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 Is
that a TV, a DVD player, or music system? Nope, it's
my Home Theatre PC.
Call
them Home Theatre PCs (HTPCs) or Media Center PCs, but
both refer to the stylish machine that's recording your
TV; storing your movies, music, photos and TV shows;
and accessing the internet for digital content. HTPCs,
as trendy as computer hardware can get, are now taking
over our living room and becoming the focal point of
the home entertainment system.
What is an HTPC?
Think of an HTPC as a personal computer that integrates
the functions of a DVD player, a video recorder, a CD
changer, audio jukebox, telephone, game console etc.
It allows you to:
- Listen
to music by piping surround sound to your home audio
system.
-
Record and store television programs and play them
back later on your TV
-
Edit and playback your digital home movies
-
Store, edit and view your digital photos.
-
Listen to local and net radio
-
Store your entire music and DVD collection in one
place and search by artist, album, genre, year, and
track title
Build
or Buy?
If you are a DIY kind of guy and have a head for gadgets,
we'd suggest you build your own HTPC. Obviously, this
mode requires knowledge, skills, and passion - plus
a lot of research into finding the right components
and searching for the best prices. Also, you won't get
any support as in the case of pre-built systems. So,
is it going to save you money? Not necessarily. But
building your own system ensures that you get the exact
configuration you need. The whole experience of putting
it together is, of course, priceless.
For the off-the-shelf kind, there is the standard-configuration
Media Center PC from one of the big brands like HP or
Acer. And if you are a little more discerning, a local
computer guy can assemble a custom-PC for you. In both
cases, you will get warranties and support. Onsite support
is very critical since your computer is the centre-piece
of your home entertainment and you wouldn't want too
much downtime.
 HTPC
- Specs you need
Form Factor
There are different sizes of motherboards, which determine
the size and shape of cases that house them. Most branded
Media Center PCs, from companies like HP and Dell, come
in tower cases, which is not the best form, but they
can be acceptable as long as they don't look too out
of place in the living room. Some branded HTPCs (like
the Sony Vaio XL1 and XL2 digital living system) come
with proprietary design and you will find it very difficult
to replace or upgrade their components. But horizontal
cases with a/v rack-friendly design are probably the
best choice for most HTPCs. Of course, one of the advantages
of building your own HTPC is that you can choose your
kind of case.
Mother Board & Processor
Your choice of components depends on the tasks your
HTPC is expected to perform. If you will just be playing
DVDs and music, then a 1 GHz processor will do the job.
But if you are planning to download/ record and view
High-Definition (HD) content, then a 3 Ghz processor
is the thing to have. AMD or Intel? Well, it's up to
you, but we do recommend you get a Dual-core processor
for the extra muscle needed in a multitasking HTPC environment
(like simultaneously recording multiple video streams).
You also need to check the onboard features of your
motherboard. Do you have enough PCI slots for multiple
TV-tuner cards? Can the onboard sound card output to
your 7.1-speaker system?
RAM
At least 512 MB RAM but if you plan to do multitasking,
go in for 1 GB RAM or higher.
Hard Drives
If you are going to store a lot of movies, music and
TV recordings on your computer, make sure you have plenty
of hard drive space. A typical standard definition recording
can use up to 2 GB space per hour of recording. And
remember 80 GB hard drive space in an HTPC is NOT 80
GB of recording space. After installing Windows XP and
other HTPC software, you will be down to 40-50 GB. So
a typical 80 GB hard drive will last you less than 20
hours of recording.
We recommend that you go for at least 160 GB high-speed
SATA hard drive. If you are putting together a high
end HTPC and budget is not an overriding concern, then
go in for a 400 GB hard drive. This way you will not
have to delete a single episode of your favourite TV
shows.
TV tuners
If you want your HTPC to record and playback TV broadcast,
you will need a TV tuner card along with appropriate
PVR software (we will come to PVRs later). Which tuner
should you buy? OK, stay away from tuners that use software
encoding as they use up too much of system resources
while recording is on. To record good quality video
stream, we recommend tuners that use hardware encoding.
There is little CPU usage during recording, because
the tuner is doing all of the necessary video/audio
compression. This means that the PC is free to do other
things, while the recording is on. It's especially helpful
when you are using more than one TV tuner to record/
view multiple broadcasts.
Remember, certain PVR software will not support all
TV tuner cards. Therefore, please do your research before
you make a purchase so that there are no compatibility
problems. Also, High Definition Television (HDTV) tuners
are the buzz these days, but it's unlikely India is
going to get HDTV anytime soon. So you can save some
money here and buy a standard definition tuner.
 Graphics
Card
If you are going to connect your HTPC to a large screen
TV, the onboard graphics may not give you a great video
output - especially with High Definition displays. The
6600 series from NVIDIA or the x1600 series from ATI
are good bets for your HDTV. Both of these cards are
available in a fanless solution reducing the overall
noise of your system. Also, check the type of video
inputs your TV supports. If you have just bought a high-definition
TV, then it should accept DVI (Digital Video Interface)
and/ or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)
inputs. A graphics card with DVI-out will carry uncompressed
signal in digital format to the display device and hence,
you get better video quality.
Sound Card
The quality of onboard sound has improved significantly
over the last few years. And if you are not an audiophile,
you won't be able to tell the difference between onboard
sound and separate sound card. But if you wish to send
a Dolby Digital or DTS signal to your A/V receiver for
surround sound decoding, all you really need is reliable,
flexible digital audio output. So look for a separate
sound card/ onboard sound with S/PDIF (digital) outputs.
Wireless Keyboard and Remote
A necessary accessory for truly integrating the HTPC
with your home theater system (and still have full control
from your seating position) is a wireless keyboard with
a built-in mouse. There are two options: IR (Infra Red)
and RF (Radio Frequency). An IR keyboard is cheaper
and will probably work fine but we prefer an RF-keyboard
since it gives us better range. And if you are using
Windows Media Center Edition on your HTPC, make sure
you get a Microsoft-mandated remote control to make
full use of MCE functions.
Optical Drives
When it comes to optical storage, a DVD-RW is important
for obvious reasons. You can burn recorded TV shows
or movies onto DVDs and play them in standard DVD players,
and carry DVDs with you when you travel. If you are
using the HTPC for editing your home videos, you can
cut DVDs and share them. And yes, you do need universal
DVD playback capability.
Software - Personal Video Recorders (PVRs)
The Personal Video Recorder (PVR) is the heart of your
HTPC. Before you discover the pleasure of recording
TV broadcasts with these PVRs, be warned. They are very
addictive. And they will change the way you watch TV.
I can't remember the last time I sat down and channel-surfed
- since I put together an HTPC, I always have exactly
what I want to watch, when I want to watch it. You can
fast forward the commercials, the program titles and
credits. Suddenly, I can watch so much more in the same
TV-time. I can finally catch up on all those episodes
of CSI and Lost and Desperate Housewives and Frasier
- the list goes on! And I never see a re-run unless
I want to.
The PVRs allow you to interact with the programme guide
to find details about upcoming shows, so you can record
the entire season of your favourite show or record just
the next week's show. It also lets you record any shows/movies
that have a specific actor.
There are a lot of great software options for PVRs,
like SageTV ($80), MythTV (free but works on Linux only),
GB-PVR (free for Windows PCs), BeyondTV ($70), and Freevo
(free but works on Linux only). I chose SageTV for my
HTPC for its feature set, stability, plus configuring
your TV tuner card with SageTV is a breeze.
But remember, Windows XP Media Center Edition is the
most popular all-in-one solution in India. If you buy
a branded HTPC, the MCE will come bundled with it. Most
importantly, it is the only PVR that offers an "Electronic
Programme Guide (EPG)" out here. EPG is an onscreen
interactive guide to television programmes, which allows
viewers to navigate, select, discover and record shows
across more than 80 TV channels in the country.
The more shows you have to choose from, and the more
channels they screen on, the more value in an EPG. Without
an EPG, a PVR would be blind - just like the VCR of
the old days! So unless you are fanatical enough to
create your own EPG (yeah, enthusiasts do that in countries
where there is no EPG), we would suggest that you stick
to Windows Media Center as your PVR.
Home Theatre PC Lineup
They come in all shapes and sizes - from a pair of HPs
that use a standard tower and LG's living room-friendly
model to a build-to-order HTPC. Here are a few of our
favourites:
 HP
Pavilion Media Center M7382in
Quick Specs: Windows XP Media Center Edition; 2.8Ghz
Intel Pentium D Processor 820; 1GB DDR2 RAM; 160GB SATA
HDD; LightScribe Dual Layer 16X DVD±RW/±R;
ATI Radeon X1300 Pro PCI-Express Graphics (with TV-out
port and DVI capabilities); Integrated High Definition
Audio - 7.1 Surround Sound Ready; 9-in-1 Digital Media
Reader; Single PAL TV Tuner with FM Radio and HP Media
Centre Remote Control; Wireless Keyboard, Integrated
Wireless
HP Pavilion m7382in is targeted at the beginning or
intermediate multimedia enthusiast who wants a complete,
easy-to-use Media Center PC. The m7382in is a preconfigured
system with a decent 2.8GHz Pentium D 820 processor
and a generous 1GB of RAM. The bundled 160 GB hard drive
is not exactly wholesome and we'd suggest that you get
a larger capacity drive. The bundled video card is an
ATI Radeon X1300 Pro - great for video playback, but
you'll have to upgrade later if you want to do hardcore
3D gaming. HP's 8X, dual-layer DVD±RW drive includes
HP's LightScribe technology, which burns a monochrome
label or graphic onto the top of LightScribe-compatible
discs.
Price: From Rs. 34,990
LG
Media Center PC
Quick Specs: Windows XP Media Center Edition; 3.06GHz
Intel P4 2.93 Ghz; Intel 910 GL chipset ; 256 MB DDR2
RAM; 80GB SATA HDD; Combo Drive; Single TV Tuner card
and Media Center Remote Control
LG entry level HTPC needs a slew of add-ons. The pros
first - Smart silver and black chassis; Intel 910GL
express-based Micro-ATC chipset, which gives it a smaller
form factor compared to regular desktops; support for
7.1 surround sound, Dolby Digital, and DTS; and 2.93
GHz processor is not bad at all, especially if you're
on a budget. Cons: With 256 MB RAM, you will be underutilising
your processor. The TV tuner card doesn't do hardware
encoding and hence, puts more pressure on system resources.
Onboard graphics may be OK if you are using this PC
with a small monitor. But if this is your HTPC, it's
got to run with a large screen TV for which you're got
to have 1GB RAM, a better quality TV tuner, wireless
keyboard and a decent video card.
Price: Rs. 36,990, with a 17-inch CRT monitor
and Creative 2+1 speaker set (monitor and speakers not
needed if you are using it in a Home Theatre setup)
Acer
Aspire E500
Quick Specs: Windows XP Media Center Edition; 3.06GHz
Intel P4 519 processor; ATI Radeon RC 410 Chipset; ATI
RADEON XPRESS 200 onboard graphics; 256 MB DDR2 RAM;
80GB SATA HDD; Combo Drive; 9-in-1 card reader; TV Tuner
card and Media Center Remote Control
Acer Aspire would have got more love from us if they
had given us what they have offered in other countries.
While the Acer Aspire E500 in Singapore and Thailand
has been given more generous specs (Dual core processor,
1 GB RAM, 250 GB HDD), its Indian counterpart is not
as loaded. 256 MB RAM is inadequate and you need to
upgrade. The 80 GB hard drive will run out of space
in no time. But it does come with a dual input TV tuner
card that can record both analog and digital TV signals;
and a 9-in-1 card reader, which can read all multimedia
cards, delivering hassle-free data transfer. Add-ons
needed: 1GB RAM, wireless keyboard and a decent video
card for 3D gaming.
Price: Rs 46,999, with a 15-inch TFT monitor
and Creative 2+1 speaker set ( monitor and speakers
not needed if you are using it in a Home Theatre set-up)
Sony Vaio XL2 Digital Living
System
Sony's Digital Living System is designed as a two-part,
rack-style media hub. With a dual-core VAIO PC and a
matching 200-disc DVD changer, the XL2 is a great option
for movie and music buffs with a large CD/DVD collection.
It is powered by a Viiv-compatible 2.8 GHz dual-core
processor, 1GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive, GeForce 6600GT,
wireless keyboard w/touchpad, wireless networking, optical
burner, HD tuner and surprise, surprise - an HDMI port!
With dual HDTV tuners, it can record one hi-def show
while you watch another. Oh and did you notice its very
stylish, A/V-rack friendly looks?
Price: $2300 and above
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