HTPC build

[tthurman]

I'm thinking of re-purposing an older core 2 duo machine as a light duty HTPC. I really want this for DVD playback more than anything, and perhaps some light gaming of older games, Pod Racer for example.

My display is a Hitachi 57S500, and I am currently watching in 720P vs. 1080i, if that information is worth anything.

Anyway
C2D at 2.66 (E6700)
2 GIG PC2 1066
ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP
IDE DVD drive
ASUS 1950Pro 256MB PCIe

Will this upscale on the PC or will it make the set itself do all the work? Also, I was thinking about just using media center, or Power DVD that came with one of my X-Fi cards, which is a few releases old now.

I've got options on the OS, XP or Windows 7, but with 2 GB of memory, I'm a bit concerned it isn't enough.

[HAL]

The MS-1 Music Server I build uses Windows 7 x64 with 2GB of memory and works well. I have used it for Blu-Ray playback with Cyberlink PowerDVD11 Ultra with fine results.

For audio quality, Windows 7 sounds better than Windows XP. The WASAPI interface for audio is better from my trials.

You should do pretty well with that setup.

[tthurman]

Thanks for the input!

[tthurman]

What are you using for sound, a dedicated card? I put in a X-Fi Titanium HD, which should be fine for DVD, but once I finally step up to Blu-Ray this is going to be a problem.

I suppose I could upgrade to a more recent Radeon card, and output it over that.

[HAL]

Mine has an HDMI output for the HT application for video and audio. The ION graphics processor handles the Blu-Ray playback well with Cyberlink PowerDVD11 Ultra software. Using a USB DAC for the HiRez music playback.

[tthurman]

Gotcha, I suppose I'll just cross that bridge when I get there. I'm not ready to replace my display, AVR etc., and will likely deal with a more lossy format for awhile longer.

Thanks!

[HAL]

Yes, the MS-1 power requirement is a max of 24 watts. If you use sleep mode playback with some players it goes down to 16 watts. This does add up over time to savings in energy.