Choosing a HTPC Operating System
There are many options when choosing an operating system for your HTPC. Each different operating system has many options, and it can be quite confusing trying to pick which one is best. Here we outline some of the features of each operating system, and why you would want to use it.
Windows Media Center EditionThis includes Windows MCE 2005
This makes it really easy to set up in comparison to other operating systems. Because it is windows you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues, because most programs work with windows, and because it comes with all the media software included, you don’t have to worry about setting software up and getting it all to work.
The choice between Vista and MCE 2005 probably comes down to your hardware. If you are running older hardware, it may struggle with Vista, so MCE 2005 may be the best option. If you have newer hardware, then you will want the extra features and new easier to use interface that vista provides.
Windows XP or Vista
Another option is to use windows XP or vista without using the media centre that is inbuilt into the more expensive versions of vista. This means that you will have to use your own software to be able to do all the things you want your HTPC media centre to do.
The good news is there is a lot of software choices designed to do this. Some good choices are SageTV, beyondTV, GBpvr. There is also mediaportal, which is open source software, which means that it is free.
The good thing about this is that if you already have a windows license, you can use it for your HTPC. Or if you are buying a new Operating System, it can be cheaper to buy one without media centre included. So you can spend less money and get all the functionality of Windows MCE, by using your own Software. I would recommend this for windows XP, but if you are buying a new copy of vista you might as well get one with windows media centre, as it is pretty good.
Linux
Linux is free operating system, making it a great choice for budget Home Theatre PCs. However depending on what hardware you choose to buy, it can have some compatibility issues and is fiddlier to set up than the Windows Solution.
Like Windows you have 2 choices. Get a Linux distribution that has all the media applications included, or get a distribution that doesn’t have everything included, and install it yourself.
For people new to Linux, I would recommend going for the first option. Some good distributions include Knoppmyth, which is based on Knoppix, and LinuxMCE, which is based on Ubuntu. Ubuntu is my distribution of choice, because it is easy to set up and learn to use. LinuxMCE has an awesome video on their site showing all the different features, but it is a bit long to watch.
If you are going to use a Linux distribution without the media software included, there are many options. Some of the most popular include Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, Debian, Mandriva, Mepis and Knoppix, but there are many others. For those new to Linux I would highly recommend either Ubuntu or Mandriva, for their ease of use. If you are going to use this option, then you definitely want to install MythTV. This will provide you with the media applications you need, and has modules that can be downloaded and added to provide extra functionality.
As I mentioned, Although Linux is free, it is harder to set up and use. If you are not computer literate I would recommend you stick to windows, either a MCE version, or the standard Windows XP or Vista.
Hopefully this article has helped you in your choice of Operating Systems, and which one would be best for your HTPC.
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