Cheap HTPC for cheap tasks

T

timme

Gawd
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
520
Hello,

I need a hardware solution for a rather simple problem.

I am using three systems. Vista and OSX on the system in my signature, plus OSX on a MacBook. Media files, especially music, is spread accross all three systems with no particular system. When I'm working in Vista, the music I want is on the MacBook. When I'm working on the MacBook, I need to plug the AUX-cable from the tower and to the MacBook, you probably get the rough problem.
Same thing for video files. I don't own a single BD or HDDVD and very little other HD material. Although, I would really like to finally put my standalone DVD-player to the garbage.

The tasks I want to accomplish (ordered by priority):

- one PC for media data
- stream music to other PCs (e.g. squeezeCenter or similar)
- play DVD rips and mostly SD recordings on TV
- maybe some emulators

The hardware requirements (ordered by priority)

- S-video (TV is tube unfortunately)
- cheap
- energy efficient
- maybe HD-proof for the future, but HD won't lift really off here (germany) until 2010 or so

I already tried some configurations. Since I didn't find a mainboard with S-video out, something like an ATI 4530 is probably required. No matter if 780G, nvidia 8200, G31, G35 or what else I tried, I usually ended up at around 350 Euro for the whole system.
Maybe I am asking too much here, but I would really like to know if there are any cheap options I missed. I would really like to beat those 350 Euro. The higher the margin, the better of course.

Any input is appreciated, thanks in advance,
Tim
 
whatever way forward you choose, the single biggest thing i would urge you to do is simply consolidate all your data into one location...which could end up being the htpc itself if you fling a large drive in there...this way, every machine on the network can then access everything - regardless of which o/s it is booted into. this then also means any important stuff can simply be mirrored to another location as a rudimentary backup.

i've still got a crt television and my htpc is simply an optiplex gx260, with a terrabyte drive hanging off the back in a usb enclosure, and a radeon 7500 graphics card...this is hooked up the tv using a cable that takes tv-out and audio into a scart connection. i then run xp and media portal on it. it is connected to my network wirelessly. all controlled using a mce remote.

i only use it for watching tv and dvd's, works a treat.
 
Since HD content is not an issue for you, get the cheapest AM2 mobo and processor you can find, and slap a cheap video card in there. Here in Houston, we regularly see CPU/mobo combos at Fry's for $50, but I assume that's a bit out of the way for you. Add a $30 Radeon HD3450, $25 for 2GB RAM, $150 for a 1TB hard drive (or $80 for a 500GB), $20 for a DVD burner, and $60 for a case. That $335 (or $265 for the 500GB version). The cost of Windows is on top of that, of course, unless you want to go the Linux route (which is certainly possible).

Without HD content, you could do it even cheaper--any old P3 will have enough horsepower to play back DVDs, and you can get those for dirt cheap with Windows installed. Add a big hard drive and a PCI Radeon HD 3450 and you're good to go.
 
Fortunately, I can get a Windows XP license through the educational MSDNAA program from Microsoft at university.
I'm now crawling places for a cheap AM2 Mobo+CPU bundle, will keep you up to date :) Thanks for the input so far!
 
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