media centre pc or wdtv

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Rupinder

Rupinder

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i recently bought a panasonic plasma th50vt20d . the clarity is stupendous .plus it is also a 3d tv .now i want to have a source which can play 3 d content .i have 3 options.

1.upgrade my cpu which i have been planning to do for a long time and make it the media hub .

2 upgrade the software of my ps3 to be able to play 3d content but then i wont be able to hack it

3 buy a media player like wdtv or oplay hd.and get the least hassle free thing done.

guys please help me decide what to do .and also recommend the way and the budget for it.i dont have a set budget but i want the system which can handle the 3d content the best.

if its a pc then what configuration and what budget

if its a media player then which is better
 
^^ Get a half decent HTPC set-up Sire --

AMD A6-3650 ~ 5900/-

Gigabyte GA-A75-D2H OR GA-A75-S2V ~ 5900/-

Corsair XMS3 4GB x 1 ~ 1500/- [add as many modules as you want of ~1600 MHz and above, high RAM speeds affect the performance of AMD Llano IGP's positively] -- AnandTech - The AMD A8-3850 Review: Llano on the Desktop / AMD A6-3650 2.6GHz Llano APU Review - AMD A6-3650 APU Processor Review - Legit Reviews.

NZXT Gamma ~ 2100/- + 2 x 120mm fans ~ 450/- [great cabinet with serious air-flow potential] -- NZXT Gamma Review - Overclockers Club / NZXT Gamma - Review - Cases | XSReviews.

Corsair CX V2 430W ~ 2200/- Corsair CX430 V2 430W Review / Corsair Builder CX430 V2 430 W Review - Page 8/8 | techPowerUp.

APC BR-650VA-IN ~ 2600/-

For Intel RIG, get the following components --

Intel Core i3 2100 ~ 5500/-

Intel DH67-BL ~ 5200/-

[rest configuration same as AMD rig]

The AMD Llano APU is a good combo as it can even play games @light settings + pushing 3D vision will not be an issue. Inbuilt IGP spares you from buying a full fledged GPU, save time and overall power usage.

Get a decent cabinet and SMPS to make sure your components breath and don't conk out on you. A UPS to make it double-proof.

Original Windows, yes it is worth it, using for the past 1 and half years no problems faced whatsoever --> Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 7, Buy Windows 7 Online at Microsoft Store.

Hope this helps Sire, cheers!!
 
WDTV has it advantages but I would not suggest you to go for it. The best option I think is to go for a multimedia PC kinda setup. I build an HTPC for my friend last month. We build a i3 2nd gen machine with 2G RAM+500G HDD and a 67 based chipset. Total damages were 15.5k including a wireless KB/mouse and a cabby.

He use it for occasional gaming too. The advantage of using a PC as media center is that you never have to worry about the formats and other stuff + if you like to go for more power in future say add a sound/video card to drive multiple monitors, you can do that too.
 
Since your TV has support for HDMI 1.4, go with either a Llano config as suggested by ALPHA or get a Intel SNB i3 config+6570/6670 GPU for 3D playback+light gaming.
 
thanks for the reply guys .so since everybody favours htpc .lets have a budget .if the budget is 30 k what htpc wouldu suggest .and if budget is no problem what would u guys suggest
 
thanks alpha but i already have a 800va microtek ups .so with this setup i dont need a separate graphic card .will it play all the 1080p mkv files without shuddering.do i have to get a separate software for playing 3d content
 
Rupinder said:
thanks alpha but i already have a 800va microtek ups .so with this setup i dont need a separate graphic card .will it play all the 1080p mkv files without shuddering.do i have to get a separate software for playing 3d content
Click to expand...

No, Sire the onboard Redwood IGP on the AMD Llano chips have a credible amount of muscle to play all 1080p files and assorted 3D content, gaming with decent settings. You will not need a separate software for this.
 
Yes, you may have to use separate software for this, mostly TriDef or iZD3D drivers. However, its best to ask those who have 3D enabled.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

However, no need for extra software to play normal 2D content.
 
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