Help with Cheap Media Director from newegg

[tzinternet]

I just seen that newegg is doing 4.99 express shipping right now and think that
now is a good time to build my media director.  Can I please have some suggestions
of known working of everything that I need to build a cheap good working
Media Director.  Thanks!

[rrambo]

not from newegg and not the best case, but for the money, you can't beat the one I built from clubit.com...  110.93 (USD) plus shipping...
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4842001
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA1313157
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4351802

[Greg]

Can't make any recommendations unless you give some details about your requirements.

What audio connector do you need (RCA, Digital Coax, Optical)?
What video connector do you need (HDMI, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, S-Video, RGB, etc.)?
Do you need DVD-ROM or DVD-RW or none?
What about the case, any height or width requirements?
Are you going to netboot, or do you want an HDD?
Will you be doing HD or just SD?

[tkmedia]

not from newegg and not the best case, but for the money, you can't beat the one I built from clubit.com...  110.93 (USD) plus shipping...
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4842001
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA1313157
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4351802

I have one of these boards and have yet to get it to run as a media director.

Able to get Kubuntu 0704 running but that is it.

Will try again with 0710 when it comes out.

[rrambo]

tkmedia.. does it get to the end of setting up the disk image and then go into an endless loop where the avwizard never starts??  if so, maybe I can help..
http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=2519.0

[totallymaxed]

not from newegg and not the best case, but for the money, you can't beat the one I built from clubit.com...  110.93 (USD) plus shipping...
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4842001
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA1313157
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4351802

Great prices for a C7/CN700 motherboard... but they will only run UI1 currently of course.

[tkmedia]

tkmedia.. does it get to the end of setting up the disk image and then go into an endless loop where the avwizard never starts??  if so, maybe I can help..
http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=2519.0

Been there,  done that, wrote my post.
http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=3269.msg17410#msg17410

But thanks for trying

[Lowspirit]

I just seen that newegg is doing 4.99 express shipping right now and think that
now is a good time to build my media director.  Can I please have some suggestions
of known working of everything that I need to build a cheap good working
Media Director.  Thanks!

I built two well working MD's with mATX mainboards. i didn't want to use Via because  i wanted OpenGL/alpha blending menus. So i took the cheapest mATX board with nvidia graphics i could find, and paired it with the cheapest AMD AM2 1.9Ghz CPU i could find, and the cheapest set of 2x1024MB RAM i could find. Took apart a low end PSU. Bought some 6mm plexi glass and brass tubings. Built it all together with as small exterior dimensions as possible. The CPU fan actually sticks out of the case even though i grinded down the heat sink about 15mm. But it looks kind of cool(getit:-). I re-used the big slow PSU fan to cool the PSU + the rest of the case by sucking air out, forcing new air to enter on the sides of the case. The CPU temp are stable at about 56dgr C.  I kept one case clear, and the other i spray painted on the INSIDE of the plexi with heat resistant black engine block color to creat a nice piano finish.  It involves some work, but this setup works excellent. For me. And it is much more potent than Via card MD's.

[chrisbirkinshaw]

Can we see some pics?

[Lowspirit]

Can we see some pics?

Of course. Will do asap. Anyone else who built their own cases out there? It's actually fun to do.

[tzinternet]

Hey LowSpirit can you post specs of the motherboard that you used and such?  Also, can you please
tell us what problems you had in the setup (besides the case)?  Also, possibly prices and such and
if what you think of the system now that it is running?


thanks!

[tzinternet]

Here is the answer to the questions that someone posted a few days ago.

What audio connector do you need (RCA, Digital Coax, Optical)?   
RCA is all that is needed for this system
What video connector do you need (HDMI, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, S-Video, RGB, etc.)?
S-video is fine on this system
Do you need DVD-ROM or DVD-RW or none?
DVD-ROM would be ok but is not actually needed.
What about the case, any height or width requirements?
The smaller the case the better.  The idea is to have this system not stand out in this bedroom
Are you going to netboot, or do you want an HDD?
Netboot is fine as I have Draft-N thru the house and also gigabit in the room that this system is going in
Will you be doing HD or just SD?
Standard def is fine for this machine but would need HD for the next system. 

Can't make any recommendations unless you give some details about your requirements.
What audio connector do you need (RCA, Digital Coax, Optical)?   
What video connector do you need (HDMI, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, S-Video, RGB, etc.)?
Do you need DVD-ROM or DVD-RW or none?
What about the case, any height or width requirements?
Are you going to netboot, or do you want an HDD?
Will you be doing HD or just SD?  

[ddamron]

Lowspirit,

I'd love to see some pics of your homebrew case...

Dan

[tzinternet]

Any pics yet for the homebrew system/case that you have?

[JahT]

bump