DIY Mini-ITX PVR Project Bundle
Many of you have asked for a case-less starter bundle to enable you to build a Mini-ITX project as seen on our project pages.
We've put together a bundle including an 800MHz Fanless motherboard, 120W Power Supply Kit, 60GB SATA HDD, 512MB DDR RAM and a PAL/SECAM PVR card for good measure - at an unbeatable price.
And if our insane pricing isn't enough, you can win back the cost of your bundle by entering any of 3 different competitions!
DIY Mini-ITX PVR Bundle
What's in the box?
Specifications of individual components
Build Instructions
Competitions - or how to get your entire bundle for free!
FAQ - Last updated 29th August 2009
DIY Mini-ITX PVR Bundle - Fanless 800MHz Board, 512MB RAM, 120W PSU Kit, PVR Card and Dual Riser, PCI Wi-Fi Card, 60GB 2.5in SATA Drive and Cables
 | | Mini-ITX.com DIY PVR Bundle (Bundle v3) |
| | |
|
You may also be interested in:
| | | | | | | IN STOCK (Checked 02:17 BST) |
|
|
| | | | | | | IN STOCK (Checked 02:17 BST) |
|
|
| | | | | Lead time approx 3-5 days |
|
|
| |
The perfect introduction to Mini-ITX. While stocks last.
We've put together an exclusive Mini-ITX bundle which together can be turned into (amongst many other things) a fanless Mini-ITX Personal Video Recorder.
The Bundle is currently available in two versions. What you get in the box:
Bundle (v3):
• VIA EPIA SP 8000 Motherboard
• 512MB Kingston DDR400 RAM
• 120W Power Supply Kit
• 60GB SATA 2.5in HDD
• WinTV PVR-150 PCI Card
• Dual PCI Riser Card
• SATA Data and Power Cables
• UK Power Cord
• NEW: PCI Wi-Fi Card
Our bundle is the perfect introduction to building your own Mini-ITX project. No case is included - you will have to choose or modify an enclosure or build your own from scratch! Almost everything else you need is included. Take a look at a random project to see what ingenuity previous readers have come up with. Then send us your project using our components and if we like it, we'll put it on the site. We'll even refund the entire bundle cost for the best one! Visit our competitions to see how you can own this bundle without paying for it..
What you don't get in the box:
• A Case or Enclosure
• ATX Power Switch
• Remote Control
• I/O Shield
• Instructions - but a printable PDF can be downloaded here
Please use the links on the left to purchase variants of the bundle, or an OEM copy of Windows XP Home or Pro to your shopping basket.
Note: The individual price of all these items is over £300. Our price is *not* a misprint, and your order will be honoured. These are fully tested, full warranty ex-demo and OEM items bundled for you in one package.
|
What's in the Box?
Here's what you get in the box:
 | | VIA EPIA SP 8000 |
|  | | 512MB DDR400 DIMM |
|  | | Dual PCI Riser Card |
|
 | | WinTV PVR-150 Card |
|  | | 120W AC Adapter |
|  | | 120W DC Converter |
|
 | | 4 Way Wiring Loom |
|  | | DC Power Cable |
|  | | UK Power Cord |
|
 | | 60GB SATA 2.5in HDD |
|  | | SATA Power Adapter |
|  | | SATA Data Cable |
|
Specifications
VIA EPIA SP 8000 Fanless LVDS Mini-ITX Motherboard
VIA CN400 graphics and 800MHz Fanless Eden C3 Processor with Nehemiah C5P core giving the EPIA SP 8000E vastly improved Padlock encryption, 3D graphics and DVD playback. The board has 6 Channel audio, 10/100 Ethernet, USB 2.0, IDE and Serial ATA and TV-Out support.
Back panel connectors: PS2 Mouse and Keyboard; 10/100 RJ-45 LAN; Serial Port; VGA Port; 2x USB 2.0 Ports; S-Video Out; PCA Port: Combined S/PDIF Out and Composite Video; 3x Audio Jacks (with 5.1 support)
Board connectors and pin headers: DDR266/333/400 DIMM socket; PCI Slot; 2x IDE connectors; 2x SATA ports; 3x USB (for 6 additional USB 2.0 ports); 1394 Firewire; Serial Port; F_PANEL; FIR; CIR; Front Panel Audio; CD Audio In; VIP; LPT; Wake on LAN; CPU and System Fan; I2C; LVDS; +12V Power; ATX Power.
VIA EPIA SP Mini-ITX Motherboard Specifications
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 Video Capture Card
- Model 26039 Rev. C155
- Tuner Model: Philips FQ1216ME H-3
- Video Formats: PAL ( B G H I D K N ) SECAM ( L L' )
- External Inputs: Antenna TV Input; S-Video Input; RCA Composite Input; Audio Line In
- Teletext: Yes (Software)
- Decoder: Conexant CX25842
- Encoder: Conexant CX23416 MPEG II A/V Encoder
- IR Blaster connector
- Windows Software and Drivers here
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 Video Capture Card Specifications
Note: Only the card is included, no connection cables or remote control.
Power Supply Kit - 120W AC Adapter and 120V DC Converter
| AC Converter |
AC Input: 100-240V~ 1.6A 50/60Hz |
DC Output: 19V-20V / 6A |
Dimensions: 170 (L) x 60 (W) x 36mm (H) |
| DC Converter |
Vin = 14 - 19Vdc (+/- 5% tolerance) |
Vout (Vdc) | +3.3 | +5 | +5VSB | -12 | 12 |
Max Output current (A) | 8 | 10 | 3 | 0.2 | 10 |
Output wattage (W) | 26.4 | 50 | 15 | 2.4 | 120 |
Total output wattage (max) = 120W |
PCB Dimensions: 170mm (L) x 40mm (W) x 27mm (H) |
| ATX Wiring Loom |
Connectors: 2x HDD, 2x Floppy (or Slimline Optical with Adapter) |
Instructions
Kingsley Sawyers won our competition to write a Linux installation guide, and he chose MythTV as his distribution of choice. The first 10 pages can be used as a construction guide, irrespective of your final operating system choice:
How-To: Make your Mini-ITX Bargain
Bundle into a Working Myth TV Server 
Competitions
Would you like to own this bundle without paying for it? Here's how...
Competition 1 - Write us a construction guide.
This needs to be printable as a PDF for people to download. We wanted to get this bundle out to you quickly, and didn't have time to create one! The guide needs to concentrate on physically putting together the components, but if you have further ideas feel free to include them. The best guide will become the guide on this store page, so we'll be looking for the most polished documentation. You will need a digital camera for this one - keep the source pictures just in case you win
This competition is now closed! We will post the winning guide shortly...
Competition 2 - Write us a Linux installation guide.
This competition is now closed! You can download the winning entry here
Competition 3 - Build a Mini-ITX project using the kit.
The most fun competition. Build a Mini-ITX project using the bundle, take some photos as you do it and then write up how you did it. Take a look at what people have done on our project pages, then try to do something different. We'll put the best projects on the site, and refund the bundle cost to the very best one. Marks will be awarded for concept, humour, spelling and photography.. Closing date: When we post the winning project.
Bonus Competitions
Find us a nice power switch to make available on the store, or send us some useful tips that we haven't thought of, and we'll think of a bonus prize for you..
How to Enter
Send your entry to our store address, together with your order number.
The Rules
Winners will receive a refund for the entire cost of their bundle (not including shipping), or if they like, a second PVR bundle. You may enter as many times as you like. Winners will be announced on this page. By entering you agree we can use your materials on our website. Judges decision is final. Your home may be at risk.
FAQ
Q Can you change the bundle to include a 160GB HDD? Can I have the EPIA EX 15000 if I pay the difference? Can I have an NTSC PVR Card?
A No changes are possible. Everything is boxed and ready to ship. 30th July 08: We have looked through our remaining stock and created variants of the bundle which may help a little! You can of course purchase additional items to complete your project. If you don't need something - throw it into your spare parts box or put it on ebay.
Q Are all these items brand new, boxed in their original packaging with manuals, installation CDs etc.?
A Not at this price! These are fully tested ex-demo and OEM items bundled together for you in a small plain box to cut down on our shipping costs. Most items have received less than a few hours use. Everything has a full warranty. Major electrical components are individually wrapped in anti-static bags. All these items individually would cost over £300 in pretty new boxes. Which you would then throw away.
Q Do I need a Power Switch?
A No - you can configure the BIOS to switch your machine on automatically when you plug in.
Q Where can I find an ATX Power Switch?
A Do you have an old PC going spare? Other things can be used instead of a power switch - see here for more details.
Q Can I return the items if I can't make my project work?
A These items are not returnable (and why would you want to?) If the unlikely event that any components are faulty we will replace or repair them. All components have been fully tested before despatch. If you need instructions, look here.
Q Where can I find software and drivers for the PVR card?
A You can find them here.
Q The board is fanless - will I need to use any fans in my project?
A Cooling requirements will vary depending on your enclosure design and environment. Airflow and heat conduction is all-important.
Q Is 800MHz enough to run my PVR project?
A The PVR card has hardware MPEG-2 capture. An 800MHz VIA C3 machine will playback MPEG-2 fine. MPEG-4 will playback with finely tuned software, though H264 is asking a little too much.
Q Can I use this bundle in [insert my country here]?
A Yes you can. The AC Adapter is Universal. We include a UK power cable for the AC Adapter, but you can replace the plug to one appropriate for your country. The power cable has a figure of eight connector (as found on cassette players - remember them?). If you replace the cable or plug, ensure it is rated for 10A or above.
Q Can I use the AC Adapter from this bundle with a picoPSU/other DC board?
A Only if the picoPSU/DC board supports 19V. The picoPSU-120 or picoPSU-90 for instance require a 12V input.
Q How do I get the Wi-Fi card working under Ubuntu?
A Take a look here.
