Low-Power first HTPC project.

First of all, great forum, i’ve been reading alot of the posts around here for some time! I’ve decided to give it a shot at building a mid-range HTPC on the cheap. My needs are spartan, basic A/V streaming, cataloging, console emulation. I do want something that will feel reasonably responsive.

I have a CRT that im very happy with and wont replace soon, and my sources are 720p or worse. I need low wattage, silent operation, am willing to do manual labor! 😉

I’m shooting for a Mini-ITX board with Intel Atom 330, specifically Intel D945GCLF2 w/ 1GB of RAM.

Parts like PSU, drive and cabinet i will use bits&pieces i have lying around.

I’ve been looking at some kind of front-end for the box, i’ve found a nice module called [url=http://www.origenae.co.kr/en/accessory_vf110.htm]VF110 by Origen[/url], but have been unable to source this module at a decent price, or find similar devices. Tips highly appreciated! 🙂

Now, the display is by no means a need, and its a quite fleeting wish, but the IR support is very much needed. I would be very interested to hear the forums insights on solutions for the remote control. As i understand it, with a LIRC-based solution the actual decoding/processing of the remote control data is done entirely in software, using a “dumb” IR>USB device. It seems to me, this could introduce latencies in times of high CPU or I/O load on my measly platform. The board has something called CIR. Worthwhile? I’ve toyed with the idea of using a Wiimote as a remote, it seems to me one could get a decently usable mouse feature out of it even, they are sturdy if pricey, could be usable in console emulation as well.

I’ve been searching for a smarter IR device, which could still learn remote codes of existing remotes, and pass on the decoded data onto the USB bus. My searches have yielded few results matching my price range, and i would be very interested to learn of any DIY-ers out there or if you know any finished products that are recommendable.

Operating system, i want to dualboot Linux and XP, but i’ve read about S-Video issues on Linux with this board on numerous places on the net, and looking at the  [url=http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-025834.htm]Micro$oft WHQL[/url] document, it seems to suggest the board was not tested with WinXP. Maybe Win7 should be considered, especially if i can find a stripped-down version/customize it myself(?).

I want to run Media Portal or maybe xbmc for the nostalgic value. I prefer smooth UI operation over a flashy interface, if given the choice. Any pointers here are highly valued.

What do you think about my project? Am i in for a disappointment? I have a feeling the performance might leave me wanting. Specifically i’m worried about the quality of the S-Video and Audio outputs.

Should i wait for a Pine Trail miniITX board altogether?  8)

Thanks all!

Krille