Why get a Universal Remote?
Ok well I was always one of those people that would not spend the money on a universal remote. I mean it can’t really be worth all that money just to have only one remote, but boy was I wrong.
The other day I got a Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote for my birthday, and I really regret not buying one earlier. This remote is great, and I love having everything being controlled from the one place.
Currently I use my HTPC to record things, my DVD player just because I like it, my surround sound system, and my Xbox, and I have a lot of remotes to do this.
With the new remote when I press the on button, it turns on my TV, HTPC and surround sound, and sets all the inputs to match so I get the right sound. I press another button, for example the Xbox button, and the Xbox turns on and the inputs change. I have to do no setting up. When I press off, everything turns off at once. Read more
The Best HTPC Video Card
A lot of people are lost when it comes to their HTPC and what video card to get.
To me there are a few requirements when it comes to buying a HTPC video card, which are:
1. Quiet (I don’t want to hear it from the couch)
2. Small (I want it to fit in my HTPC case, not have to buy a huge case just for the video card)
3. HDMI out, preferably with audio
4. Low Power Consumption (equals less heat and noise)
5. Powerful enough to play High Definition content and Blu-Ray DVDs Read more
Control for your HTPC
The way you control your Home Theatre PC can really affect your entire home theatre experience. It is important that you get a good remote to get the easiest experience and make your home theatre PC seem like a completely integrated solution. Here we outline the major ways of controlling you HTPC: Read more
HTPC Optical Drive
If you just want a standard DVD playback, a DVD rewritable drive can be had for around $25 and all do a decent job. Generally Asus
As Blu-ray is now the official standard for HD content, there is no reason to buy a HD drive. If you already have a large collection of HD DVDs, LG makes combo Blu-Ray readers and writers, that also play HD DVDs, such as the LG GGW-H20L Blu-Ray / HD Combo
If you are after a Blu-Ray DVD player, there are a few different types. Just be aware that as Blu-Ray is still new technology, Blu-Ray players are currently quite expensive, and they are constantly bringing out newer, faster and cheaper models. Read more
HTPC Case and PSU
How your case looks is important. It is going to be visible on your TV cabinet or in your rack, so it is important that you like the look of it. Most people opt for a horizontal case for their HTPCs rather than a vertical case, so it fits in nicely with the rest of the home theatre components. Read more
HTPC Case Suggestions
Here are some of the most common cases and a list of their pros and cons. This is by no means an exhaustive list of cases, nor meant to be a review comparing the different cases.
When choosing a case there are quite a few things to consider, such as looks, airflow, size and the hardware they can accommodate. There is no one best Home Theatre PC case, they are all good cases for different reasons, it is a matter of assessing your requirements and your budget, and picking the case that is right for you. Read more
HTPC Sound Card
Most motherboards these days come with excellent onboard sound. The audio is High Definition Audio, and has DTS and Dolby Digital, with multiple channels (usually 7.1 channels). Most of these come with RCA and SPDIF outputs, so can easily be connected to you audio receiver. Read more
TV Tuner Card for HTPC
A TV Tuner card allows a television signal to be received by a computer. Most also act as video capture cards, allowing you to record television programs onto your hard disk.
Types of TV CardsThere are 5 main types of TV tuner cards:
- Analogue TV Tuners – These are the cheapest TV cards. They receive analogue broadcasts, and need to encode the data in order to record it.
- Digital TV Tuners – These receive digital broadcasts, which are much better quality then analogue. Since Digital TV is sent as MPEG2, no encoding is necessary to record.
- Hybrid TV Tuners – receive both analogue and digital signals. Most Hybrid Tuners can only act as either an analogue or digital tuner, so you cannot watch digital while recording analogue. This is the best option to get if you don’t know that your house receives digital reception.
- Combo tuners – the same as digital tuners but you can watch digital while recording analogue or vice versa. This is also a good option to get if you don’t know that your house receives digital reception, but generally more expensive and harder to find than a hybrid card.
- Dual Tuners – this has 2 separate digital tuners, so you can record one digital channel while watching another. This is the best option to get if you receive digital signal, as it uses one less expansion slot in your computer than 2 separate cards would. Read more
HTPC Video Card
July 12, 2008 · Filed Under Suggested Hardware · 2 CommentsAs mentioned in the motherboard section, onboard video is a great option for a HTPC. Intergrated graphics is quiet, and saves you money. Dedicated video cards can also take up power and create heat, making your HTPC nosier. Dedicated video cards are usually overkill for a HTPC, since a good integrated solution will do the job fine. However if you want to go with a dedicated video card, this page outlines what you need. Read more
HTPC Harddrive
July 12, 2008 · Filed Under Suggested Hardware · CommentThere are 2 types of harddrives, SATA and IDE. SATA is the newer type of hard drive, with faster transfer rates, and if you have a motherboard that supports SATA it is a better option. With SATA you also don’t have to worry about configuring master and slave drives, as you do with IDE.
Size
When it comes to HTPCs, size DOES matter. As your computer does not have enough processing power to encode TV recordings on the fly (no reasonably priced computer does), recording takes up a lot of hard drive space. Read more