Media Centre PC
Sitting alongside my HT rack is my Media Centre PC.
Hardware
There have been a few changes to the original specification (see the my archived blog from DTV Forum) including giving up on trying to integrate with Optus/Foxtel Digital (I went the IQ option), removing the analog card capture card, adding a twin digital tuner, replacing the X1300 with fan with a X2600PRO with a Heat Pipe, and finally adding a Pioneer BDC-S02 Blu-Ray reader for Blu-Ray playback.
Over the Christmas holidays I plan to uninstall the BD drive (as I now have a standalone BD player which just works), replace the 500GB drive with another 1TB disk, and add a second dual tuner. I have also installed a Belkin SOHO Surge Protector with Battery Backup - 600VA to provide UPS functionality in the event of power cuts.
Motherboard = Intel DG965WHMKR
Processor = Intel C2D e6420
CPU Fan = Zalman 9700NT
Memory = 2 GB PC6400 DDR2.
Case = Antec Solo
PSU = Antec NeoHE 430W
Graphics = MSI RX2600XT-T2D512EZ/D3 with Heat Pipe ISF Calibrated by Avical Australia.
Hard Disks = SATA Disks - 1 x 400GB, 1 x 500GB (to be replaced), 2 (soon to be 3) x 1 TB Green Power
External Storage = Western Digital Essential 1TB USB2 drive
DVD = Pioneer BDC-S02BK Blu-Ray Drive
Tuner #1 Digital = Hauppage Nova-500
Tuner #2 Digital = Hauppage 2200
Power Protection - Belkin Surge Protector with Battery Backup - 600VA
Operating System = Vista Ultimate 32-bit
Microsoft Media Centre Keyboard & Remote
Software
My choice Operating System is Microsoft Vista Ultimate Edition 32-bit. The 32-bit edition has the best driver support and the resource requirements for Vista MC are not too demanding.
Additional Software is:-
Cyberlink DB Solution & PlayMovie for MCE (bundled with Pioneer BD drive)
Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra Edition 7.3
Slysoft AnyDVD HD
Vista Codec Pack
ICE TV Interactive for EPG and remote record.
I don’t run any Anti Virus, Office Productivity, Nero or games. My HTPC is strictly that….a dedicated media centre.