It is finished.

The Media Center has received it’s latest and greatest sets of upgrades, making it one hell of a media center, and gets five thumbs up from me.

As detailed previously, I’ve gone through five different “versions” of the machine named Mythbox, and here’s what makes the 5th version so awesome:

Intel E6550 Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320MB GeForce 8800 GTS, WinTV-HVR 1800 (NTSC/ATSC), Audigy 2 ZS

Yes, there’s an Audigy 2 in there. I know that sound card is from 2003, but, in my opinion, it’s much better than the on-board IDT stuff on the board I’m using (Intel DP35DP). I am using some modded drivrs, so everything on the card works (including Line In to Speakers Out for my XM and Xbox).

The visuals of the machine have been upgraded as well. Instead of a Component connection to a standard television, it’s now an HDMI connection to a 42″ LCD television (with 1080p, of course, which means I get a resolution of 1920×1080 on this thing).

With a new TV, a new stand, and the ability to receive digital OTA channels in sweet HD/5.1 audio, I’m very happy with the media center now. The only things that’d I’d change now (and they’re really not a big deal anyway) are installing a better optical drive (the one I have now is great, but it’s a bit loud), and getting a “media center” case so it looks like it belongs next to the TV (and not just a computer sitting next to the TV).

So, just so I can look back on this in the future and see what I did, here’s the complete set up of the current Media Center configuration I have in my living room:

Computer “Mythbox”

Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E6550 @ 2.33GHz

RAM: 4GB @ 667MHz

Video: nVidia BFG 8800 GTS (320MB)

Audio: Creative Audigy 2 ZS

Display: Vizio GV42LF (1080p)

TV Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1800 (NTSC/ATSC/QAM)

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium x64 (SP1)

Speakers: Logitech Z-5300

I’ll detail in a future post what steps I had to take to get my channels set up correctly.

Now if only I had that HDPC20…

~Jaker