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My New HTPC |
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Wow! My stats show that this section gets the most hits from search engines. It shows how popular HTPCs will be once the technology matures. What I've noticed since posting the placeholder article here last September is that the technology is still very much in its infancy.
Hardware-wise, the building blocks are there now and affordable. However, the software is lagging way behind. For example, I've only found one really complete user interface that will display nicely on a TV screen (MyHTPC) and it is still in alpha! HTPC cases are starting to be marketed but they concentrate on small size and external looks more than internal cooling and drive capacity.
What I set out to build was a machine that could not only play audio and video through my stereo system and TV but also process audio and video input as well. This calls for a fast processor, decent memory size and a lot of disk space. At least two hard drives are required so that video can be converted while running from one drive to another. I now have three drives in the machine. Add in a CD writer and DVD writer and the case becomes quite full. The HTPC cases typically have room for just one hard drive and one CD/DVD drive. Either I need to stick with a mid-tower case or split the functionality between two machines. More on this later.
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