Getting content to your HTPC
Well the most important thing about having a HTPC is having content, and being able to watch it through your HTPC on your TV! So here we will cover how to get content onto your HTPC.
The first thing to cover is getting TV through your HTPC. Some people have asked me why I would want to do this, since my TV can already receive TV. Well having it go through your HTPC allows you to use your HTPC as a PVR (a personal video recorder), which means you can record TV for playback later, or pause TV while you are watching it.
So how do you do this? Well it’s quite simple, all you need to do is put a TV tuner into your HTPC (see our TV Tuner section for recommendations). Then you just connect coaxial cable into the card (the cable that usually connects from your antenna to the TV), and you now have TV going into your HTPC.
Some people like to store all their other content on a big harddrive on their HTPC. But if you are anything like me you probably have a lot of your content (like movies, music, photos), on other computers around the house, you probably want to be able to access these on your HTPC. Read more
HTPC TV : Choose How To Connect
Part of having a HTPC is being able to connect your HTPC up to your TV. There are quite a few different sources for getting TV, and in this article we aim to cover these different sources, and explain how to connect each one up to your HTPC. Read more
Using the Wiimote to control the HTPC
I came across this great article on lifehacker about how you can control your HTPC with your wiimote!
The thing is, the wiimote (as well as the balance board that comes with wii fit) use Bluetooth, so you can connect them to your computer. Read more
Controlling your HTPC with your iPhone
Now you can control your HTPC with your iphone! Why is this so great? Well let me tell you…
The thing I like most about the iphone is having everything in the one device. My phone music etc. I always carry it around with me. So to not have to have a remote, but rather I can just get my iPhone out of my pocket and control it. This is really useful, because if I am in the kitchen, or on the couch, or doing something around my living room, I don’t really want to carry my big remote with me.
The other really cool thing about this is that you can use your iPhone as a visual HTPC remote. Read more
How to connect a HTPC to your Audio Receiver
In this article we will be explaining how to connect your Home Theatre PC to an audio receiver. We will explain what hardware your HTPC needs, what cables you need, and how to connect it.
To be able to connect your HTPC to your audio receiver you don’t need much hardware. Most soundcards and onboard motherboard sound are able to do this, because they are just passing the output to another device, and don’t need to do any processing. Read more