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How Fast of a HTPC do you need for HD-DVD

 
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Zebu Fellenz




Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 2567



PostLink    Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:03 pm    Post subject: How Fast of a HTPC do you need for HD-DVD Reply with quote


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Title says it all: CPU speed, Graphics Card, Memory?

What is the bare minimum and what is reccommended?

Thanks,

Erik
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would think any of the current dual-core Intel E series would be sufficient enough to decode the MPEG-4 bit-stream. Memory is cheap (Fry's electronics & Outpost) frequently offer PC6400 2GB for well under $100. Heck, I'm using a motherboard with integrated video.

Of course, one really has to ask if they are building a PC for MPEG-4/HD DVD video playback then why not spend $390 on a) a Toshiba HD-A2 from Amazon for $240 (free delivery) and b) spend $150 on the HDfury? Its going to cost you $180 for the Xbox 360 external drive plus $100 for the necessary software to play it, etc., etc., etc.

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Mark_A_W




Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Posts: 3068
Location: Sunny Melbourne Australia


PostLink    Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A Celeron 333 and an ATi 2xxx series video card. 512mb of ram would be fine.

My 2.4ghz opteron is at 10% for HD-DVD with Hardware Accel enabled Smile
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator



Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26690
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G


PostLink    Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark_A_W wrote:
A Celeron 333 and an ATi 2xxx series video card. 512mb of ram would be fine.


LOL
Mark_A_W wrote:

My 2.4ghz opteron is at 10% for HD-DVD with Hardware Accel enabled Smile

[/quote]
Nice minimal system.

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pfloydphanatic




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 240



PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:27 pm    Post subject: Dell 8100 for HTPC... Reply with quote

ok... my dad says he might want to get a new computer, so i might want to take his old one.. which is a Dell P4 1.5 ghz 600+ ram, a ATI radeon 32mb vid card or something (might want to upgrade that if i have to) would this be enough to play HD content? if so that would be great for a cheap HTPC.. has a soundblaster live value, a nice 5.1 would go n ice in there. take advantage of the 5.1 analogue input on my receiver. now i'm a guy who switched to mac so this is kind of like.. ok i'm giving in to the pc again.. but maybe theres a version of linux that could work as a media center. has anybody tried this? http://linuxmce.com/ it looks pretty cool and it makes me excited i may not have to rely on windows.. then of course use mac os X for all other stuff.
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benareeno




Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 1614
Location: ottawa, canada


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark,

I thought you used dscaler codec for .ts files...how could you do that with such a slow processor?

I was under the impression that dscaler codec was all software...no hw accel.

Ben
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MikeEby




Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 5238
Location: Osceola, Indiana


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Mark may have mistaken that question. I don't see how that would work. Perhaps he though Zebu Fellenz
was asking about asking about SD-DVD's. I'm not even sure the software would install with that slow of a processor.

Or perhaps it was some of that dry Aussy humor. Smile

Mike

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Zebu Fellenz




Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 2567



PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dry Aussy humor Smile
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Welwynnick




Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 229
Location: Welwyn, Herts, UK


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is one of the best descriptions of how to get a PC to play BD & HD discs.

http://jadedraverla.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-building-or-upgrading-pc-for-blu.html

The author is obviously a blu-ray supporter (though one of the rational ones) and his comments pretty much apply to HD DVD as well as BD. This being one of the attractions of an HTPC after all.

The only slight difference is that the ATI 2400 & 2600 cards he mentioned can off-load VC-1 decoding better (making them more suitable for HD DVD) and the NVidia cards support AVC better (making them more suitable for BD).

At the moment, it looks like integrated graphics solutions do not support HD video properly, though integrated sound may do under some circumstances. Best to read the information rather than try to simplify things.

The situation about the operating system seems to be quite contentious, and the author (who is a windows beta tester, and knows his stuff) is a supporter of Vista for HTPC applications (though recommends XP for gamers)

HTH, Nick

The comments about audio decoding are worth reading carefully, as this seems to impact video coding on otherwise suitable PCs.
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benareeno




Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 1614
Location: ottawa, canada


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was a great write up...and since audio is of high interest to me...particularly the uncompressed TRUE-HD and Linear PCM, I think one of these sound cards is a must!

Thanks,

Ben
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pfloydphanatic




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 240



PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

that really helped to clear up some things... thanks for putting that web site up there.. i'm new to this home theater pc thing. but has anybody used linux as a media center OS?
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benareeno




Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 1614
Location: ottawa, canada


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Linux?? Really?

I don't want to meet anyone who is using Linux as a media center OS... Smile

Is there a dscaler decoder for linux?

Is there hw/accel for HD-DVD/Blu-Ray in Linux?

What possilbe reason is there to use Linux, other than adding another layer of complexity!
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pfloydphanatic




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 240



PostLink    Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:17 pm    Post subject: LinuxMCE.com Reply with quote

actually it looks rather cool http://linuxmce.com/ , and rather possible to set up... i wont say easy of course but one drawback is it won't play copy protected DVDs which is gay... and looks like doesn't support some devices. i just like this because i'll do anything not to be reliant on Microsoft...

but looks like they're using PDAs for remotes through blue tooth. what do you use? windows media center? but, i'm a mac man myself.. but i don't have money for a new mac. but, i do like the idea of a home theater pc now.. just as long as i can hide the box in the bottom of my media cabinet. pcs are ugly. and noisy, might want to get a HD compatible vid card first though. and quieter fans, one sounds like its dying. a P4 1.5 should be enough to play SD dvd at 1080i.


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lyd




Joined: 15 Sep 2007
Posts: 390
Location: Lake Mills, Wi


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:11 am    Post subject: Re: LinuxMCE.com Reply with quote

pfloydphanatic wrote:
actually it looks rather cool http://linuxmce.com/ , and rather possible to set up... i wont say easy of course but one drawback is it won't play copy protected DVDs

This isn't really true. The distro doesn't include support for CSS discs because they are trying to avoid legal headaches, but it is trivial to install libdvdcss to enable that functionality. It would be a pretty useless project if there was no way to play commercial movies with it!

What I don't know anything about at the moment is the current state of HD and BD support, but I have the impression that it is sketchy. If you don't have that requirement this is a great way to go, as long as your hardware is well supported.

lyd
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pfloydphanatic




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 240



PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well i dont know if this is the same thing, but i rip dvds with mac the ripper.. a small hand full of them can't be ripped... i suppose these are the only ones you can't play on linux mce. but a home theater pc would be good for me. for use as a scaler alone would be great and video cards have color and gamma adjustments... that alone would be worth it. because my crt has some gray black levels unless i turn the brightness way down to like 3.

but reading all the stuff linuxmce can do.. i was like woah woah woah... all i want to do is play dvds without having to use a stupid keyboard and mouse, and use a controller which i would then program into my sony remote commander. which makes me thing... do they have remotes for macs too? i'd like to use that with VLC when my dvd player won't play certain divx movies.
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lyd




Joined: 15 Sep 2007
Posts: 390
Location: Lake Mills, Wi


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pfloydphanatic wrote:
well i dont know if this is the same thing, but i rip dvds with mac the ripper.. a small hand full of them can't be ripped... i suppose these are the only ones you can't play on linux mce. but a home theater pc would be good for me. for use as a scaler alone would be great and video cards have color and gamma adjustments... that alone would be worth it. because my crt has some gray black levels unless i turn the brightness way down to like 3.

but reading all the stuff linuxmce can do.. i was like woah woah woah... all i want to do is play dvds without having to use a stupid keyboard and mouse, and use a controller which i would then program into my sony remote commander. which makes me thing... do they have remotes for macs too? i'd like to use that with VLC when my dvd player won't play certain divx movies.


If all you want flexible remote control, check out LIRC.

lyd
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pfloydphanatic




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 240



PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

these only work with linux? i'm not using linux at the moment... i have mac os X tiger on both my macs..
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lyd




Joined: 15 Sep 2007
Posts: 390
Location: Lake Mills, Wi


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pfloydphanatic wrote:
these only work with linux? i'm not using linux at the moment... i have mac os X tiger on both my macs..


Mac too.

lyd
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pfloydphanatic




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 240



PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i have a MS wireless mouse.. you use that receiver with the universal remote? i read a web page on LIRC. and it didn't make a whole lot of sense. i think its over my head. i don 't know any programming or anything.
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