HTPC Characteristics
From HTPCnz
The general goal in a HTPC is usually to combine many or all components of a home theater setup into one box. They can be purchased pre-configured with the required hardware and software needed to add television programming to the PC, or can be cobbled together out of discrete components as is commonly done with GB-PVR, SageTV or LinuxMCE.
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HTPC characteristics
Beyond functioning as a standard PC, all HTPCs have three additional characteristics in common:
- Television connectivity
- Quiet / minimal noise during operation
- High storage capacities
Television connectivity
Standard PC units are usually connected to a CRT or LCD display, while HTPCs are designed to be connected to a television. All HTPCs should feature a TV-out option, using either a HDMI, DVI, Component Video, VGA (for some LCD televisions), or S-Video output.
Quiet / minimal noise
A common user complaint with using standard PCs as HTPC units is background noise, especially in quieter film scenes. Most computers are designed for maximum performance or clock speed, while the functions of a HTPC system may not be processor-intensive. Thus, passive cooling systems, low-speed fans, vibration-absorbing elastic mounts for fans and hard drives, and other minimal noise devices are used in place of conventional cooling systems.
Putting the operating system on flash memory and keeping the media on a separate file server elsewhere in the home can eliminate the noise and heat generated by a hard drive.
Higher storage capacities
Because of the nature of the HTPC, higher than average capacities are required for HTPC units to allow storage of pictures, music, television shows, videos, and other multimedia. Designed almost as a "permanent storage" device, space can quickly run out on these devices. Because of restrictions on internal space for hard disc drives and a desire for low noise levels, many HTPC units utilise a file server across a network. Some HTPC units also feature a DVD writer to help users copy and move their media.
