Sony vw60 projector system. As long as there's no flame and smoke involved

 

[Lone Cloud]

Well I can't really call my method a "technique" since I never did it before.

I was just trying to follow the case and the motherboard manuals.

We'll see tonight.

I am hoping.

 

[Sadie]

I hope this works out well for you, I've been looking at a similar project

The problem I've been having is finding a media center software package that will play well with its tuner and a motor on the true FTA satellites in North America

Its probably me but I've had problems with MythTV, GBPVR and MediaPortal, so far Sage TV with a plugin to use MyTheatre as the tuner looks most promising.

 

[14karat]

Ftaseeker,
That's the kind of information I'm looking for... at least on the Linux side.
I won't be doing any more Windows installs.
I'm looking at a Phenom X4 (quad core) w/4GB...
Here's a link to the one I'm looking at in case anyone is interested or has a comment...
hxxp://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4352231

 

[14karat]

Just hit me what you were saying about the 790GX... for $5 more and no rebate hassle I can get this one...
Would it be the better option?
hxxp://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4443930

 

[Lone Cloud]

Well I've been having a run of bad luck getting started. A flat panel monitor I have at home has flaked out. I brought an old extra crt monitor home from my office, and that doesn't work. I tried connecting directly through HDMI out - but that may have to be enabled first in the software. and the DVI to HDMI cable I'm also trying doesn't work either - as I understand it, a DVI output has to be specifically formatted for HDMI and this one may not be.

So bottom line is, all wires are connected, and it may actually be booting up, but I don't have a VGA monitor that works yet.

Just to be on the safe side, I popped off the cpu fan and loosened the cpu and made sure it was seated well. It was and so I reinstalled the cpu cooler ,

I'll have the brand names and product numbers of all components by tomorrow or so, and by then I should be able to know if it's the monitor issue or it's some defective hardware issue.

Anyway, it's an education.

 

[Lone Cloud]

Actually, I had to return most everything. At Fry's, they seem to push items that have been previously returned, so this time, I got all new, unreturned stuff. I kept my chip and ram for now. I figured the drives and the motherboard could have been damaged by power supply surging I was experiencing., so brand new on that

Anyway, got it all home and put it together - much faster this time.

All hooked up and there you go!!! a screen !!!

So I've got a Gigabyte board, AMD Phenom II processor, 4 GB of RAM and a Terabyte of hard drive, and a Plextor multi disk drive/writer. I'm using an Antec case with 380 watt power supply.

Now I'm going with Windows XP which I'll order online from Newegg and then I'll install My ATI 4670 graphics card , TT 3200 and sound card or wireless internet card depending on things.

Anyway, realistically, it's next weekend at the earliest that I'll be able to test it out.

My advice? Don't buy anything returned if you are building a system from scratch.

I am excited about this learning experience. I guess I am part techno-nerd

 

[starman345]

Sounds like things are coming together for your finally. Too bad about the defective equipment, that is discouraging. Keep us up to date on the video, sound and OS install.
Is this going to be a higher end home theatre in its own dedicated room? I hope you realize we will be begging for pictures of the completed project?

 

[ftaseeker]

more on htpc

Personally, I'd either get a cheap 780g (asus, that supports 140w CPU's) with an inexpensive 8400GS (gets component video output and an svideo output which motherboards no longer have) or a GeForce 8200/8300/9300/9400 based motherboard (some with hdmi!)

The Phenom X4 9500 is a decent CPU, however I'd get a Phenom II, or at least one of the 9x50 models which are B3 stepping, fixing the MMU bug the B2 steppings had. There is a kernel patch for Linux for the bug, but why not avoid it?

Actually, with the 8200 or 8400GS, even an Athlon X2 5000+ ought to be more than fast enough, and those are CHEAP!

Ftaseeker,
That's the kind of information I'm looking for... at least on the Linux side.
I won't be doing any more Windows installs.
I'm looking at a Phenom X4 (quad core) w/4GB...
Here's a link to the one I'm looking at in case anyone is interested or has a comment...
hxxp://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4352231

 

[14karat]

Ok - that figures -
I hadn't read anything about the B2 bug until now. The 9500 has already shipped. The 9550 was $20 more... oh well, if I have any problems out of it at least I know what to look for.

 

[14karat]

Lone Cloud, glad to hear you got it running. Sorry to hear about all the returns... I've been through those before, and gotten burned on them to boot...

 

[ftaseeker]

B2 bug

I would not worry too much about it, and there is an easy kernel patch that may already have made it into the kernel you use. In the BIOS you may find an "AMD PATCH" - if you do, disable it, as it causes a 20%-40% performance hit. The linux patch causes a <1%-5% hit.

The symptom of the bug is unexplained lockups under very high load, something you are unlikely to experience on an htpc.

Ok - that figures -
I hadn't read anything about the B2 bug until now. The 9500 has already shipped. The 9550 was $20 more... oh well, if I have any problems out of it at least I know what to look for.

 

[Lone Cloud]

Sounds like things are coming together for your finally. Too bad about the defective equipment, that is discouraging. Keep us up to date on the video, sound and OS install.
Is this going to be a higher end home theatre in its own dedicated room? I hope you realize we will be begging for pictures of the completed project?

Actually I have a dedicated theater room. Higher end Sony projector, ten foot diagonal motorized screen. Onkyo video receiver/processor. satellite receivers, Blu ray player and dvd writer. home theater seating and building a home bar in the corner.

I'm actually wanting this HTPC build to be for the S-2 and 4.2.2 stuff ( and whatever else might be coming.) It may be my internet computer too, I'm deciding on that (takes a long time for the projector to heat up enough to display).

It's already a pretty cool theater. I'm just making it cooler

 

[Lone Cloud]

XP install

Just to keep you guys informed, yesterday I received my XP Pro delivery from Newegg. Got home and put it in the dvd unit.

I got nothing until I went to the BIOS and selected "boot from cdrom" Then it started, Problems came when it tried to partition the hard drive - a 1 tb Seagate , SATA unit. That failed. repeatedly.

Tonight I'm going to try loading the hard drive driver disk first and then try XP again.

I'm still excited and learning by the minute.