Moore's Blog

How much does building an HTPC cost?

chris7519 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:36:15 +0000

One of the most common questions asked about building a Home Theatre PC is how much it will cost. The most common answer, of course, is how much do you want to get out of it? A HTPC at heart is still a computer. It has all the same parts, and maybe one or two components more, but it’s just software used to run it may be a bit different than most users are used to. Nowadays, computer hardware is getting cheaper. A gigabyte of storage now is much more obtainable than it was 5 years ago. Other components are surpassing the needs of the average user. Therefore, if you’re smart, you can build a HTPC with all the adequate hardware for a minimal price. Here’s an example of such a build:

Case, Motherboard, IR Receiver, and Power Supply – Shuttle SG33G5M Deluxe: $239.99
CPU – Intel Core 2 Duo E7500: $119.99
Memory – Kingston HyperX 2GB: $62.49
Video Card (Not necessary) – nVidia 9400GT: $59.99
TV Tuner – AverMedia AVerTVHD Tuner: $59.99
Operating System – Windows Vista Home Premium: $99.99

With all these parts, that brings the grand total to $642.464 which is well under the $1000 easily spent for name brand desktops. The case also gives you the durability to place it inside a entertainment stand!

HTPCs needed parts

chris7519 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:44:00 +0000

To create a HTPC that fits your needs, you will need the right hardware to power it. HTPCs can be built for the moderate viewer to the hard-core media fanatic. Home Theatre PCs require multiple parts, but only your handy philips head screwdriver is required to put it together. HTPCs require the following hardware:

Case
CPU
Memory
Motherboard (Sometimes included with case)
Video Card (If user plans on intensive graphical tasks)
TV Tuner

As mentioned, HTPCs can be scaled to use. The case is many for visual purposes only, but your can find some great deals that include the case, power supply, and motherboard all built-in. The CPU is the brains of your system. Nowadays, the entry level Intel processor is probably sufficient to handle the needs of a HTPC system. Entry-level memory would also be all that is necessary to give the HTPC enough horsepower to fulfill its task. The video card will be determined on how graphically intensive the user wants his or her HTPC to be. With technology increasing at a quarterly rate, most motherboards include the necessary video processing capabilities to handle producing a 1080p picture with hiccups. However, if the user plans on viewing multiple contents (ie, Picture-in-Picture) or plans to use the HTPC for purposes other than viewing video, such as playing games, a video card will be needed for the extra support. Finally, a TV-Tuner card is necessary to allow the consumer to view broadcasted content. Most tuners come with the software necessary to allow for DVR functionality and TV guide access.

Advantages of HTPCs

chris7519 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:08:27 +0000

Home Theatre PCs and their versatility offer many advantages for consumers. The first, and most obvious, is that it is included in your currently Home Theatre setup. The only prerequisite of building a HTPC is a HDTV, which is becoming the industry standard nowadays. Home Theatre PCs can completely eliminate the need of your cable set-top box. Users can have instant access to programming guides, DVR functionality, Pause and Rewind Live TV, and much more! Advanced users can even set up a network and share recorded content to any other setup in the house.

Increased content over the internet also provides interesting options for consumers. Pay-per-view (PPV) channels through local cable or satillite providers can become very expensive. Obtaining the same content online might only cost a fraction of the the cost. For example, MLB Extra Innings offered by DirecTV costs $191 after four monthly payments (excluding taxes). MLB.TV provides unlimited access with DVR functionality to consumers for $99, which is half the price. Companies such as Netflix allow customers to stream movies, including high-definition, to their PCs for a monthly price starting around $8.99 a month. This gives users the option to download and watch any movie they want instantly with unlimited access to Netflix’s growing library.

The Home Theatre PC (HTPC)

chris7519 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:52:51 +0000

The content available online and the speed available to download it has changed dramatically since the internet was first commercialized in the 1990s. Today, individuals can stream high definition content over their high-speed broadband internet instantly. The days of driving across town to rent a DVD will soon be phased out. Even new media formats, such as Blu-Ray, are struggling to keep pace as more content is becoming readily available to consumers. Since the development of HDTVs on LCD displays have taken off, Home Theatre PCs are making their way into more homes. Resolutions as high as 1080p can give people the functionality of a computer monitor, with the convenience of having it in their living room. Hardware developers have taken advantage and have started basing their designs with the HTPC format in mind. For example, video cards with HDMI outputs are quickly becoming an industry standard making it a quick and easy (one cord) solution to connect a PC to a HDTV.

Computer manufacturing companies, such as Dell and HP, have also taken note and have subsequently followed suite making pre-built HTPCs readily available to consumers. However a consumer, with just a general understanding of electronics, can easily put together a fully functioning HTPC for personal use at a fraction of the cost.

Hello world!

chris7519 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:10:47 +0000

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