What do I need for this?

[ToasteD]

Hi I want watch anime on my new tv. I would also like to play emulators and mp3's. I don't know if my TV (it's a 42 inch CRT RPTV mitsu that supports 1080i) will be clear enough for surfing the web but I imagine it would be doable. I have a spare computer with a P3 800 (shitty tnt2 vid card though) This is what I was thinking:
1. Buy a cheap ati video card so I can use the dongle and a bigger hdd so I can have a dedicated HTPC, use RCA cables for audio.
2. Run a long s-video cable and rca cables from my own computer (p4 2.4 w/ a ti4600)
3. Upgrade my current setup and use the P4 for a more acceptable htpc experience and another ati video card so I can use the dongle

Is the dongle really that much better than using some other method. Would s-video do the trick? or will it be too shitty? Also, what do you guys think would be an okay setup for what I want?

 

[CrimandEvil]

Upgrade your current rig and then use what you have left over to build an HTPC. What inputs does your TV have?

 

[ToasteD]

Component, S-Video, and Composite.

 

[The_Mage18]

If I'm following you right, the P3 will be fine depending on the speed. any P3 above 733Mhz will work fine for MP3 playback or emulators. If that's all you're doing, its fine. If you're wanting to record TV and/ or burn it to CD/DVD, upgrade your rig. P3s just don't have enough power saddly enough.

 

[IDversusEGO]

I am not sure if I am following your first post. are 1,2, and 3 your options? If all you aer wanting to do is watch some videos from your hard drive and listen to mp3's, the p3 will be enough. pick up an ATI 9600 for a good svideo output and dongle compatibility.

 

[ToasteD]

Yeah those are the options, and thanks for the opinions.

 

[CrimandEvil]

Okay, your current specs will work so you would just have to get a larger HD and a video card but depending on your current setup's specs you might be in need of an upgrade anyways which would mean the you can easily use some of those parts for an HTPC.

I watch alot of anime too and IMO using FFDShow is absolutely a godsend for it but you'll need some more CPU muscle then a 800mhz P3. I use a 1900+ XP and probably wouldn't dip below that level, tomorrow I should be getting my new 35w Mobile 2400+ to play with so I'm going to see how high I can get stable and what filters I can use with it.

 

[ToasteD]

So I have changed my mind

Since I have an HDTV, I figured I should start watching some HDTV

So here's the updated list of features I need:
HDTV Tuning/Recording
Emulators
Playback downloaded anime
Watch DVD

I'm going to use:
MY P4 2.4B
Abit Motherboard with onboard audio (has optical output)
512 MB Ram
What I need:
- I figure an extra 200 GB Drive should do the trick plus my 120 GB (which is already full of anime and music)
- Video Card Radeon 9600 Pro (I think they are $100)
-An HDTV Tuner Card (don't know which one though)
- a new DVD Rom (What's a good quiet DVD ROM?)
- a new swanky case

Will this do the trick? Anything I'm missing

EDIT: What's FFDShow?

 

[CrimandEvil]

FFDShow is an app that does post-processing of video, check under the sticky for a guide.
People are having alot of problems with the ATI HD tuner, I would recommend checking out a Divco Fusion 3 QAM version. Also do as much research on HD as possible, you have to understand that you'll be able to watch the local channels in HD but no ESPN or HBO premium channels. A 9600 Pro is good and so is a 200 gig HD (you know I noticed a 400 gig HD on Newegg the other day ).

 

[IDversusEGO]

NEWEGG has the seagate 200gb SATA drive for 116 shipped. the 400gb is nice is you have lots of money, and limited space. otherwise, it makes more since to get 2 200 for half the price. Other than that, crim summed it up well. For the vid card, crucial has some refurb 9600 pro cards for $99 shipped.

 

[ToasteD]

Wow that's an awesome deal for a 200 GB... thanks for the help guys. I think I'll just build a basic htpc and worry about the HDTV later when there are more/better options out there.