# Silent HTPC Build



## tuffy12345

Woah...that controller is sick


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## RogueRage

Thanks!

Yeah, I am happy it is working as expected. So far no issues.


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## RogueRage

I am happy to say that I have no issues with streaming HD media wirelessly. HTPC is on first floor, NAS and Routers are on 2nd, other hardware on third. I can stream ISO's over the wi-fi network seamlessly upto 30-35GB with no buffering or artifacts. I did experience some buffering using straight BD backup ISO flles of (40-50GB)... Depending on the movie there are buffering every 20-30mins for about 15 secs over wi-fi. But at that level you are already pushing the limits of the wi-fi bandwidth over the distance and/or obstructions to and from the router. In any case, keeping ISO files that large will just eat up your HD space. I compressed the ISO files from 40-50GB to 7-8GB. The sustained quality of the image and sound for 1080p is astounding using the following tools. I have tested quite a few of them.

I have tested DVDNEXTCOPY, leawo, DVDRANGER along with the others listed below.

One key decision to choosing your media player and software is to figure out what format(s) to save the backup files or your preference. Then match up what software best works to produce the best results or vice versa. I wanted to use ISO files as my format for backup video media files along with XBMC as my media player for my home network. Remember, everyone will have a different taste or take, so in retrospect its just best to try and figure out what works best for your wants after you have some basis to build on.

The following software combo gave the best results over all I have tested.
DVDFAB for cloning Disc to Disc
AnyDVD HD backup from disc to HD
Virtual Clone Drive
BD-Rebuilder twith ImageBurn to create Movie only to ISO

Other applications that will be needed to install in conjunction with BD-Rebuilder *FFSHOW, HAALI, AVISYNTH* . I will try not to take away too much from what others posted in many other forums. BD-rebuilder will work well with certain versions of FFSHOW, HAALI, AVISYNTH due to the constant updates, so be sure you are downloading the compatible respective versions.

The entire process takes about 2-2.5 hours per BD backup from placing a DVD/BD in the drive to creating the final 7-8GB ISO backup file.


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## Pip Boy

whats the Cideko actually like?


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## RogueRage

Let me say honestly I was skeptical at first. I had terrible performance issues with other mini RF keyboards with built-in mouse pads... I figure I would give this a shot before considering a regular wireless keyboard and mouse as my only option left.

Surprisingly, it is actually very comfortable, and the same size as a regular xbox controller with a Full QWERTY keyboard addition. The mouse buttons are divided, such that the left click is on the left side and right click on the right side. The controller acts like a laser pointer to move the mouse pointer. So, where ever you aim the controller the mouse pointer moves in that direction. The pointer movement is well calibrated, such that you are not zooming off the screen at the speed of light. There is a button on the left side of the keyboard that has a diagonal arrow, when pressed, turns the laser pointer feature on and off. You can then use the tab and arrow keys to control the pointer just like a regular keyboard if needed. The power button lights up when in use which I think is a nice small feature. Technically you can control the mouse with one hand since it acts like a laser pointer.

The USB receiver (slightly smaller than a regular thumb drive) is plugged into the back of the HTPC. I am still able to control the mouse effortlessly from 14 feet away on the couch. The specs list a range of 10meters though I have not tested that distance, it was still very responsive at 18-20th feet away. It is actually the only wireless controller that worked perfectly compared to all the variations of the FAVI RF laser pointers. The FAVI I received was only responsive sitting at 3 feet in front of the receiver. The signal rapidly decreased as you moved further away.

Other Advantages of the Cideko:
It has a small footprint.
It is immediately responsive once it is turned on... no lag or sync delays.
It turns itself off to save power if its not in motion or when left on a table after use.
It supposedly lasts 20 hours of constant usage -- though I have not tested that limitation. The rechargeable battery charges very fast.
It is well balanced and feels like its the same weight as a regular xbox controller to me.
The control keys feel very sturdy but not rubberized. Still comfortable to use though.
For travel there is a hidden compartment to store the receiver in the controller.
It is easy to map keys using their wizard... very intuitive.
It is very easy to type with a tactile/click response.

Overall I think they did a pretty good job with the design. It was pretty intuitive to use. I did not have to upload any drivers or firmware to get it going. For a device that has a Full QWERTY keyboard and a controller that works well. I am a happy camper. It was the perfect solution for my HTPC.


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phill1978*
> 
> whats the Cideko actually like?


I should note that there are a few variations of this product from the same company. Some do not have the functions keys others are just the keyboard with no xbox controller addition.

http://www.cideko.com/product.php?cat_id=20

Video here on this page about the product
http://www.cideko.com/pro_con.php?id=15

Linus Tech Tips unboxing/review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vMaMCJrGVc

Demo of Keyboard only version at 3:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvsEu0utv1A


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## Pip Boy

thanks for the review mate.

i had been looking at this controller for a while. might just go for the air keyboard and use my 360 remote for gaming


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## Dsit995

Great info here...
Thinking about building a htpc for streaming, much less powerful than your setup but this info still applies...
Rep


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## RogueRage

No Problem, I am happy the review helped


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phill1978*
> 
> thanks for the review mate.
> i had been looking at this controller for a while. might just go for the air keyboard and use my 360 remote for gaming


No Problem, I am happy the review helped


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dsit995*
> 
> Great info here...
> Thinking about building a htpc for streaming, much less powerful than your setup but this info still applies...
> Rep


Thanks Dsit995


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## RogueRage

Totally forgot to include my itemized list of components used. I updated the original post but here is the Excel attachment link for viewing.

SilentNAS_and_SilentHTPC_Itemized_List.xls 38k .xls file


Cost of components compared to my current build can be reduced by substituting other similar items and/or using various other configurations... even less if you recycle components.


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## Pip Boy

Thanks for thread some good tips

Just wondering why you went for a 6750 and a i5? Surely an apu has a 6750 built in the cpu and the Intel won't offer and greater power savings vs the amd or useful power gains. It also costs more?


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phill1978*
> 
> Thanks for thread some good tips
> Just wondering why you went for a 6750 and a i5? Surely an apu has a 6750 built in the cpu and the Intel won't offer and greater power savings vs the amd or useful power gains. It also costs more?


Thanks phill1978! I appreciate the kudos.









Keep in mind I make no claims to be a subject matter expert (SME) on the topic by any means... but what I do well is research, read reviews, forums, test bench results, etc. I then try my best to extrapolate what I think will work for my build. I always recommend to anyone attempting a DIY build to follow a similar track if they have the time and not to be afraid to ask questions. Although, sometimes responses can leave a lot to be desired depending on the forum.

To answer your questions:
I totally agree with you, that going the AMD APU route is definitely worth consideration and for obvious reasons is a preferred choice as well. I did actually consider a llano build. There are so many variables to consider, but I will try to address just a couple of them without going too deep. There are quite a few websites that has already done all the comparison work already. AMD apu chips has excellent GPU performance that out performs Intel i3 equivalent chips. That said, AMD apu chips consumes more power and as a result produces more heat, thus you will be using more resources to keep your system cool. The difference in power usage between i3 and i5 is not significantly huge, however Intel chips are more expensive than AMD. Now again, these points are not meant to be the one size fits all scenario. It really depends on the components used, configuration, and what each individual is willing to live with while taking into consideration their key points for the build. Tom's hardware, Guru3d, PC magazine and a few others have some great comparison test-bench results between the chips.

As you know, when doing a DIY build you have so many avenues that can drive the build. For example:
*One can decide that their build, is built around their CPU which means a compatible Mobo will be needed to support that build, etc etc,
vice versa
*One can decide that their build, is built around their Mobo which means a compatible CPU will be needed to support the build, etc etc,
and of course there are other driving forces that can dictate a build.

...This is a good segway to my choices.

Reasons for my choice: The Mobo dictated my build.
I used my key points listed below for my build... Again reading performance reviews for the various components helped in the decision making.
*Absolute must --- Built in wi-fi (Stream media between floors - no extra cables)
*Minimum of two 6GB/s SATA ports
*On board graphics

When I searched for wi-fi capable ITX Mobo's, the ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel was the clear winner. There was a limited selection of other similar Mobos. Compounding the list smaller was finding previous owners for the respective brands giving rave reviews. Now that I have selected an Intel Mobo this means my options are down to i3/i5/i7. By the way, I am a huge fan of ASUS Mobo's. My order of preferred brands are Asus, Gigabyte, then AsRock. At the time of purchase the Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core was the best performance value. I will attempt to find the website (needle in a haystack find) I used to help my decision and post it. It may not show the exact information from when I initially made the purchase, since it is a live comparison chart that is constantly being updated.

As for the inclusion of a separate 6750, that is a personal choice for wanting a low profile passive cooling GPU with a bit more performance. The reason to include a built-in GPU (another one of my key points) is to give me the flexibility of removing the 6750 and replace it with a tuner card. I also have the option to keep the 6750 and use an external tuner if needed. This addresses my other key point of expandability.

I hope this helps in someway explain my choices.


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phill1978*
> 
> Thanks for thread some good tips
> Just wondering why you went for a 6750 and a i5? Surely an apu has a 6750 built in the cpu and the Intel won't offer and greater power savings vs the amd or useful power gains. It also costs more?


Great review from Tom's Hardware.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-5800k-trinity-efficiency,3315-12.html

In the comments section one user posted a power usage chart on idle between the chips.


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## Pip Boy

Thanks for the honest detailed response









The apu I was referring too was the a6-3500 which idles at 20w
a lot of reviews differ on idle power but many seem to use over sized psu which are inefficient

still there is nothing wrong with your setup, as you say the Intel motherboards are better at itx and you can add a powerful you in future with no bottlenecks


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phill1978*
> 
> Thanks for the honest detailed response
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The apu I was referring too was the a6-3500 which idles at 20w
> a lot of reviews differ on idle power but many seem to use over sized psu which are inefficient
> still there is nothing wrong with your setup, as you say the Intel motherboards are better at itx and you can add a powerful you in future with no bottlenecks


Ahh, I see where you are coming from. Yup I agree, makes you wonder, right.


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## RogueRage

Now that I have got the HTPC, NAS, and Full Tower Build pretty much completed. Now its onto the next project?...

Backup Raid5 Server for NAS and my other shared machines. I think I will have to do some quick research to take advantage of Thanksgiving Day/Cyber Monday sales. If anyone has any suggestions please do not hesitate to throw it my way. I will be mainly focusing on whats new out on the market within reason of course.

Please feel free to comment on any component of choice. Case, CPU, PSU, Mobo, RAM, etc, etc.


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## RogueRage

I found my first potential backup Server Mobo for consideration.

ASUS C60M1-I AMD Fusion APU C-60 (1.0GHz, dual core) AMD Hudson M1 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo


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## RogueRage

Well it looks like for my back-up server I might be using ASUS M5A88-M AM3+ AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Mobo. I used this same mobo for my NAS build. I am still contemplating on the ASUS CPU + Mobo C60M1-I AMD Fusion APU C-60 but I will need to add a raid controller.

Nonetheless, if I do plan on purchasing a raid controller I will be looking for at least an 8 drive array to make it worthwhile. With that in mind, the additional cost of the controller makes the ASUS M5A88-M AM3+ AMD 880G look like the better option.

For this reason, I may end up using the same Mobo I used for my NAS build with the built-in hardware raid.


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## RogueRage

Newegg ready made HTPC $188.48 after $10 mail in rebate for TODAY ONLY.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1094438&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-1094438-_-Combo


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## RogueRage

Update on HTPC build -- still working like a charm wirelessly over network. No "bleeps, sweeps and the creeps" over the network.

I highly recommend using DVDFAB HD to backup your movie library to HD and then use BD-Rebuilder to compress 50GB to 8GB ISO. That is if you do not have a preference in media format. I maintained a minimum of 5.1 surround-sound and 1080p format for streaming.


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## Pip Boy

There must be quality loss?


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phill1978*
> 
> There must be quality loss?


Yup there will be some quality loss, but honestly you will not notice the difference using the software tools above. Remember you are not backing up the entire disc just the movie only. No ads, no previews, also choosing the audio bit rate you need.

The software pretty much does most of the work for you, but you can fine tune even further. Basically you are compressing your back up movie that are around 30-45GB at maximum down to 8GB which is equal to the quality of some DVD's. If needed you can crop out all the black borders which save you even more room. The software trims out all the fat and all you have left is a very good quality backup. I have tried other backup applications but DVDFAB, BD-Rebuilder, AnyDVD and Imgburn has been the best combination I have seen. The applications and computer systems have come a long way too. It used to take 18 hours just to back up one movie onto a CD because you needed to use so many applications, encoding, and resyncing to do. It was a very painstaking manual process... that is, if everything goes right the first time around. Nowadays, you click one button (sort-of) and its done in 2 hours or less. The quality is much better too.







...kudos to the developers.


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## MetallicAcid

Hey!

I would just like to say thank you for your build log, reviews and all information in general.

I will be referring to your build log when building my own HTPC


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MetallicAcid*
> 
> Hey!
> I would just like to say thank you for your build log, reviews and all information in general.
> I will be referring to your build log when building my own HTPC


Thanks MetallicAcid.


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## RogueRage

1 Year review: The HTPC is still running strong no issues of any kind so far. No buffering of any kind while streaming ISO's wirelessly. The ASUS mini-itx board has really worked out for my HTPC. I used the same board to setup a wireless server unit (raid 6) and I could not be happier with the results from both systems.


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## basilbattery

Hello,
Great post, just what I want to find! Iam planning to build gaming PC using this case and cooling is opened question for me. Low profile air CPU coolers I think not enough for game built especially if I will have powerful GPU card in it ( I think between GTX 780 or GTX 690) and I start think about liquid systems and found you post.

I thought before that there is no space for radiator and fans, how you was able to fit them instead of case fan? also can you tell me, why did you use here 120mm Corsair H60 instead for Hydro Series H90 that has native 140mm ?


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## RogueRage

Hey Basilbattery,

This case is great for mobility. It has worked well for me. About those GPU's, either of those cards are excellent for building a gaming PC. Air-cooling options for this case were limited due to the PSU taking up a bulk of the space. That said, building an HTPC machine meant silence was a key factor. As a result, choosing a liquid solution gave the best options for silence as well as better cooling results. The enclosed Corsair unit (Corsair H60 in my case) worked perfectly.

The main reason for choosing the H60 over the H90 was due to the dimensions of the radiator. The H90 radiator is about 20mm longer on one side (152mm vs 170mm). It may not seem like a lot but that extra 18mm was enough to be in the way of a couple case connections and other parts of case structure itself. Looking at the dimensions from a different angle that is 30mm extended beyond a 140mm x 140mm fan dimensions.

If you do not plan on using the HD cage you can use the H90 or the larger H100 if needed. There are options to mount the HD drives at the base of the case giving you the flexibility to remove the HD cage. The GPU (780/690) may require the removal of the HD cage for it to fit perfectly.

Fitting the H60 Corsair unit was tight due to the limited spacing between the front of the case and the HD cage. Using a stable low profile 140mm to 120mm fan adapter with a 7mm thickness from Koolance, along with a specially ordered 15mm thick fan from Cooler Master I was able to fit the unit with about 2mm to spare. Usually case fans are about 25mm in thickness, so once I received the H60 unit I got rid of the stock fan to give me more options.

The best part with this setup is that I can still slide out the H60 unit and fan easily as one piece when the filter needs cleaning.


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *basilbattery*
> 
> Hello,
> Great post, just what I want to find! Iam planning to build gaming PC using this case and cooling is opened question for me. Low profile air CPU coolers I think not enough for game built especially if I will have powerful GPU card in it ( I think between GTX 780 or GTX 690) and I start think about liquid systems and found you post.
> 
> I thought before that there is no space for radiator and fans, how you was able to fit them instead of case fan? also can you tell me, why did you use here 120mm Corsair H60 instead for Hydro Series H90 that has native 140mm ?


Hey Basilbattery,

This case is great for mobility. It has worked well for me. About those GPU's, either of those cards are excellent for building a gaming PC. Air-cooling options for this case were limited due to the PSU taking up a bulk of the space. That said, building an HTPC machine meant silence was a key factor. As a result, choosing a liquid solution gave the best options for silence as well as better cooling results. The enclosed Corsair unit (Corsair H60 in my case) worked perfectly.

The main reason for choosing the H60 over the H90 was due to the dimensions of the radiator. The H90 radiator is about 20mm longer on one side (152mm vs 170mm). It may not seem like a lot but that extra 18mm was enough to be in the way of a couple case connections and other parts of case structure itself. Looking at the dimensions from a different angle that is 30mm extended beyond a 140mm x 140mm fan dimensions.

If you do not plan on using the HD cage you can use the H90 or the larger H100 if needed. There are options to mount the HD drives at the base of the case giving you the flexibility to remove the HD cage. The GPU (780/690) may require the removal of the HD cage for it to fit perfectly.

Fitting the H60 Corsair unit was tight due to the limited spacing between the front of the case and the HD cage. Using a stable low profile 140mm to 120mm fan adapter with a 7mm thickness from Koolance, along with a specially ordered 15mm thick fan from Cooler Master I was able to fit the unit with about 2mm to spare. Usually case fans are about 25mm in thickness, so once I received the H60 unit I got rid of the stock fan to give me more options.

The best part with this setup is that I can still slide out the H60 unit and fan easily as one piece when the filter needs cleaning.

I forgot to mention another option I was looking into at the time was the Prodigy cases.
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/prodigy/


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## basilbattery

RogueRage, thank for detailed reply!

So I can easily remove cage and mount one HDD somewhere on the bottom? I try to search through web photos to understand what are this options, but it's hard to see them.

by the way, while thinking about how to fit corsair there I discovered ultra thin fans , only 120mm thin, Slip Stream 120 mm fan. I want to use one of the on the bottom, to increase airflow from vent to GPU, does this case has some options to mount fun there?

I understand after HD cage removal I could use more PSU lenght than 140 mm? If yes, this will help me a lot to find powerful PSU for this gaming build.


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *basilbattery*
> 
> RogueRage, thank for detailed reply!
> 
> So I can easily remove cage and mount one HDD somewhere on the bottom? I try to search through web photos to understand what are this options, but it's hard to see them.
> 
> by the way, while thinking about how to fit corsair there I discovered ultra thin fans , only 120mm thin, Slip Stream 120 mm fan. I want to use one of the on the bottom, to increase airflow from vent to GPU, does this case has some options to mount fun there?
> 
> I understand after HD cage removal I could use more PSU lenght than 140 mm? If yes, this will help me a lot to find powerful PSU for this gaming build.


Correct the cage can be easiy removed by removing a couple thumb screws. You will have more than enugh room for a full size PSU and a decent GPU.

At the base of the case there are predrilled holes to attach an SSD. There is also a vent at the bottom of the cage, but I do not remember if thre are holes to attach a fan at the base. I will confirm once I open my case up when I am home (I am away at the moment). If you have the tools you can drill four holes at the vent area to attach the fan. Another thing to consider is that the supplied feet of the case are pretty low profile if you will be placing a fan at the bottom but still workable as is. If needed, you can change the case feet to something larger if you require more airflow to the bottom of the case.

Once I am home I will try to take a couple images of the HD cage removed for a better view.


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## basilbattery

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> Correct the cage can be easiy removed by removing a couple thumb screws. You will have more than enugh room for a full size PSU and a decent GPU.
> 
> At the base of the case there are predrilled holes to attach an SSD. There is also a vent at the bottom of the cage, but I do not remember if thre are holes to attach a fan at the base. I will confirm once I open my case up when I am home (I am away at the moment). If you have the tools you can drill four holes at the vent area to attach the fan. Another thing to consider is that the supplied feet of the case are pretty low profile if you will be placing a fan at the bottom but still workable as is. If needed, you can change the case feet to something larger if you require more airflow to the bottom of the case.
> 
> Once I am home I will try to take a couple images of the HD cage removed for a better view.


So only SSD could be mounted at the base? No options for HDD? That was my main question, because SSD could be placed everywhere and for HDD you should think about some fixture..

Thanks for feets reminder, I already placed new feets in my bookmarks and your photos will be very useful for me, thanks in advance!


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *basilbattery*
> 
> So only SSD could be mounted at the base? No options for HDD? That was my main question, because SSD could be placed everywhere and for HDD you should think about some fixture..
> 
> Thanks for feets reminder, I already placed new feets in my bookmarks and your photos will be very useful for me, thanks in advance!


Correct, only the SSD can be mounted at the bottom of the case. The HDD can be mounted under the Optical Drive Chassis.

**
*1BottomOfCaseWithFilter*
Here is a view of what the bottom of the case looks like from the outside. You can see that there are predrilled holes to mount an SSD at the bottom-inside of the case. You can also piggy back a second SSD on top of the first SSD if you buy an SSD mounting kit for about $4.00. Notice the removable air filter covering the vent area.


*2BottomOfCaseWithoutFilter*
There are no predrilled holes to mount a fan at the bottom of the case. That said, you can resolve this either of two ways. One, pre-drill holes over the vent area to mount your fan OR two, use Velcro sticky tape to secure the fan to the inside bottom of the case over that vent area. The latter requires the least amount of effort/work and prep-time. The Velcro tape you can get cheaply anywhere for around $2.00. The Velcro can also acts as your sound dampener for the fan.


*3BottomThumbScrewsToRemoveHDDCage*
There are a total of six thumb screws to remove the cage. Four at the front and two at the back of the HDD cage. In this image I already removed the two from the front of the HDD cage. You can see the two remaining thumb screws at the bottom front of the HDD cage.


*4BackOfCase*
Last two thumb screws is at the back of the case. Remove those and just slide the cage out from the front leaving the Optical drive Chassis.


*5ViewOfHHDRoomforSSDAtBottom*
Excuse the blurry image. Here is a view of the HDD cage removed. Notice I already preinstalled the HDD drive against the Optical Drive Chassis. I will get to that in a bit. I just wanted to show that there is plenty of room at the bottom of the case to mount your SSD drive and your fan . Also, an H60 unit to the front or your preference in water cooling units. The case has room for a decent size GPU.


*6CloseupViewOfInsideBottom*
Close up view of bottom area with the HDD cage removed you will have lots of room to hide extra cabling.


*7HDDMountingScrews*
To mount the HDD to the chassis. I found it easier to attach the supplied HDD screws to one end of the HDD as shown here. It should be noted that you will only be able to attach the HDD to the Optical Drive chassis using three thumb screws. The reason being, only on one side of the chassis has extra holes pre-drilled in addition to the slotted holes. This will be more than enough to secure your HDD.


*8CloseupOfHDDtoOpticalDriveChassis*
Mounting the drive after attaching those two HDD thumbscrews. You can flip the drive around if need be. I just did this view and mount of the HDD for ease of viewing.


*9CloseupOfHDDMounted*
Close up shot of third mounting screw attached to a non-slotted hole. That HDD is not going anywhere. If you want to go further, you can add a 3.5 HDD mounting kit to piggy back a second drive to the first drive.

I hope this helps your decision on if to get the case or not. Let me know if you need more information on anything else.


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## basilbattery

Now everything clear for me and I will take this case! Your information was much more useful than official Lian Support! Thanks a lot!









Also it will be interesting for me to understand temp inside case with installed Corsair radiator instead of case fan. All air will go through this radiator and I think become hot? I understand it depends on CPU and loading of it but it maybe critical issue for building game pc ? Reference GTX690 GPU card has hot air exhaust inside cage from on side as well.


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## RogueRage

No problem at all. I am glad it helped.

About heat, you should be okay with both fans pulling in fresh air since the back of the case is perforated for hot air to escape. Also, test which airflow works best after your build is complete. That is, if having both fans acts as an intake gives you a better temperature oppose to having one fan acting as an intake and the other as an exhaust.


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## basilbattery

Now Iam happy with this case and will start buying everything to assemble! thank a lot for your information!


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## MkII

HI Rougue Rage!

I read all the post but just to reconfirm it for what you are saying.

It is possible to use a H90 and a 10.5" inches/26.7 cm GTX 780 card in the Lian Li TU200b?

Of course that first of all taking out the HD cage.But I mean the manual makes references there is a 300mm video card space it is in "total", inside the case or till touch the front 140mm diagonal fan?

I really hope you can clarify this for me as my calculations are that with the 780 and a H90 they'll fit leaving only a 0.6cm space between the video card and the radiator.

Many thanks!


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MkII*
> 
> HI Rougue Rage!
> 
> I read all the post but just to reconfirm it for what you are saying.
> 
> It is possible to use a H90 and a 10.5" inches/26.7 cm GTX 780 card in the Lian Li TU200b?
> 
> Of course that first of all taking out the HD cage.But I mean the manual makes references there is a 300mm video card space it is in "total", inside the case or till touch the front 140mm diagonal fan?
> 
> I really hope you can clarify this for me as my calculations are that with the 780 and a H90 they'll fit leaving only a 0.6cm space between the video card and the radiator.
> 
> Many thanks!


Sorry MkII for the late response. I was out of the country for a few weeks. Got back and I was sick for another few weeks. Still though I missed your post somehow. To answer your question you will have room. With my setup I have 11.5 inches of room to work with. Here are a couple shots with measurements.



Again sorry about the late response.


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## MkII

Hey RougueRage,

Please don't worry about the delay.
Now I can start my build in confidence that everything will fit in.

Many thanks!


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MkII*
> 
> Hey RougueRage,
> 
> Please don't worry about the delay.
> Now I can start my build in confidence that everything will fit in.
> 
> Many thanks!


No Problem at all.

Just a quick note, you should be ok as is, but just in case you should look at the second and third image on my first page of this thread you will see a small stainless steel lip jotting out across on two sides of the 4 slotted holes where the fan is mounted. It extends about the same thickness of a standard size fan and supplied case filter so you should be okay. That said, you may need to add a couple washers to each of the screws to make sure your radiator clears that metal lip. An H90 might be a tight fit with no wiggle room. I would recommend an H80 as the largest unit to use that will not require any modifications.

Your orientation of your radiator might be different to my setup as well. My inlet and outlet from the radiator is at the back of the case. For the H90 you may need to direct your ports for the radiator from the top or bottom if that makes sense. With the cage removed this should not be an issue at all.


----------



## MkII

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> No Problem at all.
> 
> Just a quick note, you should be ok as is, but just in case you should look at the second and third image on my first page of this thread you will see a small stainless steel lip jotting out across on two sides of the 4 slotted holes where the fan is mounted. It extends about the same thickness of a standard size fan and supplied case filter so you should be okay. That said, you may need to add a couple washers to each of the screws to make sure your radiator clears that metal lip. An H90 might be a tight fit with no wiggle room. I would recommend an H80 as the largest unit to use that will not require any modifications.
> 
> Your orientation of your radiator might be different to my setup as well. My inlet and outlet from the radiator is at the back of the case. For the H90 you may need to direct your ports for the radiator from the top or bottom if that makes sense. With the cage removed this should not be an issue at all.


Yes I thought to install the H90 because of its 27mm thin so that plus a 25mm front fan will give me enough space for a 780GTX or so like you said









About the orientation of the pipes I think that I'll try to install them on the bottom. I heard that would be the best position to avoid bubbling sounds and best performance. Hope I can do that, plus removing the HD cage would be the first thing I'll do for sure.

Ah by the way you never thought to install this 5.25" drive bay to save space?

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=326&area=en


----------



## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MkII*
> 
> Yes I thought to install the H90 because of its 27mm thin so that plus a 25mm front fan will give me enough space for a 780GTX or so like you said
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> About the orientation of the pipes I think that I'll try to install them on the bottom. I heard that would be the best position to avoid bubbling sounds and best performance. Hope I can do that, plus removing the HD cage would be the first thing I'll do for sure.
> 
> Ah by the way you never thought to install this 5.25" drive bay to save space?
> 
> http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=326&area=en


I agree the bottom is probably the better of both options if the front panel does not get in the way. Funny you mentioned about the HDD/optical drive bay option. I was actually thinking about your build and it would be great for your setup. I actually did think about a similar brand for my build had the HDD cage not pan out.

I am actually thinking about building a second HTPC unit that may include such a combo. But I am liking the idea of going super small for a very portable build. I am looking at this case currently....Antek ISK 100

I may not get to this build until late next year. The reason being, I would like to take advantage of the new ac wireless bandwidth products in development and the new m.2 SSD drives. So far Asus Impact is the best mini itx mobo with both of these options. That's understandable since everything is still in test mode and in the works to bring these related products to consumers from all brands.

Why do I want do to this?
I want to be able to stream full BD ISO's wirelessly. I can do this with my current setup but there is always the odd Full BD ISO that is buffering due to streaming between floors. That said, with my current setup of compressed ISO's using DVD FAB and BDrebuilder I have no buffering issues. Anyway, it sounds like this new bandwidth should help with streamming full ISO's. Plus, I am curious to test this out with the next generation ASUS mini-itx mobos. Look out for my post on this thread later next year if these products become available.


----------



## MkII

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> I agree the bottom is probably the better of both options if the front panel does not get in the way. Funny you mentioned about the HDD/optical drive bay option. I was actually thinking about your build and it would be great for your setup. I actually did think about a similar brand for my build had the HDD cage not pan out.
> 
> I am actually thinking about building a second HTPC unit that may include such a combo. But I am liking the idea of going super small for a very portable build. I am looking at this case currently....Antek ISK 100
> 
> I may not get to this build until late next year. The reason being, I would like to take advantage of the new ac wireless bandwidth products in development and the new m.2 SSD drives. So far Asus Impact is the best mini itx mobo with both of these options. That's understandable since everything is still in test mode and in the works to bring these related products to consumers from all brands.
> 
> Why do I want do to this?
> I want to be able to stream full BD ISO's wirelessly. I can do this with my current setup but there is always the odd Full BD ISO that is buffering due to streaming between floors. That said, with my current setup of compressed ISO's using DVD FAB and BDrebuilder I have no buffering issues. Anyway, it sounds like this new bandwidth should help with streamming full ISO's. Plus, I am curious to test this out with the next generation ASUS mini-itx mobos. Look out for my post on this thread later next year if these products become available.


Wow nice new setup that one from Antek!

Yes I agree the ASUS Impact it's a great mobo, besides the m.2 its only 1 lane and might not be very fast in fact.

Anyways going back to the Lian Li TU-200B, I wonder if they are going to release an update version with some changes inside later this year. Maybe at Computex 2014.


----------



## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MkII*
> 
> Wow nice new setup that one from Antek!
> 
> Yes I agree the ASUS Impact it's a great mobo, besides the m.2 its only 1 lane and might not be very fast in fact.
> 
> Anyways going back to the Lian Li TU-200B, I wonder if they are going to release an update version with some changes inside later this year. Maybe at Computex 2014.


Yeah it would be nice if they redesign the TU-200B. They usually redesign a couple cases... you never know, maybe it will be the 200B.

Yup, exactly on the IMpact, just one lane for now. JJ from Asus (newegg video on Asus Impact) mentioned that they are working on the next iteration that will include more lanes to take advantage of the full m2.ssd potential. That is one of the reasons I would have to wait until late next year maybe later for an itx mobo with multiple lanes for the m.2 ssd. Then again the impact is pretty new... we will see what ASUS come up with next? Also, I will need to wait for the official recognition of ac bandwidth to be certified before I think about updating my router. Just to be sure most of the kinks are worked out by then.


----------



## RogueRage

SMALL WIRELESS MINI SILENT HTPC with Performance.

Well it has almost been a year since my last HTPC build. Everything is still running peachy on my home network. I am really happy about that.








I needed to build a smaller HTPC than my previous build to make it more portable and of course still being wireless. As noted in my last post I have been waiting to take advantage of the somewhat new technology regarding AC bandwidth, as well as, the new m.2 SSD drives. I am happy to say I have completed my new build and its has been up and running for the last three weeks. There are still a few additions I would like to make to the build as well as test. I will add some more pics of the build to this post once I complete my detail write up. For now I just wanted to throw out a quick post.

Here are a list of the build components I used for building a Small Wireless Mini Silent HTPC with performance.
OS.....................Windows 7
Media PLayer....XBMC
Case:.................Antec ISK 110 VESA Mini-ITX 90W External Adapter, Up to 92% Efficiency
Mobo:................ASUS Z97I-PLUS LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
RAM:.................Crucial Ballistix Sport Very Low Profile 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3-1600 1.35V UDIMM 240-Pin
CPU:..................Intel Core i7-4790S LGA 1150
Cooler:...............Noctua Low-Profile Quiet CPU Cooler for Intel 115x Cooling NH-L9I
SSD:..................Crucial M550 256GB SATA M.2 Type 2280 Internal Solid State Drive
ROUTER...........ASUS (RT-AC68U) Wireless-AC1900 Dual-Band Gigabit Router
Keyboard & Mouse....Cideko Air Keyboard Conqueror
IR Sensor..........Simerec cold Start/Shutdown Infrared Remote Control Sensor

Other optional considerations currently in-hand to test for fun:
FLIRC USB Dongle for Media Centre / Raspberry Pi / XBMC
Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control (Silver)

I want to say thank you to ASUS, NOCTUA, SIMEREC, and CIDEKO. This is by no means an attempt to knock down any other brands, instead I just wanted to note the ease and setup of using these brand products for this particular HTPC build.

THANK YOU ASUS!
I do have a bias towards ASUS motherboards, but that is only a result of ASUS building excellent MOBOs and my worry free experience with them. I want to thank ASUS for building another feature packed MOBO and for placing the CPU socket more centralized on the the mini-itx making it more compatible with a wider range of CPU coolers. This is a plus for larger passive CPU cooling options. There are other kudos I like about this MOBO but for now this is it.

THANK YOU NOCTUA!
I do not like using fans in an HTPC and I try to avoid them if I could. For this build, real estate is in short supply and options for a reasonable passive CPU cooler to fit in a tight space was in need. My search led me to a few options but I selected the Noctua NH-L9I. If you remove the fan, you got yourself a very nice passive cooled CPU cooler. I did however kept the fan attached and I could not be happier. The fan is super quiet, my ear was about 2 inches away from the fan in an open case before I could hear a really feint whisper of a sound. The NH-L9I cooler was made for mini-itx builds and it fits perfectly in small form factor cases. The CPU cooler was lightly warm to the touch without the use of the fan while under load. Again thank you Noctua! Awesome CPU cooler for small form factor builds.

THANK YOU SIMEREC!
I kept hoping PC manufacturers and other third party vendors would adapt a bit faster and include as an option to remotely power start/shutdown controlled PC's more widely. We have remotely controlled everything else on the market. Anyway, thank you Simerec for building an absolutely excellent solution to remotely cold start/shutdown an HTPC/PC. In addition, it is configurable with most remote controllers out on the market. What's great about this product is that it requires little effort to setup and it simply works. The toughest part of this install was drilling a small hole in the case for the sensor. I bought two for my HTPC's.









THANK YOU CIDEKO!
I absolutely love this controller and is ideal for HTPC's especially if you need a keyboard/mouse and need to do some typing. This controller came in handy when configuring XBMC with Mashup, etc. plug-ins. It worked straight out of the box and did not require any extra key mapping. This is a must have in my book if you plan on the need of a keyboard type device or until something better comes along.

I will update the post with a build log once I complete the write up and conduct other testing.


Components used for build.


Completed build with Simerec Sensor installed.


Simerec Sensor.


Side profile of build to show everything fits.


Top view of build. Everything fits nicely.


----------



## RogueRage

Well I am happy to say I have solved my network wireless buffering of large 35GB+ iso files. The use of the Asus router RT-AC68U along with the HTPC above that supports the AC frequency, I was able to stream wirelessly throughout my home without issue. Problem solved! No more cables! I had no issues with firmware or random disconnects as others in some reviews experienced. So far so good. The newer ASUS router on the market is a beast (RT-AC87U). The nice thing about this router is its claim that successful tests showed a coverage of 5000 square feet area. That's huge. So if you are considering a wireless network for streaming 4K content or the like. The ASUS RT-AC68U has my vote. I have not tested the Netgear Nighthawk or the latest ASUS router but I expect similar great results.

PS: I am still working on my write up of setting up the Simerec remote and the build log. Work and other home life duties took priority but I should have something up within a week.


----------



## RogueRage

Build log for my SMALL WIRELESS MINI SILENT HTPC with Performance.

Well my apologies for taking so long to post this lengthy build log. Feel free to ask me any question on the build and I will try to answer them as best as I can. Some of the detail steps listed below are more directed at the novice user. However, some areas I purposely left out some finer details for not wanting to go off on a tangent.

*Latest HTPC BUILD COMPONENTS:*
OS.................. Windows 7
Media Player........XBMC
Case:............... Antec ISK 110 VESA Mini-ITX 90W External Adapter, Up to 92% Efficiency
Mobo:............... ASUS Z97I-PLUS LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
RAM:................ Crucial Ballistix Sport Very Low Profile 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3-1600 1.35V UDIMM 240-Pin
CPU:................ Intel Core i7-4790S LGA 1150 - BX80646I74790S
Cooler:............. Noctua Low-Profile Quiet CPU Cooler for Intel 115x Based Retail Cooling NH-L9I
HD/SSD:.............. Crucial M550 256GB SATA M.2 Type 2280 Internal Solid State Drive CT512M550SSD4
ROUTER.............. ASUS (RT-AC68U) Wireless-AC1900 Dual-Band Gigabit Router
IR Sensor........... Simerec cold Start/Shutdown Infrared Remote Control Sensor
Keyboard & Mouse....Cideko Air Keyboard Conqueror

Other optional considerations:
FLIRC USB Dongle for Media Centre / Raspberry Pi / XBMC
Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control (Silver)

*Intro:*
My last HTPC build was such a success to my expanding home network that I found the need for another dedicated HTPC. As usual I wanted to share my experience with this build in hopes it helps someone just as online postings on HTPC building did for me when I first started my research into HTPC's. I am not new to building custom PC's (over 2 decades), but like anything else research of any old/new item on the market can help iron-out what works or does not work for a project. Also, sometimes the most trivial of information can be beneficial to some. One thing to take note is there is no rule book to building an HTPC regarding price, design, use of specific components, etc. In other words, you are only limited by your own available options and shared subject matter. Feel free to explore and enjoy your passion, as well as, the satisfaction of building your own HTPC.

*What am I looking for in this HTPC build?*
I want to build a much smaller form factor HTPC that needs to be able to stream my media files wirelessly from my Network Attached Storage (NAS) library. Sounds simple enough but there are a few caveats to achieving this task. For one, my HTPC will be streaming through multiple floors, HVAC, electrical interference, as well as the multitude of other wireless networks in the neighborhood. In my previous HTPC build I can stream compressed media files without issue, however uncompressed (full HD backup ISO files) there was always the occasional buffering with a select few files. I am hoping to remedy all buffering across my wireless network with the current build. Usually, you want to compress your backup files if storage is an issue thankfully I do not have this limitation. In addition, storage is super cheap to obtain these days. I recommend investing in some type of local NAS with some sort of backup redundancy for any home media center.

*Key points to a successful build:*
Again, not all HTPC's will be the same since everyone will have a different take or need, but some will share similar characteristics. The key to a successful HTPC build before shopping for components is to figure out what are your unique wants for the build. For Example:
• Do you want a silent/fan-less HTPC?
• What form factor are you looking for regarding size?
• Where will the HTPC live, like on a shelf or the floor?
• Do you want to stay within a budget?
• Best value/performance? Etc.

You may or may not be able to satisfy all of your wants in your HTPC build, however my suggestion would be to choose your top three no-compromise points and go from there.

*For example, my key points for the build:*
• Absolute must --- Built in Wi-Fi (Stream media between floors - no extra cables)
• Absolute must --- Portable ( As small as possible without sacrificing performance and function)
• Absolute must --- On board graphics processing integrated in CPU (I don't plan on using a dedicated GPU)
• Remote controlled cold start/shutdown of HTPC (This does not mean in sleep mode)
• Attempt to stream full BD ISO files wirelessly without buffering
• Looks Good.

*Task:*
*A guide to building a powerful, wireless, mini, silent HTPC with performance. In this HTPC guide we will review the following:
• Cover some frequently asked questions about building HTPC's to form a knowledge base on the subject.
• A basic step by step guide in connecting/putting together the HTPC components.
• Basic input/output system (BIOS) configuration.*
• Installation of Windows 7. (omitted)
• Installation of the Motherboard drivers and supported software. (omitted)
• Installation of windows security updates. (omitted)
• *Installation, programming and testing of the Simerec cold start/shutdown Infrared Sensor.*
• Installation and configuration of XMBC Media Player. (omitted)
• Installation and configuration of DVDFAB and BD-rebuilder software to backup your media library. (omitted)
• Creating the backup of your movie library in ISO format using DVDFAB and BD-rebuilder. (omitted)

*Some of the frequently asked questions about building an HTPC:*
• What is an HTPC?
• Why build an HTPC?
• Do you need an HTPC?
• What are the available options in building an HTPC?
• What is the cost of building an HTPC?
• Where to start if you decide to build an HTPC?
• Deciding what components are needed to build an HTPC?

These are just a few of the weighted questions that many ask about HTPC's. I say weighted because many will have a different take on the subject matter from the experts (SME) to the non-SME's. Each of these questions in-and-of-itself can evolve into a lengthy discussion. I will try to simplify the information without going off on a tangent into too many unnecessary details. Googling HTPC on the web will produce a wealth of information on the subject and just as equally a plethora of opinions on what best defines an HTPC including this post. The best advice is to take the time to research as much as you can on the subject before building an HTPC.

What is an HTPC?
A Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) is exactly what it says... A computer that acts as a multimedia home theater system for one of more of the following in gaming, movies, music, photos, digital video recording and more. Other streaming media center devices on the market today are ROKU, BoXEE, Google Chrome Cast, and Apple TV. Each of these devices has its pros and cons that serves effectively for some home users. On the other end of the stick, an HTPC designed specifically for your needs can serve as the best gain and flexibility for some home theatre systems.

Why build an HTPC?
• Having an HTPC gives you full control of your home theatre system (hardware, software, and content).
• Be able to backup and serve all your media content to/from a local Network Attached Storage(NAS).
• Rid yourselves of high cable provider fees for cable boxes and multiple DVR's. This requires a TV tuner for your HTPC. In addition, a cable card from your cable provider that will be placed in the TV tuner.
• Be able to stream content from a NAS, online content or Live TV.
• Easily scale your home network to be viewed on multiple devices from anywhere in the world with internet access.

Do you need an HTPC?
If the points discussed above "Why build an HTPC?" section seems appealing, then having an HTPC may be beneficial.

What are some of the available options in building an HTPC?
• HTPC on a budget.
• Best value per performance.
• Performance HTPC.
• Audiophile HTPC
• Silent/fan-less HTPC

What is the cost of building an HTPC?
Well this depends on if you want a budget HTPC, a HTPC with the best value for the dollar or a performance HTPC. A reasonable budget HTPC can cost anywhere from around $180-$250. The typical best value HTPC ranges from $300 - $500. Performance HTPC's are usually $500+. There are some caveats to these price ranges such as, current market prices for components, usage of the latest and greatest components, holiday sales specials, discounts etc. Each category has its advantages and disadvantages. Most HTPC users fall in the group of budget HTPC/Best Value categories. One of the reasons to choosing a performance HTPC is due to a unique condition or need, such as, an HTPC with some ultimate gaming, multiple DVR capability and/or the ability to stream media content wirelessly over a large area and through interference. An HTPC can be built using a recycled old computer, old components or from totally new components. That said, an older computer may not be as power efficient than an HTPC using the latest PC components.

Note: There is no right or wrong way to building an HTPC. There is no HTPC rule book, only suggestions.

Where to start if you decide to build an HTPC?
The internet holds a vast amount of information on building HTPC's of all types. I suggest reading reviews, forums, and testimonials from other HTPC enthusiasts. Here is a link to one of my favorite one stop shop for HTPC online guides. It is constantly being updated with the latest components for HTPC's. I discovered this website (http://mymediaexperience.com/) after I completed my first HTPC build. It is well written, easy to read and covers everything you will need to building an HTPC.

Deciding what components are needed to build an HTPC?
My HTPC build falls under the higher-end of the performance HTPC category. Most of the components used in my build are new on the market at the time of this posting. As a result, there is a premium cost when using the latest and greatest components on the market. To better understand what is needed for an HTPC we will go over each of the components used for this build and the decisions that helped finalized the selections for this particular build.
*
An HTPC is a computer so at a minimum you need the following:*
• An OS (Linux, Windows, OpenElec, other.)
• Some type of storage device (HD/SSD/USB or a combination)
• Motherboard
• CPU (preferably a low power consumption chip)
• CPU cooling option (Passive, Fan, or Water cooled)
• GPU if not using a CPU with integrated graphics (preferable a passive cooled GPU)
• RAM (preferable low voltage memory)
• PSU to power your build
• And of course a Case to house your build
• Lastly, Keyboard & Mouse or some type of Media center universal controller

Operating System (OS):
Any supported OS will work fine (Linux, OpenElec&#8230;etc.), however I would recommend the use of Windows. There are much more available help and plug-ins for Windows on the internet than any other OS I found. If you are comfortable using Linux or other OS then by all means... go for it! Feel free to explore your options.

Media Payer:
XBMC will be used as the interface to run all my media. XMBC is one of the few programs that supports ISO playback. There are also a ton of features available online for XBMC plug-ins such as Mashup, 1channel, and many more. Some HTPC enthusiasts prefer Windows Media Center (WMC) as their main interface, however WMC does not support ISO playback. My media files will all be backed up as ISO files which is one of the few formats that are recognized by a vast majority of media players/readers/software. That said, chose a Media Player that best fits your requirements. At the moment XBMC and PLEX systems seems to be the top favorites.

Computer Case:
I already knew I wanted a Mini-itx build, so I chose the Antek ISK-110 case because it looks pretty... just kidding. However, it is one of the much nicer looking Mini-itx cases that include a 90 watt power supply unit (PSU) with a 92% efficiency. This case is perfect for my HTPC build. In addition, I do not have to purchase a separate PSU. The included 90 watt PSU is sufficient to run everything I will be using in this build. The completed HTPC will be placed on a TV stand shelf where space is limited so having a small HTPC footprint for this build was a factor in the decision process.

Motherboard:
I am a huge fan of ASUS motherboards (Mobo). I never had an issue with any of ASUS motherboards. Also, ASUS are one of the few companies that design their components with computer enthusiasts in mind. Their BIOS setup and support software GUI are one of the best I have seen. My personal top brands in Motherboards are ASUS, ASROCK and GIGABYTE; however any brand will work just fine. For this build I found that the ASUS Z97I-PLUS had the AC bandwidth and M.2 capability I was looking for. This coupled with the rave reviews from other users made the choice easy. But more importantly, choose a Mobo that best suit your personal requirements. The same goes for pretty much every component of choice for any build. Hence, choosing the ASUS Z97I-PLUS limited my CPU selection to Intel chips so it's something to consider if you want to use AMD chips or recycling an old AMD chipset.

RAM (Memory):
The options available for choosing a compatible RAM are limitless, but here are the reasons for my choice. Knowing that I will have limited space to work within this build, I needed to take into consideration the size or type of PSU cooler that will be used as well as every other component of choice. During the pre-purchase period, I had an idea of how all the components should fit real-estate-wise, but in retrospect I am really not 100% sure how everything will work out until all the components are received. Sometimes you can buy a component and after delivery you realize it will not work for a particular situation. With that in mind, I wanted to focus on low-profile RAM if possible so I have the freedom to choose a PSU cooler that can extend over the RAM area slightly. Vice versa, I wanted to choose a CPU cooler that does not extend over the RAM area if possible. This will give the flexibility of using any RAM with heat spreaders (taller) etc. that may include better latency results. There are some compromises in choices but in the end everything worked out for this build. Like everyone else you want to use the best latency RAM possible with a decent low voltage. Less voltage=Less heat generated. Using these search criteria, low-profile, low-voltage, and choosing a decent latency resulted in choosing the Crucial Ballistix 16GB set. For HTPC's 16GB of RAM is overkill, however sometimes it's best to take advantage of sales when you can. Often you can get great deals on a higher RAM valued set. Plus, if you create a lot of builds/mods the extra RAM will come in handy. That said, there is no harm in adding the maximum amount of RAM just for the fun of it provided that heat is not an issue. If there is a budget to work within, then by all means use only the amount of RAM needed for the respective build. Usually 4GB is more than enough for the average HTPC.

CPU:
I knew before-hand that I will not be using a dedicated graphics card in this build so I needed a good performance CPU with integrated graphics. When choosing CPU's you want to choose the best processing power chip that consumes the least amount of watts if possible. Less Watts = Less heat generated. Since I will be using the ASUS Z97I-PlUS motherboard my CPU selection is limited to Intel chips. As a result, the Haswell Intel chips - without going into too much detail are more power efficient than Intel's Ivy Bridge chips. I chose the Intel Core i7-4790S (65 watts)chip set over the Core i7-4790T (45 watts) out of the box. Even though both cost about the same at the time of purchase, the Intel Core i7-4790S is slightly more powerful than and has a tad better integrated graphics processor than the Intel Core i7-4790T. The Core i7-4790S CPU uses about 65watts which is the upper ceiling limit I wanted to use for my performance HTPC.

CPU Cooler:
Knowing I have limited space using the Antec isk-110 mini-itx case, I was on the hunt for a low-profile CPU passive cooler. I could not find a passive CPU cooler I liked, so I took a gamble and decided to give the Noctua low profile CPU cooler a try. If needed, I could remove the CPU fan to convert it to a "passive" CPU cooler. I was not sure if the CPU cooler will fit on the motherboard cleanly; however it did fit like a glove in this HTPC build. I did leave the fan attached to the CPU cooler since the whole unit fit perfectly in the Antec case. Added bonuses were seeing how super quiet the fan sounded under load and the included Noctua cable fan attachment to help with silent running.

HD/SSD:
The m.2 SSD's are pretty new on the market and I wanted to try these little suckers out. They are super small so it will save on a lot of real-estate which is perfect for my mini-itx build or any build for that matter. The m.2 SSD is superfast resulting in faster boot times that is almost instantaneous. These are still a bit pricey and are overkill pricewise for HTPC's, but if you can afford to splurge a little until the sticker price comes down, I would recommend getting one. Once you experience the boot times you will have a hard time justifying to not loving/using it. That said, any SSD or HD will suffice for storage or OS. Although, some users install their OS's on mini thumb drives.

ROUTER:
In order to take advantage of the AC bandwidth on the Mobo I needed a wireless AC router. I chose the second generation ASUS (RT-AC68U) router based on consumer and test lab reviews. However, any AC router will suffice.

IR REMOTE SENSOR (Optional):
I wanted a way to remotely start and shutdown my HTPC like everything else in my media center. This does not mean putting the HTPC in sleep mode. The only viable option I found was made by SIMEREC. The IR sensor can cold start/shutdown a PC and is configurable with most universal remotes.

KEYBOARD & MOUSE (Optional):
I have tried and tested a few RF Keyboard & Mouse combinations, but nothing came close to the CIDEKO gyro mouse combo unit. Most RF signals degraded significantly or lost connection in my testing within a few feet. The CIDEKO was a last resort effort before falling back to full size wireless keyboard and mouse options. There were very few reviews on this unit at the time so I did not expect much from it. Thankfully, the CIDEKO unit performed remarkably well and worked out of the box without any additional setup. The only recommendation I would make to this unit is having backlit keys. I guess I could add one of those flexible book lights to the unit&#8230; but then the CIDEKO unit will look like a War Of The Worlds spaceship. ;p Nonetheless, there are other options, some HTPC builders use programmable Harmony remotes to control their entire media center and HTPC

*CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO VIEW LARGER SCALE SCREENSHOTS OR RIGHT CLICK AND OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW*


Let's start with opening up and inspecting the ASUS Motherboard and the CPU components. I will be using some images that I created for two friends specifically that will be using the same build and for a few other personal friends that are just curious. Their knowledge on putting an HTPC/PC together is not up to an enthusiast level, so some steps and descriptions here may be a bit too layman for some in this forum. The image above shows the CPU still in its plastic packaging lying on top of the Mobo. The lower left corner of the image where you see the barcode is the wireless a/b/g/n/ac module. For this build specifically we will be focusing on the areas highlighted in Red. Areas in blue are potential areas to expand the capability and use of the Motherboard/build as anyone sees fit or the need.



Installing the CPU:
The Arrow/Triangle on one of the corner edges of the CPU needs to match the Arrow on the CPU cover on the Motherboard when installing the CPU into the CPU socket.


To open the CPU cover:
*Press the CPU cover lever down firmly
*Then swing the CPU arm out slightly to clear the latch
*Then gently swing the arm upwards to lift the cover


Keep the CPU cover attached to the latch until the CPU is placed securely into the CPU socket.


Be gentle when placing the CPU into the CPU socket. Note the direction of the Arrow/Triangle on the corner edge of the CPU is in line with the Arrow on the CPU cover. The CPU also has two extra notches on either side at the back to ensure the CPU can ONLY be installed one way.


Once the CPU is in place remove the plastic CPU cover. Next, gently close the metal CPU latch ensuring it is placed under the notched screw at the front of the CPU. Finally to lock the CPU in place, press the arm down gently but firmly. Swing the arm under the latch to lock the CPU in place.


Installing the RAM (memory) sticks: Note the notch at the bottom of each RAM stick. This is there to ensure the memory sticks can ONLY be installed one way into the memory slots.


Inserting the RAM (memory) sticks:
*Ensure the memory stick notches are in line and matches the correct orientation to the memory slots.
*Press each memory stick firmly down until the locking mechanism at the end the memory slots clicks into a locked position.


Installing the CPU Cooler:
The Noctua NH-L9I low profile CPU cooler comes with four thumb screws to attach the CPU cooler to the motherboard, one syringe of thermal paste and a low power cable adapter to help lower the RPM of the CPU cooler fan for silent running.


Apply a small pea size blob of thermal paste to the center of the CPU. When the CPU cooler is secured over the CPU the thermal paste will be flatten to a thin paste across the CPU. Too much thermal paste will cause spillage over to the sides of the CPU leading to a possible electrical short and damage to the CPU.


Place the CPU cooler over the CPU carefully and then flip the motherboard over while holding the CPU cooler in its place. Quickly attach the thumb screws to the CPU cooler from the underside of the Motherboard. Connect the low power cable adapter to the CPU fan cable. Next, connect the other end of the cable adapter to the PWM CPU fan connector on the motherboard.


Here is a view of the underside of that motherboard the reveals the four thumb screws used to secure the CPU cooler over the CPU. These screws are tightened a 1/4 turn further past finger tightening. Over tightening can severely damage the CPU or the pins on the CPU socket at the same time you do not want a loosely fitted CPU cooler. The underside view of the motherboard also shows the M.2 SSD drive securely placed into the M.2 slot. Be sure to remove the screw to secure the M.2 SSD drive easily.


A closer look of the M.2 SSD drive shows two slots to ensure installation can ONLY be completed in one direction.



The Noctua NH-L9I CPU cooler fits perfectly on the ASUS Z97I-PLUS motherboard. The screenshots above shows the clearances between the CPU cooler, RAM sticks and the Mosfet are efficiently maximized.


Attach the AC antenna to the wireless module on the motherboard. Press firmly to click them into place.


Installing the Motherboard into the Antec ISK110 Case:
Remove both side panels of the case by removing four screws at the back panel (Input/Output shield) side.


Installing the Input/Output shield to the Antek ISK-110 case. Press firmly until the I/O shield snaps into place.


*Secure the motherboard to the Antec ISK-110 case using the supplied case screws via the four holes at each corner of the motherboard.
* Attach the AC antenna connectors to the I/O shield.
*Connect the Antec ISK-110 audio front panel cable to the audio connector on the motherboard.
*Connect the Antec ISK-110 USB 2.0 panel cable to the USB 2.0 connector on the motherboard.
*Connect the two power supply cables (24-pin and 8-pin) from the Antec ISK-110 case to the ATC power connectors on the motherboard.
*Connect an internal speaker unit (purchased separately) to the four pin speaker connector on the motherboard.
*Connect the following Antec ISK-110 front panel connectors to the system panel connector on the motherboard:
*Power Button
*Power Button LED
*Reset Button
*Hard Disk LED
*Take special note of the purple wire and any black wire on the 24-pin ATX power supply cable. This purple cable will be spliced with the purple wire of the Simerec Sensor. Similarly the black wires will be spliced together. This will allow the sensor to be activated to perform cold starts/shutdowns of the HTPC.


To check if the motherboard successfully posts and all components are functioning normally:
*Connect a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and an external drive to the HTPC.
*Connect power adapters to all components and turn on the HTPC to confirm the BIOS loads (posts).
*Without going into too much detail configure the BIOS settings if needed to your preferences.
*Update the BIOS if needed. In this install the latest BIOS was already loaded onto the motherboard.
*Decide if to load the ASUS support software now or load the Windows OS via the optical drive. (For this installation the Windows 7 OS was loaded first, then the ASUS support software and drivers. The optical drive was recognized automatically due to the boot priority settings in the BIOS.

Once the HTPC posts successfully and there is no need to debug or return any specific component, it is time to install and configure the Simerec Sensor.


Remove the front panel to install the Simerec Sensor. There are two screws on either side of the front panel that will need to be unscrewed.


Here is a close up shot of the front panel. A 3/16 inch hole will be drilled in the front panel for the Simerec sensor. The hole will be located between the Power button and the Power LED.


After the 3/16 inch hole is drilled into the front panel the Simerec sensor is then aligned with the hole and stuck to the inside front panel with the supplied double stick pads. Route the Simerec cables through one of the open cavities in the Antec case.


Remove the power switch wire cable from the System panel connector on the motherboard, then connect it to the Power switch cable connector from the Simerec Sensor. The other end of the Simerec Sensor power switch connector will now be connected to the Motherboard Power switch pinout instead.


Splice and connect the purple and black wire pair from the Simerec sensor to the purple wire and any black wire respectively on the ATX 24-pin cable. Protect the splice using the supplied splice connectors from Simerec or use electrical tape. I preferred the use of electrical tape since it is more flexible, picks up less room and I had a roll of electrical tape available. Follow the programming guide from Simerec to set the sensor to your favorite universal remote. Basically it is setting your remote in front of the Simerec sensor, activating the sensor and depressing the button on the remote to control the start/shutdown of the HTPC. Repeat this a few more times for the programming to complete. After installing all of the OS security updates and drivers you are ready to test the Simerec Start/Shutdown using the remote. Have fun!


Connect your HTPC to your home network and enjoy!


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## RogueRage

I have an update on using the remote Simerec Sensor. I had a bit of a scare today when I got home from work, I thought my new HTPC got fried. Not a good feeling I tell you. It looked like there was an electrical spike of some sort in my neighborhood. Some of my electronic equipment was offline. It has happened before but this is the first time it happened since I built my HTPC. I will be changing my current surge protector that got triggered to a much better model. I always use Tripp Lite (Hospital electronic equipment grade) surge protectors but in this one location it was not a Tripp Lite model. Anyway, I was unable to boot my HTPC using the programmed remote. Nothing was booting via VGA/HDMI to TV/monitor. I was not receiving any error beeps from the Mobo however I can see there is power on the board and the CPU fan was on. I was a bit worried that part of the Mobo or M.2 SSD got fried. I then noticed that my Simerec sensor was not turning on so that gave me some sort of relief. I opened up the case and disconnected the Simerec Sensor from the pinouts and rebooted the machine without the sensor and that worked. Whew!! huge sigh of relief! Let me say that again WHEW!!!!

Well now I am thinking the Simerec Sensor got fried. This was not the case, it just needed to be reprogrammed. I cannot validate that an electrical spike reset the sensor but its the only explanation I have at this time. If it happens again in the future I will update the posting. It was not an inconvenience to reset the sensor but it is something to take note and share the experience.


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## RogueRage

I have a question about HDHomeRun Prime with WMC...

Activating M-Card was smooth using Verizon Fios Online option:
After resolving my HTPC Simerec Issue I began to setup my HDHRP. Everything installed smoothly for the most part. I was able to activate my M-card using the Verizon online setup. This was a pleasant experience considering the various forum posts I read about trying to activate the card via phone. It seems like Verizon Fios made the online activation approach quite easy. It literally took about 3mins in my case or 10mins total if you include the time to get the 3 ID's to activate the card. All the channels were loaded (15mins) that I had access to including the HD channels.

I am unable to download the guide in WMC to finalize my configuration for WMC. It seems that this is an issue over the last month according to the one thread I found online. Some resolved the issue by redirecting their VPN or pointing to a different location but it does not work in all cases. Is anyone else experiencing the same issue with WMC for those that do use it?

When I looked at my event log for WMC it is failing to connect to the remote server. I should note I was able to view all the channels I checked for HDHRP via XBMC.

This would be the thread I am referring to:The Green Button


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## RogueRage

Here is a link to a workaround for the WMC download guide issue from jason! on the The Green Button. I must have just missed the posting from jason! on The Green Button since I was on the forum late last night and other related sites searching for a workaround... trying different options. I have not tested this yet but, everyone else after his posting that did try got the guide to download. This should work since it seems the servers jason! listed are updated with the correct WMC guide for download. I will retry later today and repost an update.


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## RogueRage

Update:
On WMC download guide issue:
Workaround to download WMC guide (linked above) worked like a charm. I am able to view all the channels for Live TV without issue from WMC.

On streaming wirelessly:
Using the ASUS AC bandwidth router and ASUS AC equipped Mobo I am able to stream wirelessly my movie collection. In addition, I am able to stream all Live HD TV content I subscribed to wirelessly without issue from the router where my HDHomeRun Prime is connected.

On testing DLNA on my Samsung Smart TV's:
I have two of these Smart TV's, one being a recent purchase the other is a first generation model. Both 240Hz. Both can stream wirelessly to DLNA of non HD channels without issue. The newer of the Samsung TV's was able to watch full HD TV channels in 1080p with some artifacts about once every 5mins that lasted about 1 second. The older Samsung had a lot of artifacts and pixilation's when trying to view the HD channels I tested. This is straight out of the box configuration without any additional tweaking.


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## RogueRage

New Updates: About a few issues like not being able to access some live TV channels from my subscription with Verizon FiosTV. I was unable to view channels like HBO, TBS, and TNT (I was missing approx. 150 channels out of 400+ channels). Also how to bypass DCA testing.

Issues I will address for this posting:
**Missing channels from HD HomeRun scan list and resolution
*Unable to view subscribed premium channels like HBO and resolution
*HTPC crashing during Digital Cable Activation testing process and how to bypass this test.*

Over the last two weeks I have been trying to resolve these issues I did not notice at first. I thought my HTPC's was working flawlessly, I have a wireless network, I am able to receive live TV without pixilation or artifacts including HD TV or so I thought. Then my wife noticed some TV channels were missing (I do not watch much live TV so I really did not notice ;p). Anyway, I started researching the issue and I got it resolved. I then thought it would be good information to share these findings in the case someone has a similar issue.

**Missing channels from HD HomeRun scan list and resolution*
Missing Channels : No matter how much I reran the HD HomeRun prime scan it did not list all TV channels I am currently subscribed to from my cable provider. My cable provider (Verizon Fios) confirmed that I should be receiving the channels I mentioned that were missing. Verizon tried to manually deactivate and reactivate the cable card on their end, as well as, sending a replacement card in which I had the same result of missing channels. They also tried to send a reload command to the cable card, but that also had no effect. As you know, I am using Windows Media center to watch Live TV.

The error I recevied from Windows Media Center when trying to access one of the missing channels is as follows;
_No TV Signal
There is currently no TV Signal detected for this channel. The channel may be temporarily off the air, or you may need to adjust or reconnect your TV antenna._

At this point in time Verizon agents I spoke to was at a loss and decided to send a Technician to my home in a couple days from the date of the phone conversation. While I waited for this visit, I opened a ticket with HD HomeRun forum to tackle this issue on both ends. In the HD HomeRun setup GUI there is a check box where you can forward the logs of your HD HomeRun unit automatically to help debug any errors. I received a quick response from HD HomeRun forum. Here is where I first learned of the extremely poor signals coming into the HD HomeRun unit. Long-story-short, I had too many splitters (obstacles) between the verizon Fios Box outside my home and the HD HomeRun unit. Here is a link to my forum post in the case you wanted to read the details and resolution http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=17896

Originally the signals from the Fios box had to go through the following hops in my home:
*Fios box > 5-way splitter> 3-way(generic splitter) > 2-way(Cox splitter) > HD Home Run and Verizon Router* -- that's a lot of splits.

Current setup is now:
*Fios box > Verizon 2-way splitter > HD Home Run and Verizon Router* -- I significantly reduced the obstacles for a stronger signal.

I am now able to view and receive a listing of all the missing channels. So, if you are not receiving all of your channels there is a chance you may want to eliminate unwanted splitters from the cable box outside of your home to your router, reduce the distance from the cable box outside your home to the router and/or use RG6 Coax cables instead of RG59 if possible. Older homes tend to have RG59 Coax cables.
*
*Unable to view subscribed premium channels like HBO and resolution*
Now that I am receiving all of the missing channels I then tried to view the premium channel HBO in WMC. I received an error in WMC that I need to subscribe to HBO. Now, I know I am subscribed to the channel, nonetheless I am receiving the error. This is a cable provider issue. To resolve this issue you will need to call your service provider (in my case Verizon FiosTV) so they can manually revalidate the cable card again and manually add the HBO channels or whatever channels you are missing to your channel line up.

You will need to provide the agent with the "usual suspects" information: CableCard ID, Host ID, and Data ID for your HD HomeRun unit. You will need to mention where the hypens are exactly when giving the respective ID information to help make this process easier for the agent. Also, please recheck the CableCard ID, Host, ID and Data ID in the HD HomeRun GUI. I had written down all of this information previously, but on my last check the Data ID was something completely different.

Also do not be upset with the agent online/phone, since they will need to verify with their office to ensure you do have access to the channels as you claim. Agents also need to gain permission to manually add missing channels from their supervisor before they can proceed. Not all agents have the golden pass to make changes as they see fit freely. At least in my case this is what was done and the agent had to reconfirm I do have subscribed access to the missing channels. Totally acceptable process. After all is well and done... and you are able to receive the HBO channels or the like... have the agent run a test to verify there are no further error messages. I was lucky enough to actually find an agent that was on the top of her game.

Ok, so now I have access to HBO and I am able to view the channel on one of my regular PC's without issue. I already had Digital Cable Activation (DCA) turned on for the PC I used at the time but not on the HTPC's. I had a hard time getting passed the DCA testing.

**HTPC crashing during Digital Cable Activation testing process and how to bypass this test.*
My HTPC kept crashing during the testing of the DCA so it would never validate and as a result I would not be able to view the premium channel (HBO). I started researching the issue and I came across some forums, one of them being from engadget where they could not figure out how or make sense of what WMC is using as a form of measure to test if your PC meets the requirements for DCA. It was suggested that it may be using the Windows Experience Index (WEI). Anyway this sort of makes sense but at the same time it does not explain why my HTPC keeps crashing every time I ran the DCA test. It could be that the WEI is not sensing I have a dedicated GPU? ... who knows? This happened across two identical HTPC builds, so I started researching for a way to get around this testing since I know my builds should be more than capable to handle anything thrown at it. I came across the following link http://www.missingremote.com/guide/override-digital-cable-advisor-windows-media-center-7 that shows how to override the testing for DCA. You will need to create an account to see the link to download a command file that will bypass the DCA testing. After running the command file as an Administrator I relaunched WMC and I was now able to view HBO on my HTPC's. Note: Always, and I mean ALWAYS, look at scripts before running anything, especially, in Administrator mode. Anyway, this script is clean.

My wife is happy she has all of her channels back and she can navigate easily to view her favorite shows.

I hope this info helps someone.
Enjoy!


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## Alan G

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> *Unable to view subscribed premium channels like HBO and resolution[/B]
> Now that I am receiving all of the missing channels I then tried to view the premium channel HBO in WMC. I received an error in WMC that I need to subscribe to HBO. Now, I know I am subscribed to the channel, nonetheless I am receiving the error. This is a cable provider issue. To resolve this issue you will need to call your service provider (in my case Verizon FiosTV) so they can manually revalidate the cable card again and manually add the HBO channels or whatever channels you are missing to your channel line up.
> 
> You will need to provide the agent with the "usual suspects" information: CableCard ID, Host ID, and Data ID for your HD HomeRun unit. You will need to mention where the hypens are exactly when giving the respective ID information to help make this process easier for the agent. Also, please recheck the CableCard ID, Host, ID and Data ID in the HD HomeRun GUI. I had written down all of this information previously, but on my last check the Data ID was something completely different.


AFAIK, this always happens. The Data ID changes upon installation (a friend who is a CS guy says it may be linked to the IP address of your home router). I had the same issue when I installed my Hauppage dual channel cable card and if you don't have the new Data ID it won't be correctly configured. I finally understood what was going on and went to the Hauppage GUI and got the correct ID# and was good to go. FYI, Broadcom.com has a forum where Verizon tech folk hang out and respond to questions. The fellow I worked with there got my FIOS cable card revalidated in five minutes.


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## RogueRage

Thanks Alan, That is a nice piece of info I can use if I run into any issues again. I am not sure what took me this long to get rid of my 4 STB's two of them being HD. Monthly bill is significantly reduced and my wife likes that. Plus she still have access to all of her HD channels.


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## vdn20

Where did you get the IR Sensor for that? I want one. Also, with that in, does the power button still works?


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## RogueRage

Do you mean the Simerec Sensor? http://www.simerec.com/

Yup the power button still works as it should you are not changing any function of the button. The sensor is tapping into the power feed to the switch to allow IR control. There is a two button control model and a single model control. I wanted the single button control.


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## vdn20

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> Do you mean the Simerec Sensor? http://www.simerec.com/
> 
> Yup the power button still works as it should you are not changing any function of the button. The sensor is tapping into the power feed to the switch to allow IR control. There is a two button control model and a single model control. I wanted the single button control.


I'm assuming you got the PCS-1? Also, what remote are you using?


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## RogueRage

Correct I am using the PCS-1 and I am using the Harmony 650 Remote. However any universal remote will work including your cable provider remote. I am using the Harmony 650 remote to boot/start the PC from a cold shutdown state.

Other infomation on how I use the remote:
The HTPC boot up into WMC TV guide in full screen. This gives my wife the ability to navigate easily to her favorite channels using the WMC guide. She really did not care for WMC to boot up to Live TV which can be done easily if needed. I can post a link to commands of how that can be done. Also on the harmony remote I programmed the red button to launch XMBC and the "green button" to launch WMC. As each application launches it completely shuts down the other application. I use the software EventGhost to achieve this. I am still tweaking certain tasks as needed but it works and I am super happy with the control I have using all these components together. Eventually, I will get to the inclusion of voice commands as a side project, but not a priority at the moment since my wife prefer using the remote. I like both options.

One more note the switch between the applications is instantaneous for XBMC and WMC. However I included an additional kill command that resulted in a half second delay... if it even takes that long. Why the kill command? It is there to really take care of any hanging processes. It acts like an If-else situation do this instead.


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## vdn20

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> Correct I am using the PCS-1 and I am using the Harmony 650 Remote. However any universal remote will work including your cable provider remote. I am using the Harmony 650 remote to boot/start the PC from a cold shutdown state.
> 
> Other infomation on how I use the remote:
> The HTPC boot up into WMC TV guide in full screen. This gives my wife the ability to navigate easily to her favorite channels using the WMC guide. She really did not care for WMC to boot up to Live TV which can be done easily if needed. I can post a link to commands of how that can be done. Also on the harmony remote I programmed the red button to launch XMBC and the "green button" to launch WMC. As each application launches it completely shuts down the other application. I use the software EventGhost to achieve this. I am still tweaking certain tasks as needed but it works and I am super happy with the control I have using all these components together. Eventually, I will get to the inclusion of voice commands as a side project, but not a priority at the moment since my wife prefer using the remote. I like both options.
> 
> One more note the switch between the applications is instantaneous for XBMC and WMC. However I included an additional kill command that resulted in a half second delay... if it even takes that long. Why the kill command? It is there to really take care of any hanging processes. It acts like an If-else situation do this instead.


If you can post that, that would be great.


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## RogueRage

No problem at all. I am glad to help.

Here is a link to some of the various commands you can use to launch different pages in WMC.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24692-windows-media-center-start-up-customize.html

Here is a link to steps that is commonly used to setup WMC in full screen mode. There are other ways to launch WMC to full screen mode if needed.
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/4433/windows-7-automatically-start-windows-media-center-when-windows-starts/


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## RogueRage

Shopping tip for this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday if you need components for an HTPC or the like..

The link below is an example of why I use the webiste http://camelcamelcamel.com to check if any upcoming black friday sales is really a good deal or not. Even though the current sale (for Nov 6th 2014) on this memory shows a 11% discount, it is a far cry from its mean or for that matter its lowest price throughout the year as shown on camelcamelcamel.

Tip: Check to confirm your sale is really at a decent discounted price this upcoming holidays. Happy shopping!

That is if you are like me that shop for components for future builds.

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Crucial-Ballistix-PC3-12800-240-Pin-BLS2KIT8G3D1609DS1S00/product/B006YG9EEW


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## RogueRage

Okay it looks like Newegg is the first to launch its first attack sale

Four 3TB Red drives at $100 each is a pretty good deal. The western digital 3TB green drive for $89 is also a good deal.

Like I said before, Newegg and Amazon have been sending out deals before the Black Friday sales over the past couple years so they get the first sale hit. I would not be surprised if Amazon launches a similar sale in response soon.

There will be more sales like this before black Friday so I would suggest to capitalize on them when they occur like this link from Newegg and do not wait for Black Fri. I expect to see a couple more deals like this but it will be quick sales just like this one.

I expect this year that Saturday morning after the black Friday will be the last moment to get any deal of significant value. The cyber Monday sales will not be as attractive for the electronics section.

I should also note that Amazon do not do Price matching but Newegg does so if you spot a deal on Amazon that is cheaper you can let Newegg know and they will try to make an adjustment. According to the link I saw on the black Friday Newegg sale page.

The link to request a price match is http://kb.newegg.com/


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## RogueRage

I forgot to list the newegg price tracker for camel camel camel...

Newegg: http://camelegg.com/
Amazon: http://camelcamelcamel.com/

Happy shopping!


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## void

Very nice thread, I'm think of picking up an Antec ISK-100 for my new build.


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## RogueRage

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *void*
> 
> Very nice thread, I'm think of picking up an Antec ISK-100 for my new build.


Thanks Void. Yeah I really like the antec isk 110. It is one of the better looking compact mini itx cases I found.


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## DMatthewStewart

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RogueRage*
> 
> SMALL WIRELESS MINI SILENT HTPC with Performance.
> 
> Well it has almost been a year since my last HTPC build. Everything is still running peachy on my home network. I am really happy about that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I needed to build a smaller HTPC than my previous build to make it more portable and of course still being wireless.


This is exactly what I need to build for my parents. They need a home theater and they need wireless storage for all the pics of their new grandkids. They already filled up their phones, multiple sd cards, and their ipad. So, this was the mobo I was considering for them because of the Home Cloud feature. My question to you is, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the hardest to use) how would you rate the ease of use of transferring and even viewing files wirelessly? (Of course, after its all set-up and all devices connected and working properly). Your build is exactly what I had in mind for them.


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## RogueRage

Sorry for the late response I am out of the area for the holidays.The ease of transferring files to and from my NAS is easy and would rate it as a 10. Streaming images is not taxing at all on the system.


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## RogueRage

Antec isk-110 Mini-ITX case at $53.02 on Amazon -- Jan 21, 2015

This the lowest it has been in a few years. If you are looking for a Mini ITX HTPC case with a built-in PSU you will not find a cheaper price for the Antec isk-110
http://camelcamelcamel.com/Antec-ISK110-VESA-Mini-ITX-Case/product/B0064LWISQ

This is also sold from Amazon and not a third-party sale. This is cheaper than what I paid for it originally.


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## RogueRage

So yesterday this item(Antec isk-110 Mini-ITX) was on sale and I got myself one for a future build. At the time there was no counter on how many were left in stock. However by noon today there was 16 left. Currently, at the moment all is sold out but Amazon has a note that more is on the way so keep an eye out if you missed out on this sale. I cannot say if the price will be the same at that time of restocking but hope for the best.

Antec isk-110 Mini-ITX case at $53.02 on Amazon -- Jan 21, 2015

Update: It looks like they are taking back orders for the case so if you missed out on the first wave of the sale you can still receive it for $53.02 if you place it on backorder.

_"Sold by Amazon.com

Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your account will only be charged when we ship the item. "_


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## RogueRage

Silicondust has started a kickstarter fund me page that will enhance the HTPC experience by introducing a DVR option. As you know, I am a huge fan of Silicondust and looking forward to the release and possibly test the DVR software. Its worth a read.... that has some details on using QNAP devices, FreeNas, KODI and lots more.

Details to the kickstarter webpage is below, as well as, a video link.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1275320038/hdhomerun-dvr-the-dvr-re-imagined/description

Video by Lon Seidman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkMqcWkFQ0


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