Do you own a HTPC???, Home Theate PC Options

[GanjaMon]

A Home Theatre PC is a computer built specifically to replace your DVD/CD player and other devices that make up your Hi-Fi system (apart from the amp ).

Quite often the quality of DVD playback from a PC costing less than £500 can spank a £1500+ stand alone DVD player, with the added benefits and flexibilty that a PC offers.

[Rushifell]

they make DVD players that are that expensive?
you can get entire home theater system with DTS dolby ALL the toys VERY high quality speakers for less than $1K here...

[tingle]

You can indeed get DVD players that much, top of the range ones with progressive scan etc will cost you that much.  Only worth it though if you have a TV which can support it, which would cost you a similar amount again.

My hi-fi system cost me about £2k and I would never swap it for a PC, it sounds so much nicer than my PC ever could, and thats when its coutof the same speakers!

Tingle

[GanjaMon]

I don't mean using a PC to replace EVERYTHING. Just the DVD part. The PC just passes the AC3 or DTS sound straight to the amp/decoder ie the HTPC doesn't even touch the sound (unless you want it to).

The only problem is the noise generated by the fans. Then again the projector fans make more noise. One solution to that, crank up the volume!

[tingle]

I use my amp to decode the sound so my DVD player does exactly what a HTPC does

Only difference it cost £250, where as a PC would cost more.  My DVD player has scart out, my PC doesnt.  Finally, i don't have to sit and wait for my DVD player to boot up!

Guess thats a no then to your poll

[Rushifell]

progressive scan DVD players with fiber optic out, 5 disc changer, DTS/Dolby, mp3, wma, VCD and etc only run $200 around here...probably some crazy market difference..

[Rinsewand]

your looking in the wrong place mate...i dont own one but some american companies make $2000 DVD players...

/me drools at the advert for a hi-fi show with a £120,000 .2000 watt per channel!!!! 7.1 suround system...

[Marci]

Yep... I'm still puzzling on how to silence the 2 evil Panaflo 92mm fans in my projector... shame you can't watercool a lightbulb, innit!

My PC deals with everything... terrestrial and Telewest Digital all go into PC. PC Connects to signal splitter which dishes it out to 3xTV's, 2xVideo & 1xProjector on switched system and sends it to wherever it needs to go... and the system can also link TV to Video or any other combination.

[st0nedpenguin]

B&W Nautilus speakers, I'd sell my granny for a set of those babies.

And tingle, spill the beans on your stereo d00d, I feel a touch of jealousy coming on.

[Gav2k]

yep i have one, wouldnt live without it, just need a silent psu then it will be sorted.

it acts as ;
1,dvd copier,
2, tivo (ie record and pause live tv),
3, DVD player,
4, Emulator (mega drive, megacd, snes etc etc)(few hundred games)
5, mp3 player (not used since i set my server up properly)
6, internet access

runs through 42" tv

[Marci]

I just hooked all the PSU fans up to a Zalman Fanmate...

[Rinsewand]

st0ned ....B&W Nautilus.....  theyre v nice, heard a pair at a hi-fi show...a crowd of 50 people with their jaws on the floor was a good sight, im pretty keen on my dads electrostatics, and stax headphones (Moby's - Porcelain sounds amazing on them) anyway... *me turns on £16.75 pc speakers*

[Gav2k]

im thinking about buying one of them watercooled psu's next time i go to germany (xmas time) failing that one of those fanless psu's) im using a zalman cooler with a 120 fan at 5v to cool the cpu at the moment and it just about copes during heavy use so im thinking of watercooling the lot and mounting the pump and rad under the floor of the house (6foot deep cool space at 13'c during the summer) hmmm must spend money on the baby must resist!

[Marci]

B&W Nautilus speakers, I'd sell my granny for a set of those babies

*Marci looks at the FunctionONE and 16x 1.2k Martin Wavefront stacks in the warehouse...*

MidRange / Tops


Subs


Hmmm.... 20k loud enough?? Just wish they'd fit in the living room

I have to put up with the choice of either Spirit Absolute2's or my current Mission DM6's...

[tingle]

B&W Nautilus speakers, I'd sell my granny for a set of those babies.

And tingle, spill the beans on your stereo d00d, I feel a touch of jealousy coming on.

Mission M74i Front speakers
Mission M7C2 Centre speaker
Mission M7DS Rear speakers
Mission M7AS Sub

Sony STR 1080 6.1 Receiver

And finally a Sony DVP 705v DVD player

RRP of £1650 then you have to add the cables, DVD coax cable - £40 odd, computer optic cable, £40 odd.  Speaker wire, £8/metre for the biwire stuff, and £5/metre for the single wire stuff (OED Silver annerversary cable)

Sounds soooooooo sweet when set up nicely (i.e. chair in the middle of the room on nice and loud)  Only problem is I only get to have my front speakers down at uni with me and I get told off if i have it on anything near half volume!

But I love it


(Tinlge has an obsession with the Sony store - everything he owns is Sony!)

[jolly_green_gian...]

just to upset and i know it sounds a little sad but it just has to to be said.  My uncle bought himself a pair of studio speakers for about £10K each.  Not sure what make they are, its been a while since I've seen them but DAMN they're sweet!!!!!  Completely flat response from about 1Hz upwards.  The only problem with them is that they are massive!!!! about 2ftwide, 3ft deep and about 5ft high.  He also built his own amp.  Same comment.  Just incase you didn't guess he's in the audio buisness.