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Afrikane

Afrikane

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If you are considering a Silverstone/Origen/Aristec case for your HTPC I can happily report a pleasant customer experience with Antony from http://www.hometheatrepc.co.za/category.aspx?categoryID=149
I ordered a Silverstone case online from him, his follow up communication has been excellent and the three day delivery from JHB for the case is very good considering some of the experiences I have had from Gauteng retailers. I would have no problem ordering from them again.
 
Yeah, they look good. I just found some of their stuff a bit overpriced. Like the Silverstone Media Centre LC10 for R 2,184.00. Where NakedIT has the LC10M (which includes a nice VFD, worth a few bucks extra) for R 1,999.00.
 
wait..lemme try understand this.

a R2k case is too expensive, so we gonna build a htpc in a normal case, hide it away somewhere, then spend R2k on a media streamer with limited abilities because the R2k case was too expensive.

i can sort of see the reasoning, but it doesnt make 100% sense. Sure, I am biased, all my **** is in pretty cases, and I sometimes wonder if I shouldnt consolidate, build one moerse media server and drop little streamers by the tv's like father christmas:-) but then other times, i think, nah, my pc's look pretty, the system works, I am happy and have multiple redundancy.

horses for courses, but not buying a R2k case so that you can buy a R2k streamer doesnt gel with this horse:-)
 
ok guys do you mind asking one dumb question, how do you control your HTPC? You need a remote control, don't you? Is that another R2K? Then how do you get the remote signal to the PC? The case doesn't seem to have an IR sensor? Does it come with an RF receiver? If you buy a third party RC, do you have to hang an ugly IR sensor somewhere among your stuff?

then how much does it cost to buy a VGA card with component video output?
 
There is many nice ones. For one I like this thermaltake with Medialab included as a good mid range price/performance with remote and many integrated functions!

http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/Mozart/mozart_vc4001sns.htm
http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/Bach/black_vfd.htm
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/Chassis/desktop/mozart/vc4001sns.asp

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/Chassis/desktop/bach/vc8000_index.asp
http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/medialab/black/black.htm

Price range as an example!

For Bach and Mozart Price R1795 cost! excl profit profit and vat
For case only no (Media lab) Price R1195 cost! excl profit profit and vat
Medialab alone for PC 5.25" bay = R895.00 cost! excl profit and vat
 
swordfish1 said:
ok guys do you mind asking one dumb question, how do you control your HTPC? You need a remote control, don't you? Is that another R2K? Then how do you get the remote signal to the PC? The case doesn't seem to have an IR sensor? Does it come with an RF receiver? If you buy a third party RC, do you have to hang an ugly IR sensor somewhere among your stuff?

then how much does it cost to buy a VGA card with component video output?
Click to expand...
R895.00 cost excl!
 
one at a time...lol

control is via infrared...yes the media streamers have pretty systems built into them, but if you have more than two braincells to run together it is pretty easy to integrate a infrared receiver into a htpc. two ways, one cheap, very cheap, and another one slightly more expensive, but easy
1) winlirc software, with a serial infrared receiver which you can make yourself in 5 minutes or buy a premade one for $15
http://lnx.manoweb.com/lirc/?partType=section&partName=buy
fitting it to the case is an exercise for the reader, but most cases have some way of doing this...even if you have to drill a 5mm hole into a drive bay to mount the ir receiver led.
2) use the official microsoft mce remote, which is supported by most frontends. £20 overseas, or around R300-400 in s.a. Also easy to integrate the receiver part into a case, dont be so dull:-)

cards with component output...well, if you have a htpc you probably think it is great to play games on your nice big television, so the odds are you already have component output on your graphics card. but I fail to see why you would use component when vga or dvi would do perfectly fine.

If you have a soldering iron, a bit of patience and some spare time, it is relatively easy to hack a quickie cable to work with ati radeon cards to provide proper scart rgb output. maklik. using powerstrip you can program the card for true 720x576 50hz interlaced pal output. Or even widescreen 1024x576. this is all actually not that much of a deal.

compared to the server pc+streamer, well...your server pc would have a big hdd, a tv tuner...so the only diff is the fancy case+remote. I feel that for me, personally, it is easier just to deploy another htpc where it is needed. If I want a streamer I can pick up a secondhand xbox+dvd remote, softmod it and be up and running with xbmc as a streamer+dvd player+ games console for under £50. I know the s.a. market is a bit different:-)

have a good day
!

<edit> sorry, forgot to mention..I picked up an All-In-Wonder 2006 Pci-e edition gfx card a week or so ago for htpc use. Radeon x1300 based, analogue tuner, dvb-t tuner (for when sentech and DoC pull their fingers out their asses and start offering digital tv) fm tuner as well as native scart rgb output. Wicked card!!!!!
 
Last edited:
werner said:
one at a time...lol

control is via infrared...yes the media streamers have pretty systems built into them, but if you have more than two braincells to run together it is pretty easy to integrate a infrared receiver into a htpc. two ways, one cheap, very cheap, and another one slightly more expensive, but easy
1) winlirc software, with a serial infrared receiver which you can make yourself in 5 minutes or buy a premade one for $15
http://lnx.manoweb.com/lirc/?partType=section&partName=buy
fitting it to the case is an exercise for the reader, but most cases have some way of doing this...even if you have to drill a 5mm hole into a drive bay to mount the ir receiver led.
2) use the official microsoft mce remote, which is supported by most frontends. £20 overseas, or around R300-400 in s.a. Also easy to integrate the receiver part into a case, dont be so dull:-)

cards with component output...well, if you have a htpc you probably think it is great to play games on your nice big television, so the odds are you already have component output on your graphics card. but I fail to see why you would use component when vga or dvi would do perfectly fine.

If you have a soldering iron, a bit of patience and some spare time, it is relatively easy to hack a quickie cable to work with ati radeon cards to provide proper scart rgb output. maklik. using powerstrip you can program the card for true 720x576 50hz interlaced pal output. Or even widescreen 1024x576. this is all actually not that much of a deal.

compared to the server pc+streamer, well...your server pc would have a big hdd, a tv tuner...so the only diff is the fancy case+remote. I feel that for me, personally, it is easier just to deploy another htpc where it is needed. If I want a streamer I can pick up a secondhand xbox+dvd remote, softmod it and be up and running with xbmc as a streamer+dvd player+ games console for under £50. I know the s.a. market is a bit different:-)

have a good day
!
Click to expand...

Yeah everyone on its own! It will maybe look like a hack too! IMHO.

that is R600.00 + already + X + Y + z +the soldering, hacking, software issues, some extra time... experience needed and maybe have an flop ??????

Component and or digital out is a must for the current Home theatre systems. So a decent MB and GC is required! The HTPC is just an extension to a proper HT and not a replacement (Yet!). Make the HTPC a high power Server fuction with DSL internet and the rest and then the options start to become powerfull!
 
yes, you are 100% correct, i come to myadsl to argue, lol
i think it is my tone of voice, or the way i move my hands when i type, but i have streamers (3 x xbox's) and htpc's (4 of) so you may say i kinda have a slim idea of what i am talking about here.

but that is the beauty of humans, we each have our own outlook on life and how to go about things.
i started with a pinnacle pctv in a pc, hooked up to a pinnacle 1000 streamer. that was the "taste" before i graduated to a proper htpc. i havent had the joy joys of owing a proper HT as you state, so maybe I am out of my depth here, but for sure the pc is totally capable of doing what you want. even cheap mobos come with spdif+coax output nowdays. and component output has been available since ati had the radeon 8500 back in 2003/4. so we arent even talking new-ish technology here. http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/faq.html#1
anyway, back to tonight's scheduled programming...arguing the toss:-)

have a wonder past the forums on htpcnews.com for some interesting ideas.
here, i made this myself, back in beginning of 2005
http://www.htpcnews.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=514&cat=500
me (heart) htpc!!! woop
 
If there are any Cape Townians looking for an HTPC chassis drop me a PM, I have an Accent HT200S (made by Kanam now Aristec) case with VFD gathering dust in the storeroom. Free of course but you will have to arrange collection of same.
Pic here:http://www.arisetec.com/products/HT-200.htm
 
werner said:
yes, you are 100% correct, i come to myadsl to argue, lol
i think it is my tone of voice, or the way i move my hands when i type, but i have streamers (3 x xbox's) and htpc's (4 of) so you may say i kinda have a slim idea of what i am talking about here.

but that is the beauty of humans, we each have our own outlook on life and how to go about things.
i started with a pinnacle pctv in a pc, hooked up to a pinnacle 1000 streamer. that was the "taste" before i graduated to a proper htpc. i havent had the joy joys of owing a proper HT as you state, so maybe I am out of my depth here, but for sure the pc is totally capable of doing what you want. even cheap mobos come with spdif+coax output nowdays. and component output has been available since ati had the radeon 8500 back in 2003/4. so we arent even talking new-ish technology here. http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/faq.html#1
anyway, back to tonight's scheduled programming...arguing the toss:-)

have a wonder past the forums on htpcnews.com for some interesting ideas.
here, i made this myself, back in beginning of 2005
http://www.htpcnews.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=514&cat=500
me (heart) htpc!!! woop
Click to expand...
I agree fully. FAct is not everyone can do what you did. I am in electronics myself. Just I never owned a HT system before recent due to the fact I wanted to do it with PC too! Have creative audigy2 ZS! Then I saw a system el cheapo HT system I liked, bought it and now I think HTPC will take a while to get there! Fact is I saw that, as example with your Home brew HTPC or a HTPC case, with media interface or as you did home build media center with optical interface to the HT DTS decoders the system will just be unbeatable!

What I am planning soon !

HTPC case with media centre. R2000.00
ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/WiF wireless R2000.00
XFX 7900 *2 SLI R5000.00 Got already
AM2 CPU ? R????.00
5.25 Bay 250W SLI Power supply
2GiG DDR800 Ram
2* 250GB+ SATA
DVB card + Sat link (Have Sat link, Pentamedia + small dish)
DSTV dualview
ADSL 512 Internet
PS2 slim
Plus + ???

The Mobo and CPU could change, to Intel + core 2 pending on when to SA market! Latest August will still be Ok else AMD here I come!

DST Dual view could become PVR system or DIY

HTPC case could become DIY Mod?

This is to have a family HT+ HTPC server system as central entertainment system linked to "broadband" (sic..spit "Telkom") Internet with each of 5 other PC's as "workstations" or gaming terminals in a Gigabit LAN gaming environment with wireless conectivity! (Have 4 kids a wife and a dog) + Kids mates galore! The system must be upgrade-able to new technilogy!

To follow sooner is an RGB overhead Proxi
Lage screen 42" plasma or other (Very later)
HT room

Any advice is welcome!
 
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@ Pupa,
You are going in the right direction hardware wise. One thing though, do you intend to use the HTPC for any gaming, I ask because my 7900 makes one helluva racket when in a game. Silence is golden when it comes to building an HTPC box unless you intend burying it in a hush box. The Dualview DSTV box is the biggest piece of junk around, in the year and a bit since they have been out I have gone through 5 replacements due to them overheating and dying.
 
Afrikane said:
@ Pupa,
You are going in the right direction hardware wise. One thing though, do you intend to use the HTPC for any gaming, I ask because my 7900 makes one helluva racket when in a game. Silence is golden when it comes to building an HTPC box unless you intend burying it in a hush box. The Dual-view DSTV box is the biggest piece of junk around, in the year and a bit since they have been out I have gone through 5 replacements due to them overheating and dying.
Click to expand...
I am to be looking at passive cooling for the rig! Water or heatpipes. There are a few goodies on the market. The problem I have is I upgrade 1 PC the others immediately cue, kids? There fore the powerful central server system idea with good workstations!

I feel the same as with dual-view. I am just lucky, mine does overheat too, just never really failed yet, funnies happen yes, but I live with it. Too scared to chance and get worse as you say!
 
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