Hands on: How to build a Viiv system

A Sata hard disk with Native Command Queuing is a requirement for Viiv, but simply connecting an appropriate model is not sufficient. Modern Sata features, such as NCQ and hot-plugging, will only work if the Sata disk controller also supports them, and that means having a compatible Raid or AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) chipset.

Luckily, modern motherboards feature AHCI options for their Sata controllers which you can select in the Bios – usually under the Integrated Peripherals section, although doing so comes with an annoying twist.

While Windows can natively support Sata controllers configured to emulate IDE, it treats AHCI the same as Raid, SCSI and other third-party controllers. That is to say, you need to supply a driver at the start of Windows setup, and it needs to come on a floppy disk.

This is annoying to say the least, as most people haven’t had a floppy disk drive connected for years. Windows infuriatingly can’t accept this driver from a more common source, such as a USB drive. You also can’t set the Sata controller to IDE emulation, install Windows, then switch it back to AHCI afterwards.

While it is possible to create your own custom Windows installation CD with the correct drivers in place, it’s not a simple process (for tips, see our ‘Faster, slimmer, better’ feature).

So if you want AHCI and NCQ support, whether for Viiv compliance or otherwise, you’ll need a floppy drive, and the appropriate drivers copied onto a disk.

Viiv software
Once you’ve made the required changes to the Bios and connected a floppy drive with the correct AHCI drivers on a disc, you can install Windows XP MCE 2005 as normal. Next, install the drivers for the chipset, graphics, network and audio components, then visit the custom section of Windows Update to download Rollup 2.

Finally, install the Intel Quick Resume and Viiv drivers that came with the Viiv motherboard, and Intel’s Matrix Storage Manager, which you may need to download from www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm.

After restarting your computer, you’ll find a new Viiv-branded section under Windows’ Power control panel labelled ‘Away’. Away mode is behind Intel’s Quick Resume Technology, but does nothing more than simply switch the picture and sound off like a mute button.

On the upside, Away mode allows the PC to be ready to stream content to other devices, such as a server, but on the downside it consumes almost the same power as the PC does normally. And once the Quick Resume drivers have been installed, pressing the PC’s power button or the on/off button on the MCE remote control will just activate this AV muting facility.

As for the Viiv drivers, all they appear to do is install a DLL file that allows other programs to identify the PC as a Viiv-compliant system. This could then be used to reveal exclusive content for Viiv owners in MCE’s Online Spotlight which would be hidden from other MCE owners, but so far there’s nothing exclusive to Viiv in the UK.

Either way, at this point you should inspect your handiwork and verify you have a 100 per cent Viiv-compliant system. Intel offers a utility to check at www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/vtu/index.htm. This page also provides details on the exact driver versions you’ll need to pass the test, as it can be quite fussy.