[zag]

Ok so I will start off this forum with my own setup.

Pics

watch gallery

Equipment List
- Shuttle XG41, Intel i5 cpu ,8GB ram, Intel 320 SSD 60gb, Pioneer VSX-520 Amplifier (Running OpenELEC with Aeon Nox Theme)
- Vibe Floor standing speakers
- Gale Center Speaker
- Vibe Sub Woofer
- Vibe wall inset back speakers
- Acer H5370BD projector
- Ps3 Slim
- Dreambox 800SE Satellite box
- Ebay HDMI mirror splitter
- Qnap 419p 8TB RAID 5
- Qnap 419p 8TB RAID 5
- Ipad Mini
- Samsung 46" LCD tv
- MCE remote
- Logitech Harmony one remote

Description
Just a relatively simple living room setup of XBMC on a tv, with a mirror image on the projector when required. Controlled with an MCE remote and ipad mini when listening to just music. The HTPC is a little overpowered but silent. I find the onboard intel graphics 3000 chip works very well for all kinds of content. All media is stored on the NAS devices which wake on lan when needed. The system boots fast and is reliable using openelec. I tried windows but had problems with stability and screen resultions, everything just worked out of the box with openELEC. Oh and we have a nice home bar for a drink (or 3!!) during the movies!!

Any questions feel free to post below

[zag]

Next upgrade will be new TV as the current one is 5 years old and if you look carefully has a black vertical line down the left side of the screen.

Anyone have any opinions on the latest Samsung TV's?

[barca888]

Nice setup!

I've been looking at TV's for almost two years now...I have a 32' and can't find it in me to pull the trigger...yet!

Anyways, I would suggest getting the bare bones LED TV from Samsung:

UNXXEH6000 (replace XX with 55, 60 or 65) - that was last year's version.
UN55FH6030 - I believe it's this year's version of the above model...

Obviously, the higher range models may be thinner and have smart features, but in return, are edge lit, and with XBMC, I'm assuming you won't need Smart features.

Best of luck.

[bry]

Please raise the QNAPs up off of the floor. The new samsung tv's are excellent - unfortunately most tvs these days come with 'smart' features that bump up the cost.

[leepenny]

I managed to get a samsung ue46d5000 last year 46 inch - no smart or 3d capability (just what I wanted) - ultra thin (only 10kg) - great tv for just using as a htpc screen
http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/tv-au...PWXXU-spec

[Sean1516]

Love the projector, hows your cable management from the projector to the htpc

[War-Rasta]

I actually think that your next upgrade should be a screen for the projector. I have an Optoma projector in my livingroom which I was projecting against the wall at first and getting a screen for it made a huge difference.

[zag]

I actually think that your next upgrade should be a screen for the projector. I have an Optoma projector in my livingroom which I was projecting against the wall at first and getting a screen for it made a huge difference.

Yes I agree, it needs something motorized I think

I want to upgrade the projector as well so will wait for that before deciding on screen size.

[tential]

Please raise the QNAPs up off of the floor. The new samsung tv's are excellent - unfortunately most tvs these days come with 'smart' features that bump up the cost.

Seriously, they tried to sell me all that stuff. They were so surprised when I wanted a basemodel. I have a PC, I don't need a "smart" tv lol. For the added cost of a smart TV, I shouldn't be getting some slow crap. The added cost sometimes is 500+ dollars. Give me a core i5 powering the whole thing if I have to pay that much extra.

[nickr]

Yeah agreed, XBMC is way smarter than any Smart TV I have seen (I have 2 LGs, 2012 and 2013 models).

[WeirdH]

Please raise the QNAPs up off of the floor. The new samsung tv's are excellent - unfortunately most tvs these days come with 'smart' features that bump up the cost.

Seriously, they tried to sell me all that stuff. They were so surprised when I wanted a basemodel. I have a PC, I don't need a "smart" tv lol. For the added cost of a smart TV, I shouldn't be getting some slow crap. The added cost sometimes is 500+ dollars. Give me a core i5 powering the whole thing if I have to pay that much extra.

I recently ran into this issue as well. Point is, if you settle for a cheaper tv without 3d/smart functionality, you usually also settle for cheaper panels/parts, so your overall experience will be lesser than you'd be getting with all the stupid 'smart' stuff.

Eventually, I decided to go with Sony's flagship model from last year and I have yet to touch the smart and 3d stuff.

[tential]

This depends on brand and timing. I also suggest heading over to AVSForum of course to see if the SmarTV panel is actually "Better". In the case of Sharp, with the "Quattron 4th pixel thing" many users weren't too happy/impressed. I know for me, I wanted the higher end model, until I was told picture quality would be almost exactly the same after calibration, and that I'd be disabling most of the "features" to get the best quality anyway. Some people like "that look"(Not sure how to describe it but it just doesn't look correct at all and it's in these new tvs), but I just head over to avsforum to get the best bang for my buck.

It seems though that manufacturers caught onto this quite quick. The new model of my TV has lower image quality (features as well), and a higher pricetag.

Gotta give people an "incentive" to get the newer model haha.

[zag]

I've now upgraded to an Intel NUC haswell i3, its just about the perfect HTPC in my opinion.

I bought the entire package for tranquil pc. Its the Abel H2 fanless enclosure.



http://www.tranquilpcshop.co.uk/abel-h2-series/

It even turns on with the remote now which has been a long term usability wish for me.

[nickr]

I have 2 LG smart TVs. Xbmc is much smarter though, to the point that the TVs are no longer plugged into the network.

[zag]

I have 2 LG smart TVs. Xbmc is much smarter though, to the point that the TVs are no longer plugged into the network.

Yes I bought the non smart version.

Its a great TV actually but I use XBMC as the main interface so didnt need any of the extras they try to push.