subject: Media Center Pcs And The Versatility They Offer [print this page] The computer at home has 2 main functions: the first is computing i.e. typing assignments, browsing the internet, downloading music and movies, editing videos and pictures or even writing CDs. The other function is entertainment where we watch internet TV or movies, listen to music, play games, and check out photos. Over the years deliberate attempts have been made to integrate these two functions through inventions such as Sony Vaio and environments such as WebTV and AccessDTV. The latest trend is bent on creating Media Center PCs for use in homes to provide both audio and video capabilities while maintaining all the traditional functions of the computer.
With respect to the Microsoft Windows environment, Media Center PCs are regarded as any computers that are running either Windows Vista Ultimate or Premium or the Media Center version of Windows XP build 2005, as well as the latest Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate). A PC running media center software such as Beyond TV and Sage TV also falls in this category. The Media Center PCs enable their owners to get the best of digital entertainment straight from their PCs or by hooking them up to televisions through the HDMI ports. In the latter system, the PC is used as an A/V receiver. For MAC X Leopard Operating system users, the media center software comes through Apples Front Row. The Linux users have either Freevo or LinuxMCE. A media center program has a graphical user interface (GUI) which may be enabled for use with a remote control. Another name for the remote control is 10-feet user interface. This software may be obtained from the internet or through the satellites of cable broadcasting companies.
A typical desktop media center PC should have large capacity hard drives since recorded television and downloaded television programs take up several hundred or thousands of mega bytes. Also needed in a desktop media center PC is the optimal storage of photos, songs and videos. A decent video card is necessary to view and edit pictures and videos, but even more power is needed if the users wish to also play games.
For streaming television programs and movies from the internet, a desktop media center PC requires a high speed fast Ethernet card which will help reduce internet connection and download costs. A good DVD or Bluray Drive is essential for reading and writing DVDs and Bluray Discs.
The Media Center software enables you to use your computers hard disk to store downloaded television programs and watch them later as in digital video recorders (DVR), listen to internet radio, edit digital personal movies and so forth.
Another concern for top end Media Center PCs is safeguarding data so a hard drive failure does not result in the loss of large amounts of media. For these concerns, it is best to combine a Media Center PC with an internal or external RAID Storage configuration, which will maintain data even if a hard drive were to fail.
