where to buy prebuilt htpc

Mr. Flibble

Can anyone recommend where I can buy a prebuilt htpc. Perferably in Ireland, UK ok too tho.

Thanks

Khannie

I could build you one running mythtv for the right money.

Mr. Flibble

Thank you for the offer but I'd like one running MCE2005, from a shop.

Wavey

what is htpc?

Maxwell

htpc: home theater personal computer

Which is considered better lads?

Media Centre or HTPC or mythtv

Is the cheaper option just to install Media Centre on the existing PC and go from there?

Khannie

Mr. Flibble: Soz, don't know of anywhere doing MCE ones off the shelf.

Maxwell: Myth is (IMO) the best HTPC software out there. Absolute winner. MCE V's Myth is more about a software choice than anything else. With myth you avoid the licencing costs of MCE (i.e. the OS and associated software are all free).

SouperComputer

@khannie, what distro are you running MythTV on?

Maxwell

Thanks Khannie,

Is it just a case of going here and downloading the software?

http://www.mythtv.org/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=1

Khannie

Sorry for the OT Mr. Flibble.

[WARNING: OFF TOPIC]
Souper: Mine's on an ubuntu box. I'm currently DSL-less (after moving house) so it's incomplete pending some downloads. If you're considering going the myth route, check out this ULTIMATE howto. It is for fedora. The greatest issues to be overcome are: tv out (I'd advise using nvidia if possible), xmltv (use the alternate version of the UK listings) and getting my PVR-350 working fully (newer drivers are much more stable).

Edit: Maxwell....eh....sort of. You need linux installed. You should check out that howto I linked to. It's a great step by step guide if you're new(ish) to linux. You can download fedora core 4 installation dvd / cd's from ftp.esat.net.

dalk

If you have deep pockets i think HushPC make the best HTPC's... Silent and they look good.

JPA

Komplett do them too:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/cl.asp?bn=10310

Mr. Flibble

Thanks dalk & JPA, thats what I was looking for. I'm a little confused though; komplett have a choice of graphics and tuner cards for the HTPC, but none of them are mentioned as compatible with Windows Media Center Edition 2005 here.
Whats the deal there? Will they work? Would komplett sell a computer bundled with MCE with incompatible hardware?

SouperComputer

feck, I binned my FC4 disks as I thought it was a disapointing distro. Must give ubuntu a go.

Are there any guides to streamline the OS so that you can have a super-fast boot?

on the hush, I bought two for a client and was not impressed. Over-designed IMO. They go to a lot of trouble with heatpipes and anodised aluminum and then manage to take the quietest HD on the market sound like its connected to a megaphone.

I was really dissapointed, the plate that the HD is mounted to really amplifys the HD seek & spindle noise, I can hear it over the noise of my projector! Its REALLY bad.

Another client has seen the Hush and insists he must have it, so hopefully Hush have this issue sorted.

Fujitsu Siemens have a Shuttle-Like MCE PC, not sure where you can get it in retail but overall it was a well thought-out unit. Only fault I could find was that the MPEG2 encoding on the capture card showed more arifacts than some of the hauppage cards I have used.

secret_squirrel

Mr. Flibble wrote:

Thanks dalk & JPA, thats what I was looking for. I'm a little confused though; komplett have a choice of graphics and tuner cards for the HTPC, but none of them are mentioned as compatible with Windows Media Center Edition 2005 here.
Whats the deal there? Will they work? Would komplett sell a computer bundled with MCE with incompatible hardware?

All 4 tv cards are listed as compliant think your list is imcomplete/outdated

Mr. Flibble

Thanks. I managed to find a very outdated list - even tho it was still on Microsoft's web site.