<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 9/14/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Ben Kevan</b> <<a href="mailto:ben.kevan@gmail.com">ben.kevan@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Let me first add.. I am on a budget.. Now on to the rest</blockquote><div><br>[snip <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
They current case I am looking at is the following:<br><br>nMEIDAPC HTPC 200BA Black Aluminum / Plastic / Steel Micro ATX Media Center<br><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204004">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204004
</a><br><br>First things I notice are:<br><br>No front IR<br>What the hell good do the front AV Capture ports do?<br><br>Under "Features" it lists S/PDIF Output Jack, but I didn't see it anywhere..<br>Must be on the back somewhere
<br><br>Also under "Features" it lists Universal Internal IR Rack.. What the heck does<br>that mean? Would I just have to run the IR and lay it on the top of the unit?<br>Strange..<br></blockquote></div><br>OK...first off, check
<a href="http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/nMedia_HTPC200BA/index.shtml">http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/nMedia_HTPC200BA/index.shtml</a>. They have a review of that case, and it shows where all the headers, etc are located. It also shows the IR tray and the S/PDIF out. Make sure to look around and ensure motherboard compatiblility with those features (ie, if your mobo / sound card don't have an internal s/pdif connector, what good does that port do you?)
<br><br>I am in the process of making that same decision. However, I am looking at the Silverstone LC11M case. First, it's smaller, which is fine. My VCR doesn't need all those gizmo's on the front, and neither does my Myth FrontEnd. While the $180 pricetag is daunting at first, realize that it -comes with- a compatible IR receiver, remote, and power supply (all of which aren't included in the NMedia case above), as well as a Linux compatible (and mythtv compatible) VFD, rather than an LCD that shows a pre-defined set of parameters such as temp, speed, etc. If you figure $30ish for the remote, and $40ish for the power supply, then you're only spending an extra $20 for that VFD, and you get a nice sleek design.
<br><br>Hope that helps.<br>-- <br>Doug<br>