Ok, not really pin/vid related but I am still working out this HTPC (Home Theatre PC) build I am working on.  I am experimenting with a year old mobo that has a quality on-board 5 x 100w amplifier (watts mean nothing, I have a 14w (7.5 amp per channel) tube amp that blows everything else out of the water). Or I can go 7.1 to an external receiver/amp...

...but I digress...

...what I am trying to figure out is how to get rid of my existing a/v receiver (and get away from using the switcher in my monitor/tv) since this HTPC will have its own.  It only has one HDMI port (presumably for out only as I'd need two to pass through, I guess), SPDIF IN, LINE IN (L/R).  I'm sticking a ATI Visiontek 650 PCI-e HDTV Tuner Card on it for Cable/Off-air capture & FM Radio tuner, and likely an upgraded video card (I still need SDTV out which the mobo doesn't have - although it does do HDMI for the future).

But I am trying to figure out how to capture/tune/switch more AV inputs into the PC that hopefully I can rig to be switched into Windows Media Center or something similar (for PVR and live watching)... things like my Wii, Cable box (maybe that's handled by the Tuner Card - I'm not there yet), maybe VCR and Phono (but not necessarily the last two), maybe a PS3 in the future.  I am wondering what's both the best and/or cheapest or most common method of doing this.  Would be nice if there was an all in one kind of solution (since it's a mixture of component, composite, rca audio sources).  The idea being I like using ONE remote control and ONE volume control and ONE on/off button (I use a Harmony 550 right now with some success - training people not to turn off components manually is the biggest impediment...).

There are a lot of tech savvy friends onthis group, so I am wondering if anyone has some ideas or has been down this road?

There must be some top notch forums on this stuff?  

I always wanted to create one with those lower powered micro/mini atx's.  But, like most projects, other things in life took priority.

I'd be curious to see how this project progresses.

Been looking at a MPC too for some time now..  AFAIK you can't use it to switch your other components.  You're gonna need that AV Receiver to use as a HDMI switch/audio decoder.  The MPC will just be another "component" like the the Wii, PS3, etc..  Almost bought a 7.1 during xmas but hesitated and then there was none left.  The boxing day/week sales had some decent deals.  I want one that'll decode all the audio formats (other than THX) and has at least 4 X HDMI inputs (Xbox, BLray, Sat, MPC).

You could always get just a HDMI switch but that wouldn't help with getting the digital sound to the PC.

Mike

Mike,

In a pinch I coudl deal with switching audio only (and perhaps sacrifice 7.1 for 5.1 since I have no need for 7.1 really).

I think that the problem has to do with 1) the copy protection aspect of hdmi (HDCP), in that the standard doesn't allow for copy protected hdmi signals to be input to recording devices (I could be quite wrong here) since they are broadcast quality, but that's why you don't see hdmi "in" on capture cards AND 2) there are technical limitations on how quickly equipment can handle, process and compress even non-copyprotected hdmi signals in real time (i.e. the equipment to do it IS expensive and eats power and needs LOTS of HD space).  You can input and capture a component signal, but the audio would not be full 1080p 7.1 HD.  (OR so that's how I understand it after some limited research). So for the moment Mike, I think in the practical sense you are correct (as far as multiple hdmi sources goes).  What I can do as a work around is fiddle with passing decoded analogue audio back to the htpc media receiver and use an hdmi to hdmi automated external switcher but that's somewhat counter intuitive to my project.

But really that's not so much an issue with signals from game boxes (who needs to record that?), but from broadcast.  Ideally you want the computer to have a tv guide, to switch or decode and record the source for later playback (or archiving in a compressed format).  I'm ok sacrificing some audio quality on recorded broadcast.

I may look in this direction :  http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/ but I think it only works with unprotected hdmi sources (again due to HDCP).

And there are component HD PVRS that will scale and record digtally to 1080i.

I have it worked out so that the mobo does decode all external component/digital/analog sources and outputs via HDMI (or DVI or component or analogue out), but can not pass through hdmi yet.  I am not familiar with the standard however as I only have analog and vga type equipment to test on.  And I am trying to keep the cost and form factor down (MATX and hopefully low profile).  Ultimately there are off the shelf systems for around US$570 to do this right now - though they are obscure, and I think I'm going to come in around that, slightly more I think, but with a better quality case (the main cost differential).  It doesn't need to be a full out 3d gaming computer, but it does need to be quiet.  Luckily small form factor is king right now, and so apart from some functionality I need to support my analog tv I can see that components are moving towards more computing power for less heat.

This particular build is limited a bit by the fact that I am using year old technology and the whole HDMI handling thing seems to be evolving.

Perhaps this is the beast i am looking for: http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_hometheater_hd.php