SPCR

I'm trying to repurpose a SFF D945GCLF2 box to HTPC duties but cannot, for the life of me find a decent low profile PCI ATSC tuner. Ideally, I'd like to be able to find something new with a remote but if I have to, which I likely will, used will work and I can pickup a remote later.

If there are either no quality low profile or readily available options, I'm about to throw in the towel on the D945GCLF2 and get something with a Pci-E x1 slot so I can get an HVR-1250 and call it a day.

The box is running Vista Basic with 2gb ram and a 170w FSP PSU.

This is the case I have:

EverCase ECE0528i

Hauppauge makes a variety of tuner cards. This one looks sufficiently ancient for a Vista based system.

If that doesn't work, there are USB based tuners.

or there's always flexible and/or angled riser cards.

Forgot to mention it needs Coaxial in and out which nullifies USB sticks. Also I cannot fit a full height Pci card in this case due to the placement of the HD cage as I will be adding a 3.5" HDD to the unit which will make the use of a full height card impossible ( because I'm too lazy to mod the case to accept the drives with a full height card : ).

I'm starting to think an abandon ship is in order and I should start looking for a board with a Pci-E x1 slot to replace this thing, at least then I can have a larger list of options though I hate swapping out these boards as the market for them is so tiny and I really don't need a spare itx board laying about.

WARDOZER9 wrote:I'm starting to think an abandon ship is in order and I should start looking for a board with a Pci-E x1 slot to replace this thing, at least then I can have a larger list of options though I hate swapping out these boards as the market for them is so tiny and I really don't need a spare itx board laying about.

Does the board even manage to decode HD without stutter?

Low bitrate 720P, yes. True 720P rip. . . LOL.

That answer that for you?

The single channel memory controller as always, doesn't help things with the GMA 950 IGP and while I can OC the Atom to a whopping 1.7ghz without the occasional BSOD and reboot, that doesn't exactly help from what I have seen.

I've learned to avoid high bitrate ( true ) 720P video on this thing and streaming YouTubes 720P videos can often prove too much for this thing but that is all easily enough avoided by just avoiding higher bitrate content.

WARDOZER9 wrote:Low bitrate 720P, yes. True 720P rip. . . LOL.

That answer that for you?

Well, then 'maybe' this is not the right platform to pursue for use as a media centre

Yeah, consider this thread abandoned. I'ma get one of the new Celeron J1800 based bord on NewEgg and just get an HVR-1250.