using a shuttle for everything

[trip0d]

have i gotten your attention

ok well im getting a shuttle system 3200 barton 9600 pro aiw for like 200 bucks from a friend 512 ocz ddr3200 etc..anyway i want to make this my "dvd player"

so i would use this connected to my tv to play my movies/music etc. first question:

if i wanted to use my logitech 640z speakers with the tv, is this even possible with the right connectors? 5.1 surround

second question:
other than a movie/music/other system, im trying to think what else i would do with this..email server? other server network is to slow as a gaming server..but could be possible

third:
what OS should i run..xp i can get stable for a long time .but want to try something else..linux with its high learning curve or just go for the middle man of windows 2003 server

um..i think i covered everything just curous on what you would say

[Mr.Radar]

1) Yes, you could. You would just hook the RCA sound outputs of the TV (usually color coded White for Left/Mono and Red for Right) to the headphone mini-jack line-in of the sound card (using an adapter). Depending on how the soundcard handles the stereo signal you might get just the front left & right speakers, or you might get all of them.

2 & 3) If you want to make an e-mail/web server then dual-boot XP/Linux is really the way to go. If you just want to do multimedia stuff then only Windows XP is what you want.

[mc_hammer]

Jeez, I wish I had that kind of setup as a secondary comp, congrats. I'd put a wireless card in it and look at getting a AIW vid card for recording stuff. You could shoot stuff back and forth with the wirless card. I'm no A/V dork but that is what I've been wanting to do myself since I have no TIVO. my 2 worthless cents.