Tonight I start my first Windows Media Center PC build from scratch. I am going to build a gigantic Windows Media Center that will service all of my home media needs for 2010.
Background
Over the last few years we have seen a variety of great systems that offer media recording and playback. The systems range in size and shape and have all sorts of configurations. Some of these systems have been designed very small and work on low power. This is not one of those systems.
Some systems go so low on power that it becomes an issue when recording and streaming. I plan on never ever having that issue. I am going to need some serious power and network connectivity. Ceton Prime will be just that.
The plan is to have this system replace my Moxi Charter Cable DVR AND my WMC PC. I will also be building a rolling test stand to support future PC work.
Timeframe
I get paid every two weeks and will get one item each paycheck. I should be done just in time for the Ceton release. I bought the case and power supply over the last two paychecks. I am not on a strict budget but I am not going to pay more than if I would have just bought a new comparable system from Alienware directly.
Ceton Prime? WTH?
I am naming her Ceton Prime in honor of the Ceton Multi-Channel Cable TV Card I hope will be released someday soon. March 2010?
With their 4-tuner card, according to the Ceton web site, I will be able to have:
- 1 TV set watching live TV while the Media Center DVR records 3 other shows at the same time (4 live streams total)
- Four HD channels recording on 1 TV set while other TVs in the home are playing back previously recorded shows.
- 2 TV sets each recording 2 live shows at once (4 live streams total)
- 2 TV sets watching a different live channels each, while 2 other TV sets are each recording 1 different show to the DVR (4 live streams total)
The Case – Alienware P2 Chassis
I think I was the last person to buy an Alienware P2 chassis from Dell (ever?) during the $125 sale they had before Thanksgiving. I guess these cases have been around for a while but I had not seen them. I am used to seeing the newer black Cylon looking cases. I think this one looks better. I should have named it Ripley.
Someone should make a case that looks Ancient. Seriously.
My wife and I picked it up from FedEx last week. She calls it the monster. I needed a cool case with a boat load of room. I think this case has a two boat load rating actually.
Chassis Interior
What is inside? All sorts of space, EATX mounting, seven card blanks, three media bays, a light kit and room for four drives. I hope it will not be too loud. There are three fans in the case and another fan on the panel not shown. I have another fan on the power supply, one for each video card I plan to purchase and one for the CPU. This thing will have more fans than Tiger Woods.
PC Stand
I moved the case from the table to my new rolling PC stand. The stand is just a $120 Craftsman roller with a static mat but I have big plans. Just you wait. Just you wait and see. I am not a Gooney…
Power Supply
The power supply is a Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply.
Whatever. It was $100 and got a good rating on Newegg. It comes with a pretty black felt bag.
Who puts their unit in a sack? Not me. Pardon me while I whip this out.
What the hell am I going to do with all of these cables? Seriously.
This is a big ass case yet all of those wires have to go in that little space?
Trust me. I know where it goes. I am used to holding this much cable.
Just four screws and she is ready. Something tells me I better get a motherboard in there soon. I am glad this is not a transparent case.
What is next?
For my next purchase I have to decide on a motherboard. I want to have as many PCI Express slots as I can afford. I will need at least two for video cards and one for the Ceton card. I have narrowed it down to three choices. I want to go with a Core i5 EVGA board. I am choosing the EVGA boards for their reputation, sound, included cables/components and great manuals.
The current models (in order) I have narrowed it down to are:
- EVGA P55 FTW 200 – MSRP $300
- EVGA P55 FTW – MSRP $230
- EVGA P55 Classified 200 – MSRP $350
I would prefer not to blow my budget on the most expensive i5 board so I am leaning towards the FTW 200 bought through Tiger Direct with Bing Cashback for $275. I get paid this Friday so I want to buy it then.
If anyone has built on a P2 chassis I could use a mentor. The whole light kit and chassis seems a little strange. Thank you Dell for the crappy documentation.
Maybe I will find some good stuff at CES. Did anyone see Ceton on the Exhibitor list?
See you next paycheck,
Tim
Hi Tim,
I am intrigued buy your latest project.
I do have a question for you though,
How do you watch live TV without a cable box? Do you need some sort of extender? And if so what kind are you planing on using.
Regards,
Don
I use a Digital Cable Tuner with a CableCARD. I wrote an article at:
http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2009/11/09/inst…
Ceton is supposed to release their version in 2010 so this build is for that new CableCARD product.
Tim
Good work buddy, hope it works well, I want to look in to my area and see if I can do the same with a cable card, but I don't have high expectations from comcast, they suck.
Keep up the good work, can't wait to see more of this built.
Interesting idea, but how are you going to run dual graphics and the cable card under windows home server. I'm working on a similar setup, but I'm using two separate pc's. One for the server, now up and running, and the other for the media center, (awaiting time for the build).
My server setup is an Asus P5QC motherboard, Core 2 duo E4500, 2GB, and two 1 TB WD green power HD's, all in an Antec 400 with an Antec EarthWatts 380 PS. Almost silent, works like a charm, and I still have room for 4 more HD's.
This build is just for my new Windows Media Center. I plan on having this system record up to four shows at once and send them to my WHS.
Are you putting that bad boy in your theatre or in a server closet? All those fans would drive me batty if it was in the theatre room.
You have no idea…even my RAM might need a fan.
This will be in the office and feed my WHS with Recorded TV from my CableCARD tuner.
Awesome, I am very interested in this build. 1 question, I have read the Ceton site and I do not understand how the Ceton can feed live TV to 4 separate TV's. I have my house hard wired cat5e. How will you get live tv to all tv's if you are archiving to WHS? Seems like the only live feed will be available in your office? I have no experience with extenders. What are the cheapest extenders and will they allow live tv or will you have to watch on delay? Sorry for the ignorance 🙂
Good questions Brice. I have two PCs connected to flat screens in the house. Each of these are connected to the network with Cat6 and have Windows Media Center (WMC)linked to the WHS. When each show on my CableCARD PC (the the office) has finished recording it is transfered to the WHS and can be watched on the other PCs. My two laptops can also watch the shows. Note: If a recorded show is Copy Protected the file can be seen but not played.
As far as watching live TV, the way Ceton says, is not possible with WMC. WMC can support multiple tuners but not stream them out to other PCs.
When the card is released I assume I will either have to modify some software like Sage TV or Homerun HD to distibute out the signal. I will not be able to work out the details until I see the final product.
I could always run an extender out (to one TV) but I am a HTPC geek and will make this work.
Tim
The whole point of these Ceton tuners is to centralize the TV experience and remove crappy cable boxes from the equation. Your HTPC records and distributes programming to extenders from a central location. You pause live TV in one room, walk to the other, start the extender there, press play, and you're watching the same show again.
When you said, "As far as watching live TV, the way Ceton says, is not possible with WMC. WMC can support multiple tuners but not stream them out to other PCs.", I really feel like you are pretty lost on the whole idea behind the Ceton tuner and everything it entails.
What you said is basically wrong as it ignores the point of the system. The Ceton tuner combined with Win7 Media Center supports 4 tuners AND streams them out. It just doesn't stream them to other PCs- only extenders. As crazy as it sounds, you actually lose functionality by running a HTPC on secondary TVs.
I'll give the scenario on how a Ceton tuner system is supposed to work. We'll assume 4 TVs and different extenders on each.
TV 1: HTPC with Ceton tuner installed attached directly to TV.
TV 2,3,4: Linksys DMA2100, XB360, DLink extender, etc attached to TV and linked to TV 1 HTPC
An extender simply instances the WMC interface onto your secondary TVs. You fire up the extender, navigate to watch TV, pick your tuner, and watch TV.
All that said, you're definitely building a great system. Maybe a little overkill but like you said, you want to make sure you'll never have a problem with performance.
Kevin,
I am aware that WMC can support four digital cable tuners and five extenders. In your comment you say I am
Thanks for the reply Tim, I can't wait to see the end result! I will be following.