Project HTPC: Hardware list
Ok, so I finally decided to get a HTPC. I listed the requirements in a previous post, but the time has come to realize the requirements into real-word parts.
There is of course always a need for an abundance of storage, so I decided to go with eSATA drives in a Raid 5 configuration. Using a RocketRaid eSATA card, it will be possible to expand the storage long into the future, with support for 16 drives on a single controller.
Since the HTPC will be located in the living room right next to the TV, it has to be stylish, but most importantly, it has to be quiet and not too bulky. After some research and recommendations from friends, I decided to go with the newly released Shuttle SG45H7 with the new Intel G45 chipset, S/PDIF, HDMI, HDCP support and other important goodies. It does not however have an embedded IR receiver, so it is important to get a remote with a bundled receiver.
There are not many remotes with a bundled receiver, but I found the Pinnacle PCTV Remote Kit for Vista, which I decided to buy. It is the standard Vista Media Center remote bundled with a Vista compatible Infrared receiver — works like a charm!
On the storage side of things, I decided to get the Highpoint RocketRaid 2314, which has 4 eSATA ports and support for various RAID levels, including Raid 5. To these ports, I decided to connect 4 Western Digital 1TB My Book, since I have never had any trouble with WD disks, and they look great and are quiet!
I of course want support for playing Bluray discs, so I got a black LG Bluray/DVD/CD reader/writer and for internal storage I decided on a Western Digital 1TB Caviar GP.
Other internal parts are 2 2GB Corsair XMS2 memory modules and an Intel Core2Duo E8500 3.16 GHz CPU.
Can’t you place the storage in an other room and share it through a network? I’d never have a raid-array in my living room.
@Johannes Yes, it’s a valid question. The thing with these external WD drives is that they are virtually soundless, so it doesn’t really matter.
If the Xbox 360 Media Center Extender will support Matroska sometime soon, I will probably use it to watch TV/movies on and move the current HTPC box somewhere else, just like you suggested.
Johnny, Good luck with the media machine. You can’t go wrong with the Shuttles, they are excellent machines that pack a lot into a nice small stylish package. Where I think you need to do the most research is in looking for a fan-less video card that provides the most performance for video playback. I have built Shuttles with fan-less ASUS “Silent” vid cards and have been pleased at how quiet they are. However I just completed a Shuttle build that included a Sapphire ATI HD 3850 card which has a fan and was disappointed in how loud it was. It would not be suitable for a home theater. I wish I had searched harder for a fan-less card, but this machine was not built to be a HTC, so I can live with it for now. But I think a fan-less card is mandatory for a HTC media box. I think some of the newer 45nm GPU vid cards hold promise, but I don’t know how they measure up for H.264 1080p HD video. I would be interested to hear how you are measuring frame loss while playing videos. I am not running Vista. My Shuttles are running CentOS and OS X.
I just read the specs on the Shuttle you are building up and it sounds like the onboard graphics claim to be able to play 1080p, so maybe you are going to go without an additional video card. I would like to hear how it performs for H.254. For people who may be considering a Shuttle build, while the small footprint is ideal for a HTC, there is a limited amount of room in them inside for adding cards. If you are searching for a vid card it needs to fit into 1 slot with little or no overhand on either side. When looking for a fan-less vid card suitable for a HTC watch out for large passive coolers that stick out over the sides of the card and would hit the side of the case or block the use of the 1 PCI slot.
@Matt Simpson I’m using Vista media center and I have not had any issues what so ever with frame dropping. It can play basically anything with the built-in video card.