DIY Media Center PC

I want to eventually build my own Media Center PC. The goal of this project is:

• fill in the blanks

Actually this page is being co-opted to use for the parts list for Stephanie's MythTV box. Besides, once I finalize this and build it, I have all the info I need to build my own!! Bwahahahahahaha!!!

(Note: All prices are rounded up for simplicity's sake, i.e. $49.99 becomes $50)

Requirements

• output to TV Composite output (i.e. old school RCA plug)
  • or SVideo - it is trivial to convert SVideo to composite, just needs a like $3 adapter at Rat Shack
• be able to play DVD Videos and burn DVD videos of recorded content
• HD *NOT* necessary
  • but you might end up getting it anyway - pretty much all the tuner cards these days do both HD and SD
• must be able to (at first) sneaker-net the program guide data onto the box - it *won't* be networked
  • this MAY be a problem - I'm not sure that the myth software can handle accepting program data via sneaker-net
  • well, "problem" may be too strong a word. We can probably hack together some sort of script that takes the channel data (presumably some sort of XML or HTML), parse it, and shove it into the MythTV backend.
  • at the very least you can operate it in "dumb VCR" mode (i.e. set the channel and start/end times yourself)
  • wifi a possible later add on
    • no problems here, I know of several good PCI and/or USB wifi cards that work in Linux
• control a Comcast cable box using IR Blaster
  • this means the TV tuner must accept input from the Comcast (either SVideo or composite)
  • this is no longer an issue - they will only be watching unencrypted analog or ClearQAM channels, which the TV decoder card can decode natively
• Do you guys want a Remote Control (ie to be able to control myth box using a remote?)
  • well you're getting one whether you like it or not - the tuner card comes with one and it is supported

The Official Parts List

Motherboard and CPU

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157154 ASrock (AMD), $70
  • has both PCI and PCIe slots
  • requires DDR2 1066 memory
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103255 AMD Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz $56

RAM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227419 OCZ Blade Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) $56

Video card

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150335 XFX HD-435X-YAH2 Radeon HD 4350 512MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card - Retail $47
  • passively cooled so no fan to fail, and a better card overall, and it's only $10 more

Tuner card

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116033 Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 $85
  • This is a PCI card - make sure the mobo has PCI slots
  • it does, chill out

IR blaster

• insert link here

HD

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152101 Samsung SpinPoint 1TB drive, $90

Optical drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129040 Pioneer DVR-117DBK (DVD Burner) $25

Case/PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144231 Apevia HTPC case, $65

GRAND TOTAL

(excluding tax and shipping): $494

Linux distribution to be used

Mythbuntu http://www.mythbuntu.org/downloads

The Junk Pile

(earlier parts that I ended up rejecting for various reasons or another - kept here for historical reference and "Just in case")

Mobo/CPU

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121341 Intel, $60
  • may not be PCI Express - check! (it isn't...)
  • builtin video doesn't support output to composite/Svideo
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116072 Core 2 Duo E5200 Wolfdale 2.5 GHz $70

Video card

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129129 VisionTek Radeon 3850, $60
  • rejected because it does not have SVideo/composite tv-out
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121250 ASUS EAH3450/HTP/512M Radeon HD 3450 512MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 $37
  • rejected because it's not quite as good, and has a failfan