Looking to build HTPC with vm support

[mark271]

Hello all,

I am looking to build a HTPC that has the following capabilities.

2 or 3 cable cards like the V+ boxes must be HD.
1 or 2 sat card to watch sat channels must be HD.
1 free view card to watch freeview.
BlueRay Player
DVD writer
2TB disk space.

Price is not really that much of a conern but do not want to spend money for the sake of it. What cable cards would be best for multiple tuners. I am guessing I will have to get a hardware cam. What sat card should I buy not really done anything with sat before and not got my dish up yet but I have also bought a dreambox 7020.

Would it be possible to run on 64 bit vista so that I did not have the 3gb memory issue 32bit has? I am looking for specs for the main pc and the cards. I have had a quick look at specs but cant find anyone that has built a system like this so there is noting out there I can really copy.

Processor?
MotherBoard?
Memory?
Graphics Card?
Hard Drive 2x samsung spinpoint F1
Cable Cards?
Sat Cards

Thanks for you help.

Mark.

[k.jacko]

?????????? Jeeessussss!
You want how many cards? Its hardly gonna be a 'htpc'. You'll need something the size of a server to house that much hardware!

Dude, just go with either cable or sat, they both offer more or less the same channels anyway.

As for main components, after researching for mine, i've just built:
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (will process full 1080p with onboard video and audio)
AMD 4450e (low energy cpu)
250gb sata hdd
sata dvdrw
300w matx psu
2gb pc2 6400 Corsair ram
Vista HP 32-bit
5.3 on Windows Experience (the onboard video card drags the score down as its not for gaming)

This board/cpu is allegedly one of the very best for htpc's due to its powerful ability to process 1080p out of the box and the cpu is low-energy too. The mobo only has 2x pci slots though. I have my TT C-1501 plugged in for all my cables channels.
Am currently trying to get mediaportal to work but the HD channels, so i'm told should work ok.
Personally i'd get a nas for your 2TB storage, so the stuff is on the network.

Good luck.

[Cynan]

I don't think Media Centre works too well with different types of card. It will get confused it you put all three types in. I tried with a cable and a freeview card and it seems you can only store channel listing for one.

[TwinTown]

u can daisy chain floppydtv / firedtv cards to work as duel / triple tuners but that gets pretty expensive....mixing sat and cable ain't got a clue....

[mark271]

Ok I have decided that I am going to just start with the dvb-c cards.

This is what I have decided on so far

Case Zalman HD160 http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/prod...e=CAZ-HD160-SI

CPU AMD Phenom 9850 http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/prod...=CPA-AP985GH-B

2x floppydtv dvb-c cards
HardCam?

2x Hard Drive samsung spinpoint F1

Mother Board ? (Must have at least 5 PCI slots)
Memory?
PSU I would like the Zalman psu but which one?
Cooling never really done any cooling.?

Anything else?

Mark.

[TwinTown]

Originally Posted by mark271

Ok I have decided that I am going to just start with the dvb-c cards.

This is what I have decided on so far

Case Zalman HD160 http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/prod...e=CAZ-HD160-SI

CPU AMD Phenom 9850 http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/prod...=CPA-AP985GH-B

2x floppydtv dvb-c cards
HardCam?

2x Hard Drive samsung spinpoint F1

Mother Board ? (Must have at least 5 PCI slots)
Memory?
PSU I would like the Zalman psu but which one?
Cooling never really done any cooling.?

Anything else?

Mark.

i used a silverstone full atx case first but didn't realise how big these cases were untill it was stuck under the tv, i would go for a micro atx case, much neater not so intrusive. i got an antec fusion black but there are better cases around now.
The board i use i gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H mb with a AMD FX-62 proceesor 2Gb DDRII ram....on board graphics and audio....ok for tv but if u are going to use it for gaming probably need a graphics card.

5 pci's? remember the floppydtv's are firewire so no pci's really required they fit into any pci or pcie slot or prop them up in the case somehow....u be lucky to get 5 pci slots on the newer boards, most are pci-e now....the mb i got has hdmi output and looks ok saves u a graphics card...

cooling tried the artic freezer 64 pro but it's very tall, but now use the amd stock heatsink and fan cool 'n quiet, 2 case fans on low setting, and noise ain't so bad.....plent of vents on the case

oh aye, also Antec TruePower Trio 550W PSU

hope this helps