I’ve always had trouble saying “no” to the crazy discounts on HTPC parts during the Christmas holidays. This past Christmas was no different, but I did try to resist buying high end products. Instead I went for year old hardware, which there was some real good deals at Newegg and Tiger Direct.

Here are the parts I used to update my HTPC:
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300processor
• GIGABYTE GA-X48-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard
• OCZ 4GB (2 x 2GB) SDRAM DDR2 1066
• Seagate Barracuda 1.5 TB hard drives (x2)
• Logitech MK700 keyboard and mouse
• SeaSonic S12D 850 Silver 850W power supply
• Galaxy GTS 250 video card
• Windows 7

The only parts I kept from the previous HTPC are the case and blu-ray ROM. I didn’t have any problems installing the hardware. The SeaSonic fan is super quite and the quad core processor makes the computer noticeably faster.

On the software side, I did have problems trying to install Window’s 7 64 bit. After a day and a half, I gave up and went to the professional 32 bit version of Windows 7. The 64 bit version kept getting stuck in the beginning with an unspecified driver issue.

Windows 7 so far has worked out great as an HTPC operating System. I’ve had no HDMI sync issues, blu-rays play great, and streaming media is easier. So far, so good.

I started upgrading my HTPC over the holidays and was unsure if I should change the operating system from XP to Windows 7. I was worried about HDMI sync issues or any other driver issues Microsoft didn’t resolve. However, I’ve been using Windows 7 on my laptop now for the past 3 months and grown to like it. It’s not as revolutionary as some of the reviewers made it out to be when it came out in October, but it’s a solid operating system.

Every time I use an XP machine, I can’t help missing the Windows 7 taskbar at the bottom and how much easier it’s to use. Networking is also easier with the new Homegroup feature. Just add the Homegroup password to any new Windows 7 computer you want to have access, and you’re good to go. Although, I found it annoying that non Windows 7 computers need to have a user account with a non-blank password to share data with Windows 7 PCs. On my HTPC, the blank password was an issue as I don’t want to enter a password to start up my HTPC.

Another new feature I like in Windows 7 is the use of “libraries.” I keep most of my data on the HTPC, so it’s useful to go to the documents library and see my HTPC documents and my local computer’s documents all in one place. The same goes for movies, pictures, and especially music.

In the end, I decided to add Windows 7 to my HTPC. The new taskbar, homegroup feature, and libraries convinced me along with the fact that Windows 7 is better protected against viruses/malware. After a week of use, my HTPC has no issues. Blu-rays still play great with TMT movie player and streaming music is easier with the new version of media player.

So, would I recommend Windows 7 over XP or Vista on a HTPC or a regular PC? I think the fact that I now have Windows 7 on my HTPC, office computer and two laptops answers that question.

Fall season is here, so my DVR is filling up quickly. It stood at 96% with all the PBS National Park episodes and new shows such as Glee and Flash Forward taking up space. Been busy so I haven’t had time to watch any of the episodes so the DVR keeps filling up. On top of that is all the football on the weekend which I’m not able to record. I finally was fed up and looked for a solution which led me to Western Digital’s My DVR Expander. I bought the 1TB version which works with Tivo DVRs and my Scientific Atlantic 8300HD cable box. Setup was easy as I just plugged in the included SATA cable into the eSATA port on my DVR while it was powered off. When powered back on, it asked if I wanted to format the hard drive which  I selected “yes.” After that, my DVR space went from 96% full to 12%!

I haven’t tried it, but external hard drives designed for computers probably won’t work. Most of them automatically turn off when not in use which a DVR would not be happy about. The WD My DVR Expander doesn’t even have an on/off switch in the back.

There aren’t many options for HTPC owners if they want lossless 7.1 surround sound from DTS-HD MA or Dolby HD.  The problem is the lossless audio codecs like DTS-HD and Dolby HD require HDMI connections, and most video cards having DVI connections. Even video cards with HDMI need drivers capable of PAP decryption.  There are some motherboards with HDMI, but the reviews weren’t that good so I decided to go with Asus’s Xonar HDAV1.3. The card is pricey, but it comes with Total Media Theater Blu-ray software which is around $70 anyway.

The TMT software sold me and I purchased the card. Install was simple with a PCIe slot needed. HDMI signals need video to work so there is a cable that comes with the card to bring the DVI signal from my video card into the Xonar HDMI input. I then connected the HDMI out of the Xonar to my Denon receiver.

I didn’t get any sound at first and my desktop size was all messed up when I first started the computer (I was using component signal before). After resizing the desktop to 720p I went and installed Xonar’s latest driver off their website. Still no sound after a restart, but I now was able to use the Xonar configuration program to update the settings. After a little while, I figures out I needed the settings set to HDMI and 7.1 surround sound speakers. I also set the PCM to 192 kHz. The important setting I forgot in the beginning was going to the control panel and changing Window’s speaker setting to 7.1 surround sound. I did manage to get sound after that.

I installed the TMT blu-ray player software and changed the audio setting to ‘HDMI’ which allows HDMI pass-through. This is important because I wanted bit streaming from my HTPC to the receiver so the Denon receiver could do the audio decoding. Sure enough, I got the “DTS-HD MA” display on my receiver when I played a blu-ray movie. At last, 7.1 surround sound from my HTPC.

However, there are a couple issues I’m still trying to figure out. One is I can’t play any regular DVDs with the TMT software. My TV immediately turns to snow if I play one and I have to restart the computer. The second problem is more significant as I’m getting HDMI sync issues. If I switch from my HTPC to my PS3 and back to my HTPC …then I get a black screen. There was a period where I couldn’t get the black screen to go away even with multiple reboots. I finally switched DVI inputs on my card and I got video. The HDMI sync issues could be a deal breaker if it keeps continuing. I’ll see as time goes on.

So how many cables do you need to connect a HDTV, PS3, receiver, speakers, HTPC, Wii, and a cable box together? The answer is huge amount! Here is a list of all the cables I bought:

• HDMI 1.3a (15 feet) x3
• HDMI 1.3a (6 feet) x2
• Toslink optical (6 feet) x 2
• Toslink optical (25 feet) x 1
• Component (25 feet) x1
• Component (6 feet) x2
• Coaxial (25 feet) x2
• Coaxial (6 feet) x2
• Red/white RCA analog (25 feet) x3
• Red/white RCA analog (6 feet) x2
• S-video (25 feet) x2
• S-video (6 feet) x2

My Denon 3808 receiver has a ton of inputs so I went a little overboard and connected everything together. For example, I ran a HDMI, component, composite, optical, and red/white analog audio cables from my cable box to the receiver. I only really needed the single HDMI cable, but I sometimes get HDMI sync issues due to the cable box’s new DVR software so I have component as a backup. I have a standard def composite cables connected because my receiver won’t down sample video to a second zone. The no down-sampling is also why I ran red/white cables from every component to my receiver.

By the way, I saw a Best Buy ad that had a 10 foot Monster HDMI cable for sale for only $109! If you can’t sense my sarcasm, just know that I bought all the cables listed above for under the price of 2 Monster HDMI cables. I got all my cables from Monoprice.com. They have high quality cables for great prices.

Now that I have a receiver, my next purchase was to get some decent speakers. I’ve been using hand-me down speakers for the past few years and they were in a plain 2.1 setup. My family room (aka. my home theater room) is setup perfectly for a 7.1 surround sound system. My couch is about eight feet from the back wall which is around the distance Dolby recommends for the back speakers. I also had walls on the side which let me install the other two surround sound speakers.

I had my eye on Definitive Technology’s bipolar speakers for years now so when I saw a set of BP7006 speakers on sale as an open box item, I went for it. I’m not a fan of hearing sound come from a specific speaker so that’s why bipolar speakers have always interested me. The Def Techs also have built-in subwoofers so that was one less speaker I had to purchase and find a place for. I convinced the store manager to sell me the ProCenter 1000 center speaker as an open box item to so I was able to complete my front speaker set.

It is ideal to have all seven speakers come from one company. However, the Wife-Acceptance-Factor came into play here and aesthetics was real important. I had to make sure the surround speaker weren’t noticeable which means the colors had to blend in with the wall. Unfortunately, Def Tech’s surround speakers are big and brown so they were not an option.

Instead, I went with the Axiom QS4 v2 for my side speakers. Axiom allows custom colors to match your paint. Continuing my anti-directional theme, the QS4 speakers are dipole, which means they output sound to the side of the speakers. This is supposed to simulate a real movie theater in how multiple side speakers are along the theater walls.

I was running out of money so I went with Polk OWM3 for the rear speakers. Nothing fancy here, the OWM3 speakers are simple directional speakers which is what is recommended by Dolby.

After having all these speakers for over a month, I have to say I couldn’t be happier. Going from a cheap 2.1 setup to a midrange 7.1 setup made a huge difference when watching movies and TV. I feel like sound is everywhere when I’m watching movies. The speakers have proven to me that everyone should look at sound quality as much as they look at video quality.

Looking for a new receiver? So was I until I finally purchased one last month. I’ve been saving for a long time so I can afford a mid-high level receiver. There are a large amount of features to look for in a receiver as they are an important piece of a home theater network. Here is list of the features that were important to me:

• 7.1 surround sound output with a minimum of 100W/channel. I’m going to have a 7.1 speaker setup so this is a must.
• Minimum of 3 HDMI inputs. One for a cable box, PS3, and a HTPC. I would like an extra one for my HD DVD player too but I could live without it.
• HDMI 1.3a capable so the receiver can accept 7.1 signals.
• Dolby TruHD and DTS HD MA decoding support. No point in having a 7.1 surround sound speaker system if I can’t decode a true 7.1 source.
• Network controllable. I need this so I can run my AutoHTN program.
• An independent second zone with audio and video output. This is so I can finish watching a DVD or a DVRed show in my bedroom or office.
• A third zone output used for my porch speakers.
• 1080p HDMI upconversion output so I only need a single HDMI input on my TV.
• Multi-channel pre-out used for an amplifier (one day).
• Dynamic volume control. I can’t stand how loud commercials get and this feature keeps everything at the same volume.
• A built-in Audyssey speaker calibration program.

The network controllable feature limited my choices to Denon. I asked around, but no other manufacturer had the options to send commands through a home network. I decided on the Denon 3808 and have been more than happy with it. The ’09 models were coming out so I was able to find the 3808 for a discounted price, and it was able to do everything I listed above.

I’ll post back with a detailed review of the 3808 soon. In the mean time, here are some pics of the all the cables going to the receiver.

I’m in the middle of a big home remodeling project where we’re changing the floors for most of the house. We also decided to paint the whole house and remove the baseboards. The missing baseboards worked out perfectly because it gave me a chance to hide some speaker wires. I just shoved them underneath the drywall, and when we were done painting and tiling, we installed the previous baseboards back with the speaker cables behind them. So for those of you planning on redoing your floors, you might want to think about removing the baseboards. It’s a perfect time to run some hidden Ethernet, speaker, or any other type of cable.