I've been living with my HTPC for just over a month now, and I've come up with enough new observations to warrant a new installment (well, maybe enough to fill a bunch of articles) so. . . behold!
Been setting up your own living-room computer? Read on for my latest tips, tricks, and plain old complaints. I think most of you will find some of these useful. And some of you — I hope — will find most.
What is the deal with receivers? Read that again in Seinfeld's voice, if you didn't already. I've had three different receivers through my system in the past month (it was a busy month), and each one was differently lame.
I'm not doing HDMI audio with my HTPC yet, so here's what I needed to do: Assign the multi-channel analog input as the audio for an HDMI input. That doesn't seem hard, does it? I can understand inexpensive receivers not having reassignable inputs, but one wouldn't allow any analog audio with an HDMI input. It wasn't in the menu. Another wouldn't allow the multi-channel input to have HDMI video (stereo analog only). The Onkyo I have in there now lets you assign an HDMI input to the multi-channel input, but only if you enter the setup screen after you've selected DVD/BD input. I figured that one out by accident. I'm no fan of HDMI, but it sure makes a case for itself with this nonsense.
This is a rant for an entirely different article, but how is it, 30+ years after the advent of receivers, that they still are so staggeringly user unfriendly? If I have to pick up the owner's manual to figure something out: product design fail. Have you ever read an owner's manual from Apple? Didn't think so. Point proven.
Being a couple of years old, my HTPC is running Vista 64. I never understood the hatred of this operating system. Once you turn off all the Microsoft stupidness, it worked fine and was very stable. Well, at least in this computer. The store-bought work PC I'm writing this on inexplicably takes 10+ minutes to boot up every morning. The HTPC? Two minutes, maybe. That was the first store-bought desktop computer I'd purchased in 10 years, and likely the last.
Where was I? Oh, I haven't played around with Windows 7 yet, but in Vista the audio setup is kind of buried. Usually you can right-click on the little speaker icon in the lower right and select "Playback Devices." For some reason, the HTPC didn't have this option, so I had to dig for it in the "Control Panel" under "Hardware and Sound" and then "Sound." You need to do this to get it to output 5.1 channels, and there's a handy channel test that showed me all the connections I'd made were backwards
If you're looking for a wireless mouse the Logitech Performance MX is uhh-mazing. I use it a minimum of 8 hours per day and charge maybe once a week (via usb-cable, you could also swap in your own battery if you wanted). Not to mention it tracks on everything I've ever tried, including glass.
Prior to the Performance MX I was using Logitech's G7 which was the first wireless mouse I had ever used that didn't feel disconnected from the PC. After I wore the buttons out on the mouse, and long after Logitech stopped supporting it, I bit the bullet and bought the pricey Performance MX.
I personally feel spoiled from the G7, further spoiled by the Performance MX, and actually get frustrated when using a wired mouse since it feels like it drags as the cord stretches to it's limits or bunches too much, or just slightly twists it when I let go to type.
Please note that I do not work for Logitech, nor receive compensation from them, though I feel that I should, with how much I talk about them -- except for the piece of junk the DiNovo Mini has been in my experience due to bad connectivity.
OK, there are a couple of things you mentioned in your article that made me want to comment.
First, you REALLY need to ditch Vista. Windows 7 has HUGE improvements in stability, as well as enhancements to Windows Media Center. Most importantly Windows 7 has support for the CableCard tuners that just hit the market! A CableCard tuner will enable you to connect your Media Center PC to your cable system and will allow you to tune in ALL channels, including HD and premium channels like HBO and Showtime. Until recently, your ONLY option to get a CableCard tuner was to buy a new PC that had been certified (as a whole system) through CableLabs. Now you can buy the Centon InfiniTV 4 tuner PCI card on Amazon or Newegg for $299. Another option is the SiliconDust HD Homerun Prime, which will connect to your home network. Then any PC on the network will have access to the tuners. Currently, the HD Homerun Prime six tuner model is available for $499, but they are making a 3 tuner version that will be available for $249 that will be released "soon". Keep in mind that you will be limited to a total of 4 tuners on Windows 7 unless you have a special OEM only version that unlocks the ability to use 6 tuners. (This OEM version isnt available to most people, its being restricted to companies like Niveus and VidaBox that make high end Media Center PCs) Continued in next post....
Second, you mentioned playing a video game on your "media center". This is a HUGE no-no! For best results, keep the PC dedicated to media center use ONLY. When you first set up the PC, do a FULL format and CLEAN installation of Windows. Download and install all of the latest drivers you need, and install all available Windows updates. Next...this is the important part...TURN OFF AUTOMATIC UPDATES! You do NOT want your computer rebooting randomly in the middle of the night after an update! This is a sure-fire way to miss recording shows that would have otherwise recorded! Do NOT browse websites, install games or other software, or use the PC to download torrents or anything else for that matter. Having a DEDICATED PC as a Media Center will greatly improve the stability of your system. If you need to rip DVDs, or download torrents, do this on another machine then move the files over to the media center after running the files through a virus scanner.
Next, you need some updated hardware. Go and look for an AMD (formerly ATI) Radeon 5450. This HDMI equipped graphics card will cost you $40! It has support for audio over HDMI and will run just fine on your Samsung. You will notice a HUGE difference in clarity using HDMI instead of VGA!
I hope this information helps you out! Good luck, and have fun!
You're wasting your time with the current software. XBMC is simply the best HTPC experience money can't buy.
Compatible with a wide range of hardware; PC or not even ie. ATV2; and a very wide range of skins, add-ons, etc. Give it a look and try the best software available for the HTPC and that should settle the debate.
Demo vid of one of the skins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAw9CAlqqus
@jnemesh Not using this PC as a gaming PC is not an option. In fact, this is primarily a gaming PC. Gaming, in my opinion, is 90% of the reason you would want a computer in your theater. Yes, it can do all sorts of other things, but gaming is the one thing it can do that no other equipment can.
Yes, I'm discounting consoles: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2011/07/22/video-games-vs-computer...
So in my mind, getting it to do other things in addition to gaming is the goal. Stripping out all that to be a WMC box doesn't make a ton of sense, not least because I don't have "cable" (it's U-verse).
A new video card is definately in the works. Not least because the current one is freaking out with: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2011/09/30/battlefield-3-free-open...
I personally feel spoiled from the G7, further spoiled by the Performance MX, and actually get porn frustrated when using a wired mouse since it feels like it porno day drags as the cord stretches to it's limits or bunches too much, kelebek or just slightly twists it when I let go to type.