HTPC Basics

That was then...

A few years ago, someone got the idea of putting a hard drive into a TV set-top box, in order to be able to pause, record, and time-shift live TV. While this was very useful and changed the way millions of people watched TV, it was a closed system. Video could not be exported to a computer for sharing with others, and the box could not be used to play videos or music from a computer on a network. Thus was born various incarnations of the HTPC (Home Theater PC).

This is now.

The HTPC has become a brand new category of PC. The requirements of TV and movie watching dictate that the computer itself must be very quiet. No fan noise and no hard-drive grunting. Because of this, many people opt to custom-build a PC to their requirements. Those that are less technically inclined can purchase a pre-configured HTPC, usually running Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition, which is a specialized version of Windows XP, and including all the software and hardware needed.

So what does it do?

The HTPC is the brain of a centralized digital media storage and playback center. It can record TV shows, often while playing back other content at the same time. It can hold and organize a vast library of music and movies. It can be completely controlled with a wireless remote, and it can control other devices such as satellite TV receivers and digital cable set-top boxes. And it can connect to your TV-set, with a user interface that you can can see from 10 feet away, and doesn't look like a computer desktop.

What about the other TVs in my house?

Through the magic of networking (yes, even wirelessly), any TV in your house can access the content from your main HTPC. You will, however, need some sort of media player for each TV. This can be a standalone set-top media player (sometimes called a media extender), another computer, or a modified XBox. What you choose for a media player will depend on what you need it to do. Some stand-alone players won't allow you the same range of control that the HTPC itself gives you. And most media players will only play, not record new content. With an actual computer attached to your secondary TVs, although it tends to be more expensive, you can have much greater control and flexibility. For example, you can install a thin-client version of your main HTPC software, which allows you to do everything from your secondary TV that you could do from your main HTPC-connected TV.

What do I need?

Other than a computer, it depends on what you want to do.

First of all, unless you want to look at everything on your computer screen (which kind of defeats the purpose of having an HTPC), you need a way to connect the computer to your TV. Many video cards come with a an S-Video out port, and most TVs have an S-Video jack. That's probably the easiest way; just use an S-Video cable to connect the video, and connect the audio output of the computer to the audio input on your TV or A/V receiver with what's known as a mini-stereo to RCA cable. Newer, more expensive TVs might have a component video input, or perhaps a DVI input, and using one of those will get you the best quality picture, but you may need a specialized cable, depending on your video card. The best thing to do is to ask the manufacturer of your video card what kind of cable you need for your TV.

You'll also need a remote. We recommend a couple of them in the HTPC hardware section.

And if you plan on watching TV through your HTPC, you'll need some sort of TV capture card. Again, check the hardware section. You'll also probably want to use your HTPC as a PVR (Personal Video Recorder). This will let record TV shows, as well as pause and rewind live TV. PVR software, as well as some more general popular HTPC software, is listed in our software section.

And a bit of luck...

Remember, building an HTPC is not for the computer or audio/video beginner. There's nothing worse than having your entire family disowning you because the TV keeps crashing. But if you get it all working, it's probably one of the most rewarding things you can do with a computer.

Anything we're missing? Let us know.

Talk about this topic in the discussion forums.