Congratulation Blade

[Branxx]

For many of us from UK who have been regularly contributing to HTPC discussion in www.avsforum.com (http://www.avsforum.com). I am very pleased and grateful to Blade for starting this forum. I hope this would also encourage HCC to spread awareness on this subject.

I would like to point that the HTPC is not really about watching DVD movies on a computer monitor screen but rather about use of PC in place of various other specialised peaces of equipment traditionally found in the HT.

Most commonly it is used instead video scaler in conjunction with high-grade projector, where quality of the output is frequently comparable with those from dedicated units costing more that 10 times as much. In my case HTPC controls JVC D-ILA G10 producing excellent results.

We in UK and in Europe have a number of new developments ahead of US. Best video cards are produced by ELSA in Germany, Videologic has introduced one of the first 5.1 sound cards, Function Communications are the first to offer DVD players with digital output, best software for watching TV via PC is a shareware developed in London, etc, etc.

The whole thing is a lot of fun and I will certainly follow the discussions in this forum with great interest (I am not sure about HCPC, the term HTPC is already well established).


[This message has been edited by Branxx (edited 03-11-2000).]

[Blade]

Thanks for the support.
I'll amend the description of the forum because, as you say, it's not for people wanting to play DVDs on their monitors with a 4 speaker creative labs speaker setup.
It's for people with high end home cinemas - usually meaning progressive scan capable projectors (since few or no appropriate TVs are available). That's why it's in the tech talk category.
I understand your point about HCPC vs HTPC. HTPC is established in the US, but not in the UK. In the UK, it's not 'home theater'. We don't got to the movie theaters. We go to the cinema and we have home cinemas. That's why I think HCPC is wholly appropriate to indicate that it's aimed more at UK oriented discussion.
I'm a regular visitor to the AVS Forums myself and have found them very useful. Hopefully a HCPC forum will broaden awareness of the home cinema advantages of a well set up computer.

[Branxx]

Blade,

A good introduction to this subject would be an article in HCC comparing the traditional (high-end) home cinema setup with one where video/audio signal are generated via HCPC (something like lets get a group of people into a room and show them two options and ask for impressions).

I have done some comparison myself and the results would produce a very interesting reading. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you in promoting this subject.