Consider the field as we in 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has put behind us, a silence almost seems palatable in the Air, something like the calm before the storm to be. It seems that everyone is waiting with bated breath, that some kind of technology that will act as a "magic pill" that, when used with the general population to take a sudden the whole house connected to Nirvana. I'm not sure that there is such a thing ...
In a recent article,an author who contributes to a well-known website states that the "home theater PC is dead!" in its subject line of a recent article. As with other times I have avoided the title of "shock", I find myself having to politely disagree with the author. I'm sorry friend not the HTPC is dead!
Logitech Revue
Although the "death of the HTPC" request has been met mostly with the rejection by the reader, I suppose in hindsight the use of a stateMent "shock" as the subject of work have resulted inReader (I also figure that gives me the right to use it when my mind must be clear). Also, I think the author could very underrated as a "typical user" with the words, have "quite hard to navigate with a PC over the Internet" is. Perhaps this is true of some of the older generation, but when you consider that many of us have Computers to work for a large part of our lives, I think most people might be a bit 'more experienced on the PC, as it is played .Similarly, you could lump Mac there too, because it is not really a lot 'of difference in the operation, I'm sorry!
To proceed further, it is necessary to define precisely what a HTPC in the first place ...
Defined HTPC ...?
At the simplest level, the HTPC I would be defined as follows: A personal Computer (Windows, Linux, Mac) that, when properly configured and connected to an HD TV, allows the user to output both audio and video through the home theater system ordirectly to your Hdtv.
That, to recognize what is here, and that confirms my thesis with the claim that the HTPC is dead is that an HTPC is really built with virtually any combination of hardware, operating system and software media center that can be imagined to be !
There's nothing out there that has a HTPC for a full Windows 7 Home Premium machine with Windows Media Center 7, said. That's what I'm currently using? Yes, because it is a great facility, especially when combinedWindows Home Server. But, as I just said, an HTPC can be a variety of options, which are to be included in the hardware, operating system and software media center, so the definition can be extended beyond my attempt far too generalized?
Perhaps it would help us to better define the HTPC in the first place from its ability to ...
HTPC! Uh! What is so good? Absolutely everything!
Ok, maybe not everything, but asthe essential purpose of the HTPC is to play audio and / or video through the home theater audio system and / or TV.
In addition, but the thing to remember is that anything can be done on your home PC, you can do on your HTPC also, and once in a while is nice to be able to relax on the couch and surf the web on a large TV screen while you are in Windows Media streaming from the Internet or your local collection point or [add your own personal "vision"here].
Depending on your hardware and software selection that allows you to build or buy your HTPC, you can also use:
- Rip & Burn (legally) to compose, and audio streaming.
- Blu-ray and DVD movies, even electricity to other computers (and TV) throughout the house.
- Pause Live TV and take all your favorite programs with a fully functional DVR (digital video recorder) to record up to 4 channels (with the tuner card on the right) in HD quality content.
- Surfon the Internet. Trust me, look in a hurry with the ability to drag something without a laptop or tablet netbook is equally, if not better! Imagine going in the other room, in order to use the Internet! Joke, but you know what I mean ...
- Games. Maybe you already have a system console, but there are always some games, for PC only. Have fun playing any PC game in full HD glory, with accompanying surround sound and you'll understand what I mean.
Thinking of buying aNew Blu-ray? How about a TiVo or other DVR? Why not an HTPC to the DVD / Blu-ray, DVR, iPod dock and other home theater components in a solid (and beautiful) piece of technology that continues to grow and adapt to consolidate your home entertainMent is needed?
Hardware
One of the best features of a HTPC is its flexibility. Whether you are building your own HTPC or buy a high-end system that was built by a well established company, we have theChoice of how much power you need.
Enter the details of what you have under your HTPC is the "hood" is outside the scope of this article, but the specific features you want and you came away with from the above list is a great role to play in desired direction. The most desired features go with your HTPC, the most obvious would be within reasonable limits. What this means is that if you make a lot of video encoding or other CPU-intensive tasks, you cando not need much power. My own HTPC from the belly of my old gaming system is built on the previous period in Iraq, it comes to talking a Core 2 Duo and 4 GB of RAM and it works great! Literally 90% of my TV via my HTPC and the interaction includes television, cinema, music streaming, etc. I even need to write from there sometimes. It 'easy and is convenient ... what you should not go back?
More power usually means that you need a larger case as well, because you need to make a decent graphics card and fitas a TV tuner or CableCARD. With more power, more is when essential for cooling and to be honest aesthetics. While each atom-based mini-computers out there for a pretty decent HTPC to experience for many people, you need a little 'more' attitude 'if you're looking for decent DVR functionality or something in that direction are made of this machine. Fortunately for us, there are still a number of producers of those HTPC cases surprising that keep you in shapeperfectly stack AV or entertainMent center.
Some cases, like the Zalman HD160XT (my current HTPC case), have a small Lcd screen on the front. The screen is clearly too small for the manipulation of the desktop for any amount of time, but if you split your 7 "screen and your Hdtv, you can use the smaller screen for various things, such as viewing, time or weather Another use of monitoring software. I like to throw about Winamp on this screen and play in full screen modego with the display, as I always do on the big screen. Basically it comes to creating your own world with this kind of flexibility allows you, your home entertainment to suit your taste and specifications developed. Having options is a good thing!
As we skip the details of the courage of these plants, for now, remains only to discuss what your options input. I think it's almost funny when I have some posts about people who see the concept ofKeyboard in the living room where and how this concept should in some way against some unwritten rules of etiquette to go home technology. It reminds me almost breathless with a snobby person: "Why on earth ...".
Really? It 'really so strange and taboo, a keyboard in your living room? I think it depends on personal preference, but in the end none of my friends I have in my living room for a keyboard to laugh) Even though there are a number of options for wireless keyboards andMice can, my recommendation to interact with the HTPC hands down, the music combining Air Gyration Gyration Compact remote keyboard. The keyboard is nice and small, so do not look in the living room is a 30 "series must be based on radio frequency (RF).
Only the keyboard in a convenient, but out of sight, rather than (as under the table), and pull it out if you need to enter data. Trust me, everything is not as embarrassing as sometry to portray; it wouldn't surprise me that in the not so distant future, keyboards will be the norm in the TV room and perhaps could even come standard with TVs. It just seems like a logical progression forward as we start to interact more and more with our TVs via computer, gaming consoles, and media streaming devices like the Logitech Revue that we have at least a compact keyboard to make entering information a whole lot easier!
Heck, why not take it a step further and interact with your voice with your TV? Yes folks, the technology is already here and in force for those of you using a strong aversion to having a keyboard in the living room to jump around on the keyboard and voice commands to control the environment! With an Android or iPhone as a remote control Logitech Harmony system to manipulate the system or go with a universal remote control devices such as Amulet "Amulet Remote: This may be a number of ways to achieve, for example,what the voice control of Windows Media Center, there are a number of high-quality solutions for the use of the voice on your home network to control.
The platform / operating system
Here is where we are the most diverse in the options, and arguments quite convincing against a declaration of having "HTPC dead." Now that we have defined what we want to use for our HTPC, and uses this list to determine what are our requirements for hardware,it's time to choose the operating system (OS) meets our needs to do better.
I think most of the youngest "of the HTPC is dead" talk comes from doing the reading of what to Microsoft with its Windows Embedded technology. In short, the platform Windows Embedded device manufacturers that only those parts of the operating system that are necessary to perform the intended function, it must build such a device when you boot directly into Windows Media Center 7 Think magazine or LogitechRoku HD type devices that are running a customized version of Windows Media Center.
Windows Embedded is certainly very exciting technology, and we're going to see more of the great devices we got glimpses of at CES coming out soon with varying degrees of the Windows 7 Operating System embedded on them. These devices are remarkable and will certainly become widespread in the Connected Home-- I am not arguing that point at all. I am also not arguing the point that these types of embedded The devices are probably set-top box to the TV for most of the market share, some people (probably closer to most people) want to happen is simple and easy things work. Agreed.
But is the Microsoft Windows Media Center 7, the only option? No. .. not even close! In fact there are a couple of contenders for the Media Center Belt: SageTV and XBMC immediately come to mind as a viable and in some ways better than Windows Media Center 7
And if Microsoftcompletely out of the picture, you can still get a solid HTPC with Linux on your SageTV Media Center or XBMC, better in some aspects of a seventh Windows, but it is hoped that Microsoft is smart enough to not turn our backs on the concept of HTPC. I do not believe in all the excitement around Windows as a sign that they do read embedded HTPC, but who need a solution that meets the need for simplicity, by some people to understand, as well as providingThe creation of a mass market for OEMs and promoted by the innovative fire. Again, this is a good thing! Microsoft would be foolish to jump out of this game now, with all their efforts on waiver and Windows Embedded Windows Media Center PC. If they do, there are many companies will be willing to fill this gap and to be in shock.
Windows Embedded is as cold as it is a fact that does not go around:
You may have more to do with an HTPC, how can you do with an embeddedDevice, be it from Microsoft, Google, or anyone else ever be too much. Embedded devices are locked and only in one way or another. I do not know for the rest of you know, but I do not want to be limited when it comes to my home theater! I want to be able to improve programs or even extend the functionality of my HTPC to control other aspects of my house to add intelligent. Would you like to give your freedom to create, the home theater experience you want? I do not thinkso!
The magic pill
As you can see, there are probably as many ways to build and configure an HTPC, how to build people! With all the options available to you the hardware, operating systems, all media center can truly say, the HTPC is dead? I do not think so.
If you ask me, the HTPC is perfect for the next wave of advertising related to its initial position. Instead of removing the option for people, why not in HTPCcurrent position as the high-end solution for integrating your Home Theater not only with the world's content, but also with the rest of the house as well! As much as I believe that these embedded devices of various operating systems will appeal to the majority of home users because of their simplicity, I also believe that the amount of people who want the extra power and functionality that an HTPC brings to the table will continue grow as well. I think people today are much more tech-savvy than in days past and I certainly do not believe "the typical user has a hard time using a PC to surf the web". That just doesn't sound like an accurate statement to me.
I think we've shown here that the HTPC is far from dead. Perhaps if some people have a very limited and tunnel vision concept of the HTPC and its uses, then they could come to the conclusion that the HTPC is dead, but I think it is easy to see that the exact opposite is true. The HTPC is not only alive and kicking, but it is in a better place than ever, a very practical solution for those looking for more. We should be so many options at home in the "Connected Home" are interesting as possible, because bringing more options for the consumer more power means more growth for the industry.
As for me, I'm going to see "what goes down the rabbit hole", because this year could well be the year of the connected home and HTPC can play an important role in making happen fromIntegration of home entertainment technology at home!
So what? Which pill? Red ... or blue? (If you get lost, look at the Matrix)
I went to Red ...
Tom
The HTPC is dead! NO!