Ready to use HTPC

[ItsMe]

Friends,

I am planning to procure an HTPC and as usual relying on hifivision to resolve my dilemma. My sole intention of the HTPC is to play HD rips and streaming media. I have an Onkyo receiver and an Acer PJ, so need to have capability to produce multi channel output and 1080p video through HDMI and should be capable of streaming 3D video. I may add a BR drive in future, but not in phase 1. I will prefer a micro tower for aesthetic feel, as it will better fit my (to be purchased) AV rack. The looks of Mac mini inspired me, but the difficulty in incorporating a BR drive in future and cost are not in my favor. Also would love to have a windows based system, so that I can use it to install light games and play if needed. I am not an avid gamer and hence not interested in a heavy gaming rig. Budget is a constrain, and I would prefer the lowest possible option which will satisfy all my needs. I can either buy it from here or has option to get it from US if it is economical. (Any voltage issue? )
And lastly, I am not a DIY fan in electronics, as many a times I have ended up burning things when I tried DIY . So a ready to use HTPC will be better I guess.
Friends, please suggest options.

 

[sam9s]

Just search the forum with HTPC tag and you will get gazillions of thread on the same subject covering the same topic.

http://www.hifivision.com/search.php?searchid=3006584

 

[ranjeetrain]

My sole intention of the HTPC is to play HD rips and streaming media.

If you really are sure about that, than you would be wasting your bandwidth by getting an HTPC.

There are media players at various price points these days with varying features. Get one that suits your need, forget the HTPC.

My 2 paise worth.

 

[sam9s]

^^ Yes .... preferred ...... only if OP is not concerned with HD Audio (both DDTHD and DTS MA), and not planning to have XBMC, Not planning to have 3D ISO/Disk with full Java Menu support ..... Not planning to use it for anything else (lite games as mentioned) except Media playing .....

 

[Santy]

only if OP is not concerned with HD Audio (both DDTHD and DTS MA),

Not planning to have 3D ISO/Disk with full Java Menu support.

Sam,
There re quite a few media players with both DTA-MA and TrueHD I suppose...
Mede8er MED1000X3D High Definition 3D Multimedia Player

Also there are some that can play 3D (like Himedia) - don't know about Java menu.

 

[sam9s]

^^ none of the media player plays full java BD Menus, what they have is BD Lite 1.0, which was used by older BD Disks. The only exception is DUNE HD, that has the license for the same and hence the exceptional cost........ same goes with HD Audio providing both MA and THD exponentially increases the Media player price. For 15-17K you might as well assemble a PC that can very well be used as an HTPC and other activities as well.

 

[ranjeetrain]

As a hardcore HTPC guy in past I can agree that HTPC is ultimate in capability and flexibility, but very difficult/expensive to maintain for a non computer expert. PC hardware gets outdated quite fast and power bills are not pretty.

A couple years years ago I finally ditched HTPC, got a Realtek RT1186 based media player for simplicity and I won't go back. And it does do 3D even as my TV doesn't. How much of genuine 3D content is available by the way?

For someone with not much of fancy needs, media player is the way to go. One can buy a media player with the latest and greatest chipset every two years from the savings on the power bill alone.

I use PCs day in and out, but no longer for playing movies. A media player goes anywhere (can be totally out of sight) and works well for not-so-demanding users.

 

[sam9s]

"Not much of fancy needs" ....... and "Not-so-demanding" .........are the keywords here ...........I prefer HTPC, though I do also have a WD TV LIve, but for movies HTPC with XBMC, just kicks ass. (except 3D DB ISO (FS), but that would also soon land up in upcoming XBMC versions)

 

[ItsMe]

I have an Acer oplay mini, but it will not play 3D + at times I am facing issues while playing huge BD rips. And last but not the least, I need something to leave online for downloads, as I dont want to use my laptop for it.

 

[baijuxavior]

Keep HTPC separate from download machine. For downloads, assemble a raspberry pi solution, it consumes around 2-3W only. I have tried PC, laptop and now I'm using RasPi for downloads. The difference in energy consumption is huge.

 

[ItsMe]

Can I use RasPi to play 3D content as well?

 

[ukjeyaraj]

I have both HTPC and Xtreamer Sidewinder 3. I keep HTPC for my personal use. Its flexible and ultimate. However Media player has its own strength. Its quiet easier to handle. My parents use them. Also its portable. I use to carry it whenever I go to native. My Xtreamer sidewinder also does the job of downloading.

 

[sam9s]

Can I use RasPi to play 3D content as well?

No ... No way ...