Media Center Spec.

[Rocker]

Ok im looking to build a media center, at a low cost!
The PC will be used only for playing music, watching and recording TV, unlikely to be used for anything else - basicaly the standard media center usage.

The spec i have come up with so far is:

Case: Antec Aria MicroATX
Motherboard: Asrock K8NF4G
CPU: AMD Sempron 64 2800+ (should i go for the 2600+?)
Memory: OcUK Value 512mb
Graphics: Not Sure....was thinking Nvidia 6200?
TV Card: again not sure thinking Compro VideoMate DVB-T300
Hdd: Maxtor 80GB SATA
Optical: NEC DVDRW
Sound: Creative SB Audigy 4


How does this sound, anything i dont need or need?

What graphics card do you think, i need a good quality DVI connector and a S-Video out.
The Graphics card must also be able to supposrt a resolution of 1366 x 768 for my LCD TV, i know i have a Nvidia 6600 in my PC and it can support it.

Also TV tunner card, does the one i suggested have an excelent picture quality, as i do need it, also does it have freeview?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Gary

 

[pcoltrane]

decent spec .. but you'll fill up an 80gig hard drive in no time at all.

Also... i would suggest a Biostar 6100 motherboard or the Jetway A200 GDMS Pro. The on board gfx will be good enough for a media centre. The biostar is only £42. It might be marginal for 1080p HD TV, but that's not going to be an issue for some time - you can always upgrade to a PCI-E gfx card when you need it.

Is the sound card needed? The onboard sound is pretty decent on these boards?

Are you going to be watching analogue, digital or both? If you are only going to watch digital TV go for the Compro T200 instead.

Marc

 

[pcoltrane]

Ps - don't forget the microsoft remote. You can use the compro with media centre if you download HIP and the compro tweak .. but it's nothing like as good as a proper MS one.

Marc

 

[Dougsnake]

spec looks good as said already 80gb wont last very long before its full if your gonna record tv shows and i`d suggest a pair of 256mb to get dual channel working.
the asrock mobo is a great little mobo as is the biostar.
i currently use a x300se gfx for my mce pc more than good enough for tv and videos so anything around that spec is ample.
2p

 

[Rocker]

Im confused by this Analoge and digital TV????? Sorry if that sounds daft, what is digital freeview?

Do you think the AMD Se,pron 2600 is enough?

 

[Bomag]

Freeview=DVB-T=Digital
The T300 also has a analogue tuner in it, which MCE doesn' t support anyway , the T200 is just the T300 without the extra tuner (and is cheaper)

A Semperon should be enough - my x2 3800 in my HTPC hardly ever runs at more than 1000mhz under C&Q and neither did the A64 3000+ which was in there before the x2.

 

[Combat squirrel]

DO NOT GET THE COMPRO CARDS THERE AWEFUL, get a happauge win-tv nova-t pci or usb 2, there flawless and really easy to set up, then get the remote and a 160gb 5200rpm samsung from here for 45 and ** laughin

 

[Rocker]

Thing is, i dont want to spend to much on a TV card, but i do want one with EXCELENT picture quality, that will allow me to recored etc.

 

[Vegeta]

Well combat has famously hate trouble with the compro card , a lot of us though are sitting fine here with a tv card, i've got a compro dvbt200 - and when i stick my pc down strairs i can hook it up to sky and watch/record sky off it

 

[Rocker]

mmmmmm ok, im going to have to look into the TV card businness