HD Update

How to Build a Media Center PC

Check all your media from a PC. Combine all media in a one system: television, games, movies, music can all be viewed and stored in one location.

A Media Center PC or Home Theater PC or HTPC for short, is a personal computer connected to a TV. Often used as a digital photo, music and video player, or as a team and the device video games. Add a TV tuner card allows a HTPC to record television. It may also be referred to as media center systems The overall objective in a HTPC is usually to combine many or all components of a home entertainment system in a box.

A Media Center PC is a convergence device that combines the functions of a PC and a digital video recorder. A Media PC can be purchased pre-configured with hardware and software necessary to add more television programming for the PC, as is commonly done with Windows Media Center Edition (MCE), or can be tailored to discrete components.

Media Center PC – What You Need to Know.

This is not typical of any PC you are building. Will live in your living room to be (or wherever you have the TV and spend most of their time). That means that in addition to a PC, you have to look good and run very quietly.

These are the most important components of your Media Center PC:

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE)
Case
TV or (y) HDTV Card
Sound card
CPU Cooler
Power Supply
Wireless Keyboard
Remote Control

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition

Windows XP Media Center Edition (codename Symphony) is a version of Windows XP designed to serve as the center of home entertainment. The latest version, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, was released on October 12, 2004.

Windows XP Media Center Edition (XP MCE) is distinguished from other versions of Windows XP preinstalled a unique application, Media Center, which provides a great source, remotely accessible interface watch TV on your computer, as well as recording and playback, DVD playback, video playback, photo viewing and playback music.

Although MCE is based on Windows XP Professional, Microsoft has disabled the ability to join a domain after you install Active Directory. This effectively prevents the use of Media Center in a corporate environment. Windows XP Media Center has preserved most of the Pro-specific, such as Remote Desktop and Encryption System files.

Due to strict hardware requirements, Microsoft has chosen not to supply Media Center as an independent commercial version. Only Microsoft distributed to MSDN subscribers and OEM System Builders in some countries. Consumers generally purchase Media Center preinstalled on a new computer, or a dealer selling OEM versions of Microsoft software.

Windows XP Media Center Edition (2005) Update Rollup 2 (with codenamed 'Emerald') Released in late 2005, this was a collection of feature updates including support for DVD changers and connect to the Xbox 360.

Windows Media Center in Windows Vista (2006) (code name 'Diamond'): Generally available the public on January 30, 2007.

Media Center PC Case

The first the hardware you need to consider is the case. Technically, any kind of box is acceptable, but since we are building a media center Here, appearances are important because they must look presentable when placed in the living room. More importantly, the ventilation system is used in the housing should not be too noisy – who do not want to sound like a vacuum cleaner when playing a DVD, right?

The media have been cases of PC the market for some time. Usually referred to as desktop cases instead of home theater PC cases. The construction of each is only the same – it features a Media Center PC, apart from a desktop case.

Some of these features include simple hardware, as a source supply smaller or less case fans. Many cases are smaller than desktop chassis mid-tower, so hardware fingerprint minors must be used. Other features, which perform the functions of a Media Center PC such as an integrated text display and infrared receiver are some of the things make a Media Center PC just that, a Media Center PC.

Tuner Card TV

When choosing how you will use your Media Center PC to watch TV, you have to ask some questions:
Do I have a picture of a single cable? Or do I either have multiple cable boxes, cable box or satellite box +?
"I can get over the air HDTV reception where I live?

First of all, you really need to get a TV tuner card, whatever the answers to any of the above questions. The only real question is whether or not to get a card that has a tuner, or both.

If more than one source of regular television broadcasts (from the question 1) then you only need a single TV tuner. If you have two sources, or are even considering getting a second cable box or second source, you should get a card that has two tuners in it.

HDTV definition and Media Center PC card

By connecting a high definition TV (HDTV) antenna to a Media Center PC is equipped with an HDTV tuner card, you may experience:
Digital quality video with widescreen support: Watch local television broadcasts in HDTV quality up to 10 times the quality of a standard TV signal.
Theater-quality audio: Enjoy the booming bass and crystal clear 5.1 surround sound is available primetime programs of many.
recording personal high-definition video: Pause, rewind and record local, through the air, television high definition as it does with standard television.
TV Program Guide Digital: Easily find listings for HDTV channels premises that are built into standard TV programs in the Guide in Media Center PC.
Antenna signal strength: Built-meter signal strength that helps adjust the antenna to get most channels possible.

Connect your Media Center PC to your surround sound system

N PC home theater is complete without good audio.

Depending on your sound card may need to connect the Media Center PC to the speakers using a single digital connection, or a set of multichannel analog connections.

You may have to connect analog multi-channel digital surround sound

Ultimately, both types of connections resulted in a surround sound from DVD or high definition television are playing. The main difference is that the decoding of the surround signal is carried out.

When using a single digital connection, the sound card in the Media Center PC passes the surround sound signal directly to the receiver to decode and play audio through your speakers.

With multichannel analog connection, sound card decodes the surround sound signal and then passes the decoded signal to the receiver. The receiver sends the sound to the appropriate speakers for the surround effect.

Quiet CPU cooling

Equally important is the CPU fan. Ideally, you want a CPU cooler is very quiet, but does a good job of keeping the processor cool.

The fan production that comes with the original CPU sounded like a vacuum cleaner when running in maximum speed (controlled by the motherboard depending on the workload of the CPU) and the noise is unbearable if you sit near the computer. This is definitely not a situation ideal for Media Center PC.

Quiet CPU coolers are designed with the use of highly conductive copper heat and a larger one, designed so efficient, the surface area of heat sink to radiate heat much more effective than standard sinks. These coolers move heat from the CPU with an efficiency maximum, so that can be combined with slower moving fans. Really quiet CPU coolers include the following salient features:

large heatsinks can radiate more heat away from your CPU
The use of high-efficiency copper, either at the base of the heatsink or the whole
large fans that move more air relative to the speed with which revolve
Softer fan bearings
Efficient, the design of the fan without problems
Strong, smooth, quality of heatsink
The inclusion of heatpipes to facilitate heat transfer

Power Supply for Media Center

As the digital world seeps into the living room, quiet operation becomes the key. More and more people are investing and creating theater PCs.

The quality of the energy supplied to the components of your system is more important than most people realize. A source of power quality problems can cause many poor and in some cases can destroy hardware the system. A power source (power supply), under either the 3.3-volt, 5 or 12 lines of stress can cause data corruption, crashes system and program crashes. In severe cases an excess of tension may fry components.

Often one of the largest manufacturer of noise in a PC power supply provides regulated DC voltages to various components. UPM Computers are changing the way types, which provide relatively high yield at low cost. Using forced air cooling, usually an 80mm fan, and sometimes incorporate a second fan. The fan is the main source of noise at source food. Coils in a power supply can hum, especially when pushed under high loads, but usually the fan noise noise masks coil. Normally, the engine is rated higher than the maximum airflow necessary to cool the PSU.

The quietest or have no power supply fan at all, or a fan that rotates at low speed in most conditions. Note that the components tend to run a little hotter than normal as a result of reduced airflow. This may be a concern if the temperature of the room environment is high or if very hot components are used. The best models have normal fan-cooled low-speed fan and allow the fan to ramp up to full speed only when clearly needed.

Fan-less Power Supply sets the bar high when it comes to power, efficiency and quiet operation.

Remote Control

Integrating a Media PC in your living room means you need some way to control your computer from the couch. While it is possible to use a wireless keyboard and mouse these devices are generally intended for use near a hard surface such as a table.

Many tuner TV / capture cards include remote controls for use with the applications included with the card, but to integrate Windows MCE in your living room need a computer Windows MCE certified remote control.

Wireless Keyboard

For most of the things that has to do with your HTPC, using the Windows Media remote control is sufficient. However, there are some activities that are much more comfortable when using a keyboard.

You need a wireless keyboard (preferably RF instead of IR so that you do not have a transmission line restriction IR vision) that has an integrated mouse. Why? So you can sit on the couch and type away. You'll really appreciate a decent keyboard when you are trying to correct the spelling of an artist's CD, or labeling a folder you are downloading all those photos you took on your last vacation your memory card into the PC.

About the Author

We are BuyDirectPC Computer Corporation, e-tailer of custom desktop and gaming systems, as well as cube PC’s, Shuttle XPC’s and custom-tailored laptops. Founded in 2000, we have experienced ongoing growth and while many other upstart companies were going out of business following the dot-com crash, we have successfully maintained our position of first-echelon custom PC provider. Today, many individuals and businesses trust our expertise to deliver a machine built to their specs from the finest off-the-shelf components, rigorously tested and carefully shipped for the best out-of-the-box experience. With so many cases of retailers taking advantage of their customers’ trust and either jacking up the price, selling terribly misconfigured and untested systems or even using refurbished parts, our company has always made sure we maintained our top-tier retailer status by adhering to a strict ethical code, as well as employing only skilled individuals. http://buydirectpc.com/web/online/about-us

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