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Media center time. I want to build a PC to connect to my HDTV to do DVR stuff, replace the DVD player. I'm looking to build it myself, partly because it makes sense from a cost perspective, and also because it will be some small entertainment in itself. So I wondered if folks had some recommendations or general abuse they could pitch in.

Here's what I'm thinking - purty silver HTPC case with 7" touch screen for displaying command functions while video is playing on TV, PVR 500 MCE card and BeyondTV software, 8600 GT (or better) graphics.

http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/ahanix-mce701-media-center-case-with-7-touch-screen-silver
http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/beyond-tv-4-pvr500mce-bundle

Decent but cost-effective PC parts that don't run too hot or loud:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131013
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103749
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231098
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814127293
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822148144
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103926

Then probably Vista since it comes with the MCE stuff and we both have XP computers for those things that are awkward under Vista still.

Edit: and probably one of these outside the box for Comcast digital HD channels (QAM) that are unencrypyed: http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/silicondust-hdhomerun-networked-digital-hdtv-tuner/cName/hdtv-tuner-cards

That looks like the Zalman case on my unborn computer. Zalman makes one with a screen also.

Yeah, that would be this one: http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/zalman-hd160xt-htpc-enclosure-with-7-touchscreen-lcd-silver/cName/htpc-cases

But if I'm paying $200+ more for the box, I'll take an extra drive bay: http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/silverstone-lascala-sstlc18-wtouchscreen-silver/cName/htpc-cases

If you are getting BeyondTV you don't need Vista Ultimate or Windows XP MCE.

Make sure that video card can handle/output HDCP if you want to eventually use the machine as an HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player.

You'll want more disk space. You may also want to consider a separate drive just to stream the videos onto.

That HDTV tuner seems a bit odd since it connects through Fast Ethernet rather than USB. That's going to saturate that port (HD displays at around 10 MB/s if its using MPEG-2 or 80 Mb/s) unless you are using a Gigabit Ethernet switch so you may need to use both Ethernet ports on that MB.

I'd recommend the Hauppauge HVR 1600 if you want a HD tuner, the card/remote combo is around $90 and has dual tuners, letting you plug in an antenna for local HD broadcasts while also being able to hook up your cable/satellite box.  And if you get Media Center, you have no need for third-party software, it'll handle everything.

Interesting. I didn't know that they had a QAM capable tuner. I'll look into that one, thanks. I was thinking MCE + BTV4 because BTV doesn't do all the other front-end shit apart from DVR stuff, but MCE only handles dual tuners. Also, I'll look into HDCP. One more thing to worry about (though this is a pretty mediocre video card that can be upgraded when bucks are thrown into the BD/HD-DVD upgrade).

www.anydvd.com (http://www.anydvd.com) for when you go for Blueray or HD-DVD.

I'd also advise against Vista right now for a HTPC.