Computer guys, hardware recommendations?

[TheEtaUnderdog]

agreed 100%, but I wanna be able to rip the movie too. That requires some CPU power for simple number crunching to squeeze 40ishGB into 10ish.

that is true, i use a separate machine for ripping, that doesn't need to be powered on at all times, I forget that some people want a do it all but that also brings into play sound levels due to the fans needed to cool.

I also have an acer media server that has 4 bays filled with 4 terabytes holding all my stuff, that has an atom processor to keep power usage down. I'm kind of a home theater nerd :(

[Desaevious]

Luke as far as I know you can't just rip blu rays just like you could with DVD's with a quick program. I honestly do not have a blu ray drive nor do I intend on investing in one until they drop under $80, but even at that I get my blu ray rips via torrents (yeah, about 12gb as someone said). If you get a healthy seed/leech ratio you can have it in a few hours. Yeah, I'm a pirate, but by doing so the money I saved on renting/buying I bought that HD projector, 360, and silly car stuff.

[TheEtaUnderdog]

Luke as far as I know you can't just rip blu rays just like you could with DVD's with a quick program. I honestly do not have a blu ray drive nor do I intend on investing in one until they drop under $80, but even at that I get my blu ray rips via torrents (yeah, about 12gb as someone said). If you get a healthy seed/leech ratio you can have it in a few hours. Yeah, I'm a pirate, but by doing so the money I saved on renting/buying I bought that HD projector, 360, and silly car stuff.

I'll pm ya something cool :D

[Desaevious]

I'll pm ya something cool :D

I have a feeling I shall soon eat my words. But that's fine, if there is a quick burning utility (I haven't bothered looking in 2 years) I still probably won't buy a blu ray optical drive...as of yet.

[StereoInstaller1]

Buddy, do you plan on storing media on the HTPC, or do you have a wired network?

I am doing over the air ATSC DTV on 3 separate tuners on my network, all streamed across GB ethernet. I still have cable, but gonna drop it soon, too.

[StereoInstaller1]

I have a feeling I shall soon eat my words. But that's fine, if there is a quick burning utility (I haven't bothered looking in 2 years) I still probably won't buy a blu ray optical drive...as of yet.

Me too!

And yeah, BD ROM is about $80ish, but I want a burner, too.

[TheEtaUnderdog]

I have a feeling I shall soon eat my words. But that's fine, if there is a quick burning utility (I haven't bothered looking in 2 years) I still probably won't buy a blu ray optical drive...as of yet.

not at all

lets just say we sail the same seas.

[Desaevious]

lets just say we sail the same seas.

[z31maniac]

Buddy, do you plan on storing media on the HTPC, or do you have a wired network?

I am doing over the air ATSC DTV on 3 separate tuners on my network, all streamed across GB ethernet. I still have cable, but gonna drop it soon, too.

Storing it on the PC. This is basically going to be a "do it all machine" in the living room. I'm also planning on picking up a DSLR and Photoshop, photography is something I've wanted to pick up for a long time, so I'm finally going to do it.

Then we will get a netbook/laptop with a WiFi setup so that if one person wants to watch TV the other can get on the net, etc. We've found most of the stuff we watch you can get online, and if I can't get it, meh probably just rotting my brain anyway.


Just need to figure out how I'm going to get F1/WRC once I cancel the cable.

[z31maniac]

Oh, and I don't need a Blu-Ray drive, got the PS3 for that. DVD burners are cheap these days so no biggie there.

[nando]

800w is way more than 64 watts. If he's just looking for an htpc and doesn't need cpu power, than using ion graphics is the way to go.

also, bam, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg5WjGmzMDU

PC power supplies are switched. it doesn't use anywhere near 800w all the time, that's just the peak power it can supply.

don't waste money on something with a shitty CPU (atoms are great - in a netbook). I've always been an Intel fan, but the newest AMD quad cores (even 6 cores) are just too cheap to pass up. Look for an AM3 board and at least 4 gigs of DDR3, plus whatever quad core CPU you can get and then use the rest of the money for your video card. a quad core athlon 2 will crush a core 2 duo and probably cost less at the same time..

the last thing you want is to find out your computer you just spent $500 is too slow to play the movie your girlfreind really wants to see because you're worried that your PC might draw too much power.

oh, if you aren't an audiophile you don't even really need a sound card. any decent mobo will come with 7 or 8 channel audio built in. Some of them even have SPDIF or optical out (my gigabyte does).

[StereoInstaller1]

Oh, and I don't need a Blu-Ray drive, got the PS3 for that. DVD burners are cheap these days so no biggie there.

You can't rip from a PS3 AFAIK.

[z31maniac]

^True, but I don't see the need, for me anyway. There aren't many movies anymore that I want to watch again after the first time.

But I'll look at what Blu-Ray drives cost, may get one just because. Are there Blu-Ray drives that will also burn DVD's/CDs? Or would I need two separate ones.

oh, if you aren't an audiophile you don't even really need a sound card. any decent mobo will come with 7 or 8 channel audio built in. Some of them even have SPDIF or optical out (my gigabyte does).

I'm slowly falling down the path of the audiophile.

[nando]

this combo would do everything you need
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.381162
you just need ram ($100), BD drive ($50) and storage ($100)

the board has optical out, so you can output it to a nice reciever and not lose anything in audio quality.

[Lodsin]

Ion!

My roommate has an Ion, phenominal little machine! Streams HD movies like it was meant to.. Oh wait it was! He also has a wireless keyboard and a gyration remote for it (Remote used as a mouse $70-90)

I swear you sound just like my roommate btw underdog! Even the touche salesman is something that he says on a weekly basis.