I completed my first HTPC

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November 8, 2011 at 5:11 pm #6440
NightCactus

    I completed my first HTPC build a couple of months ago. I primarily use it as a DVR but also store and play back my ripped DVD/Blu-Ray library. The build consists of:
     
    Hardware:
     Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 motherboard
     Intel Core i5-2500K Processor w/HD Graphics 3000
     8GB RAM
     pair of WD Caviar Black 2TB
     Samsung SH-B123L BD combo drive
     Silverstone Grandia GD06 HTPC case
     430W Power Supply
     Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe Quad Tuner Card
     IOGear GKM561R Wireless Keyboard
     HP Media Center Remote and HP IR Receiver
     MediaBridge Ultra Cat 2 HDMI Cables
     
    Software:
     Windows 7 64-bit
     Arcsoft TotalMedia Theater 5
     Shark007 32/64 Codec Packs
     MakeMKV
     Handbrake
     YAMM
     
    The HTPC is connected like this with HDMI cables:
     
    HTPC –> Onkyo HT-RC630 AVR –> Sony KDS-60A3000 RPTV
     
    Overall it’s 99% stable and I’m quite pleased with it. Using it as a DVR works great and ripped 1080p movies play smoothly with no sync issues; bitstreaming audio works as expected and uncompressed audio is simply impressive.

    There are a few minor glitches worth mentioning and some workarounds:
     
    1. I often see HDMI audio indicated as “NO SIGNAL” on the AVR when in the Windows 7 OS (but is ok in Windows Media Center)
    2. TMT5 works best with the Video Acceleration turned off with the Intel HD Graphics 3000 for some reason. When on, I get video artifacts and audio sync issues. I have not tried any 3D yet.
    3. Random HDMI handshake/HDCP issues, resolved by power cycling the AVR while the HTPC and TV are both on.
    4. Netflix HD streaming is a tiny bit jerky but not unwatchable (SD is fine). I read that the problem lies with Silverlight. I suspect it’s not fully supporting the Intel HD Graphics 3000 acceleration.