Home Theater PC Component Overview

Build Your Own Computer

This is a tutorial on how to build your own home theater pc (HTPC). A media center computer is either a system or software application that runs a variety of media (music, movies, etc.). Use this information to build your own computer for a home theater.

The first step to building a home theater computer is to decide what you are going to need and what you want your HTPC to do. A couple of the decisions that will affect your final price are:

• How much storage do you want (or need)?
• Do you want Blu-ray capability (in today's environment, everyone does)?
• Will you also be gaming on the system (this will affect your decision for computing speed, size and power)?

The goal in this guide is to build a HTPC that can output high quality video to a projector or High Definition TV; store and play music and video files; and that can be used for a DVR.

At the same time, let's ensure that the media center computer blends in well with your existing home theater system (we're assuming that you have an existing system; if not, make sure that you select compatible equipment - speak to your home theater store sales staff), and is nice and quiet so you don't have to listen to fans in your living room all the time.

Here is a list of the basic equipment to use to build your own home theater personal computer system:

• HTPC Case
• CPU Processor
• Motherboard
• Power Supply
• System Memory
• CPU Heatsink
• Sound Card - Optional
• Video Graphics Card - Optional
• DVD / Blu-ray
• Wireless Keyboard and Computer Mice
• Remote Control - Optional
• TV Tuner / HD TV Capture Card - Optional

Plan to take the time to ensure that your selection is the best for your needs. Typically your media center and home theater personal computer setup will last for a number of years; particularly if you select components for future needs (that is, enough capacity, speed, power, etc.).

Let's head next to the Buying Guide and look at each part in detail...

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