# HTPC (playing/external straming ripped DVDs)



## Meetloaf13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Hello All, my father has enlisted me with the task of building/buying a HTPC for his living room. First I'll list his setup, & then I'll describe what we're after.

Martin Logan 5.1 (Velodyne subwoofer)
McCormack Sound Processing unit (no surround sound circuitry)
2 Fosgate Amps
55" 1080P Samsung TV


I have answered the general questions below, but here's a quick sound byte of what I'm after.

First off, I'm a laptop guy, never owned a tower of my own but worked on others on many occasions. I'm adept with tech so don't be bashful. I'm confident I could buils a system if need be. However, this is for my father, who is a couple states away. Pre-built would be a convenient option, BUT, I'm not sure the needs can all be addressed with a pre-built unit.

MAIN functions:
- Ripping entire DVD collection to play from HTPC (ballparking but probably 300-500 DVDs) 
- Streaming to his devices (laptop, ipad, etc.) both in-house and over the interwebs at his second home/office/etc.

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
Sky is the limit, but I don't want it to be excessive. He's got $, but he doesn't like to throw it around.

2) What size desktop would you prefer?

a. Compact (Think Mac Mini)
b. Mainstream (Think average Dell)


4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Could care less if it's reliable/tested/user friendly/good CS

5) What tasks will you be performing with the desktop?
media center PC. Playing Movies on TV & streaming MOVIES to offsite locations.

6) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
NO

7) Do you mind buying online without seeing the desktop in person?
NO

8) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows would be my preference, b/c it's what I know. Could do OSX, as he has those as well, though I am hardly familar.


Build Quality and Design


10) When are you buying this desktop and how long do you want this desktop to last?
Buying Soon
Last 4-5 years minimum, ability to upgrade wouldn't hurt to keep it up to speed.

Desktop Components

11) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 2TB?
At least 2 TB, but I'm thinking 4TB will be better, with perhaps the ability to expand.


12) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, a DVD Burner, a Blu-Ray-R drive or a Blu-Ray burner?
Blu-Ray Reader at minimum, this will replace his current BR player.


OTHER NOTES:

I would entertain the idea of having all the media on a server in a different room (closer to the router) & having the media PC in the front room with the TV (would probably have to stream locally over Wi-Fi) & the outside streaming would happen at the server-level

Also, if anyone has a slick solution for ripping 600 DVDs I'm all ears.

Thanks!


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## kstich (Jul 24, 2008)

I would check out the server at ComputerAudiophile, but would recommend upgrading the motherboard to a Nvidia ION or equivalent. Look for something as silent as possible. I would recommend a HTPC case as well for something in the living room. That way it won't stick out like a sore thumb. The problem though is that a small, silent rig is typically not good for video editing which needs a powerful PC in order to keep processing time reasonable. An alternative, and something I do now since HDs have become so cheap, is the rip and not convert the files. Keeping them in their VOB format preserves quality and is the fastest by far. If money is really not a problem, I would buy a NAS or server to hold the movies, link the server and computer with a gigabit wired network, and have a compact silent computer in the living room. 

FYI - I might get bashed for this, but keep the blu-ray player. Blu-ray playback on a dedicated player should always be more easy and reliable. I would keep the HTPC to DVDs until computer bluray playback gets more reliable.


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## Meetloaf13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Duly noted. I will look into that server. 

The internet portal at the home is currently and Airport Extreme/Time Machine. I would imagine it's gigabit capable, but not sure atm.


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## kstich (Jul 24, 2008)

Hi again. The last comp I recommended was a fairly lite PC. If you want to get a little more power with an all in one box, here is something you can check out. (mods sorry if I can't post links)
http://www.pugetsystems.com/nav/serenity/SPCR/customize.php 

This one can be loaded up with whatever you want and has hand selected components to keep it quiet. It is reviewed at silentpcreview and has the certified silent status. The silentpcreview guys are hardcore for selecting the best and quietest components. I have a lot of respect for them. The SPCR model is a tower. They also have an HTPC version that I didn't look into but may also be something worthwhile. this machine would be capable of stable bluray playback, but I would still keep a dedicated player personally.


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## Meetloaf13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Excellent. We are still mulling over general setup after having read through several different resources and learned a bit more.

We may be looking at an OPPO player with a separate server it streams from. Benefit being that the OPPO outputs analog 5.1 & can play virtually any format.

We probably won't be ripping blu-ray quality discs, just DVD-quality.

THe entertainment center has a rear-access door from the outside, I think we'll have a rack or an area where the server will sit, to keep it out of sight, quietness is still important though, so we'll check this out.

May go with an all-in-one, it would be nice to have a good "library software" that is easily browsable visually. I'm not sure how user-friendly the Oppo GUI is.


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## kstich (Jul 24, 2008)

Ok, I think I missed the sound processing unit earlier. Either way, if you are going for the Oppo setup, that could be alright, but I don't have any experience with the Oppo or its streaming capabilities. However I do use a DAC based on the ESS Sabre 9018 DAC chip, actually listening to it right now through my HTPC, and I would whole heartedly say to upgrade to the BDP-95 if you plan to listen to the analog outputs. The DAC I have is stunning, and I am heard the BDP-95 is the same.

The only comment I have for the storage solution is that PCs typically need good airflow to properly cool the components. It may appear to be working, but inside the components may be aging very rapidly. You may notice resets or distorted audio if the system gets too hot. If the storage area has an air vent, you may be ok, but you should monitor the temperatures closely for the first few days. If it seems to hot, then install some low noise fans to exhaust the air. Scythe Slipstream, Noctua or a similarly quiet fan at ~7V shouldn't add any noise but will remove the heat.


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## kstich (Jul 24, 2008)

I am curious to know what you decided upon...


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

Meetloaf13 said:


> Excellent. We are still mulling over general setup after having read through several different resources and learned a bit more.
> 
> We may be looking at an OPPO player with a separate server it streams from. Benefit being that the OPPO outputs analog 5.1 & can play virtually any format.
> 
> ...


BEST BLU RAY / DVD RIPPER and very easy to use is DVD FAB


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

Just curious , How is he driving a 5.1 ML system w no surround sound processor and only 2 amps ?


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