PCI slot importance?

[alan.p]

It seems to me that a HTPC would need it's PCI slots more than the average PC -- one for the Skystar2, a couple 150's, oh, gotta have a high class soundcard... you get the idea.

I'm quietly planning out my one (plan on buying after the Conroe Intel and AMD pricecuts, Skystar2 on the way, 150 is in my box atm), and my current plan is to get a s754 system with ten gazillion PCI slots and an AGP, since it seems that every motherboard after 754 has, at most, about three PCI slots, and processors earlier than the 754s might have a bit of trouble with transcoding in MythTV. (I plan on going MythTV -- if it ain't Windows, my family can't try and install Red Faction or something on it and break it.)

How much importance would you guys place on having more PCI slots than PCI-Express slots in a HTPC, as opposed to a Tinygod?

 

[SJetski71]

Well you could save a pci slot by getting a dual tuner like Nvidia's DualTV tuner, couple that with your soundcard and skystar2 and you're only using three pci slots. This gives you many more modern mobo's to choose from, including the nvidia 6150 chipset motherboards and all the onboard goodies they have (svideo-component-dvi-vga etc). Performance ought to be 'similar' with either 754 or 939 though...

off topic but....skystar2 ey? mind if i ask where you're buying it from(?). Was toying with the idea of getting one but i'm mustering up the patience needed for setting up a dvb card, also not sure if the available free satellite channels are worth the hassle... Will you be using a torroidal dish or?

Sounds like a fun project

 

[CrimandEvil]

1x NVDualTV tuner
1x Skystar2 tuner
1x Mobo with good onboard video (for s754 you might want to try this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813153005) but you'll be screwed with your need for lots of PCI slots

Drop the sound card and use the onboard digital out to a reciever. But yes, that vast majority of TV tuners and cool toys are currently still PCI based so having lots of them is a good thing but they are becoming less and less required but that all depends on what you want to do with the system.