Budget HTPC

Ideo

Hi Guys,

Im looking at either streaming movies to the TV in my sitting room or setting up a HTPC and was just looking for a little advice. I've read through the stickies and the last couple of threads and have just got bogged down with all the information!

I currently have a wireless router with USB port and was thinking about getting the WD Live Internet Streamer, but I've developed that a little further.

Now I'm thinking about getting a budget HTPC instead.

My only requirements are

• That is is very quiet and consumes very little power
• I would like the option of ripping media from sky plus
• stream media from an external hard drive or preferable have space for a few harddrives
• possibly be wireless
• Be cheap! Excl HD is it possible to kepe the price below €200/€250?

Anybody any suggestions or tips to point me in the right direction. I've looked at the ACER Revo thread but I would prefer something that's more straight out of the box. Also, I have a XBOX 360 with wireless adapter so streaming movies to that would also be a bonus!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

sfag31

answer to the last question is no so no point in going further.

tommiejoie

Yes you can do it on the cheap, but it may not meet all the requirements you have to start off with.

My advice is have a look on adverts.ie for a second hand PC, something like a P4 with 1-2GB Ram and 250GB HDD is all you need to start off with. Pretty much everything ould have XP preinstalled and I reccomend MediaPortal as the HTPC from end. Alternatively you could just hook it up as a normal PC desktop and get a wireles keyboard if you want to keep it basic. Make sure you have a way of connecting to your TV that youre happy with. Unless its VGA or HDMI the quality qould be quite poor. Once you get set up first time you can just upgrade as you please.

I picked up a nice homebuilt PC for €150, put a TV card, graphics card and an extra harddrive into it for anothe €100. And thats basically it. Next I want to get more hard drives (because you can never have enough storage) and a quieter PSU (because noise can be an issue). My point is, once you get started with a HTPC youll figure out what you want for your own needs and how you use it.

BaconZombie

ACER Revo + Linux + XBMC = WIN

The only issue I had was with audio over HDMI and that been fixed in a patch update.

1. Enter BIOS, disable built-in OS
2. Boot of USB key with Debian
3. apt-get update ; apt-get upgrade
4. apt-get xbmc
5. apt-get Cold-Beer

Daniel S

Course you can do it for under €250, maybe €200 if you go on the cheap. Try dabs.ie for...... wait are you building the pc right?

cable842

thats a bit rude

sfag31 wrote: »

answer to the last question is no so no point in going further.

cable842

did you end up gettin one ?

Ideo wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Im looking at either streaming movies to the TV in my sitting room or setting up a HTPC and was just looking for a little advice. I've read through the stickies and the last couple of threads and have just got bogged down with all the information!

I currently have a wireless router with USB port and was thinking about getting the WD Live Internet Streamer, but I've developed that a little further.

Now I'm thinking about getting a budget HTPC instead.

My only requirements are

• That is is very quiet and consumes very little power
• I would like the option of ripping media from sky plus
• stream media from an external hard drive or preferable have space for a few harddrives
• possibly be wireless
• Be cheap! Excl HD is it possible to kepe the price below €200/€250?

Anybody any suggestions or tips to point me in the right direction. I've looked at the ACER Revo thread but I would prefer something that's more straight out of the box. Also, I have a XBOX 360 with wireless adapter so streaming movies to that would also be a bonus!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Ideo

no not yet. its not my priority tbh

i posted another thread about the verbatin media player which looks pretty cool,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Verbatim-47541-U-1TB-WLAN-MediaStation/dp/B002INGVU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1271097443&sr=8-1

cable842

I bought one it worked out really cheap.