Building a Small computer for my TV

[Harthos1]

Ok, so I want to build a cheap, simple, PC to go with my TV.

I want it to have a blu ray player, and be 5.1 sound capable. Also, I would prefer to have Windows 7 on it, but I could use XP, instead.

Sorry to sound like such a nuub, but I am still learning when it comes to system building, and most of the kits I have seen online, only have DVD drives, not blu ray.

Thanks.

 

[harrydell]

A Media Center PC is the entertainment hub in your family room for all things digital. The movers and shakers in the computer industry are very serious about something called a Media Center PC and are spending bazillions to get to it. There's big money to be had - at least so think companies like Microsoft and Sony - if they can be the king of the family entertainment center.

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R4

 

[Harthos1]

The point here, is to SAVE money. A Friend of mine built a system for his tv with windows Xp, and 5.1 capable, for only $100. The only difference, is that he didn't have blu ray.

I haven't heard much in main stream about using a pc for your tv, (because most people in the public don't seem to think much of their tvs as monitors. This is why they sell these "medai devices" for your tv, that cost more, and do less, than a basic PC would), and this is why I want to do it this way.

 

[Indigo]

You can get Windows 7 OEM for $99, and it will be far better in the long run than Windows XP for a media center PC. Home Premium should be fine for what you want to do.

Otherwise, the rest of the hardware is pretty trivial. I run an HTPC at home with a triple core Phenom, and here at work we have one in the break room running on an old Core 2 Duo. Both systems have 4GB of RAM, and the work PC has about 80GB of hard drive space (not used for recording) and my home system has almost a terabyte of space (but it DOES record over the air HDTV signals)

 

[Legodude522]

For some inspiration, you should check out Mini-ITX. mini-itx.com - store - home