Build your Blu-ray PC #2: Intel-based

When building our second Blu-ray PC gig, we decide to use Intel-based board. The cost will be 30% higher than our first Blu-ray PC AMD-based gig. And this time, we consider GAMING requirements as well so a good graphics card is important.

The motherboard we choose is Gigabyte's latest offering for overclocking enthusiasts, the GA-EP45T-EXTREME. Based on the Intel P45 and ICH10R chipset, this board comes with a horde of features that may seem excessive: CrossFire support for up to three ATI graphics cards, dual PCIe Gigabit LAN ports, elaborate heatsinks including a water cooling block, a whole slew of expansion slots, connectors (including three FireWire 400 expansion ports), and several LED status indicators for the overclocking crowd. This board supports Blu-ray playback outputs supported by high quality 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio.

For processor, we choose Intel 3.0 GHz Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual-Core Processor . Built for mainstream users who might occasionally require some additional performance, this CPU features Intel's exclusive 45nm architecture, ideal for users interested in surfing the Web, checking email, shopping online, manipulating images, downloading, and watching HD videos—all at the same time.

For the graphics card, we choose ATI’s HD 4870 based card, SAPPHIRE HD 4870. This card provides high performance graphical and gaming experience. SAPPHIRE HD 4870 has 512MB of high performance GDDR5 memory, with the GPU core at 780MHz. All SAPPHIRE graphics cards incorporate the latest ATI Avivo HD Technology for enhanced Video display and feature a second generation built in UVD (Unified Video decoder) for the hardware accelerated decoding of Blu-ray and HD DVD content. The HDMI adaptor has 7.1 surround sound supports and delivers audio and video output on a single HDMI cable.

The other components:

Intel BX80570E8400 3.0 GHz FSB LGA775 Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual-Core Processor
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-EXTREME INTEL P45+ICH10R CHIPSET
Sapphire 100247L HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 PCI-E/2 Port DVI-I/TV Out Video Card
Seagate Barracuda 320GB SATA Hard Drive
Kingston HyperX Memory 2GB 1066MHz DDR2 PC2-8500
Liteon 4X Blu Ray ROM Drive
Antec Fusion Black 430 Desktop PC Case with 430-Watt PSU

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Build your Blu-ray PC #1: AMD-based

We are building a PC to watch movies via DVD & Blu-ray discs since component prices are now low enough to justify doing so. Of course, this PC can do gaming, surf internet & do all stuff that other PCs can do as well.

A complete Blu-ray HTPC system sold by a famous brand currently cost US$1280, comes with 22" LCD monitor. If we build one ourselves (or get a computer shop to assemble for you), the cost is not only lower, but the specs are better as well.

We have done extensive research and we are able to assemble a decently-priced PC (exclude LCD monitor) to play 1080p quality Blu ray movies on a decent budget of US$650 (motherboard, MOBO + 2G memory + 160G harddisk drive, HDD + 450 W power supply + AMD quad Phenom CPU, 9550) + Blu Ray ROM drive.
The motherboards (MOBO) we choose is the Gigabyte's 790GX / 780G series, MA78GPM-DS2H. This MOBO comes with 3D overclocking performance [boost the GPU frequency up to 950MHz] that delivers a rich, High-Definition home theater entertainment experience and delivering unprecedented UMA graphics performance with a 3DMARK06 score of 2000 or higher*. At of the heart of the MOBO lies the ATI Radeon^® HD3300 / HD3200 graphics core, featuring support for DirectX^® 10, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL2.0 as well as meeting the official HDMI 1.3 certification. High-Definition multimedia support is carried throughout the Radeon^® HD 3200 outputs, which include not only D-Sub and DVI, but also HDMI to support numerous monitors. This MOBO meet the HDCP specification for output protection management and security specifications of the latest Blu-Ray™ media format. Featuring support for ATI's Avivo™ technology, the GIGABYTE's 790GX / 780G provides ultra smooth playback of the latest Blu-Ray™ HD content, and with support for the innovative ATI UVD™ technology, provides spectacular picture clarity at resolution up to 1080p for incredibly fine image quality. The MOBO is equipped with the built-in High-Definition 7.1 + 2 channel Realtek ALC889A sound chip, whose 106dB signal-to-noise ratio significantly reduces noise during signal transmission and supports Full Rate Audio support for Blu-ray™ HD media. Gigabyte also supports Dolby Home Theater, giving our PC another powerful set of tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound.

So with good graphics and audio on the MOBO, we save money on having to buy separate graphics card & sound card. Next, to maximise the potential of this MOBO, we put in 2G DDR2 dual channel RAM [1066 MHz]. Then we add in a 450W power supply for power stability. And of course, we use the fast SATA-based drives: HDD & Blu Ray ROM drives.

The main components:

AMD Phenom Quad-Core 9550 2.20GHz CPU
GIGABYTE MA78G-DS3H Motherboard (AMD 780G CHIPSET & HDMI)
Coolermaster 430W power supply unit
Seagate Barracuda 320GB SATA Hard Drive
Kingston HyperX Memory 2GB 1066MHz DDR2 PC2-8500
Liteon 4X Blu Ray ROM Drive
Coolermaster Mini Tower PC Chasis
Antec Fusion Black 430 Desktop PC Case with 430-Watt PSU

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ATI's new High Definition 4830 Graphics Card

AMD today introduced the ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics card, raising the performance bar for graphics cards priced at less than $150 (USD) 1 and presenting gamers with even more affordable access to award-winning ATI Radeon HD 4800 series performance. Like all ATI Radeon™ HD 4800 series products, the new offering delivers class-leading game performance1 and superior HD multimedia capabilities, as well support for the latest DirectX 10.1 games soon to be released for the holiday season.


The ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics card delivers outstanding value to gamers. With the launch of this card, even the most intimidating games that were previously unplayable on a graphics card selling for less than $150 can now be enjoyed at playable frame rates, even when using image enhancements such as anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering.2 For those gamers looking to get even more performance out of their gaming rigs, ATI Radeon HD 4830 cards support ATI CrossFireX™ technology allowing gamers to combine as many as four cards in one PC.³

More than just a gaming card, the ATI Radeon HD 4830 offers up exceptional HD multimedia performance as well. All ATI Radeon HD 4800 series cards allow users to enjoy HD digital content4 with uncompromising visual fidelity while helping to enhance the definition and clarity of lower resolution visual media. AMD’s second generation Unified Video Decoder (UVD 2.0) ensures users experience smooth HD video playback, and sharp, crisp images and vibrant colors through ATI Avivo™ HD technology. Combined with capabilities like picture-in-picture, and support for the latest HD audio technologies like 7.1 surround sound, the ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics card serves up an impressive cinema-quality home entertainment experience.

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Buy a Blu-ray PC

Here we look at 2 desktop systems put together by major manufacturers. This is for those who wants a Blu-ray PC but do not want to spend the time to build one. The first one is for the budget consumer, HP Pavilion Elite m9060n Desktop PC. The second one is a premium product, suitable for Home Theater & Gaming [Visionman WGMA-377X10].


Excluding LCD monitor, the HP Pavilion Elite m9060n Desktop PC is a top-of-the-line multimedia desktop & comes with 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600, combo Blu-ray/HD DVD playback, TV tuner (NTSC/ATSC), PVR functionality, programming guide, Dual 320 GB hard drives (640 GB total), 3 GB RAM (8 GB max), Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT graphics (1791 MB of available memory), Wi-Fi LAN (802.11b/g), Gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0, two Firewire and comes pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities).

Visionman WGMA-377X10 Window AMD Gaming PC - AMD Phenom X4 9850 Quad Core / 4GB DDR2-1066, 150GB Raptor, 1TB SATA II, Blu-Ray Player, DVDRW-LS, ATIRadeon HD38701GB, Media Reader, Gigabit, Vista Ultimate.

Here it is, AMD gaming evolved! When you want the ultimate gaming platform, the buck stops here. This rig is powered by a native quad core AMD Phenom, wrapped in the 790FX chipset, and given sheer video power by ATIs top of the line dual core video card. This quad core isn't like any other out there, as it is completely unlocked. Say goodbye to CPU Limitation!

Features:

1. PCI-E 2.0 GraphicsInterface: PCI-E 2.0 doubles the bus standard's bandwidth from 2.5 Gbit/s to 5 Gbit/s, meaning a x32 connector can transfer data at up to 16 GB/s in each direction. PCI-E 2.0 also features improvements to the point-to-point data transfer protocol and its software architecture.

2. ATI CrossFireX Technology: ATIs CrossFireX boosts image quality along with rendering speed, eliminating the need toscale down screen resolution to get high quality images. CrossFireX allows higher anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, shading, and texture settings. Adjust your display configurations, experiment with the advanced 3D settings, and check the effects with a real-time 3D-rendered previews within ATICatalyst Control Center.

3. AMD 790FX Chipset: AMD 790FX Chipset is designed to support up to 5200MT/s HyperTransport 3.0 (HT 3.0) interface speed and quad PCI Express 2.0 x16 graphics. It is optimized with AMD latest AM2+ and multi-core CPUs to provide excellent system performance and overclocking capabilities.

4. Dual eSATA Ports: If for some strange reason a 1TB hard drive isnt enough storage, now you can easily plug in more! eSATA leaves USB and Firewire in the dust for transfer speeds, and most modern external hard drives support eSATA connections. Simply plug in any eSATA device, and instantly access more space!
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Backing up Blu-ray movies #1

After spending money on that Blu-ray movie discs or DVD discs, it would be a pity if they get damaged or got misplaced. Now you get make backup copies of DVD using the AnyDVD software by Slysoft or backup copies of Blu-ray discs using the AnyDVDHD software. [Note: Copies are meant for personal consumption & not for trading].

AnyDVD works in the background to automatically remove the copy protection of a DVD movie as soon as it's inserted into the drive, allowing you then to backup the movie. You can also remove the RPC region code, thereby making the movie region free. AnyDVD is capable of removing unwanted movie features, including subtitles and prohibition messages such as copyright and FBI warnings. It can decrypt protected audio CDs as well.

Key Features of AnyDVD:

• Removes encryption (CSS) and region code (RPC) from DVDs
• Removes analogue copy protection (Macrovision)
• Removes features such as forced subtitles and warnings
• Compatible with all DVD media
• Works with all DVD-drives, regardless of region code
• Works with all DVD copying, such as CloneDVD, and all DVD player software
• Proven to be stable and fast and does not require an ASPI driver
• Features AnyCDDA: play, copy and rip protected audio CDs

AnyDVD HD comes with same functionality as AnyDVD, but with additional features for full Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD support, including decryption of Blu-ray (BD+ and AACS) and HD DVD (AACS) movies. Allows you to watch movies over a digital display connection, without HDCP-compliant graphics card and without HDCP-compilant display so no need to buy an expensive monitor. Playback your discs on your PC with PowerDVD Ultra, which otherwise do not run titles released by Studio Canal, The Weinstein Company, Kinowelt & Optimum Releasing. AnyDVD HD is the "must have" utility for the serious home theater enthusiast using a media center / home theater PC.

Key Features of AnyDVDHD:

• Same features as regular AnyDVD
• Removes encryption (AACS) from Blu-ray Discs.
• Removes BD+ copy protection from Blu-ray Discs.
• Removes region codes from Blu-ray Discs.

After ripping a Blu-ray movie disc with AnyDVDHD you will have a folder with size about 20G on your hard-disk. To reduce the file size, run TS Remux [this also reduces the entire folder into 1 single file in the M2TS format, playable on Windows Media Player]. This is how to use TS Remux: 1. Select the main movies file [size>15G] in your ripped folder [..\BDMV\STREAM\00005.m2ts]; 2. give an output name; 3. uncheck 'bypass audio..'; 4. output format as 'M2TS'; 5. click on 'remux' Read more!

Backing up Blu-ray movies #2

After ripping a Blu-ray movie disc with AnyDVDHD you will have a folder with size about 20G on your hard-disk. You can reduce the file size to about 15G.

First, run TS Remux [this also reduces the entire folder into 1 single file in the M2TS format]. This is how to use TS Remux:

1. Select the main movie file [the one which is the largest] in your ripped folder [..\BDMV\STREAM\00005.m2ts]

2. give an output name ['name.m2ts'];

3. uncheck 'bypass audio..';

4. uncheck audio streams that you do not need (eg. DTS)

5. output format as 'M2TS';

6. click on 'remux'.

This M2TS file format is playable on Windows Media Player 9.0 but you must add in the K-Lite Codec Pack first. Read more!

Backing up Blu-ray movies #3

After you have a single m2ts file, the size of 15G is still quite big. If you are happy with this, then take no further action. If not, you can reduce the file to less than 1G, using the Matroska (MKV) file format & with the video quality still high.

First, download & run MeGUI.

1. When first run you should be prompted to update. Select Options -Update and apply all updates.

2. We need to start [Avisynth script]. It is easy to do by selecting the option from the [Tools] menus or pressing CTRL-R.

3. [Select your input file] - the .m2ts file from TSRemux. A preview window will open. This will be at the actual resolution - 1920×1080.

4. On the Options TAB, [Check Crop], select [Autocrop], [Check resize - input the Horizontal resolution of 1280], [check suggest resolution then uncheck] it to have the corrected size.

5. Move on to the [filter] Tab, If you are unsure of the file type you should always select [analyse]. This does take a few minutes to complete but is worth it if unsure. When complete [select the Source Type], i use [progressive]. [Set Resize Filter to Lanczos4] and [enable the noise filter] if required. [Select save and provide a file name].

6. Open the [Bitrate] calculator from the [Tools] menu. Your video file details should already be populated so ensure the relevent codec and container types are selected then select your required file size from the File Size dropdown. Set the codec to x264 and the file format to MKV. Click the config button. Input your own calculated bitrate. Click OK.

7. [Audio] For the input file [select your video file again], [give an output name] ensuring it is different from the video output name, [choose your audio profile] - NDAAC-LC-Multichannel-HQ-256kbps or one suitable for your requirements, set the codec to ND AAC - the Nero codec should have been installed when MeGUI was updated. If not down load it from http://www.nero.com/eng/nero-aac-codec.html. Place it in Megui\tools\NeroAACenc. Click [enqueue] in both Audio and Video sections the move to the [queue] tab.

8. You can see the [two video passes and the audio jobs] in the queue. When it is used for the first time you will need to [create a Worker]. You can now start the encoding process by clicking [start]. This will take several hours to complete.

9. When completed, you will have a seperate audio and video stream [ie. 2 files].

10. Run MKVMerge to mux these 2 files together into a single MKV file. [Select your two input files, give an output file and select Start Muxing]. Read more!

How to assemble a PC

If you can put together a furniture from IKEA, you can put together your own PC. It is that easy. That’s not to say that PC-building is for everybody. You do miss out, for instance, on having a single point of contact for technical support. Then again, technical support can be unhelpful. Building your own PC means that you get to call the shots on every component, from the motherboard to the graphics card. You pay only for the parts you want, and you decide what kind of upgrade path to leave for yourself in the future.

1. Remove the side panel of your case by unscrewing the side panels with a screwdriver.

2. Screw in the motherboard stands. Your case purchase should include a bundle of screws packed in the box. Find the narrow screw stands that need to be affixed to the interior case platform. With motherboards based on the ATX spec (the current design standard), 10 stands need to be screwed in. Putting a screw stand in the wrong slot could short out your motherboard!

3. Install the power supply. Take the power supply out of the box and unravel its cables. Our power supply is modular, so we only use the cables that we actually need to power our internal devices. Find the included set of screws in the power supply box. These will be different from the ones included with your case.

4. On to the motherboard. We’re going to be using a third-party CPU cooler for this build, which will keep your CPU perfectly chilled for overclocking. The Zalman 9700NT requires that you install a mounting bracket onto the motherboard. To do this, first align the bottom part of the bracket to the underbelly of your mobo. Its four holes should line up with four screw holes surrounding the CPU. Screw in the top part of the bracket carefully. The corner of the bracket with the extra niche should match the corner on the motherboard where the CPU locking pin rises (bottom left in our photo). Make sure you don’t screw the top bracket in to tightly, or the bottom bracket may lose alignment with the screw holes.

5. One last bit of preparation before putting in the motherboard. Remove the generic motherboard back panel port plate from the rear of the case. It should easily pop out if you push it from the outside. Replace the generic back panel plate with the one included in your motherboard box. Snap it in by pressing its corners against the case from the inside. You should hear a distinct click when each corner is snapped into place.

6. Time to install the motherboard! Carefully place the motherboard into the case cavity, holding it from opposite corners. Angle and slide it in from the front of the case toward the back, so the back panel powers can fit through the back port plate. Once the motherboard is aligned and correctly situated, screw it in with 10 small screws that were packaged with your case. Don’t go overboard when you tighten the screws

7. Read your CPU and motherboard instructions carefully to find out how to remove the socket shield and properly align the processor. In this case, our CPU has a tiny triangle in one corner that must be aligned with the one corner of the socket that’s missing a metal contact. Close the socket shield and lock the CPU into place by clamping down on the CPU socket pin.

8. Apply thermal paste to the processor before mounting the CPU fan. The Zalman 9700NT fan includes a small bottle of thermal paste, along with a tiny brush in the cap for easy application. Don’t goop the paste on. Spread it evenly over the processor, leaving a little bit of space around the edges to spread. Apply a little bit of paste to the bottom of the CPU cooler as well.

9. Carefully place the CPU fan on top of the processor, with the fan facing away from the back of the case (as seen in our photo). This ensures that air flows smoothly from the front of the case through and out the back. Drop the clamping bridge under the center of the cooler, and screw in one side with the screws packaged with the cooler. Screwing in the other side requires a bit of strength, as the clamp will bend to lock the cooler into place. Don’t press too hard or you’ll risk damaging both your CPU and motherboard. We recommend screwing both sides in halfway first, then slowly tightening each side. Plug in the CPU fan adapter to the three-pin port located near the processor socket. Refer to your motherboard manual for the exact location.

10. Remove a few of the PCI slot shield plates from the back of the case. You only need to take out the ones that are blocking the holes you’ll need for your video card. Drop in your video card into the PCI-E slot. If your motherboard has more than one slot, check the manual to locate the “primary” PCI-Express slot, which has the most bandwidth for graphics. Push the card straight down into the slot gently and firmly, and make sure the white retention clip snaps into place. Screw the video card’s bracket into your case. [Optional: Pull a six-pin PCI-E power cables from your power supply and plug them into your video card.]

11. Locate two memory slots on your motherboard. Our build will have two 1GB sticks of DDR memory. You’ll want to insert them in alternating slots (color-coded on our motherboard) to run the memory in dual-channel. Align the RAM so the gap in the row of pins matches the slot on the motherboard. Plug the RAM into the slots until the locking brackets on both sides snap up. Make sure your RAM is completed seated, as improperly-installed RAM is the source for many system malfunctions.

12. Screw the hard drive into the bracket. Slide your optical drive in until it’s flush with the front panel. Just press the button on the side of the interior cage to lock the drive into place. Plug a SATA cable into your motherboard for every drive you have (including hard drives and optical drives). Plug a SATA power cable into your power-supply (these should be included with your PSU). These power cables have a flat SATA power connector on one end.

13. Using your motherboard manual as a reference, plug in the front-panel cables to your motherboard. Most cases have front panel USB, Firewire, and headphone jacks, among other ports. Look to your motherboard documentation to find out where these go.

14. Locate the eight-pin power cable from your power supply, which provides power to the CPU, and plug it into your motherboard. Like the PCI-E connector, this plug is keyed and should only fit in one way, so there’s no risk of putting it in backwards. Finally, you’ll need to power up the motherboard by connecting the 24-pin main power connector.

15. Connect the power cable to your fan that is mounted behind on the case.

16. The finish line is in sight! This final step is to tidy up our cabling by hiding all the excess wires out of the way. With our case, we can pull cables and hide them.

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LCD monitor - which is hi def?

Our intention is to watch high definition movies via Blu-ray or HD DVD so we need a suitable LCD monitor to match [the other alternative is to connect direct to a LCD TV via the HDMI cable]. In order to get 1080p resolution, monitors above 24” are considered as they can display native resolution of 1920 x 1200 [16:10 aspect ratio] or some models like Dell’s S2409W which runs on native resolution of 1920 x 1080 [16:9 aspect ratio]. Note that 16:9 corresponds to the Blu-ray format.

We look for HDMI interface as well and this makes a mouth watering proposition for those who wants to hook up your Xbox 360 or PS3 directly, letting you enjoy High Definition graphics without forking out the dough for a new TV.

Other features to look for include DVI and VGA connectivity, a contrast ratio of at least 1,000:1 and a 5ms response time or better. Manufacturers have started focusing on getting more products in the 24-inch monitors segment, releasing lower cost and higher performance.

Features to look out for:
· Native Resolution : 1920 x 1200
· Active Display Area : 24-inch
· Contrast Ratio : 1000:1
· Response Time : 5ms
· Digital : DVI-D, HDMI

Here are some monitors worth considering:

LG Electronics (W2452V-TF) 24" LCD Class monitor
ViewSonic VX2435wm 24" Wide Multifunction LCD Display
Gateway FHD2401 24" Widescreen HD LCD Monitor
HP W2408H 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
Samsung Touch Of Color 24" T240HD LCD HDTV Monitor
BenQ G2400WD - Flat panel display

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Is your PC ready for High Definition?

Going Blu-ray or High Definition (HD) means updating some PC components like memory, CPU & chipsets. This easy-to-use Blu-ray advisor software called "BD Advisor" will help advise you which of your current components need to change.

Click here [then search for 'BD Advisor'] to find out if your current PC is Blu-ray or HD ready? Read more!

PCTV HD Card - TV Tuner card

With PCTV HD Card, you can watch standard TV and free High Definition (HD) TV on your PC. Includes remote control and FM radio antenna. This card supports both digital over-the-air (ATSC1) and unencrypted digital cable (ClearQAM2) HDTV. Stereo sound for both digital and analog TV. Also, includes Stereo FM radio reception.

Turns your PC into a Personal video recorder. You can automatically record shows to your hard drive in the destination file format of choice3 (i.e. MPEG-2, DivX®, etc.), or even direct-to-DVD. Or capture videos from your cable/satellite set-top box or camcorder with the included A/V adapter cable.

Fully compatible with Windows® Media Center5 (Windows Vista™ and XP MCE; remote kit sold separately). Read more!

PowerDVD 8 - Blu-ray player software

The PowerDVD 8 Ultra plays & supports High-Definition video formats like Blu-ray movies and also, the standard DVD.

Key features

• Blu-ray Discs - Enjoy the best video quality and an enriched movie experience with interactive features and next-gen movie navigation. Display advanced content such as crew commentaries, access online content and games, zoom in to details.
• High-Definition video formats - play MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), MPEG-2 HD, WMV-HD, and SMPTE VC-1 files.
• Optimized Output for widescreen displays - Get the most of your movies with up to 1920 x 1080 image resolution.
• CyberLink TrueTheater™ Stretch technology - Display 16:9 and 4:3 videos on your monitor, regardless of its size.
• CyberLink TrueTheater™ Lighting technology - Enhance image details, and naturalize colors, with adaptive adjustments to chroma and luminance.
• Hardware acceleration - Optimization for high-definition graphics processors from Intel, NVIDIA and ATI ensure ultra-smooth playback on the PC.
• Supported Audio Formats - Dolby TrueHD (7.1-channel), Dolby Digital EX (7.1-channel), Dolby Digital Plus (7.1-channel), DTS-HD (7.1-channel), DTS (5.1 channel), DTS 96/24 decoding, DTS-ES (Discrete and Matrix), CyberLink TrueTheater™ Surround, Dolby Pro Logic IIx surround sound, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone, DTS Neo:6 Read more!