Home Theater PC Integrates Entertainment Options

As more people are turning to multimedia personal computers, hardware and software that turn their home computers in DVD players, digital recorders and television display monitors are moving into a growing circle of users. With the growing use of home theater PC products, the processing power of the computer is primary to making the system work, followed by the monitor on which the images can be viewed. Downloading movies from the internet is helping to make the home theater PC more popular as not everyone wants to watch movies on their relatively small computer monitors.

Typically a home theater PC will have a minimum processor speed of one gigahertz, although faster is better and can prevent interruptions while viewing a movie or video on the computer. They should also have an output for a monitor in addition to the regular monitor or be able to be connected to a high definition television monitor. Video input graphics cards are available and used to receive programming from cable or satellite providers, as well as digital and analog signals from over the air broadcasters.

More home theater PC users are looking to limit the amount of entertainment options requiring different units. Instead of having a separate unit for television, DVD viewing and music CDs, they are finding multimedia personal computers house all of the separate components all in one location.

Noise Interference Not A Real Issue

In some of the older home theater PC units, cooling fans and other spurious noises such as the spinning of the hard drive, may have presented a problem, especially in quiet parts of the videos. However, with most newer personal computers, the CPUs run exceptionally quiet and seldom interfere enough to warrant a separate server placed away from the viewing monitor and speakers.

In most instances, those using a home theater PC to replay movies downloaded from the internet, the computer will be in a separate room with a longer monitor cable traveling to the larger monitor. The digital video and audio signals provided in most downloadable videos are compatible with most digital sound systems as well as the home theater PC's sound system.

While some decline to buckle under techie pressure and watch movies and television shows on their home personal computer, a certain segment of technology wizards intend to move as much entertainment media onto their home theater PC as possible. Whether they watch on their computer monitor or a larger monitor in a separate room, they prefer being able to control all entertainment through one master unit.