At the last minute I decided to throw in this
firewire card with my HTPC order. I wanted to be able to mess around with controlling the digital cable set-top box with it. Also, I wanted to see what sort of channels (if any) I could download over firewire. As I may have stated previously, I had a vague idea that there were low-profile and regular PCI cards, but I didn't consider it when I was buying my parts. So I ended up buying a low-profile micro-atx case without realizing it. The 1394 card I bought was designed for regular PCI slots, but the slot cover was easily removed by removing the two screws holding it in place. The actual circuit board is more than short enough to fit in a low-profile case. I used this original slot cover as a template for cutting one of my case's stock slot covers. Unfortunately I forgot to take into account the horizontal orientation of the two slot covers and ended up cutting the first hole on the wrong side. Other then that the process went pretty well. When making any modification like this I have a few main concerns:
- The modification allows the item to operate as if it was a stock piece. [The modified slot cover in this case keeps dust out of the case and supports the card.]
- Less importantly, the modification looks as if it was professionally done. [This is more a desire to be able to recreate mass-produced materials at home.]
So according to those standards it turned out pretty well. The card is still removable and fits snuggly in place. The final appearance obviously isn't tremendous looking, but it certainly fits into the general aesthetics of the case with a cursory glance
I'm experimenting with just inserting a Picasa album instead of individual pictures. Hopefully this works out well:
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