Geek cred check

[Pliablemoose]

I haven't had a traditional TV in years, using a HTPC/projector set up, with an extender so I can share recorded content in another room.

I drifted away from desktop PC's to laptops, the HTPC is the closest thing to a desktop I own now.

 

[Gothgar]

I have not

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I haven't had a traditional TV in years, using a HTPC/projector set up, with an extender so I can share recorded content in another room.

I drifted away from desktop PC's to laptops, the HTPC is the closest thing to a desktop I own now.

i dont but...pics?

 

[se7en]

my cred was declined :brokenheart:

 

[xanis]

I've always wanted to build one for myself. I've just never been able to find the spare cash to build one unfortunately.

 

[mugs]

I used to. Now I have that PC set up as a uPnP media server in my basement, and I use my Xbox 360s and a hacked original Xbox to watch the videos served by the media server. Works great. I have another device that I use for music streaming and occasional video; I'm not sure if it's TVersity or uPnP media servers in general, but the organization scheme for music is terrible - I can browse by artist OR album, but not artist and THEN album (So there's no way to see a list of just a single artist's albums). So I use something else for music.

I also have a SFF PC that I bought, not built. I use that as my main computer now. When it becomes obsolete and I replace it, I'll probably use it as an HTPC on one of my TVs.

 

[Sea Moose]

i have my pc hooked up to 2 pc moniters and an lcd tv 32inch screen. I nef and pwn/get pwned on xbox all at once

oh and i built this pc from scratch. My first build and i am proud as punch with it

 

[ElFenix]

i had one but took it apart after i couldn't get other people to work it. plus the harmony remote had no clue how to work with the tv.

 

[alyarb]

i have an i-star D400 case under my bed driving an LG 42" LCD. it's an HTPC but it's also my main PC so i dont know if i get the cred. the logitech dinovo edge is unapologetically nerdy but it's just such a great product that i'll defend it.

 

[Fox5]

I've got an HTPC, roughly equivalent to my desktop.
It's got an ATX case, but a fairly tiny one so it's almost matx size.
Triple core phenom at 2.5ghz, 1 250GB ide hard drive and 2 750GB WD Green drives, a blu-ray drive (I think it's a burner as well), 4GB of ram, 64 bit vista (for the games!), wireless G card, runs Boxee (fantastic media center program), hooked up via HDMI to a 1080P display, and runs a DAAP server to share music over the network. I figured out how to set up DAAP before UPNP, plus DAAP is better supported by Linux and everyone has itunes anyway.
I've got the PC tucked away in a closet and just run the HDMI cable out. When I move, I'll have to see how I set it up in the new place.
Has an xbox 360 controller, a wireless gyroscope mouse, and a wireless keyboard.

 

[sjwaste]

I do but it hasn't hooked up since I moved.

Has an Opteron 165 w/ 3GB RAM, XP, running BeyondTV. Hauppauge analog card and Dvico ATSC tuner. The Dvico card took a shit and no longer tunes anything.

I'm considering getting back up and running with the Hauppauge HD PVR.

 

[dethman]

nope

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i had one but took it apart after i couldn't get other people to work it. plus the harmony remote had no clue how to work with the tv.

On a whim, I looked up "Hauppauge" (I have a Hauppauge HVR 2250 tuner card) on Logitech's Harmony set up page, found it and it works perfectly. I knew there had to be something as the M$ remotes work great. I took apart an IR reciever and stuck it behind an unused tinted panel on the front of my case, gave it a cleaner look than having yet another dongle hanging off the case...

I also use a BT Apple keyboard and M$ mouse along with the Harmony remote.

 

[CRXican]

No one could ever explain a simple way to make the sound and video work so I never built one. It's a shame cause my PC is less than a foot from my TV (42" plasma).

 

[alyarb]

stupid time warp.

 

[alyarb]

Originally posted by: CRXican
No one could ever explain a simple way to make the sound and video work so I never built one. It's a shame cause my PC is less than a foot from my TV (42" plasma).

dude that is the flimsiest excuse i have ever heard or even conceived.

 

[IEC]

Just built one yesterday using my old parts. Though it's not being used as a HTPC yet, simply as a F@H cruncher.

Cruncher 1:
AMD Phenom II 940
2x2GB DDR2-1066 1.8V
BFG GTX 260 Core 216

Cruncher 2:
AMD X2 5050e
4x1GB DDR2-667 1.8V
ASUS 9600 GSO (96sp)

Thinking about selling off Cruncher #2 as a HTPC...

 

[Safeway]

I have an HTPC, but I am ready to make a switch to something less shitty. I don't want to have to fumble with a keyboard and mouse. I don't want to have to boot up Windows. Grrr, HTPCs are so unrefined.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: CRXican
No one could ever explain a simple way to make the sound and video work so I never built one. It's a shame cause my PC is less than a foot from my TV (42" plasma).

Uhh, get a recent ATI card, low end, that has HDMI. They carry audio over HDMI. Connect to TV.

Done. I think the 4300 series would also have UVD, meaning Blu Ray decoding, so you can go with a low power CPU.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: Safeway
I have an HTPC, but I am ready to make a switch to something less shitty. I don't want to have to fumble with a keyboard and mouse. I don't want to have to boot up Windows. Grrr, HTPCs are so unrefined.

Mine just had a remote. BeyondTV would launch on startup (ugly during the boot process for Windows, but no way around it to make it look like a kiosk that I know of). The Hauppauge remote would control everything.

If I had to get in to configure something outside of the app, I'd VNC from another machine.

It's a hobby setup, though, definitely not something you'd bring to grandma's house and say, "Here, use it."

When you factor in your time, it's totally cheaper to buy a DVD set than it is to record, remove commercials, and burn (or even store to a big HD) an entire series. And that includes the fact that Comskip will basically mark out the commercials.

 

[aircooled]

I've got one, but I only use it for streaming (Hulu and stuff) and other things I have downloaded or ripped plus I recently added a blu-ray drive to it so it has replaced my DVD player now also. I still have cable and a DVR for most of my viewing.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Safeway
I have an HTPC, but I am ready to make a switch to something less shitty. I don't want to have to fumble with a keyboard and mouse. I don't want to have to boot up Windows. Grrr, HTPCs are so unrefined.

Fail son.

Media Center has an option to boot directly into it, and you can control them with any programmable or dedicated remote.

Windows 7 version of Media Center is a very good DVR/front end. I got very tired of the other software quickly.

 

[Safeway]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: Safeway
I have an HTPC, but I am ready to make a switch to something less shitty. I don't want to have to fumble with a keyboard and mouse. I don't want to have to boot up Windows. Grrr, HTPCs are so unrefined.

Fail son.

Media Center has an option to boot directly into it, and you can control them with any programmable or dedicated remote.

Windows 7 version of Media Center is a very good DVR/front end. I got very tired of the other software quickly.

I'll look into it again with Windows 7 Ultimate, once UT starts selling it for $30. I'd rather have a touchscreen control panel next to me to control the HTPC.

Other than that, I think I'd prefer a NetFlix/Hulu box and a TiVo.

 

[alevasseur14]

I use Media Center and a Hauppauge HD2250 on the PC I built that I keep in my room. My roomie and I don't have a TV and my 24" monitor is plenty big for laying in bed and watching a movie or TV show. The remote works great and I really love the setup. I'm not sure how it'd work if we ever get cable but we don't have it now so it's irrelevant. If I can get the tuner to work with HD channels over digital cable, there's no way I'd ever go back to renting the DVR from Comcast!

I don't think Vista's MC supports ClearQAM. That's what would stop me from using it with cable, right? Will 7's MC fix that?

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Safeway

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: Safeway
I have an HTPC, but I am ready to make a switch to something less shitty. I don't want to have to fumble with a keyboard and mouse. I don't want to have to boot up Windows. Grrr, HTPCs are so unrefined.

Fail son.

Media Center has an option to boot directly into it, and you can control them with any programmable or dedicated remote.

Windows 7 version of Media Center is a very good DVR/front end. I got very tired of the other software quickly.

I'll look into it again with Windows 7 Ultimate, once UT starts selling it for $30. I'd rather have a touchscreen control panel next to me to control the HTPC.

Other than that, I think I'd prefer a NetFlix/Hulu box and a TiVo.

I have a Logitech Harmony 1000, not impressed with it at all. It looks cool as hell though. I prefer a Logitech with hardware buttons.