I just bit the bullet and bought a cablecard-ready HP m9300t with the intent of ripping it out of the HP case and into my OrigenAE X11 HTPC case (which is holding my current non-cablecard HTPC). 

Are there any specific precautions I should take in this procedure?  Specifically, I have these questions:

• Do you recommend a reformat the HD and do a clean Vista Home Premium install?   
• Can I upgrade to Vista Ultimate and keep the digital cable support?
• I am aiming to go as silent as possible, so any recommendations on replacing fans with heat sinks?
• I would ideally like to plunk the OCUR tuners inside... if anyone has done this, have they posted the instructions?

Anything else I should think of/consider before doing the transplant?

Thanks,
Jon

You should not need to reformat just because you moved the motherboard to a new computer.  But you might want to in order to remove the crap-ware installed by OEMs...although some of that stuff can be useful :)

It is my understanding that you can upgrade to Ultimate without problems.  You can also install a non-OEM version of Ultimate (full retail copy if you have it).  All of the bits needed for cablecard support are included in every Media Center enabled version of Vista.  You will need the COA# on the side of your old case...so DO NOT THROW AWAY THAT CASE!  There is no way to replace the number if you lost it.

 

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1: Dimension 9200 - Vista Ult, 2.4GHz Q6600 Core2Quad, 4GB RAM, 160GB, 750GB, 500GB USB, Nvidia 8300GS, PVR-150, HDTV Wonder, Vbox 3560, X360, DMA2100

2: HP m376n - MCE 2005, 2.6 P4 w/HT, 1GB RAM, 250GB, 400GB USB HD, Nvidia 6200, Emuzed MAUI, X360

Thanks Dan.  Good stuff. A few follow-up questions...

What 'stuff' that HP ships is worth keeping around in your opinion?  I haven't received my box yet so it's all still conceptual to me.

That's great news about upgrading to Ultimate.  I'm presuming I can do that at any time and not lose my Home Premium configuration/apps/settings?  

Great point about the case!!!  It's quite hard to believe that there's no way to get the number from HP if I lost it, but now I will be sure I don't lose it.

I'm also presuming that any new cablecard technology (Tru2Way) will be compatible with my certified WMC box.  So, in the future, I would just upgrade my tuner cards... right?

Have you or anyone here successfully unboxed the external OCUR tuners as internal ones? 

Thanks,

Jon   

DanH_HP_m376n:

You should not need to reformat just because you moved the motherboard to a new computer.  But you might want to in order to remove the crap-ware installed by OEMs...although some of that stuff can be useful :)

It is my understanding that you can upgrade to Ultimate without problems.  You can also install a non-OEM version of Ultimate (full retail copy if you have it).  All of the bits needed for cablecard support are included in every Media Center enabled version of Vista.  You will need the COA# on the side of your old case...so DO NOT THROW AWAY THAT CASE!  There is no way to replace the number if you lost it.

 

My HP is quite old, but at the time it came with a Sonic program that enabled burning of CD/DVDs as well as WinDVD.  You will have to see what software is included with yours.  Of course, you can always uninstall the software you do not want via control panel.  But, some people are adamant about installing a fresh copy of Windows only (which can only be done with a separate full license from a Microsoft packaged product license).

There is an "Anytime Upgrade" (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/anytime-upgrade-overview.aspx) that you can do to Ultimate.  It costs $159 from Home Premium to Ultimate.  If you already own a license to Ultimate, I believe there is also a way that you can upgrade via the Anytime functionality, but I am not 100% on that.  Using this upgrade, you should keep all of your files/settings/etc...

Tru2Way does not really exist yet, so there is no guarantee about upgrading to those.  There would also need to be a Windows/MCE upgrade as well to enable that functionality.

The COA is very important.  It is not replaceable since it is supposed to be on the side of the box...same goes for your Windows license key.  The Cablecard COA is very hard to get as you can only get 1 with a new cablecard PC from an OEM.  In addition there is a special BIOS in your computer that has additional cablecard bits.  This is all part of the ridiculous requirements from CableLabs (controlled by the cable TV industry), which really do not want you to do anything other than rent a box from them.

 

 

 

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1: Dimension 9200 - Vista Ult, 2.4GHz Q6600 Core2Quad, 4GB RAM, 160GB, 750GB, 500GB USB, Nvidia 8300GS, PVR-150, HDTV Wonder, Vbox 3560, X360, DMA2100

2: HP m376n - MCE 2005, 2.6 P4 w/HT, 1GB RAM, 250GB, 400GB USB HD, Nvidia 6200, Emuzed MAUI, X360