[starjax]

sounds good to me!

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Do you guys see any need for an additional blu-ray player in my HTPC if I am already going to have one in my SONY PS3, which will be with the HDTV anyway, since it is needed for the trueHD/DTS-HD decoding. Also, wouldn't I need to buy blu-ray software if I went with a blu-ray player/DVD combo drive? I'm thinking of just going with a $15-20 DVDRW drive and leaving the blu-ray playing to the PS3, just to save $40 - although I know the ps3 can play dvds as well

Here is what I am thinking now - please let me know your opinion on this build for the HTPC:

-Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3540
-ASUS P7H55-M/CSM LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3
-Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal HDD
After combo discount for the 4 above (-$33)
= $300

CASE:

I am thinking this case will be perfect for the price:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811204037
$70 nMEDIAPC Black HTPC 6000B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
With that case, there is no need to buy an internal card reader.

PSU:

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W (Modular)
$63 with promo + $20 MIR

total = $433
- MIR = $413
Should I get this PSU instead?
Link

Am I forgetting anything? I will be using my ps3 as the blu-ray/DVD drive.

Will all these things be compatible with what I want to do? Am I missing any ports that I will need? Will I need anything else?

What about wires?
Besides an HDMI cable, what else will I need?
starjax - you said that I may need an adapter cable from video card to TV? They are called displayport to HDMI cables?
http://www.monoprice...104&cp_id=10428
I am here, but I am not sure which one I need.. especially when they assign genders to the adapters.

Do I need to purchase any other remotes aside from the Lenovo one I purchased? I noticed that has buttons to forward, play, rewind, and things like that along with functioning as a keyboard and mouse. Will I be able to sync all that with my PS3 blurays/DVDs? What about the DISH?

Thanks!

[Sk0rch]

Do you guys see any need for an additional blu-ray player in my HTPC if I am already going to have one in my SONY PS3, which will be with the HDTV anyway, since it is needed for the trueHD/DTS-HD decoding. Also, wouldn't I need to buy blu-ray software if I went with a blu-ray player/DVD combo drive? I'm thinking of just going with a $15-20 DVDRW drive and leaving the blu-ray playing to the PS3, just to save $40 - although I know the ps3 can play dvds as well

Here is what I am thinking now - please let me know your opinion on this build for the HTPC:

-Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3540
-ASUS P7H55-M/CSM LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3
-Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal HDD
After combo discount for the 4 above (-$33)
= $300

CASE:

I am thinking this case will be perfect for the price:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811204037
$70 nMEDIAPC Black HTPC 6000B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
With that case, there is no need to buy an internal card reader.

PSU:

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W (Modular)
$63 with promo + $20 MIR

total = $433
- MIR = $413
Should I get this PSU instead?
Link

Am I forgetting anything? I will be using my ps3 as the blu-ray/DVD drive.

Will all these things be compatible with what I want to do? Am I missing any ports that I will need? Will I need anything else?

What about wires?
Besides an HDMI cable, what else will I need?
starjax - you said that I may need an adapter cable from video card to TV? They are called displayport to HDMI cables?
http://www.monoprice...104&cp_id=10428
I am here, but I am not sure which one I need.. especially when they assign genders to the adapters.

Do I need to purchase any other remotes aside from the Lenovo one I purchased? I noticed that has buttons to forward, play, rewind, and things like that along with functioning as a keyboard and mouse. Will I be able to sync all that with my PS3 blurays/DVDs? What about the DISH?

Thanks!

[starjax]

with that setup and no add-on video card you should be fine with the antec psu. 600 watts is overkill for that system. If ps3 is your blueray player, then you don't need one in the pc. The motherboard has native hdmi (no display port). You just need to get the hdmi cable of the right length. http://www.monoprice...102&cp_id=10240

I don't think your going to get one remote to rule them all. Dish is standard remote. PS3 is bluetooth. I think you can just use a bluetooth adapter and sync with with the ps3 remote.
http://www.ehow.com/...-remote-pc.html

Don't have a ps3, so I can't be much help with that.

[Sk0rch]

Thanks!

For the PSU, yes that Antec one is the other one I am considering. The only thing is that it is not modular, and I read in one of the reviews that it does not come with a power cable. Do you think I should still get it over the OCZ?

[Sk0rch]

CPU/MOBO Combo:

Intel Core i3-550 Clarkdale 3.2 GHz
+ ASUS P7G55-M PRO

- $220 Newegg


Hard Drive:

Western Digital 1.5 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD15EARS by Western Digital

- $60 Amazon


PSU:

Ill just go with the non-modular PSU, 30$ after MIR.
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

- $30 Newegg


RAM:

CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

- $44 Newegg


DVD Burner:

LG DVD±RW SuperMulti Drive Black SATA Model GH22NS50B

- $16 Newegg

= $370

Now that I think about it, perhaps I should get the blu-ray player for $40 - only $24 more. Since the PS3 will not be able to rip blu-rays, and the blu-ray player on the PC will. Unfortunately, it is sold out now, but I will just wait until it is back.
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827106325

So that would make the total $354.

Will I need to use a TV tuner card for anything? Integrating the DISH satellite to the HTPC? Is that possible? Or is the TV tuner card just for recording DISH programs on to the HTPC?

I apparently have the following stuff lying around from a couple years back:
extra wireless adapter, tv tuner card, and a NVIDIA eGeforce-8600GTS

I can put the first two things to use, any need for the dedicated GPU? Just unnecessary clutter, right?

Lastly, I'm thinking of integrating bluetooth as well, but I doubt that comes with the motherboard. I'll just go with a USB bluetooth receiver for cheap.

Edited by Sk0rch, 27 December 2010 - 04:37 PM.

[Treize]

If its not to late, I would highly suggest you just buy them a Roku Streaming Player. I own a built my own HTPC, and I love it BUT it is not for the regular end user. There are so many other things that will come in to play it will become more of a headache than blessing. For a good portion of everything you mentioned you can just use a Roku player. If you really just want an HTPC, buy the Roku player now (they're cheap) and then buy one of the systems that Acer and Asus are coming out with next year using Windows Media Center Embedded.

Also, your first stop should be The green button (www.thegreenbutton.com), as that is the expert site for Windows Media Center. In closing, dont build it!

[Sk0rch]

Tried putting the PC together tonight. I think I may be doing something wrong. After finally putting everything in the case and plugging everything in through the PSU - I am not getting any power. The only thing I see that turns on is the Standby LED Powerlight on the motherboard. I really don't want to take everything out and troubleshoot it - but that is the only thing I can think of right now.

[starjax]

You need to post here: the http://www.geekstogo...-and-upgrading/

The guru's there can better assist you in troubleshooting your issues.

[phillpower2]

starjax I hope you don`t mind me pitching in with a couple of suggestions on this forum.
Sk0rch I can see that you are reluctant to take every thing back out again and do a bare bones set-up but it may be your only option in the end.
Possible causes of the system not powering up include; the 4 pin atx power supply from the PSU either not being plugged in at all or not in place securely, the case front power switch connection to the header on the MB on the wrong pins or the wrong orientation (back to front) and the MB shorting out, this can be as a result of a stand off beneath the MB in the wrong location, a stray screw or a bared wire, this will require the MBs removal.
As you said the light on the MB only shows that there is some form of power coming from the PSU, we don`t know the Watts or the Amps.
Check out the 1st 2 possibilities and hopefully one of those will resolve the issue if not I recommend option 3, if you would like assistance with any of this I would be happy to help and good luck.

[Sk0rch]

Okay fixed it.
I didn't know that I had to hook up the power switch from the case. In the desktop I built 2 years ago, flipping the PSU switch would turn everything on, at the very least the CPU fan, but I guess it is different in this one.

I have another problem though, of course.
Now my problem is that the CPU fan is unbearably loud for some reason. Could this be something to do with the motherboard or the cpu fan not being secured in the case? I thought they were pretty secure but something is definitely wrong. Also, one of the case fans is making a slight ticking noise - it is annoying even by itself even when i unplug the cpu fan - not sure why bc the other case fan right next to it is perfectly silent.

Edited by Sk0rch, 09 January 2011 - 03:46 PM.

[phillpower2]

Okay fixed it.

Good

Now my problem is that the CPU fan is unbearably loud for some reason

Have you put the fan on the HS upside down, this can result in the fins on the fan catching the top of the HS which will cause vibration and fan failure, are the fan and HS correctly aligned and secure, again if not you will get vibration and possible CPU failure caused by over heating.

Also, one of the case fans is making a slight ticking noise

Check that the fins on the fan are not catching on anything, do all this checking with the power cord removed from the wall socket.

it is annoying even by itself even when i unplug the cpu fan

Not wise running the computer with any fan disconnected but the CPU fan is asking for trouble.

[Sk0rch]

Okay I have everything running now.

The two issues I bought up earlier sort of fixed themselves. The CPU fan isn't too loud anymore - I think it is just for a bit initially when booting up. And the case fan just stopped making noise, don't know why.

I have everything up and running and everything is great so far, no issues with the HTPC, AV Receiver, surround sound, or anything.

One thing I do need to test the TRUEHD/DTS HD Audio, haven't gotten to that yet.

Next thing I need to decide is if I want WMC or XMBC. Also ordering NetFlix for them.

Lastly, I want the HTPC to do webcam chatting. I don't know if this will work, but what I want to do is have two bluetooth microphones. One near the couch (15 ft from the TV), and one in the kitchen (25 ft from the tv). And obviously a web cam on top of the TV.
I would like it so the person can speak freely without having a headset or anything on, just speaking into the bluetooth mic in the kitchen or living room, and the person's voice on the other end can come through the surround sound. I'm guessing there may be noise interference and feedback issues though.

Any thoughts or opinions on this? Anyone heard of people doing this before? Or anyone know any good deals on webcams/bluetooth mics?

Thanks!