Any Thoughts On Getting QuietPc To Build A HTPC?

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kiwijunglist

2981 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#774914 5-Mar-2013 12:03

To get 1:1 scaling set resolution to 1920x1080 turn off any over/underscan in the display settings on your PC. Then select picture/aspect mode on the TV and choose "Just Scan". If "just scan" isn't available then you need to either use a different HDMI port on the tv, or change the input label so it is not set to PC. From memory I think the samsung tv disables just scan mode if you name the input to as "PC".

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

Tinshed

278 posts

Ultimate Geek

#774934 5-Mar-2013 12:40

kiwijunglist: To get 1:1 scaling set resolution to 1920x1080 turn off any over/underscan in the display settings on your PC. Then select picture/aspect mode on the TV and choose "Just Scan". If "just scan" isn't available then you need to either use a different HDMI port on the tv, or change the input label so it is not set to PC. From memory I think the samsung tv disables just scan mode if you name the input to as "PC".

Thanks kiwijunglist. I'll check out your suggestion tonight and report back.

Tinshed
Wellington, New Zealand

Tinshed

278 posts

Ultimate Geek

#775176 5-Mar-2013 18:58

Tinshed:
kiwijunglist: To get 1:1 scaling set resolution to 1920x1080 turn off any over/underscan in the display settings on your PC. Then select picture/aspect mode on the TV and choose "Just Scan". If "just scan" isn't available then you need to either use a different HDMI port on the tv, or change the input label so it is not set to PC. From memory I think the samsung tv disables just scan mode if you name the input to as "PC".

Thanks kiwijunglist. I'll check out your suggestion tonight and report back.

All good now. Issue appears to have been setting the correct refresh rate in Control Panel/Appearance and Personalisation/Display/Screen Resolution, AND in the Intel HD4000 Graphics driver. I thought having the correct setting in the graphics driver would have been enough, but it does not appear so.

Interestingly I didn't see overscan/underscan options or Just Scan, so not sure what I would have done next. Anyway, all's well that ends well. No doubt a new set of challenges awaits tonight!

Tinshed
Wellington, New Zealand

Tinshed

278 posts

Ultimate Geek

#775553 6-Mar-2013 10:59

Tinshed:
Tinshed:
kiwijunglist: To get 1:1 scaling set resolution to 1920x1080 turn off any over/underscan in the display settings on your PC. Then select picture/aspect mode on the TV and choose "Just Scan". If "just scan" isn't available then you need to either use a different HDMI port on the tv, or change the input label so it is not set to PC. From memory I think the samsung tv disables just scan mode if you name the input to as "PC".

Thanks kiwijunglist. I'll check out your suggestion tonight and report back.

All good now. Issue appears to have been setting the correct refresh rate in Control Panel/Appearance and Personalisation/Display/Screen Resolution, AND in the Intel HD4000 Graphics driver. I thought having the correct setting in the graphics driver would have been enough, but it does not appear so.

Interestingly I didn't see overscan/underscan options or Just Scan, so not sure what I would have done next. Anyway, all's well that ends well. No doubt a new set of challenges awaits tonight!

Further to this: After posting this I discovered that I was unable to get any sound via the TV. Weird i thought. As i was trying to figure it out I realised that, exactly as kiwijunglist said what you label or name the HDMI port on a Samsung TV determines how it behaves. For example I labelled/named the HDMI port as "PC DVI". Apparently DVI doesn't support sound! One I re-labelled/re-named the HDMI port - to TV from memory - all was OK.

I thought I would relate this in case any one has similar experiences with a Samsung TV.

Tinshed
Wellington, New Zealand

kiwijunglist

2981 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#775555 6-Mar-2013 11:01

Yup, this should also enable "just scan" mode, which will give you a superior picture to 16:9 mode.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

Tinshed

278 posts

Ultimate Geek

#777399 9-Mar-2013 16:38

Just to close out this post. I am delighted with my new Intel NUC as the basis for my HTPC. It has meet one of my main criteria, i.e to be silent/quiet. In addition is small form size means it takes up next to no room. Total cost was about $1000 - half for the unit and half for 16GB of RAM and a 120GB mSata drive and Windows 8. Plenty of room to lower costs there if your budget is tight. Performance wise I have no complaints and so far plays everything I have thrown at it. As always with any new system there are always challenges to overcome but that is half the pleasure of getting a new setup up and running. Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Tinshed
Wellington, New Zealand

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#777401 9-Mar-2013 16:51

Nice post - thanks. Can you please post a photo of the completed unit? Specifically I am interested to see the 120GB mSATA unit and how it connects.

One of these units looks perfect for me for a media centre extender.

My HTPC - Case Antec Fusion Remote, MOBO Intel DH67BLB3, CPU Intel Core i5-2400S 2.5 GHz, RAM 8GB DDR3 1333, HDD 120Gig Corsair Force Series 3 SSD system | WD Caviar Black 2TB data, Tuners Black Gold BGT3595 dual DVB-S/S2, dual DVB-T, Video nVIDIA GeForce GT 520, 1024MB, Sound Intel® High Definition Audio (onboard), OS Windows 7 x64

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mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#777408 9-Mar-2013 16:55

Tinshed:
PANiCnz: Arent QuietPC UK based? I imagine shipping would be a killer...

I had assumed with a .co.nz domain name it was NZ based. But, you are right, they are a UK outfit! Shipping is around NZ150, which is, kinda, expensive.... Will re-think my approach. I will look at buying components here and do a price compare. Still, it looks they do make some nice stuff... sigh, just when I thought I had a solution.

Yes, this is becoming quite common, overseas based companies buying nz domains, even having nz phone numbers, but everything is based overseas. I think it is partly because the NZ dollar is so strong. You should find a NZ PC builder that can build you something, with a good quiet case and fans. I do think nz domains should be restricted to NZ, like Australian domains are.
Even though it may come with a good warranty, the cost to send back will be expensive, and you may not have CGA protection.

Tinshed

278 posts

Ultimate Geek

#777426 9-Mar-2013 17:58

blur: Nice post - thanks. Can you please post a photo of the completed unit? Specifically I am interested to see the 120GB mSATA unit and how it connects.

One of these units looks perfect for me for a media centre extender.

The Intel site has some good stuff on the unit.

http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/desktops/next-unit-computing-build-video.html shows how to add both a wireless/bluetooth card, and the mSata drive. Although the video is speeded up you get a good idea of the process. You can disregard the first part of the video which shows adding the motherboard to the case. When I purchased the unit, it came shipped in the Intel box with the unit already assembled.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6710/intel-ssd-525-review-240gb shows a close up of an mSata drive.

I see that there are now 480GB mSata drives! (http://m.tomshardware.com/news/Mushkin-480GB-mSATA-SSD,20541.html)

http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/desktops/desktop-board-dc3217iye-interactive-layout-demo-video.html?wapkw=dc3217iye this shows the front and back of the unit and the various features.

I haven't (yet?) found the lack of USB 3 connectivity to be a problem. My 2TB USB 2 drive, which has all of the actual media on it, doesn't seem to suffer from being too slow.

Tinshed
Wellington, New Zealand

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#777435 9-Mar-2013 18:20

mattwnz: I do think nz domains should be restricted to NZ, like Australian domains are.

I don't think that is the case - for instance http://quietpc.com.au is the same UK-based business.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#777464 9-Mar-2013 19:25

Deev8:
mattwnz: I do think nz domains should be restricted to NZ, like Australian domains are.

I don't think that is the case - for instance http://quietpc.com.au is the same UK-based business.

They must have an Australian company number or business address in Oz, as Australasian domains are limited to individuals, companies, and organisations located in Australias

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.au

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#777678 10-Mar-2013 17:31

mattwnz:
Deev8:
mattwnz: I do think nz domains should be restricted to NZ, like Australian domains are.

I don't think that is the case - for instance http://quietpc.com.au is the same UK-based business.

They must have an Australian company number or business address in Oz, as Australasian domains are limited to individuals, companies, and organisations located in Australias

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.au

Possibly they do have an Australian business address to let them have an Australian website, but contact details on the Australian website read Quiet PC LLP, Brawby Grange, Brawby, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6PZ, UK.

In other words a neither a .co.nz or a .com.au domain name really tells you where the business you are dealing with is really domiciled. And it certainly doesn't tell you where goods will be shipped from.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#777683 10-Mar-2013 18:05

Deev8:

Possibly they do have an Australian business address to let them have an Australian website, but contact details on the Australian website read Quiet PC LLP, Brawby Grange, Brawby, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6PZ, UK.

In other words a neither a .co.nz or a .com.au domain name really tells you where the business you are dealing with is really domiciled. And it certainly doesn't tell you where goods will be shipped from.

According to the public whois record, the Oz version of the domain is registered under the following. Electronic Communities Pty Ltd. So if someone has a problem with a product, they do have an Australian business contact to deal with, which gives people in Oz a bit more consumer protection. Where it is shipped from isn't that important, as computer products are all imported anyway. The NZ domain though is registered outside NZ, so I doubt people buying would have any protection under the CGA, as you would be buying from an overseas business.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#777706 10-Mar-2013 19:02

Deev8:

Possibly they do have an Australian business address to let them have an Australian website, but contact details on the Australian website read Quiet PC LLP, Brawby Grange, Brawby, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6PZ, UK.

In other words a neither a .co.nz or a .com.au domain name really tells you where the business you are dealing with is really domiciled. And it certainly doesn't tell you where goods will be shipped from.

A Google search on that address reveals that they also run a Bed and Breakfast and Caravan Park. Failing a successful warranty claim you could always contra a stay on the camp site!

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