My HTPC hobby…

[SeanM]

I have just completed building my second HTPC set up. The first build was a bit of a disappointment but a great learning experience. I think I am finally beginning to see a stable HTPC configuration after almost a year (on and off) of trial and error. I have tonnes of gratitude to express to the contributors of this forum. There is no way that I could have figured out several complex issues without searching the great advice here.

After much experimentation I firmly believe that Sage TV media center is the best solution for a HTPC. Even if Sage TV was not the best, this forum and the great support that it offers would make Sage the best. From my experience, there is no way to build a great HTPC without the resources found here.

This is the hardware/software configuration for my new HTPC build:

Case: Thermaltake Mozart
CPU: P4 531 3 GHZ LGA 775
Memory: 1 GB Crucial DDR
Motherboard: ASUS P5PE-VM
Video: ATI X1600 Pro 512 AGP
Sound: HDA Xplosion 7.1 DTS Connect
HD: Western digital 150 GB 7200 RPM SATA
Capture card: Hauppauge PVR 150
Network: D-Link 802.11 wireless card + router
Control: BTC UHF wireless keyboard/mouse + Hauppauge remote
Sage TV version 6.0 running on Windows XP home SP2

For what it’s worth, I have a few thoughts to share for anyone considering building a HTPC:

- I have built many PC gaming machines, I have found that building a HTPC is a completely different challenge

- If you want a PVR that you can just plug in and use with no configuration get a TiVo or something

- Building a HTPC is something you enjoy as a hobby and not because it is cost effective or easy

- Don’t underestimate how important low noise is on a HTPC

- With some work you can build a home theatre PC that has better sound and video quality than your DVD player

I believe that the HTPC and software like Sage is the future of TV. I feel that as time progresses TV will cease to be a liner experience where you sit down at 8:00 to watch your show an a network. I think media centers like Sage will be the key, recording and downloading content over the air or off the internet. I also love the concept of releasing all of my media (CD’s, DVD’s, pictures, TV shows) from there hardware and letting them be stored on a hard drive and served up by Sage.

Anyways, Thanks to all forum contributors for building a great repository of HTPC information here. It really makes a difference for people starting out in this hobby like me.

-Sean

[wheelrandolph]

VERY well put! I agree that if you want cost effective, plug-n-play then get a Tivo. It is not for the faint of heart and you must enjoy it as a hobby and it can be quite rewarding. With the new (2nd) season just starting it is great to have a server recording from multiple tuners, comskip processing the files (even as they are recording) and sitting down at 7:24pm (or any odd time) and watch my shows.

Randy