New PC...for Vista/Media Hub

[BoysNightOut]

Nice.

Well that sounds cool...I'll check that software out, if it's freeware then I may just split screen them. I mean from bed and watching 2 monitors across the screen in the dark I doubt we'll notice much of a difference in the break between pictures really heh. Thanks for all your help so far man.

 

[BoysNightOut]

Anyone else lend some insight?

 

[ricanflow]

You can just buy an actual 42" lcd tv for $1300
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/LG-4...49321/catOid/-12869/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do


Just get a decent video card with a dvi-hdmi cable and youre set.

 

[saltynay]

Id personally go with a higher resolution monitor atleast 1080i if its an extv but its good value for money and HDMI is Just DVI with audio so good quality picture and sound.

Matt

 

[BoysNightOut]

I was just thinking the same thing too. We got our 42" LCD HDTV for only $1199...lol. Why not just get one of those and hook it up to the PC, they have inputs for it so why not.

Do the HTPC towers have HDMI inputs though? How would I do that? I'd probably have to use standard DVI and a sound card to get great sound quality alongside the picture. I've never seen a mobo that has an HDMI input lol.

So how do you do HDMI? Also, do you have to do a cable card to run the TV channels through the PC?

I'm trying to figure out everything I'll need to get started on this project lol.

 

[saltynay]

lol U have to use a dedicated graphics card for HDMI output theyre quite a few out there and then use the hdmi cable straight to the back of the tv and it will work fine.

Matt

 

[BoysNightOut]

Okay cool. I'll begin researching that as well. Thanks again bro!

 

[DBD]

Will you be using a high definition signal? (blu-ray DVDs, HD DVDs, or HD cable/satellite)

Regular TV and DVDs look like crap on a HDTV or high resolution monitor, Because it will have to stretch the low resolution picture out, to fit on the high resolution screen, enhancing the flaws in the picture making it kinda fuzzy or blurry.

If you want HDTV you will need a pci HDTV card.

You definitely DON'T want to watch movies on 2 monitors because it will be stretched and distorted, and it will have the divider in the middle where the monitors come together.

You can get a DVI to HDMI cable but then you will still have to run the audio to the TV.

I have the MCE remote that came with my hauppauge TV card.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...=/images?q=mce+remote&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=N

My remote works great, But if you have a bunch of remote control equipment, You might want to get a nice MCE universal remote

http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/21/ricavisions-vista-mce-sideshow-remote-does-bluetooth-at-100-met/

http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/20/interlink-unveils-slidelink-the-first-sideshow-remote-for-vista/

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16880100710

 

[BoysNightOut]

We currently have regular cable, but will be getting an HD Digital Receiver very soon to have HDTV at least in the living room for our main LCD TV. I guess we will be having a HDTV receiver in our room once we build this PC, because then we'll be buying a 32-42" LCD HDTV for ourselves as well.

Can an HDTV PCI card run a regular cable signal for the time being if we say, didn't get HDTV right away for our room? I wasn't even aware of these **** cards and I'm a huge techie, how'd I not know this, wow. Lawl.

Anyways- yeah 2 monitors seemed like not too great of an idea in the first place. Just working out the kinks though. I was thinking for a remote, I may just run a bluetooth adapter and use one of our Nintendo WiiMotes as the remote instead

Well would it be better to get a DVI-HDMI cable for a DVI graphics card, or just get a HDMI graphics card in the first place, if they even make those...

 

[DBD]

OK, First let me say, I don't have HD anything I just know a little bit about it.

Yes, most, maybe even all of the HDTV tuner cards support standard cable TV also.

If you are recording a TV channel, a single tuner card, can only watch what you are recording, If you want to watch a different channel than you are recording or record 2 channels at the same time, You will need 2 TV tuner cards or 1 dual tuner TV card.

The TV cards only have the channels a TV would have, So if you want to watch channel 500 you need to set your cable box to channel 500 and your TV card to channel 3. If you buy this Vista HDTV tuner card with cablecard, you don't need a cable box, It's like a cable box for your pc, Obviosly your cable company needs to suport cablecard for you to use it.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/06/atis-ocur-worlds-first-cablecard-hdtv-tuner-for-vista-pcs/

Whatever graphics card you buy, Make sure it has HDCP support. Your monitor will need to support HDCP also (post 2 has the info)
http://www.htpcnews.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23416

From what I have read, DVI to HMDI will be the same quality as HMDI to HMDI.

The HDMI video cards are all DirectX 9 right now and only a few support HDCP But, most of the HDMI video cards have a SPDIF(digital) audio Input, This makes it possible to run the audio from the sound card into the video card and pass it though the HDMI cable to your TV. This is nice because you will only need 1 cable running from your PC to your TV. So if you get one, Make sure your sound card has a SPDIF output.

HDTV also has digital sound, 5.1 surround sound or something like that

The 8800GTS is overkill unless you will be gaming on you HTPC. Idealy the best video card for a HDTV HTPC would be a DX10 HDMI HDCP video card, But they don't exist yet.

Good Luck!