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The Hardware
This is a fairly large section, as there is
plenty of hardware to cover. Considering the fact that everyone's
current setup is unique, there may be equipment or accessories needed to
connect your new HTPC to your home theater system. Everything from A/V
equipment and accessories, to PC components and peripherals will be covered
in this section.
TV, A/V Components & Accessories
Starting with the TV itself, you want to hook
it up to the highest quality HDTV you can afford. Bigger is not always
better here folks, and you'll want to do plenty of research before investing
on such a product. 1080p, 1080i or 720p...which one? While this
is something I can't possibly cover in detail in this particular article,
HDTV's do confuse many and bring many questions. Is it worth the extra
money on a 1080i or even a brand spanking new 1080p HDTV? The honest
answer to this question is no. While the picture quality on some full
HD resolution displays are truly impressive, most will currently not even take
advantage of what they have to offer. Spend your money wisely and take
the time to determine what your intended use will be and what equipment will
be connected to it. Jumping back to the subject at hand, the most
important thing to look at though is just how "PC Friendly" it really is.
Keep in mind that many TV's are not designed with computers in mind.
Most feature some non
standard resolutions that will certainly be an issue when displaying video
properly from your HTPC. Always take the time to read the specs and
note its resolution.
Moving on, your audio receiver is honestly one
of the most important components in such a setup. You want it to
feature the connections you need for the highest quality surround audio.
Personally though, I have yet to find one that is the designed to my needs.
However, when you think receiver, think HDMI and try to get one that at least has one
HDMI input and one HDMI output. Otherwise, like me, you'll be forced
to use other options in order to achieve the highest audio quality. HDMI
also happens to be a more of a luxury nowadays and finding a receiver that
is modestly priced with two inputs is practically impossible. Take
note of all components that will be hooked up to it and make sure you're
satisfied with what it has to offer. I personally would only buy a
receiver that is rear wireless ready. However, one with HDMI switching
is still not available on the market. If you're not looking to spend a
fortune on one, I can recommend two. If your looking for one that is
rear wireless ready, the Panasonic SA-XR57 is an excellent choice and is
very modestly priced. If you don't care about wireless speaker
connectivity, the JVC RX-D702B is an excellent choice. This receiver
sports a small footprint and appealing design and does feature HDMI
switching and an impressive 150W per channel.
Most may not own one of the newer HDMI video
cards that will allow you to connect your HTPC via just one cable. The next best option is an
optical audio connection. Some may own a receiver on HTIB that only has one
optical input though and may run into a snag due to the lack of connections
available. This doesn't necessarily mean you need a new receiver to
hook up your HTPC. For example, you can purchase an optical switch,
most of which are very inexpensive, and still take advantage of the higher
quality sound. Optical or Coaxial digital connection? That's a
good question actually. There are actually pros and cons to both.
However, in terms of quality, the optical connection will certainly provide
the best audio.
Media Center Cases
Now that we have briefly covered your A/V
equipment, let's get right to the important stuff...your PC components.
One of the main components to look for is the
chassis that will house your new HTPC. There are many options out
there and you'll want to do a bit of research before you purchase one.
All setups are unique and therefore, so are the requirements. The main
thing though is that you'll want a case that will blend in well with all the
A/V equipment you plan to connect it to. While I personally find that
there aren't many case manufacturers that currently offer some decent
options, there are two of which I will focus on in this article. One
happens to provide the highest quality cases money can buy, while the other
manages to make some highly appealing and functional cases that will attract
those on a tighter budget. Out of all the options, both of these are
highly recommend over all others and some have been reviewed here on our
site as well.
We start with none other than the high quality
cases from
Silverstone Technology. We have taken a look at quite a number of
their products here over the past couple of years and can say that the
company does not cut corners in terms of quality. In fact, that's what
they are all about. Regardless of the costs involved, they are the
only company that manages to release a product with absolutely no
compromises in overall quality.
Fortunately, the company has focused heavily
on the HTPC enthusiasts, releasing a large number of products in a very
short period of time. A few will be covered here, but we will start
with the cases, and there are many of them to choose from! Silverstone
currently manufactures over twenty HTPC cases that range in price from as
low as $90 to as high as $650. From their lower end cases like the
LC13 (reviewed
here), to their high-tech LC13 we had the pleasure seeing at CES,
there's an option to fit everyone's budget. They even offer cases like
the
LC16M, which features a multimedia kit with a built-in VFD and remote
that is compatible with Windows MCE. If you have the money to spend,
these are cases you should seriously consider.
**Update May 2008**
Silverstone had released a couple of new HTPC cases that I do recommend,
especially for those looking for the most compact chassis that supports
full-sized components typically preferred by many looking for a higher level
of performance.
**click to enlarge**
Silverstone has released the new "Grandia"
series of mainstream HTPC enclosures that not only are priced to fit the
budgets of most enthusiasts, but
offers many of the features you'd expect from a more expensive option.
The GD02, reviewed here, is a compact HTPC enclosure that manages to
support a number of full-sized components. A standard ATX PSU can be mounted on
this chassis, as well as full-length video cards up to 11.5 inches.
Space is limited, but it provides just enough room to support such
components while maintaining that MicroATX form factor. You can even
opt for their
GD02MT model which sports a large touchscreen LCD and remote.
You'll sacrifice a bit of quality, but these cases are excellent for those
with limited room for all their A/V components. If you have a smaller A/V rack
and/or TV stand where depth is an
issue, this is an excellent option. Unlike most HTPC cases that don't
necessarily support such components, the GD02 has a depth of just over 14 inches,
allowing you to place it where most cases simply don't fit.
The second company I would like to focus on is
NMedia System.
While fairly new to the business, they have some impressively designed cases
that happen to be quite affordable. In terms of quality, their HTPC
cases will satisfy many as well. Not quite Silverstone quality, but
certainly better than many other alternatives. What did attract
me to their cases were the unique features that they offer. For example, the
180BA (reviewed here), has plenty of features
such as a multi-card reader and internal MCE remote mount. Their small
footprint will also blend in very well in such an environment and if you're
after a feature-rich HTPC case without having to spend a considerable amount
of money, you may want to look at most of their products. These are
also highly recommended.
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