Quote:
Originally Posted by imhello
know this thread is a couple of months old......but anyways....
i have a semi htpc setup that i use for gaming (when noone esle is watching tv) and im looking for a nice htpc case......
my problem is every case ive looked at is
1: too small
2: peripherals (volume knob) dont work with my soundcard (over optical cable)
3: remotes only work with media centre or their own dodgy software
i cant use media centre cos i have too much media (15000 songs, 800 avis) and it takes way too long to scroll through such a big list and choose something......(and besides that media centre looks like it was designed for the mentally handicapped)
does anyone have any suggestions? know of any cases/solutions that might overcome these sort of problems?
on a side note, the remote that came with my fusion hdtv card was very handy, but you had to be in the application to use the buttons.....ie keyboards have song skip and play/pause buttons, but you cant get a remote that has that sort of thing hardwired into it - you have to actually be in the application you want to use it....
any help/suggestions would be helpful....thanx!
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OK, I'll take a shot at answering your questions.
My case choice - Silverstone LC-17 was the obvious choice for simplicity in design and not needing VFD/TFT/touchscreen displays (too much a distraction, and it's going to sit behind a smoked glass door). Gobs of space, solid build, brushed aluminium front, 2 optical drive bays, loads of internal space. Fits a full size quiet PSU in it and it hasn't skipped a beat power-wise.
http://www.silverstonetek.com/produc...s.php?pno=lc17
Edit - it's also available in silver
Volume controls - really, do you want a volume knob on the unit?
Music - 15k songs... sounds like my dilemma. MCE is woeful in navigating a collection of that size. Look at MusicBrowser in the add-ons on this site
MusicBrowser
If your collection is organised into folders like mine, I'm sure you'll find it very useful.
Re: your Fusion remote - I think it's the same as what I have. Go into the remote receiver application and select the "Media Center" profile - I've got it working fine for most of my needs. It has limitations in entering characters when renaming recorded shows (not necessary nowadays with EPG in full swing).
Keyboard - handy to keep on the coffee table - again, design is very subjective. I've got the Logitech DiNovo non-bluetooth model driving the HTPC over 2m away, works fine through RF after being paired with Logi's secure pairing. My Logi DiNovo has the media buttons (play/pause, forward/back, stop) which are always handy to have.