Home theater PC

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A home theater PC ( HTPC ) or media center computer is a convergence device that combines some or all of the capabilities of a personal computer with an application software that supports playback video, photos, audio, and sometimes video recording functions. In recent years, other types of consumer electronics, including game systems and specialized media devices have crossed to manage video and music content. The term "media center" also refers to specialized application software designed to run on a standard personal computer.

HTPC and other convergence devices integrate home theater components into units housed together with home entertainment systems. HTPC systems typically have remote control and the software interface typically has a 10-foot (3 m) user interface design that can be easily viewed at typical television viewing distances. HTPC can be purchased pre-configured with the hardware and software needed to add video or music programming to the PC. Fans can also collect systems from discrete components as part of a HTPC-based software.

Since 2007, digital media players and Smart TV software have been incorporated into electronic devices through software or hardware changes including video game consoles, Blu-ray players, networked media players, televisions, and set-top boxes. Increased availability of custom devices, coupled with free and paid digital content online, now offers an alternative to multipurpose (and more expensive) personal computers.

Video Home theater PC

Histori

HTPC as a concept is a product of several technological innovations including high-powered home computers, digital media, and a shift from standard CRT resolution to high-definition monitors, projectors, and large-screen televisions.

Integrating televisions and personal computers dates back to the late 1980s with a tuner card that can be added to the Commodore Amiga PC via Video Toaster. This adaptation will allow a small video window to appear on screen with broadcast or cable content. Apple Computer also developed a Macintosh TV in late 1993 that incorporated a tuner card into the Macintosh LC 520 chassis but quickly withdrew from the market with only 10,000 units shipped.

In 1996, Gateway Computer launched the Destination computer that included a tuner card and video card. Units cost $ 4000 and most watch integrated television and computer functions on one color monitor. The goal was called "PC-TV Combo" but in December the term "Home-theater PC" appeared in the mainstream media: "Home theater PCs will be a combination of entertainment and information tools".

In 2000, DVD players became relatively common and consumers were looking for ways to improve the image. The value of using a computer, rather than a stand-alone DVD player, encourages more use of the PC as a home media device. In particular, the desire for progressive scanning of DVD players (480p instead of 480i) with better video fidelity leads some consumers to consider their computers rather than expensive DVD players.

As DVD players' prices decrease, so does the PC and their associated video processing and storage capabilities. In 2000, DVD decryption software using the DeCSS algorithm enabled DVD owners to consolidate their DVD video libraries on hard-drives. Innovations like TiVo and ReplayTV allow viewers to store and broadcast broadcast content using specially designed computers. ReplayTV for example runs on the VxWorks platform. Incorporating this capability into the PC is excellent in the ability of a computer enthusiast who is willing to build and program the system. The main benefits of these DIY projects include lower costs and more features. Progress in hardware identifies another weak link: the absence of media management software to make it easier to remotely display and control the video.

In 2002, major software development also facilitated media management, hardware integration, and content presentation. MythTV provides free and open source solutions using Linux. The concept is to combine digital tuner with digital video recording, program guide, and computer capability with 10-foot (3 m) user interface. XBMC is another free and open software project that starts with the functioning of Xbox as a home theater PC but has been ported to Windows and Macintosh operating systems in various forms including Boxee and Plex. The major commercial software packages including Microsoft XP Media Center Edition (2002) are bundled with Windows XP and Apple Front Row (2005) software bundled with Mac OS X. In early 2006, commercial examples of this integration included Mac mini which owns Apple Remote, 5.1 digital audio, and an updated Front Row interface that will play media together. Due to these features and small Mini form factor, consumers started using Mini as a Mac-based home theater PC.

Because digital and satellite cables are the norm, HTPC software becomes more dependent on the external decoder box, and the associated subscription fee. For example, MythTV is capable of capturing unencrypted HDTV streams, such as those aired on the air or on cables using a QAM tuner. However, most US receivers and set-top boxes only provide encrypted HD streams for "non-basic" content, which can only be decoded by OpenCable approved hardware or software. In September 2009, OEM restrictions were formally revoked for cableCARD devices, opening the possibility for HTPC integration.

The advent of digital HDTV screens entirely helps to complement the value and ease of use of the HTPC system. Digital projectors, plasma and LCD screens often come pre-configured to receive computer video output including VGA, DVI, and Video Components. In addition, both the computer and the screen can include a video refresher to further customize the image with screen formats and resolutions. In addition, the computer also includes an HDMI port that carries audio and video signals to a home video screen or AV Receiver.

The simple integration of computers and home theater display has enabled the distribution of digital content entirely over the internet. For example, in 2007, Netflix subscribers "watch live" can view streaming content using their HTPC with a browser or with plug-ins with apps like Plex and XBMC. Similar plug-ins are also available for Hulu, YouTube, and broadcasters like NBC, CBS and PBS.

Maps Home theater PC

HTPC Characteristics

The media itself can be stored, received by terrestrial broadcasting, satellite or cable or streamed from the internet. Saved media is stored either on the local hard drive or on the networked storage. Some software is capable of performing other tasks, such as searching for news (RSS) from the Internet.

In addition to functioning as a standard PC, HTPC usually has some additional characteristics:

Television connectivity

Standard PC units are usually connected to a CRT or LCD screen, while HTPC is designed to be connected to the television. All HTPCs must display TV-out options, using either HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, Component video, VGA (for some LCD televisions), S-Video, or Composite video output.

Remote control

Integrating HTPC into a typical living room requires a way to control it remotely.

Many TV tuners/capture cards include remote control for use with the applications that come with the card. Software such as Boxee, GB-PVR, SageTV, MediaPortal, and Beyond TV support the use of Windows MCE and other remote controls. Other options include a mouse pointer in the air such as Wii Remote, GlideTV Navigator, or Loop Pointer that provides cursor control from a distance. It is also possible to use common wireless keyboards and other devices to achieve the same effect (although the range may not be as long as typical controls).

Some HTPCs, such as the Plex/Mac Mini combination, support programmable remote controls designed for a variety of distinctive home theater devices. Newer innovations include remote control apps for Android and iOS smartphones and Apple tablets.

External and network storage devices

Due to the HTPC nature, higher than average capacity is required for HTPC units to enable the storage of images, music, television shows, videos, and other multimedia. Designed almost as a 'permanent storage' device, space can quickly run out on this device. Due to internal space restrictions for hard disk drives and a desire for low noise levels, many HTPC units use NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices, or other types of network file servers.

TV tuner card

The TV tuner card is a computer component that allows television signals to be received by the computer. Most TV tuners also function as video capture cards, allowing them to record television programs onto the hard disk. Some manufacturers build a combined TV tuner and capture cards for PCs. Many such cards offer MPEG encoding hardware to reduce computing requirements. Some cards are designed for analog TV signals such as standard definition cable or off the air television, while others are designed for high-definition digital TV.

Network TV Tuner

TV network tuner or TV gateway is a TV server that converts TV signals from Satellite, Cable or Antenna to IP. With multiple TV tuners, Gateway TV can stream multiple TV channels to devices across the network. Some manufacturers of Gateway TV build devices to stream the entire DVB stream, relying on the host player device to process the feed and to capture/record, while other devices such as VBox Home TV Gateway provide various options of full PVR and live TV features, for streaming specific DVB layers for support less powerful devices and to save network bandwidth

Sound is minimal/minimal

A common user complaint by using a standard PC as a HTPC unit is background noise, especially in quieter movie scenes. Most personal computers are designed for maximum performance, while HTPC system functions may not be processor-intensive. Thus, passive cooling systems, low noise fans, elastic levers that absorb vibrations for fans and hard drives, and other noise-reducing devices are used in place of conventional cooling systems.

How to build a HTPC (Home Theater PC) | Digital Trends

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Software

The HTPC options exist for each of the major operating systems: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. This software is sometimes called "Media Center Software".

Linux, Unix, and BSD
A number of media center software solutions are available for Linux, Unix, and BSD based operating systems; such as MythTV is a fully integrated software suite that combines TV recording, video libraries, video game libraries, image/image galleries, information portals, and music collection playback among other capabilities. Kodi is also available (as for many platforms), and can be used to present all available media including TV programs recorded by MythTV. Freevo, VDR, SageTV, and Boxee are other solutions
Linux, partly because of its opensource nature, is available as a customized version including mediacenter pre-installation and with redundant software removed. Examples include MythBuntu (based on Xubuntu), and Ubuntu TV or Kodibuntu/XBMCbuntu, (all based on Ubuntu).
LinuxMCE is a complete home automation solution including lighting/blinds, security, and MythTV capabilities.

Mac OS X

For Mac OS X versions prior to 10.7 (Lion), HTPC functions are built into the operating system itself. In particular, the Front Row and Cover Flow programs, used in conjunction with Apple Remote, allow users to easily browse and view multimedia content stored on their Mac. With the release of Mac OS X Lion in July 2011, Front Row has been discontinued.

Some third-party applications provide HTPC support including Plex, and XBMC.

Beyond the operating system itself, the add-on hardware-plus-software combination (to add more feature-rich HTPC features to any Mac) includes Elgato's EyeTV series PVRs, AMD "ATI Wonder" external USB 2.0 TV-tuners, and individual devices from third-party manufacturers.

Microsoft Windows

For Microsoft Windows, the common approach is to install a version that contains Windows Media Center (Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate for Windows 7 or Home Premium or Ultimate for Windows Vista). Windows Media Center includes additional software that includes the proposed HTRC PVR function, including free program guide information and automatic program recording. Windows 7, Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate include an MPEG2 decoder. With the introduction of Windows 8, Media Center is no longer included with the operating system; instead, it is necessary to purchase Windows 8 Pro and then purchase the Media Center Package via Windows Control Panel. Windows Media Center is completely unavailable for Windows 10. However, this can be recovered by some unofficial means.

Alternative HTPC software can be built with the addition of third-party PVR software to Windows PCs. SageTV, GB-PVR, and DVBViewer have integrated residence placements that are comparable to Slingbox, enabling client PCs and Hauppauge MediaMVP to connect to servers over the network. Snapstream provides commercial detection and recompression of heuristic programs. When using a faster CPU, SageTV and Beyond TV can record content from TV capture cards that do not include hardware MPEG2 compression. For a free alternative, GB-PVR and MediaPortal provide complete home theater support and good multi-card DVR capabilities. GB-PVR also has free client, free mediaMVP client, and free network media playback. MediaPortal provides complete Client/Server settings with Live TV/DVR (Record or Timeshift) streaming. MediaPortal is an open source and offers various skins and plugins for Music Videos, Netflix, Pandora and more.

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Digital media receiver and consumer electronics integration

Although digital media players are often built using components similar to personal computers, they are often smaller, quieter and cheaper than full-featured computers tailored to multi-media entertainment.

In recent years, convergence devices for home entertainment including game systems, DVRs, Blu-Ray Players and special devices like Roku also start managing local video, music, and/or internet streaming content. Likewise, some managed video services such as FiOS Verizon allow users to combine their photos, videos and music from their personal computers into FiOS set-top boxes including DVRs. Game systems such as Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 support media management beyond their original game orientation.

As computing power increases and costs fall, traditional media devices such as television have been given networking capabilities. Called Smart TV from Sony, Samsung, and LG (to name a few) have models that allow owners to include some free or subscription media content available on the Internet. The rapid growth in the availability of online content, including music and video and games, also makes it easier for consumers to use these networked devices. YouTube, for example, is a common plug-in available on most network-connected devices. Netflix also made deals with many consumer electronics manufacturers to provide their interface for their streaming customers. Symbiotic relationships between Netflix and consumer electronics manufacturers have helped drive Netflix to become the largest subscription video service in the US, using up to 20% of US bandwidth at peak times.

Other digital media retailers such as Apple, Amazon.com and Blockbuster have purchase and rental options for video and music on demand. Apple has specifically developed an integrated device and content management ecosystem with the iTunes Store, personal computers, iOS devices, and AppleTV digital media receivers. The latest version of AppleTV, for $ 99, has lost the hard-drive included in its predecessor and is entirely dependent on streaming internet content, or other computers in the home network for the media.

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Impact on traditional television service

The convergence of content, technology and broadband access allows consumers to broadcast television and movie shows to high-definition television in competition with traditional service providers (Cable TV and Satellite Television). Research firm SNL Kagan expects 12 million households, about 10%, to go without cable, satellite or telecommunications video service by 2015 using Over The Top service. This is a new trend in the broadcast television industry, as the list of options for watching movies and TV over the Internet grows every day. Research also shows that even when traditional television service providers cut their subscriber base, they added Broadband Internet subscribers. Nearly 76.6 million US households get broadband from leading cable and telephone companies, although only some have sufficient speed to support quality video streaming. Convergence devices for home entertainment will likely play a much larger role in the future of broadcast television, effectively shifting traditional revenue streams while providing more choices to consumers.