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Building a Quiet Media Room PC

Posted by Zonk on from the you-have-nothing-else-to-do-today-right dept.

mikemuch writes "ExtremeTech just come out with a new Media Center PC build-it project. This one takes advantage of Windows Media Center Edition 2005 Rollup 2 and uses a fanless graphics card, four tuners--two standard TV and two HDTV, the Creative Labs DTS-610, which lets you bypass some DRM, and a good-looking SilverStone LaScala chassis that fits in your media rack. The new system is way more versatile, and maybe more importantly, a lot quieter than any previous media PC DIY boxes. One drawback: We're still waiting for the cable and satellite companies to get it together on CableCard, so the system has to do without."

14 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Poor Thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    [blockquote]...fanless graphics card...[/blockquote]

    It must be so lonely.

  2. Total Cost by Niraj59 · · Score: 3, Informative

    $2,315? Sounds a little steep for me. I'd rather buy a 42-inch plasma TV.

  3. Nice, but... by Mr.+Maestro · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Until they add CableCard or some similar feature to Media Center PC's, I think the appeal will be limited. On that subject, I don't see why the cable company would want me to get a cable card when they could just continue charging me to use their digital box.
    Maybe I'll just read a book instead.
    M

    1. Re:Nice, but... by DrEldarion · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't see why the cable company would want me to get a cable card when they could just continue charging me to use their digital box.

      Well, as more and more people want that, they can use it as a bonus against their competitors. "Yeah, WE allow you to use our service with your computer, but the sattelite companies don't!". They still make their money on the service.

      Either that, or they can rent out the CableCards for the same price.

    2. Re:Nice, but... by ergo98 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Either that, or they can rent out the CableCards for the same price."

      The cable company is in the business of selling content, not renting boxes. They rent boxes for the sole purpose of selling content (there is no other way to receive all of the digital channels - no standard existed, coupled with the fact that the sources - both movies and television networks - wanted some assurances of DRM). My cable company rents a Motorola 6812 - a dual-HDTV "tuner", very capable box for like $18 a month - I doubt that comes close to covering the depreciation on the box month over month.

  4. GAH! by badxmaru · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why are people posting these lowbrow, "how to make a PC" posts? Aren't there geek forums on hardocp / anandtech / ars where people can parade their own PC creations? I mean what in the world is so educational and mindsharing about this posting?
    It might as well just be
    "build your own Dell system for $200 off in Dell Small Business"

    What's the big idea?
    Isn't there google for these things?
    these posts only further slashdot into the realm of those mainstream wannabe geeks who think that making yet another PC puts them on the alpha stack.
    gives slashdot a bad name! MODERATE THESE OUT IN THE FUTURE PLS.

    1. Re:GAH! by it_ain't_my_fault · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree there are too much articles about building a PC on /. I think most of us already know how to build one but it's interesting to see the what hardware somebody used for his PVR, Media Center or whatever... But please this is /. I know from the statistics most of you come from windows but it's a place with a reputation of linux ethusiasts, so come on show original setups for mythTV that doesn't involve a PVR-150/250/350... instead and I'm sure a lot of us would complain less.

  5. Thin client with flash card HD + Linux does it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Flash card HD (for example Fujitsu thin client hardware), Linux, MPlayer, MythTV, Matrox video card (no fan). These are the recipients for a complete multi purpose video/audio/media jukebox. No noise, no digital rights management shit, none what so ever - just enjoy.

  6. No TV by PCM2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The so-called Media Center Macs won't have a TV tuner, for one thing.

    --
    Breakfast served all day!
  7. Huh? by Chaffar · · Score: 4, Funny
    This one takes advantage of Windows Media Center Edition 2005 Rollup 2.

    Someone please define advantage :-\

  8. Why such a fancy system? by julesh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My old AMD 950MHz system is more than happy handling any media you care to throw at it. Its Hauppauge WinTV PVR capture card handles MPG conversion on the hardware, so there's really no need for a fast CPU for that. Being single core, cooling is less of an issue, and it's got a fanless graphics card that was much cheaper than $115. More like $20 (an ATI Rage 3D card with 8Mb). And what's the point of 2Gigs of RAM in a media system?

    The description of "quiet" made me think "fanless", not "just as many fans as my existing system".

  9. Silent mini ITX is easy by xtal · · Score: 3, Informative

    Pick up a fanless mini-itx board, get yourself one of the snap-on DC/DC converter kits from mini-box.com, or similar, put it in a nice box and away you go. I've made 3 of these so far and they work great, and are acceptably silent with quiet drive.

    If you want to go to the next level, boot the mini ITX board off compactflash and NFS mount your media off a server in the basement. This is what I did to get around some heat issues. Works like a CHARM.

    Fast enough for a great MythTV box, not sure why this is such a revelation.

    --
    ..don't panic
  10. Fanless hardware not worth it by n0dalus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you have the space, it's way better to just buy $25 worth of shielded extension cables for your monitor, TV, audio, keyboard and mouse; put the computer around the corner or in the next room. I got my VGA cable for $15 (shielded), and two PS/2 cables for $5 each, then made my audio cables for a couple of dollars from good shielded wire and plugs. All 5 metres long. You can probably get this stuff cheaper if you look around.

    The only disadvantage is that you have to walk to the next room to put in a CD, but this is something I don't need to do very often. Compared to the time it takes to burn a CD or even just read a CD's TOC, walking around the corner is well worth the lasting peace and quiet. Why spend hundreds of dollars extra on hardware just to cut down noise?

  11. Re:Just wait until January by aaron_ds · · Score: 3, Funny

    Great. Now we'll have one-button remote zealots too!