Capabilites of my HTPC (Blueray!?)

[jamar2013]

Hi,

To make it short, i bought this summer a Sandy Bridge Based PC. Here is the complete configuration :

i7 2700K 3.5GHz CPU, 16GB 1600MHz Memory, SLI Pny GTS450, Intel DZ68BC MB (which has an Optical audio), Intel 520 Cherryville 240GB SSD + 2TB WD Green.

I plan to buy a HDTV with prolly the 3D feature, in the next month. I would like my PC to be my next Home Theater PC, which would manage the playing of my personnal .avi (let say my DVD files), but i would like to play Blueray from my PC to my HD TV.

Plus, if i have a 120HZ 3D TV (prolly 47" or so), will my rig be able to "push" enough Video Data to my HDTV to take advantage of
1. 3D
2. 120Hz

I heard allaround that standalone players are more.. simple.. But i work in TI, this is really my domain. I am sure i am able to configure Windows Media Center, or even XMBC (which i would prefer, since it is REALLY customisable).


So i am going to buy a BlueRay device for my PC, a HD TV 3D 120HZ, i plan to buy a GTX 670 or two... (i know i will need 2x if i plan to Blueray 3d 120Hz from my PC). But am i shooting myself in foot ? A PS3/standalone for Blueray and my HTPC for anything else in XMBC would it be more easier and better quality overall ?

For the sound, i know is that i plan to be Optical from my MB. There is a possibility for me to add some In addin cards.

I would like you to suggest me, tell me your experience and everything that would help me to determine the best setting for my 120Hz Hdmi 3D blueray room !!

JMR


edit : I have W7 Pro x64, but i can do.. whatever i want.. !

I heard that 3Dplay with already bought 3d HDTV can be really good, but versus a solution like a standalone BRay player, do i loss quality in sound, etc ?

3DTV+ 47" HDTV vs Gaming on a 27" LCD PC Monitor VS ?

 

[jamar2013]

I know i may mixed up a lot of thing.. But please help

 

[Wolfshadw]

Probably the easiest thing to do would be to just purchase a standalone 3d Blu-Ray player and call it a day, but that doesn't mean it would be compatible with your current movie library.

Your system, as it stands, meets the requirements for 3D Blu-Ray play back. I don't think it really matters, but could you please verify whether you have one GTS 450 or two GTS 450's in SLI? Per the specifications, you would only need a single GTS 450 for your needs. According to NVidia's 3DTV Play website, you'll also need to purchase:

1) 3DTV Play software
2) 3DTV compatible HDTV (and receiver?)
3) 3D Glasses included with your new HDTV
4) 3D Compatible Blu-Ray Drive
5) 3D Compatible Blu-Ray player software (Which I don't think you can embed into WMC or XBMC).

Just a note about #5. I know from experience that you cannot play blu-ray movies from within Windows Media Center. What clicking on the Play button does is minimize Windows Media Center and executes, in my case, PowerDVD. The movie then plays in a PowerDVD player (not Windows Media Player).

As for whether or not it's actually going to play at 120Hz, I don't know. That's something that will require more research into exactly how the 3DTV Play software works.

-Wolf sends

 

[jamar2013]

Thank you for the quick anwser. I confirm that i got two Pny GTS 450 in SLI. But i am going to change for at least 1x GTX 670 in the next days (BF3 ).

And, my need for another HDTV pumped me up for doing an all-in-one masterbeast with my PC, which would manage everything. But i think this is not the right anwser to my needs. I guess i would be better to have my primary monitor (whatever it is), and then dual screen my HDTV. I would run XMBC for my local library (DVD, Games, etc) when i could use a standalone for the Blueray part.. but i think this is sad to not.. use my powerfull rig.. to buy a ******* gay player! Tho, sound and video is optimised to this only task.. i guess it has benefits.. Still, if i can just put a Blueray player in my pc, plug it HDMI to my HDTV, then plug an optpical cable between my pc and the Tv (for sound), i would be able to play Blueray.. Even if its not embedded in WMC or XMBC (these will open like your said my BRay software independently).

And for the 120Hz, i rode a lot of topics and this is not the same thing on Pc Monitors as for HDTV. For HDTV, it only helps the 60Hz Hdmi output by pushing the double of Hz, to help everything to be more clear (sry for spelling and my sentences). Though, this is not like the pc monitor which is really going to 120Hz, with DVI-D cables (or Display port). Well, i may mixed up some specification but this is it.

Now i am asking myself if i really want a 3D setup.. or if only a HDTV (which i did not buy yet ) can do the job.. After reading topic, for gaming (especially FPS), it is a little more noised-blur-ondetails-moisture effect, due to the 1:1 pixel aspect or i dont know.. I think this is an option we can set in Nvidia Settings to help that.. Still, Gaming on a let say 27"120Hz LED PC Monitor would be.. Better overall for my shooters and my everyday computer needs... Then my HTPC for the DVD, Games, etc, and Blueray idk for the Player or the PC.. I do not have my HD receiver yet for HD channels... it will come later on.

Your Bluerays went fine, even on the PowerDVD, even if its not embeded to your Media center software ? In term of quality, no bluring, lagging, or thing like that ? You really had the "power of Bray" ?

And i am french speaking.. Sorry to not construct sentences the right way.. sometimes !

I know i am kind of mixing some Debates.. I just do not want to buy something for what i think is my need.. to see afterward that i do not have things working as i want. I read a LOT of topic about.. everthing.

 

[jamar2013]

Feel free to comment anything. Here is clear questions (!) ;

1; Buying a BlueRay internal drive and a 50-90$ BlueRay Software for my PC, Will it be able to play Blueray contents (forgot about 3D) on a fictional 47" HDTV, without any sort of input lagging, video lagging, or just bad pc rendering ?

2; For doing 3D from a PC to an 3DHDTV, is the Nvidia 3DPLAY technology the only one that works.. good ? I rode some horror story about that subject (Pc-Blueray to HDTV).

3; I do not correctly see the need of a Video/Sound (HDMI/Optical) inputs pci card.. But my friend say that for a good setting, i would need it..Can you explain me for what need ? My pc wont serve as an amplificator, so why sound should gets it my pc to get out on another place.. For the Hdmis, i can understand if i want a Tuner Card to Record my HD Channels or so, but.. i dont know..

This is gonna be my first HDTV and my first Optical setting (but i already tried it, it works well on my pc). All i know, is i have plenty of video ports and an optical port that is free! I am kind of asking myself the limit of what my HTPC gonna be at. I am planing to add a Optical sound system, further on (prolly 5.1) with an ampli.

Feel free to give me a little boost in my choices.., you, people, who have already tried HDTV and all these settings for years.. !

Will be online later on. Just got workday done.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Yes, I really had the "Power of Bray". The only hiccup I've ever experienced running blu-ray discs from my HTPC using PowerDVD is that on occasion, a new Blu-Ray disc won't play and I'll get an error message stating update needed. Check for an update from PowerDVD, install it, restart the Blu-Ray and it's back to my recliner and bowl of popcorn! As you may note from my system specifications (in my signature block), I don't exactly have a power house system, but it handles all my media recording/playback just fine.

As to your questions:

1) Yes. There won't be any type of lagging or bad PC rendering (assuming you have an HD capable graphics card installed).

2) To be honest, I was never impressed with 3D tech, so I don't really know what all is out there. In my opinion, when I was upgrading to a 1080p projector, I didn't want to pay the extra money to include 3D capabilities. There was a demo area set up in my local electronics store and while neat, "Neat" isn't worth an extra $300 (at that time).

3) I don't see any need for any audio/video inputs for your PC at this time. A TV Tuner card will have it's own inputs, but to record from an HD Set Top Box from a cable/satellite company, then yes, you would need one, preferably with an HDMI input. Audio output will either be handled by the graphics card or the S/PDIF optical output of your motherboard to a receiver.

Hope this helps.

-Wolf sends

 

[jamar2013]

Best answer selected by jamar2013.