Build The TV of the Future

October 26, 2006 10:03 PM

Help me build an awesome PC-based media center for $2k

I'm moving into a new apartment this weekend. I currently don't have a TV, and my only computer is my iBook. I would like to take this opportunity to construct a device that:

a) plays music from my iTunes library onto nice, room filling speakers
b) acts as a cable PVR (I once had a PVR with my satellite (since sold) and I can't go back to watching commercials). Complete with remote.
c) burns recorded shows to DVDs
d) plays internet radio
e) provides hard drive space to backup my laptop to.
f) maybe shows pictures from iPhoto?
g) runs bittorrent
h) interfaces with a Wii (my next toy)

For this, I figure I need the following:

PC
- either a preconfigured windows media center
- or a grey box with a cable tuner, and hauppage win-tv pvr software
- or a mac mini with an elgato eyetv and an external hard drive

Display
- either a 24-26" LCD TV with DVI input (roughly $1000)
- or a used 36" CRT TV (Other than the PC, I won't have any HD content to display)

audio
- either a packaged home theatre system with reciever
- or a fancy five speaker package for the PC sound card

Note that since I am in Canada, Tivo isn't an option. The $2000 upper limit is fixed, but if I go under budget, I could afford some new furniture. Can I do it? What are the disadvantages of each system? What manufacturers / models would you recommend? Does anyone have a killer setup I haven't mentioned?

(I checked the previous media center questions, but none really provided the broad recommendations I'm looking for)

posted by Popular Ethics to technology (9 comments total)

Just get the Mac mini, and wait for Apple's iTV to come out in January.
posted by evariste at 11:11 PM on October 26, 2006

You can easily build a cheap dual-tuner Windows MCE based PVR for ~$600-700. The expensive part is keeping it quiet.

All your requirements are filled by any basic PC except for the PVR functions. That adds around $100 for the tuner cards and remote. The iTunes playback and internet radio are the only two that can't be handled within the MCE app.

You mention a 24-26" LCD TV. The Dell 24" LCD would more versatile than a LCD TV and it only runs around $750. Plus it has a resolution of 1900x1200.

I wouldn't bother with Apple, as they don't have true PVR interface. You'd be messing around way too much with a mouse and keyboard.
posted by mphuie at 1:10 AM on October 27, 2006

IIRC, the iTV is only for streaming media files to your TV. It doesn't have PVR functions.
posted by mphuie at 1:14 AM on October 27, 2006

I wondered about an LCD monitor instead of a TV. I was worried that the display wouldn't be good enough for fast moving video. And I'm not sure how I would connect a game console (through the PC tuner card?) Then again, I didn't expect the price to be lower either. Does anyone use this setup?

I was also getting the impression that Apple doesn't yet have a good setup for the living room (frontrow notwithstanding). Using a mouse and keyboard would be less burdensome if I could set up some sort of (quick and easy) VNC dealie to control the media center from my laptop.

The iTV seems to be an airport for video. It would be fine if I already had a desktop in another room, but I'm starting from scratch.
posted by Popular Ethics at 6:21 AM on October 27, 2006

I have a PC built out of spare parts, hooked up to a 19 inch monitor and a TV in my living room. My game consoles are hooked up through the tuner card. This is a really sweet setup.

I can watch something on the tv and keep an eye on IRC from the monitor. I can put on a movie, sitting on my bedroom's computer hard drive, on the tv while I play ps2 on the monitor.

The only thing on your list I don't do is the PVR functions. I live with commercials and just use the tv tuner to watch live tv / play console games through. I also don't listen to music via iTunes, just an mp3 folder and winamp, but I'm sure it could be done.

Personally, I suggest just throwing together whatever PC you can for as cheap as possible. Spend cash on the display, hard drive space, a competent sound card and the tv tuner(s).
posted by utsutsu at 7:09 AM on October 27, 2006

Forgive the self plug :)

Check out BYOPVR

You'll want to use somethign better than the included wintv pvr software... like gbpvr, sagetv, etc... if going with the greybox DIY route. One concern (although can be mitigated with careful component selection) would be noise.

The mac mini is obviously an attractive option, but the PVR software part isn't quite there (although note: SageTV does have a Beta of a OSX version that works with USB hardware encoding tuner)

*scratches head* I think that's my initial random thoughts for now...

I do think you can do it for less than 2 grand and have some furniture duckats left over :)

rampy
posted by rampy at 10:00 AM on October 27, 2006

A lot of PC-LCD's have composite and/or s-video inputs that you can plug TV-peripherals into.

As far as I can tell, computer LCD's are no longer less expensive than TV-LCD's: dealnews recently mentioned a 32" widescreen Toshiba for $775. 24" models can be had for about half that. Resolution is 'only' 1366x768, compared to the 1680x1050 found on most 20" PC-LCD's. As something viewed primarily from the couch, I'd opt for the large screen over higher resolution.
posted by unmake at 10:33 AM on October 27, 2006

The Dell 24" monitor I recommended has Component/DVI/VGA/svideo and composite. I play my Xbox 360 on mine through component and it looks great.

Definately do NOT go with the wintv software. Like I said earlier, Windows XP Media Center Edition is IMHO the best PVR solution. I have two PVR-150 cards which are pretty much plug and play.
posted by mphuie at 11:55 AM on October 27, 2006

Great comments so far. How about the audio system? Should I go to the TV aisle, or the PC aisle for speakers?
posted by Popular Ethics at 2:01 PM on October 27, 2006