HTPC facelift

HTPC Facelift

INTEGRATING AN HTPC WITH A HOME THEATRE SYSTEM IS A CINCH PROVIDED YOU HAVE THE CORRECT HARDWARE AND KNOW HOW TO CONNECT IT ALL. WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT JUST THAT.

BY DUSHYANT KHILNANI

 

What does it take to make a true HTPC?

HTPCs have been a source of entertainment for a while now, but the question is whether they truly offer a true HD experience. Ideally, the onus of delivering full-HD video playback and lossless surround sound lies on Blu-ray players. This is mainly because the latest Blu-ray players are capable of bitstreaming TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio via HDMI, something that is beyond the capacity of older players. So essentially, to avail this privilege, one has to shell out Rs 25,000 and buy a Blu-ray player, right? Well, not anymore. You can do that by spending merely Rs 5,000 on a good graphics card that can bitstream via HDMI. Today, even entry-level cards have this capability; an Nvidia GeForce GT 220 or an ATI Radeon HD 5450 should suffice. These cards cost anywhere between Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000, depending on their specifications.

Clearly, hardware upgrades are not a prerequisite, but if a PC upgrade is on the cards, consider a platform that is capable of doubling as a true HTPC. The Intel H55 and H57 chipsets are good picks and you might also want to select a good processor, such as an Intel Core i3 or i5. Since these processors have integrated graphics controllers, you can watch HD movies and even play games without the need of a graphics card. Now, this sort of an upgrade, including other hardware such as RAM, hard drive and such, would cost under Rs 30,000 - the approximate cost of BD player. But you get a fully-functional PC that does what a player can do.

Now, assuming that you already have a good sound system and HDTV, there’s one thing you will require to take full advantage of this new encoding technology - a mid-range A/V receiver that supports decoding audio bitstream. They offer the primary feature of separating the signals, processing the audio, and routing the video through a separate HDMI port to a TV. A good mid-range receiver, such as the Onkyo TXSR costs around Rs 25,000. If you also want a new TV and sound system, there’s some more spending to do.

Look out for these logos

Dolby TrueHD is intended for high-definition HT setups, which involve Blu-ray and HD-DVD players. TrueHD offers lossless audiophile quality audio. Another lossless codec from Digital Theater System is the DTS-MD Master Audio. These codecs are common to high-end audio equipment used by audiophiles and movie buffs. So if you see these logos on you’re A/V receiver, understand that you’re using high-end A/V equipment. So, it’s a good idea to make the most of what they offer by using a good HDTV or HD projector and a set of high-end surround sound speakers.

Raw audio bit-streaming

 

Commonly known as bitstream mode, this encoding technology is used in Blu-ray and DVD players to offer pristine audio quality. It is the highest, and uncompressed, form of Dolby Digital surround sound signals that these players transmit to A/V receivers. These audio signals are then decoded by the audio processors inside the receivers. While CyberLink PowerDVD (versions 9 and 10) and Corel WinDVD let you avail high-definition audio, you’ll have to enable the feature manually after making the hardware connections.

HDMI

While HDMI is common to even entry-level graphics cards, motherboards too, especially the latest ones, are equipped with it. Short for High Definition Multimedia Interface, HDMI is preferred over other standards such as S-video and component, because it transmits uncompressed digital data to a receiver. Also, it carries the purest form of digital audio and video signals in a single cable, which avoids cable clutter.

– dushyant.khilnani@chip.in

 Thanks to-

www.chip.in