HTPC

So you want enjoy your downloaded movies and tv-series behind your big-tv instead of your pc-monitor, but you're fed up with connecting your laptop to your TV everytime you wanto watch Heroes?

Building a htpc the cheap way with ubuntu and XBMC.

Necessary:

• chassis, if you want to have some fancy screen, look into antec fusion and alike, which often come with a Soundgraph Imon remote and lcd screen.
  
• motherboard, preferably with onboard Nvidia 8x00 series gfx card.
• The rest can be some minimal pc hardware

The rest of the hardware doesn't really matter. The nvidia gfx card will do most of the work through its vdpau workings, enabling you to play full-hd (1080p) video's on a slow sempron or celeron (I'm using a AM2 sempron 3000+ and it works beautifully).
Although I have some recommendations, because of shortcomings I've found with my current setup:

• Forget a prebuilt htpc chassis and use one you like and customize it with a LCD/VFD
  
• Buy a RF-remote, it'll save you the pains of IR-remotes which of course have the problem of line of sight communication
  

And of course if you're into broadcasted tv
Optional:

• Tv-card(s) dvb-c/s/t
  

I will describe all the settings here when I get one myself.