# My HTPC and how it has evolved



## chasw98 (Apr 20, 2006)

Here is a link to my HTPC web pages. They describe how I built it. What software I considered and eventually chose, and how it operates. I currently have 2 TB of storage on external Linux servers to feed the DVD portion of the unit.

http://www.cwitt.com/htpc_title.htm

Chuck


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## khellandros66 (Jun 7, 2006)

Chase,

That is very nicely done and good read on the blog portion. I hope to see more insight from you around this section.

~Bob


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## chasw98 (Apr 20, 2006)

Thanks, I will see if I can help anyone or offer up some of my experiences.

Chuck


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

Hey Chuck.

Awesome HTPC, it sounds like it was a huge project for you and it's great that you documented it. A lot of people could benefit from your experience.

If I were to critique your site ...

The "Home" page is more of a Links page, plus there is no way to get back to what looks like the main hub of your site: http://www.cwitt.com/htpc_title.htm 

“Comments” makes me think of an interactive feature letting others leave comments as in a blog. If I am missing something I appologize for my cranial density. I'd call it something like ... My Home Made HTPC odyssey or How I built My HTPC – If I can do it, so can you!

I like how you keep a consistent menu with “Comments, Tech Desc, Pics, Home” through most pages, I’d stick that little menu on the actual “home” page and rename that page “links”.

Awesome HTPC. I built one too and it was a journey similar to yours, discovering what you can and can’t do etc. I used the same CPU you did. I don’t have nearly your storage level but I’ve been using storage on other computers in the house networked up. I have a net drive hub that allows me to hook many older IDE drives to it for extra storage. The array appears as one drive on my computer. 

Oh, and I love that big honkin fan!

Did you give your HTPC a name?

Mine is named Zythus.


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## chasw98 (Apr 20, 2006)

QUOTE:
Awesome HTPC, it sounds like it was a huge project for you and it's great that you documented it. A lot of people could benefit from your experience.

_Thank you._

If I were to critique your site ...

_Well, if you were...... The first page says it all. "A Handy Place To Put Stuff". My web site sits on an old Linux box, a P3 500 Mhz dual CPU in the rack in my office at home. By day I am a network admin and have no dreams or aspirations to build a web site. It is all done in basic HTML and it is just a place to put stuff, no dancing bunnies or fluff. So, yeah, it is just a collection of links._

The "Home" page is more of a Links page, plus there is no way to get back to what looks like the main hub of your site: http://www.cwitt.com/htpc_title.htm 

_True_

Awesome HTPC. I built one too and it was a journey similar to yours, discovering what you can and can’t do etc. I used the same CPU you did. I don’t have nearly your storage level but I’ve been using storage on other computers in the house networked up. I have a net drive hub that allows me to hook many older IDE drives to it for extra storage. The array appears as one drive on my computer. 

_Over time, I have realized that it is a bad idea to keep the drives that hold the media on the HTPC. SO I have a Linux box that holds the media on another server and I just keep adding drives. If you notice, the motherboard is a one of a kind (only 3 models were ever produced) that is licensed from Dolby to do Dolby Digital processing in the chipset. It was known as the "Soundstream" chipset, I beleive. It never caught on and hasn't been done since then._


Oh, and I love that big honkin fan!

_Yes, the Zalman fan is kind of neat, isn't it?_

Did you give your HTPC a name?

_All the computers on my home network have names from "The Little Rascals", but I have more computers now than little rascal names._

Mine is named Zythus.
_Cool!_


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

I have no idea what Zythus means if anything, I thought it sounded cool. Thanks!


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## Retiredgeek (May 3, 2007)

I am in the middle of trying to finalize my HTPC approach. It seems that the more I learn
from reading various comments and problems I seem to be getting further from a solution
rather than closer. Has anyone had any experience with buying ready made solutions like
the HP Z565 or Z560 ? Oh, by the way. Zythus is a cheap Egyptian Beer by at least one
definition.


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