Outer room HTPC experience!

MAJJ

Hi Folks,

I have been lurking, reading and digesting the great info provided by the experts and learners on this forum. This is my first post here so be gentle

I am fascinated with the HTPC idea - I would like to use it for listening and recording music, radio, video etc, TV recording etc. That's my understanding of the capabilities of a HTPC. I saw my first HTPC running mythtv in action a while back and I've been smitten since.

I would like it to be in addition to an amp+speakers, TV, modem and cable box the only things I need for the works. Very little of these I possess.

So that's my background.

The whole build side seems like an interesting challenge consisting of a trade off with budget/performance and quietness. But it seems to me that a lot of the challenges and cost, relate to achieving all this are driven by aiming for a quiet machine

In my sitting room I intend on getting a nice sized decent flat screen and I am thinking of locating the HTPC outside of this room. In my house I have 2 locations outside of my sitting room where I could position a HTPC and run cables to it - I would hope to avoid wireless. The distance is approx 2.5 metres (cooler area - under the stairs but open and accessible) or about .75 meters(warmer area - gas boiler located but lots of room) . I was wondering and I hope it's not sacrilege on this forum, but I could build a roomy, decent spec HTPC and just run the necessary cables to my TV. The house is being modernised so i can drill here and there and hide cables.

The HTPC would need power, TV cables and a internet connection and....?
The HTPC would need to be connected to the TV with sound, TV cables and....?

My initial concerns are the length and type of cables I would need but I imagine most can be extended.

The other big thing is how I would control the majority from the living room. I could bring through a sensor linked to the PC or use one that doesn't need line of sight?

Apart from having to physically switch it on, reboot it and use USB or load DVDs what else what else would I need to do. Bearing in mind it is just a short distance away?

Well that's my few thoughts i hope they make sense and that my aim is clear. I really hope its realistic! I look forward to reading your views. Feel free to poke holes as this is only a theory.

Thanks,
MAJJ

8T8

The length of 2.5 meters shouldn't be an issue.

Lindy.ie sell lots of long cables including VGA, DVI & HDMI for connecting the HTPC to the TV and lots of A/V cables for feeding the TV signal to the HTPC.

{I have 5m cables in my setup bought from Lindy & they work perfectly}

As for controlling it, I do not know if you can use it with Linux based PVR's but Microsofts remote control is USB based (with a fairly long cable on it to begin with it) and a simple USB extension cable should allow it to make the distance. But I'm sure you can find others out their as well.

Bluetooth or RF based keyboard could handle any input (note the MCE remote receiver also accepts input from the MCE keyboard).

An external USB DVD drive might be worth experimenting with to see if it will work over the distance so you bypass another issue.

How are you connecting the PC to the TV ?

MAJJ

Hi 8T8,

Thanks for your response. I think I know what you mean I could have my receiver in the room with my TV, but linked to the PC via USB. From that then it will accept a IR signal from the remote and keyboard. That's one option I thought might be feasible and the other which thought might be more difficult but may be more preferable would be a non line of sight method like Bluetooth or RF - so a corresponding remote and sensor would be needed and preferably a keyboard too.

Great to see your advice and experience with cables. What are your concerns with the DVD drive? I thought all my output from the HTPC would be through AV cables i.e. if I play a DIVX file from the harddisk or play a dvd from the HTPC DVD drive that the communication to the TV is the same?

I am quite a bit off from starting this project as my other one is the house so I'm not sure how I will be connecting to the TV just yet. But any suggestions would be welcome and I would probably go with a HDTV and an attempt ad reasonable future proofing.

Thanks again,
MAJJ

8T8

My mentioning of the DVD drive was merely in case you wanted to play DVD's via the HTPC as it would save you having to go into another room to insert the DVD plus the ability to pop in a disc is handy anyway if you had photos or other content on it. Playback is unaffected by this if what's what your wondering.

The output from the HTPC showing you the computers desktop/media center UI will most likely be though DVI/VGA or HDMI depending on the HDTV you purchase that takes care of the display output. The make & model of the HDTV you pick be the decider of which one you go with, if you point out the make we can take a look at it...

As for getting the TV signal from the set top box to the PC you can use scart adapters to turn the output from scart into composite or s-video and run the cables to the tuner on the back of the PC (I'd run both cables even if you only use one so you leave your options open).

So it may end up looking something like this;
PC DVI-HDMI cable for TV
PC Audio output -? speaker system or internal speakers on TV
S-video cable for tuner
Composite cable for tuner
RCA audio cables for TV audio (red/white of composite above)
USB extension cable + possible USB hub in TV room for other items like DVD drive, media card readers, wireless keyboards.
Scart adapter this will work for composite, but s-video will not be in colour for that you need one of these.

The max length of a single USB cable is 5m so you're in the clear, powered USB hubs can extend a further 5m up to 30m by daisy changing hubs.

(I assume the HTPC will have some sort of network connection wired or wireless)

So I think that covers most things.

MAJJ

Hi 8T8,

I am smiling here and so grateful for your time and experience. I understand where your coming from on the external DVD.

I need to do a lot of reading and will come back with a spec at some stage in the future.

The intention would be to have the HTPC wired to my modem.

Thanks again,
MAJJ

8T8

Broadband modem or old school 56K ?

If broadband and the house building is in progress I would also consider laying down cat5e networking cable in some of the rooms that way the house will have access to the broadband should anything ever with the wireless network flake out. Plus the wired option is much more reliable for watching media over a network should you ever make use of that.

MAJJ

It's a broadband modem - allegedly but's that could be a thread elsewhere!
That cat5e cable is that another name for or type of ethernet cable? Good idea anyway and I will certainly consider it.

I hope to come back with a spec in the not too distant future. Am sure there will be lots of discussion points there too!

Thanks again,
MAJJ

Conar

MAJJ wrote:

It's a broadband modem - allegedly but's that could be a thread elsewhere!
That cat5e cable is that another name for or type of ethernet cable? Good idea anyway and I will certainly consider it.

I hope to come back with a spec in the not too distant future. Am sure there will be lots of discussion points there too!

Thanks again,
MAJJ

I would second that suggestion about pre-wiring for a Cat5e network.
Wireless networks aren't worth the air they (attempt to) travel through IMHO.

jimmycrackcorm

I've no problems watching recorded TV over wireless anywhere in my house.

Conar

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

I've no problems watching recorded TV over wireless anywhere in my house.

You must be one of the lucky few.
I have a wiresless setup in my simple 3 bed 2 storey house and it doesn't even nearly make it to all corners and where it does make it I have serious intermittent latency issues.
I've talked to a lot of people that seem to have noticed the same issues.

As he's building the house and has the option of pre-wiring it with Cat5 I reckon he should do it.