Home Theater PC

Well for those of us fed up DSTV and other service providers that do no let watch what we want when we want, the HTPC is the way out. This is yet to catch up in kenta but let me feel you in on what it is.

A Home Theater PC (HTPC) or Media PC is a convergence device that combines the functions of a personal computer and a media center software application which feature video and music playback, and usually but not always it also has digital video recorder functionality. It normally has a 10-foot user interface and is typically connected to a television or other large-screen computer display, and is often used as a digital photo, music, video player, TV receiver and digital video recorder, and normally controlled with a remote control.

The general goal of an HTPC is usually to combine many or all components of a home theater set-up into a single machine that will be located where the home entertainment system is desired. An HTPC system is typically controlled with a remote control for controlling the main interface, and the GUI normally has a 10-foot user interface design so that it can be comfortably viewed and navigated/controlled from such a distance. An HTPC can either be purchased pre-configured with the required hardware and software needed to add television programming to the PC, or can be cobbled together out of discrete components as is commonly done with Windows Media Center, MediaPortal, MythTV, SageTV, LinuxMCE, or XBMC Media Center based HTPC media center setups.

The good thing about this is taht it can be home built which is cheaper than buy a PC from the conventional shop with the following features

• 1 HTPC characteristics
  • 1.1 Television connectivity
  • 1.2 Quiet / minimal noise
  • 1.3 Higher storage capacities
  • 1.4 TV tuner cards
  • 1.5 Remote control
  • 1.6 Case Design