Building a home theater PC can be fun, but can also be frustrating and time consuming, especially if you’ve never done it before.  These 10 tips should help make the experience more enjoyable!

1. Decide which form factor is right for you.

Media center PCs come in various shapes and sizes.  From mini systems, to systems which rival a full desktop PC, the choices are many.  Deciding which form factor is right for you depends on a number of things:

  • The kind of media you will be playing on your media center PC.  For example, if you plan on playing high definition movies (either via Blu-Ray disc or downloads), you’ll need a system with a good video card and a fast processor.   In this case, a fully featured media center PC may be the best choice, and building it from scratch will save you money.
  • The space you have to accommodate your media center PC.  If you have plenty of room in your TV console, then any size will probably work — but if you have limited space, a mini system might be a better choice.  Limited space options include Apple TV, and game consoles such as PS3 or XBox 360.
  • What other components you have in your home theater.  For example, if you have a Blu-Ray player (such as a standalone player or Playstation 3), then you won’t need a Blu-Ray player in your media center PC.   This can help reduce the size and the cost of the media center PC.

2. Make sure your components work together.

If you’re building a home theater PC from scratch, you’ll need to make sure that all the pieces work together.  In this case, it’s important to start from the basics and work your way out as you build the system.

  • Pick your case first.  The home theater PC case is the core of the system and determines what size motherboard you can have, what size power supply you need (if a power supply is not included), and whether or not you can use a full-height video card.  If possible, get a “bare bones” system which will usually include the case, power supply, and motherboard.  This will help ensure that all the pieces are compatible.
  • Pick your motherboard next.  The motherboard is the brains of the system, and determines what type of processor (CPU), memory, and peripherals you can use.  If possible, get a motherboard and CPU set, which will be pre-configured to work together.
  • Choose a power supply with enough juice.  If you’re building a basic HTPC, then typically anything rated at 300 watts or higher should do.  But if your HTPC will include a powerful video card, or will be used for gaming, then consider something at least 400 watts or more.  You’ll also want to be sure to pick the right form factor (e.g. ATX vs Micro ATX) and one that is relatively silent.

3. Choose the best cables for your system.

The type of cables you use will depend on what your TV and home theater receiver support.

  • For video, the best choice is HDMI (note that if your system supports HDMI audio, you won’t need a separate audio cable).  VGA is the next best option if your TV doesn’t support HDMI.  S-Video is the least desirable choice, and should be avoided if possible.
  • For audio, the best option is HDMI.  If your system doesn’t support it (and most systems older than 2 years won’t), then choose optical or coaxial audio.  RCA (i.e. left / right audio) is the least desirable, but is fine if you don’t have a surround sound system (e.g. separate center / left / right / rear speakers).

4. Make sure your network is up to the task.

If you intend to share media over your network with other computers in your house,  you’ll need to make sure you have a fast, stable network.  Some key things to determine:

  • Wired or wireless?  If possible, use a wired network — this will be much faster and more stable.  If you have a wireless network, try to locate the wireless router near your media center PC so you can plug the PC directly into the router.  Since the media center PC will be the hub of your system, having direct access to your router will help insure that the internet connection is fast and stable, and your other computers will be able to connect without any problems.
  • Is your wireless fast enough?  If you haven’t bought a wireless router in the last 3+ years, it might be time for an upgrade.  The best choice today is “wireless N” which is faster than “wireless G” by 2-3x.  You’ll need to upgrade all your computers to have wireless N adapters, but fortunately the cost has come down a lot recently.

5. Are you a Windows or Mac person?  Or maybe you prefer Linux?

Something has to run your media center, and usually this is an operating system such as Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux .  Our recommendation is Windows 7, both for ease of use and flexibility, and because it includes an integrated Media Center application (Windows 7 Premium or Ultimate only).  However, both OS X and Linux have strong followings, and will make good media center systems.

6. The 10-foot experience.

This is a TV media center PC, after all, so the last thing you’ll want to do is sit right in front of your TV, tethered by a mouse and keyboard with a cord.  Invest in a infrared or wireless keyboard, such as the Windows Media Center keyboard, or the Adesso wireless keyboard, both of which have integrated mouse pointers.  You’ll also want a good remote – see the next tip for details.

7. One remote to rule them all.

Your media center PC should be a pleasant experience that doesn’t require juggling 5 different remotes, along with a keyboard and a mouse.  While you will certainly want to get a keyboard for all of your configuration (and occasional web browsing), most tasks can and should be done from your trusty remote.  Two words for you here: Logitech Harmony.  Logitech’s line of universal remotes are hands down the best choice for eliminating the remote clutter, and building a system that anyone (including your significant other and kids) can use without cursing.

You’ll also want to buy a remote receiver (IR receiver) that is compatible with your media center software.  This will be necessary for your remote to work with your media center.

8. Put all those CDs in the attic.

The last thing you want to do is pull out a CD every time you want to play music.  If you’ve long since converted to MP3s, then you’re way ahead of the game — but if you’re like most of us, you’ve got hundreds of those plastic disks taking up space and collecting dust.

If you have many hours on your hands, you could “rip” them all to your media center using various software available. For those without  time or inclination to do it themselves, there’s a better way – CD ripping services like RipDigital.  You simply mail your CDs to one of these services, and for a fee they will copy your CDs to MP3s, which you can then play on your media center.

9. Apps make it better.

Whatever operating system you choose will have some built in applications, but if you want to get the most of out your system, you’ll want to install a few more.  Some of our favorites:

  • Boxee - easy access to stream TV and other online sites like YouTube, Pandora, etc.
  • Hulu - watch your favorite TV shows online.
  • Pandora - a virtual jukebox for listening to music online.   (you can also access this via Boxee)
  • Netflix - watch movies on demand.

10. The right codec for the job.

If you download videos, chances are you’ll run into missing “codecs”.  Codecs are simply system files that allow your media center PC to decode certain types of audio and video.  Since file formats vary widely, it’s at lot easier to install a “codec pack” than try to figure out exact which codec file you need to install.  We suggest installing the free ffdshow codec pack, which will handle most file types.

Want to learn more? Visit our website at www.mediacenterpcguide.com.