From Issue #2 , Page #64 | By Franco Vitaliano

How To Build a PC-Based Home Theater

If you live in a home that is not a McMansion, you are always torn between wanting the biggest picture possible and not wanting to turn your crib into a mini-cineplex that drives out your furniture. Salvation comes in the form of a stowaway screen that requires no drilling or special mounting, and an amazingly clever piece of technology that lets you mount a projector way off axis.

Using a PC as the primary A/V source is smart if you want maximum all-in-one-box flexibility. You can play CDs and DVDs, store and play back your audio and video collection, surf the Net, play games, and generally do all the multipurpose, multimedia things a state-of-the-art PC is capable of these days.

Step 1: the Screen
Getting a big-screen picture is, after all, the ultimate goal of this effort. A great choice is the Da-Lite Deluxe Insta-Theater screen, which comes in 60-, 80- and 100-inch sizes. We used an 80-inch unit for this project with superb results. Two of the most compelling features of the Da-Lite Deluxe Insta-Theater are the screen’s easy storage and its pull-up mechanism.

Pull up on the center handle and the screen comes up in one easy, smooth motion via a clever scissor mechanism on its backside. This mechanism stabilizes the fully extended screen and also prevents warping of the the surface. The image quality of the Insta-Theater is excellent, with enough picture gain so that the screen can be comfortably used even in a moderately lit room.

As the black metal case is only four- and-a-half inches around with its two stabilizer feet retracted, the closed-up screen can stay on the floor or even behind a regular TV or a credenza when not in use. Or since it weighs only about 16.5 pounds, you can cart it off and store it almost anywhere.

Step 2: the Projector
We tried two different projectors—the NEC HT1000 and the InFocus Screenplay 7200—both of which sported VGA and DVI-D interfaces.

The NEC HT1000 uses a 4:3 aspect ratio with a native 1,024 x 768 resolution, but that’s lopped off to 1,024 x 576 with a 16:9 screen. In contrast, the InFocus ScreenPlay 7200 uses TI’s Mustang HD2 DMD (digital micromirror device) chip, which has a native resolution of 1,280 x 720 and sports a native aspect ratio of 16:9. This is significant because when you go from 4:3 to 16:9, as with the NEC HT1000, you get unused pixels that cause "light spray." This is an artifact caused by reflections off unused portions of the DMD chip, which, thankfully, is not usually visible in normal use and occurs above and below screen level.

The InFocus also features Faroudja DCDi video processing, which eliminates jagged edges that appear when standard interlaced video is viewed on progressive-scan displays, making such video images look more natural. The InFocus has its own version of a DVI-D interface: something called an M1-DA, which connects at the projector end with a $59, 10-meter cable only available from InFocus. The other cable end connects to any standard DVI-D interface.

With the NEC HT1000, we used a 10-meter DVI-D cable from Ultralink, its XLO DVI-D, which is quad-shielded for protection from electromagnetic energy (EM) and radio frequency (RF) interference. We also wanted to see how VGA and DVI-D images would compare, so we used a Video Products Inc. 25-foot VEXT-25 VGA extension cable that can support resolutions as high as 1900 x 1200 without ghosting and degradation.

Step 4: Build a Wi-Fi PC
Now for some fun—building a high-performance multimedia PC to drive your DVI-D home theater. We used AMD’s new 64-bit chip, the Athlon64. Although a 64-bit Windows operating system (OS) is still a ways off, its current 32-bit OS performance on this new AMD CPU is still spectacular.

We used an Athlon64 3200+ that has a real clock speed of 2.0 GHz and a 754 pin-out. The 3200+ is the entry-level Athlon64. The high-performance version is the Athlon64 FX. The Athlon64 has 105.9 million transistors, making it the most complex desktop processor in the world. The older 32-bit Athlon’s have about half as many transistors. The new 64-bit Athlons require a different CPU cooler style than the 32-bit Athlons, and the one recommended by AMD is made by AVC (part # Z7UB301001), which is what we used in conjunction with a 754-pin Athlon64 motherboard made by MSI, the K8T Neo.

This MSI board uses the VIA K8T800 chipset and supports up to 2 GB of RAM. With the K8T Neo, you can hook up to four IDE hard drives, and also use an on-board serial ATA controller that supports two serial ATA (SATA) drives. In addition, it has a second SATA chipset that supports RAID arrays (two discs) in either a RAID 0 configuration or a data fail-safe RAID 1 configuration. The same chip set also connects up to two ATA 133 drives. The K8T Neo has onboard six-channel audio codecs, as well as dual Ethernet LAN ports, which can run as fast as one GB per second.

We used the K8T Neo board with great success. However, it did have trouble supporting a RAID 0 setup as the primary C drive. However, using the Ultra ATA 133 drive, in this case a 250-GB unit from Maxtor, as the primary C drive went absolutely smoothly and caused no problems at all. With the Maxtor, we had no problems using two 160-GB Seagate SATA drives configured in a RAID 0 array and running as a secondary drive. With the 250-GB Maxtor and the two Seagates, we had more than 550 GB of usable disk space, ample room for creating a whole-house audio and video server. Topping off this hard-drive mix was a Plextor PX-504A DVD+R/RW and CD-R/RW combo drive. For system memory, we used 512 MB of DDR RAM from OCZ Technology, which not only works great, but also looks great in its shiny metal packaging—it’s almost a shame to hide it inside the PC case.

For the final hardware touch, we installed a 3D graphics card with VGA and DVI-D interfaces. We chose the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card—both its All In Wonder (AIW) version and the standard Pro version. The AIW 9800 features a digital TV tuner and extra A/V inputs. The 3D performance of both 9800 cards was almost identical. The TV tuner on the AIW featured a superb picture, and in conjunction with ShowShifter software, it made a dynamite PC/DVR system that could timeshift at even very high resolutions without dropping frames or picture stuttering.

This Athlon64 system is a true screamer. Apart from doing heavy-lifting multimedia work without breaking a sweat, it is also an incredible gaming platform, especially with the pixel-ripping performance of the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card.

The MSI board comes with its Dynamic Overclocking Technology, which does automatic overclocking by detecting the load balance of the CPU while it’s running programs and adjusts for the best CPU frequency automatically. You can also go into the comprehensive MSI BIOS settings and manually tweak away. The MSI K8T Neo motherboard also has desktop utilities for tweaking and overclocking the system, including adjusting system and CPU fan speeds to cut system noise as much as 50 percent, as well as having adjustable features for saving up to 65 percent in power.

Of course, you have to wrap all this hardware up in a PC case suitable for a home entertainment system, which means you need a very-low-noise enclosure. We built two different Athlon64 systems, both using an MSI K8T Neo motherboard. One used an Antec Overture case, which looks looks like a full-rack DVD player on steroids. It has a 380-watt power supply, and you can stuff up to seven disc drives into its piano-gloss black enclosure. You could easily put this highly attractive Antec case into your home entertainment center and pass it off as an A/V component.

The other Antec P160 tower is a completely different story with its all-brushed aluminum case. This tower of power can house up to 10 disc drives. It is also a tweaker’s delight. With the P160 you can switch components in and out in a flash. But it doesn’t come with a power supply. We used a 430-watt True Power PS from Antec. Like the Overture, the P160 case is extremely quiet. Both cases feature audio, USB, and 1394 (Firewire) connectors on their front panels. On the P160 tower, the front connector panel and the power switch swivel up or down for added convenience.

To round out the two systems, we used a superb RME Audio Digi9636 audio card in one machine, and the very good M-Audio Revolution in another. Although the K8T Neo motherboard comes with on-board audio, you still can’t beat a great add-in card for getting the best sound quality for home theater.

As your home theater PC may not be conveniently located for hooking up a hardwired Ethernet LAN connection, try the Wi-Fi (wireless) route. We used a Belkin 802.11g (FSD7000) add-in card that runs up to 54 Mbps. As we already had a wired LAN elsewhere in the house, we also added the Wireless Network Access Point (F5D7130) to tie the wired LAN into a wireless LAN. You can set the Belkin access point to simultaneously support slower 801.11b networks and high-speed 802.11g networks, or you can put it into a mode that supports only 802.11g for maximum throughput. The Belkin access point also offers numerous ways to secure your wireless network.

In a high-rise apartment building, we could get up to 20 to 30 Mbps throughput with the system off in a room about 40 feet distant from the access point (it’s a big apartment). However, while it was great for cruising the Web and broadcasting audio, streaming video over even an 802.11g network was problematic, even with encryption turned off. This is not the fault of the Belkin unit, but rather, probably due to the overhead associated with 802.11. There is no broadband free lunch, and to get optimal A/V network performance you will need to hardwire your home, or wait for the next round of high-speed Wi-Fi standards.

Naturally, you need to communicate with your multimedia PC, which may be across the room, so a wireless keyboard and mouse are mandatory, and Belkin also makes some excellent units. Although for the ultimate wireless mouse, go for the Ultra GT Cordless Optical Mouse from Gyration, which is the only mouse that can be used in the air. You flick your wrist around and the cursor moves.

Step 5: CHoose a Processor or Receiver
If you go the separate processor/amplifier route, the Sunfire Home Theater Grand III is hard to beat. If you want an all-in one surround receiver, try the Sunfire Ultimate Receiver, which powers 7.1- and 9.1-channel setups, with each and every one of those channels being driven with 200 watts.

Step 6: Choose Speakers
This is a matter of budget and taste, but if you already have a two-channel setup and want to keep your main speakers, the M&K SS 150 THX Ultra Tripole surround is a terrific choice. The tripole moniker refers to its ability to send out sound using two direct radiators on its front panel (a 5-inch woofer and a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter), or alternatively, radiate sound simultaneously as a dipole from its left and right baffles (using two 3-inch poly cone mid-tweeters), and also use its two direct radiators.

If you have a large area, or simply want the best surround sound wherever you set up shop, check out the M&K Professional 1625, a mid-sized tripole that in addition to its two front radiators (a 1-inch tweeter and a 6-inch polypropylene mid/woofer), also sports two additional speakers on each of its sides (two 3.25-inch Kevlar mid-tweeters)—that’s a total of six speakers. To say that a pair of 1625 surrounds will rock your crib is an understatement. Finally, if you need to add a center channel, try M&K’s self-powered speaker, the S-150P THX Ultra Active Main Monitor. No amplifier is required with the S-150P, just a line-level input. If you are doing the whole thing from scratch, try three self-powered S-150Ps up front, and two M&K 1625 surrounds.

As for the LFE boom-boom channel, almost nothing can top the Hsu Sub TN-1220HO with its outboard 500-watt amplifier. The amp can also handle an extra TN-1220HO should you decide to upgrade, and will send your neighborhood into national security level threat red.

For this rig, Nordost Red Dawn or Blue Heaven wires are good choices. The flat Nordost speaker cables also route easily and unobtrusively under rugs.

The End Result
This project may seem filled with high-tech details, but you won’t be disappointed. In terms of projectors, the tip of the hat definitely goes to the InFocus 7200. It’s a true high-def unit, and it clearly shows. It also has tremendous light output. The NEC HT1000 is no slouch, however, and it’s only in comparison to the more costly InFocus unit that you become aware of the quality differences between the two projectors. Also, our Silicon Optix Image Anyplace scaler also does its job as advertised, affording you maximum projector placement flexibility.

Now for the wind-up: Is going to DVI-D worth it? The answer is a resounding yes. Both ATI 9800 Pro cards had no problem driving either the NEC or the InFocus projector via their DVI-D inputs. In comparison to VGA, the DVI-D images were clearly better in all respects. For example, Seabiscuit on the big 80-inch Da-Lite screen with the InFocus 7200 truly seemed like a day at the races. The picture was absolutely stunning. The vivid colors, details, and sharpness made my local cineplex look like a distant second-place finish. Much of this can also be attributed to some excellent DVD playback software, CyberLink’s Power DVD 5 Deluxe, which offers great flexibility in setting up optimal DVD playback on a PC.

Through many weeks of testing and use, the Athlon64, MSI K8T Neo motherboard and OCZ RAM never skipped a beat. The Maxtor and Seagate drives also worked flawlessly. Best of all, you never even knew that the system was on, thanks to the super-quiet Antec cases.

As a final reality check, we tried the Bravo D1 DVD player, which also has a DVI-D interface. Picture-quality-wise, it was a dead heat between the PC and the Bravo D1, no matter if it was the NEC HT1000 or InFocus Screenplay 7200 projector. The picture from the Bravo D1’s DVI-D interface was simply great. Convenience-wise, the Bravo was obviously much easier to set up and operate than rolling your own PC. However, for maximum A/V system flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and true digital convergence, nothing, as of yet anyway, can beat a PC-based home theater system. So enjoy!