Legit Reviews

As my HTPC gets nearer to completion (I'm using the dual Opteron system I mentioned in the Folding secion), I need to think about what monitor to get to replace our old crt tv ( ) and what tv tuner card to get to do you know what with it.

What's the best size for sitting 6 or 7 feet away, do I need that HDMI stuff, you know. This is my first HTPC, and I need all the info. (In fact, a good guide on building one would be nice, if anyone has a link.)

I also need to know what the best tv tuner card to get. I was thinking a Hauppage, since I've heard alot about them, but what kinda features do I need? And I'd like to have a remote, definitely. Oh, and only pci cards, unfortunately.

my 42" TV looks great 11 feet away, so I'm sure a 32" HDTV would look great at seven feet. If your getting an XBOX 360 HD DVD player for 1080p movies I suggest going the HDMI route, but it's not required. It's just nice having one cable going from the PC to the monitor for both sound and video. Best Buy is offering 7 free HD DVD movies with an XBOX 360 HD DVD player in an upcoming ad, so you are getting hundreds in free movies right off the bat, so it's a deal if you are going for HD. I'm still happy with the HTPC i built this summer, but I did make one change last week. I kicked the stock cooler on the AMD BE 2350 dual core processor and went with a Thermaltake Blue Orb, it cools a bit better and it's silent (18dBA).

I'm using the ATI TV Wonder 650 PCIe in my system and it's been doing great as is Windows Media Center... My girlfriend says it's not as easy to use as her TIVO, but close. We were able to get online and download the local Charter Communications TV guide and she can record all her favorite show by the season now and so on. My only complaint is that I can't get HD channels through it as the TV Wonder needs the cable input before the HD receiver and not after (otherwise it's stuck on the channel on the HD cable box). Hope this helps... here is a picture of the inside of my HTPC with the ATI 2600 XT, ATI TV Wonder 650 PCIe and the TT Blue Orb.

I haven't gotten a remote yet as my wireless keyboard does everything I need, but I might pick one up down the road as it would be easier.

Well, I can't fit THAT big of a tv in, but it would be awesome! I've got enough room for about a 26-27", maximum. Sorry, I should have mentioned that sooner...

That tv tuner looks great, but I only have pci slots. It's a lower budget 940 mobo, and I don't think I'm gonna upgrade to one with pci-ex, unless there's a good one for cheap.

Thanks for replying.

How are you receiving your signal (i.e. cable, digital cable, satellite, HDTV, HD cable, etc...)? If you are getting your signal from a separate box you will need a card that is capable of turning the channel. Right now I'm using a Dish Network basic receiver with a Hauppauge PVR150. The only downside is that sometimes my HTPC doesn't change to the correct channel. 1 out of 15 of my set it and forget it recordings aren't the right recording. What front end application are you going to be using for your HTPC (Windows Media Center, SageTV, BeyondTV, MythTV, etc...)? I have tried WMC, BeyondTV and purchased SageTV. It works good, I like the layout, it is a true media center, and is highly customizable.

*EDIT* - Added Pics

Guts


IR Blaster - Controls Channel Changes (forgive the dust)


Controller


TV/HTPC Setup

We're currently just getting regular cable, but we will upgrade to something else eventually. I don't think we have a box either, as the cable goes from the jack on the wall to the tv. So unless it's in the wall, no box.

Since we don't have a box, does that mean there won't be any problems with the tv tuner for changing channels?

I bought a cheap tuner ($30 K-World) for my Vista Home Premium install. Well the card was junk but I tried it on regular cable TV and it worked great (the picture was terrible but it changed channels and everything else fine). Since you don't have to worry about a box I think just about any PVR card should work.

Major_A wrote:I bought a cheap tuner ($30 K-World) for my Vista Home Premium install. Well the card was junk but I tried it on regular cable TV and it worked great (the picture was terrible but it changed channels and everything else fine). Since you don't have to worry about a box I think just about any PVR card should work.

Major_A is correct!

I use Hauppauge cards. I have the PVR-350 and the HVR-1600, both work well with standard(analog) cable.
The HVR series will also do OtA(Over the Air) HDTV.
I am using them with XP Pro(not MCE) with the Hauppauge provided software and they function very well.
The software is pretty basic but it works. For me the big thing was to replace my VCR and I have done that!

The picture quality is fair through the comp but is quite a bit better when you use the TV out on the Hauppauge cards!

Hm, sounds like the HVR series might be the way to go. Now to find a good screen for it to work with. Would I be better off with an lcd hdtv, or a computer monitor?