Got the HTPC bug...which mobo? (1 Viewer)

[NoSweat88]

Forum members,

I've gotten the "build your own HTPC" bug. My desires are pretty high and I'm pretty sure I know what I need....with an exception.

In the long run, I'm looking for an HTPC that can sit in my media stand and look nice (Silverstone case....prob Grandia 09) and play 4K HDR content...files, discs, and streaming....and (down the road) do Virtual Reality on the same unit.

My TV is a new TCL S series 4k TV (awesome, BTW).

I know that I will eventually need an nVidia GTX 1070 or 1080 GPU for the VR to work best.

What I want to do now is the 4k HDR video files and streaming using just the CPU's built in graphics to carry the load for now. I know it will need to support HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 from the start to the end. The nVidia will handle that when I get enough money.

I will be getting an Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake CPU.

Where I'm stuck is the mobo...I can't seem to find enough detailed specs to find both HDCP 2.2 and HDMI support. I found a Reddit post asking for mobo testers, but it is about a year and a half old and most of the boards are $$$.

The link is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/htpc/comments/62fi03/hdmi_20hdcp_22_motherboard_verification_testers/

I need suggestions...anyone?

Thanks,

NoSweat88

 

[John Dirk]

Forum members,

I've gotten the "build your own HTPC" bug. My desires are pretty high and I'm pretty sure I know what I need....with an exception.

In the long run, I'm looking for an HTPC that can sit in my media stand and look nice (Silverstone case....prob Grandia 09) and play 4K HDR content...files, discs, and streaming....and (down the road) do Virtual Reality on the same unit.

My TV is a new TCL S series 4k TV (awesome, BTW).

I know that I will eventually need an nVidia GTX 1070 or 1080 GPU for the VR to work best.

What I want to do now is the 4k HDR video files and streaming using just the CPU's built in graphics to carry the load for now. I know it will need to support HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 from the start to the end. The nVidia will handle that when I get enough money.

I will be getting an Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake CPU.

Where I'm stuck is the mobo...I can't seem to find enough detailed specs to find both HDCP 2.2 and HDMI support. I found a Reddit post asking for mobo testers, but it is about a year and a half old and most of the boards are $$$.

The link is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/htpc/comments/62fi03/hdmi_20hdcp_22_motherboard_verification_testers/

I need suggestions...anyone?

Thanks,

NoSweat88

Welcome! If this is your first foray into the HTPC world, these seem like VERY lofty goals. 4K is not yet exactly viable on any HTPC platform I'm aware of. My honest recommendation would be to rethink your HTPC dreams. I use mine for standard DVD's and Blu Rays but I have an Oppo 203 for 4K, even though I do not [yet] own a 4K display.

 

[DaveF]

4K HDR is possible. Emby supports it. I think Kodi and Plex do too. But it’s early days. HDR is still being sorted out, especially luminance mapping for projectors. To my current understanding.

I’d look at the Kodi forums and the AVS thread on 4K madvr for comments on motherboards.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

There's also a pretty good Plex thread on Reddit. The big bugaboo on 4K UHD is bandwidth. Most networks lack the bandwidth to handle 4K streaming without some significant compromises.