Starter spec for htpc

craigyl

Established Member
Joined
May 11, 2003
Messages
288
Reaction score
12
Points
111
Age
44
Location
Not the light side....
Hi I already use my pc as a music server and i was thinking of upgrading it for more htpc roles.

Here's the spec:
P4 2.6G
80GB HD
256Mb DDR Ram
On board graphics and sound.

At the moment the pc is connected to my amp with a mini jack to phono cable and although the sound is adequate I'm sure it can be improved.

So basically my questions are I know that the sound and graphics need upgrading but to what, do I need s-video out? Also how would I connect this to my tv which only has scart connections (wouldn't and adaptor harm the image quality?). And also will any sound card with digital outputs do or are there specific models I sould look for?

My main aim is to use the pc as a pvr in case this matters

Many thanks
 
for good DVD playback you want to be looking at (just about any) of the ATi Radeon adapters.. Something like a 9600 can be had for about £60 these days and is more than good enough for the job.

Comes with S-Video out as well, so no worries there..

Not tried connecting to a normal tV myself, so can't really help on converter/quality problem..

I've not tried any other soundcards, so i can't offer any comparisons, but i got an MAudio delta 2496 ( about £100 ) and the sound is just unbelievable.
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom