Comments for HTPC Build http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress The trials and tribulations of building a media PC! Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:55:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Next project? Mini display… by jamesb http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=26#comment-478 jamesb Tue, 25 May 2010 15:04:24 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=26#comment-478 Actually - no, I never got it working properly with MP. But you've reminded me I have it, so I might see if I can write a .NET library to talk to it and use it from WMC for "now playing" as I tend to listen to music with the TV turned off... Thanks! Actually - no, I never got it working properly with MP. But you’ve reminded me I have it, so I might see if I can write a .NET library to talk to it and use it from WMC for “now playing” as I tend to listen to music with the TV turned off… Thanks!

]]> Comment on Next project? Mini display… by Born Lucky http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=26#comment-464 Born Lucky Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:12:25 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=26#comment-464 Have you managed to get the mini-display working? How did you configure this to work, did you set it up as a 2nd Monitor? Have you managed to get the mini-display working? How did you configure this to work, did you set it up as a 2nd Monitor?

]]> Comment on Hauppauge remote - controlling other applications by Ciuta http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=16#comment-223 Ciuta Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:38:20 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=16#comment-223 Thanks for this. It really helped me out! Thanks for this. It really helped me out!

]]> Comment on Mediaportal RC4 released by Chaliits http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=22#comment-192 Chaliits Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:00:04 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=22#comment-192 Awesome post. Keep writing. I add your site to my favorites ;) Awesome post. Keep writing. I add your site to my favorites ;)

]]> Comment on Hardware choices by jamesb http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-189 jamesb Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:45:04 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-189 No, I don't plan on selling this, but good luck if you make your own! Нет, я не планирую на продажу, но удача, если вы сами! No, I don’t plan on selling this, but good luck if you make your own!

Нет, я не планирую на продажу, но удача, если вы сами!

]]> Comment on Hardware choices by Adam http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-186 Adam Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:35:36 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-186 Cool, thanks a lot. I'm not going to be using it for gaming either, just watching and recording HDTV from DVD, Satellite or downloads. So, I'm glad you have confirmed the hardware is up to the task, as I have been considering beefing it up a bit but this would not only be a waste of money but potentially make things hotter and more noisy! Have you considered adding a CAM and SmartCard in order to access premium channels? Thanks again for a great blog. Cool, thanks a lot.

I’m not going to be using it for gaming either, just watching and recording HDTV from DVD, Satellite or downloads. So, I’m glad you have confirmed the hardware is up to the task, as I have been considering beefing it up a bit but this would not only be a waste of money but potentially make things hotter and more noisy!

Have you considered adding a CAM and SmartCard in order to access premium channels?

Thanks again for a great blog.

]]> Comment on Hardware choices by jamesb http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-185 jamesb Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:48:54 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-185 Hi Adam, Glad you've found the blog handy. Your friend is right were you looking at playing games. The on board chipsets don't really have the horsepower to cope with modern games in all their 3D loveliness. However that wasn't an aim of the HTPC. The specific chipset on the board I use offers HD decoding - basically the graphics chipset can decode the H.264 video that HD uses within the hardware itself, rather than leaving it to the main CPU and a bit of software. Because it's designed for a specific job it does it very well, so I've never had any problem with HD material. A faster processor/RAM isn't really needed as the Mediaportal interface doesn't tax things too much and playing music/movies/photos is all pretty low-tech. A CPU helps with numbercrunching but none of that goes on in the media pc to any great extent. As to stuff I'd do differently - nothing immediately springs to mind - apart from perhaps my TV. It's pre-HDMI so I couldn't use that software and also getting the image centered was a bit of a faff (having to use Powerstrip and so on) - a more recent TV may well be of some use. I'd also be using wired networking at home rather than Wireless, as watching tv on a second PC can be a bit jumpy and HD has no hope. Hi Adam,

Glad you’ve found the blog handy.

Your friend is right were you looking at playing games. The on board chipsets don’t really have the horsepower to cope with modern games in all their 3D loveliness. However that wasn’t an aim of the HTPC.

The specific chipset on the board I use offers HD decoding - basically the graphics chipset can decode the H.264 video that HD uses within the hardware itself, rather than leaving it to the main CPU and a bit of software. Because it’s designed for a specific job it does it very well, so I’ve never had any problem with HD material. A faster processor/RAM isn’t really needed as the Mediaportal interface doesn’t tax things too much and playing music/movies/photos is all pretty low-tech. A CPU helps with numbercrunching but none of that goes on in the media pc to any great extent.

As to stuff I’d do differently - nothing immediately springs to mind - apart from perhaps my TV. It’s pre-HDMI so I couldn’t use that software and also getting the image centered was a bit of a faff (having to use Powerstrip and so on) - a more recent TV may well be of some use. I’d also be using wired networking at home rather than Wireless, as watching tv on a second PC can be a bit jumpy and HD has no hope.

]]> Comment on Hardware choices by Adam http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-184 Adam Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:02:12 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=4#comment-184 Hi, I am building a similar system and have found your blog really useful. So much so that I am looking at getting the same motherboard and processor that you have been using. My friend warned me of using an on board graphics card. How has yours been performing? Does it chug with HD at all? If so, do you think a faster processer and a bit more ram would help or would you advise getting a dedicated video card? If you were building this system again now, would you use all the same parts or are there any lessons learned that you could pass on? Thanks, Adam Hi,

I am building a similar system and have found your blog really useful. So much so that I am looking at getting the same motherboard and processor that you have been using.

My friend warned me of using an on board graphics card. How has yours been performing? Does it chug with HD at all? If so, do you think a faster processer and a bit more ram would help or would you advise getting a dedicated video card?

If you were building this system again now, would you use all the same parts or are there any lessons learned that you could pass on?

Thanks,
Adam

]]> Comment on About by Leechy http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=2#comment-101 Leechy Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:54:40 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=2#comment-101 Hey! I'm trying to do the same thing. Hadn't thought about music streaming so thanks for the idea. Will drop you a note to compare ideas/decisions/notes. Good luck. Leechy Hey! I’m trying to do the same thing. Hadn’t thought about music streaming so thanks for the idea. Will drop you a note to compare ideas/decisions/notes. Good luck. Leechy

]]> Comment on Construction… by alex http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=5#comment-99 alex Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:46:01 +0000 http://www.puffle.co.uk/wordpress/?p=5#comment-99 hey, I just bought the case and the optical drive and I was hoping you could help me build mine.I've never built a computer before and any help would be greatly appreciated! please email me back if you can please hey,
I just bought the case and the optical drive and I was hoping you could help me build mine.I’ve never built a computer before and any help would be greatly appreciated!
please email me back if you can please

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