Derek O'Harrow

Welcome back to the 2nd post in my series about building a new HTPC.

In my previous post I gave a brief introduction to this series, explaining why I’m replacing my existing HTPC and what it consisted of.

In this post I shall cover my decision process on what to buy for my new replacement HTPC.

The first step for me was to decide what I wanted my new HTPC to do, and then what bits and pieces could be salvaged from my old HTPC and re-used on the new one.

Requirements

My basic requirements for this new HTPC are actually quite simple compared to most.

I used a SkyHD box to record TV, so I no longer need that function in an HTPC.

My primary use, therefore, is to play-back video (and some audio) that I have previously downloaded (using my Synology CS407 NAS box). This mostly consists of films and TV programmes. The interface needs to be very clean, simple, and quick.

As I’ve disposed of my Logitech Z-5500 5.1 surround sound system and now just use the built-in TV speakers, I no longer need 5.1 sound capability, so basic stereo output is fine.

I do have some Hi-Def video that I want to play-back, so that is a must.

And, of course, all of this must be easily controllable from my sofa, so the use of a TV remote is a must!

Salvage

So, firstly going back to my old HTPC setup…

I have a Logitech Harmony 555 universal remote control, a Microsoft MCE keyboard and USB Infra-red sensor. I’m quite happy with all of these and can re-use them on the new HTPC. My media is all stored on my Synology CS407 NAS box, and will continue to reside there, so storage is not a key requirement.

My Hitachi 42PD7200 TV is quite old now, and only has a single HDMI input which is taken up by my SkyHD box. Fortunately, the TV has an RGB input that I already use on my old HTPC, so I can continue to use that for the PC. It also has a DVI input and I’ll investigate using that later, but for now I’ll stick with using RGB for simplicity.

Options

There are actually quite a few options available now for an HTPC. Among the most notable are:-

• Apple TV –The Apple TV is a great little device, but for me it has a few drawbacks, namely (a) price, (b) the need to download video using iTunes on another PC somewhere and (c) it doesn’t run Windows so isn’t very versatile for my configuration.

• XBOX 360 & XBMC – The XBOX is primarily a gaming platform, but the XBMC team have written an excellent media centre package that can run on the XBOX (it can also run  on the Apple TV, Linux, and Windows). However, I’m not a gamer so for me this option is overkill. Also, XBOX’s are really quite noisy and I want to keep the background noise to a minimum.

• Acer Aspire Revo R3600 – this little box is a great little PC. It’s small, cheap, capable of Hi-Def video playback and can run either Windows or LINUX. It comes as standard with a minimum of 1GB of RAM, but has the NVIDIA ION chip-set for optimal video playback. It can also be mounted onto the back of a TV using the supplied VESA mount-kit.

• Acer Aspire Revo R3610 – this is the very recently released big-brother of the R3600, using the newer Atom 330 processor, up to 4GB of RAM, and up to 500GB hard disk. The problem, however, is that as it’s new it’s much more expensive than it’s older sibling, and given my requirements I don’t see the need for 4GB of RAM or the larger hard disk size.

• Windows Home Server & Windows Media Extender – as much as I like the idea of having a Windows Home Server at home, I already have a Synology CS407 NAS box that performs many of the same functions. To replace this seems overkill, especially as I’d also have to purchase some kind of media extender (e.g. XBOX 360 or Windows PC) to stream video too as well.

• Netbook – Netbooks are great, and I regularly use a Samsung NC10 as my own personal NetBook. However, as they are a very small form factor, and have a built-in keyboard, battery and screen, they can be expensive. Also, most current inexpensive models are not capable of playing back HD video.

My Selection

Based on the information above, I’ve decided to opt for the Acer Aspire Revo R3600L. This is the LINUX variant of the R3600.

As the R3610 has just been released, the R3600 has now dropped in price. The LINUX version I have opted for can currently be purchased from eBuyer.com for a mere £150 including VAT, compared to £250-£300 for the R3610.

Also, before the official launch date for Windows 7 I managed to pre-order a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium for a mere £45 from Amazon.com (now £106!), and I shall load this onto the Revo in place of the pre-installed LINUX OS.

The Revo has numerous USB ports, so should easily take the components from my old HTPC. It also has both RGB and HDMI outputs, and a stereo headset output so connectivity to my TV will be fine.

Coming Next

In the next post I’ll be posting the obligatory “unboxing” photo series of my new toy freshly delivered from eBuyer, and then after that I’ll cover the installation and configuration.

Filed under: HTPC