1. Why do I need a Media Center? What is an HTPC?

Here are some explanations and features to help you get started:

• HTPC Media Center: "HTPC" stands for Home Theater PC. It is basically a Windows PC which you build or buy that has the necessary Media Center software, an HDMI or DVI graphics output connector and a sufficiently large hard drive. Attach this to your flat-screen TV set or monitor and you now have the essential requirements for a dedicated entertainment / media center "hub".
• A FREE alternative to Cable TV, DVRs and TIVO:  Use the hard drive on a PC to watch, time-delay and record hundreds of free programs being broadcast over dozens of local and network digital TV broadcast channels and sub-channels that are available in most urban areas of the US. All you require is an inexpensive indoor or outdoor antenna, a version of Microsoft Windows 7 with Media Center software, and a TV tuner card that can plug into a spare PCI-E slot in your computer. Instead of a tuner card, you can buy a USB tuner stick that plugs into a spare rear USB socket. Make sure these tuners specify built-in ATSC decoders that support free full-bandwidth OTA (Over-The-Air) HDTV broadcasts having the same or better picture quality as the QAM HDTV sent over cable. 
• Watch 1000's of free downloadable iTunes podcasts of favorite TV shows
• Internet TV: Watch all the diverse programming available on the internet via streaming video
• Play movies from Netflix and Amazon Prime online or on DVDs
• Listen to the millions of tracks of free streaming music available via Pandora and Spotify. 
• File all your music: Organize and listen to your mp3 music collection
• JPEG Photos: Categorize, store and play back all your digital photos. 
• Scan, save and preserve all your valuable old 35mm photos and slides into a centralized album

It's a well-kept secret!  Did you know that the necessary Windows Media Center  software to do all the above is already included within most versions of Microsoft Windows 7, including Windows Home Premium, Ultimate, Professional and Enterprise editions? (Only Windows Home Basic leaves this feature out). Add a $69 Dual TV Tuner PCI Card, a Windows Compatible remote control and you can enjoy all of the above on your large screen TV. If you are a newcomer to this subject there is some learning involved. Here's a guide to get you started:

• Cut that Cable Service! Tired of paying through the nose for a monthly cable TV subscription when so much free high definition and standard digital programming is already being broadcast locally OTA (Over The Air) and over the internet? Read on! 

Roof-mount do-it-yourself antenna
(click to enlarge)

• DTV Antenna:  Depending on your location, many channels can often be picked up with an ordinary rabbit-ears indoor antenna, or you can build a simple yet effective antenna yourself. This ConsumerReports Blog shows you how. In my case, I reused an existing rooftop mounted UHF antenna from the old analog TV days. I tested it first with an old TV attached to a $49 digital converter box and was able to pick up 39 local digital TV channels. If you would rather buy a new one, I found this antenna at a good price. Depending on reception in your area it can be installed indoors, outdoors or in the attic.

• Reception: To find out which digital TV broadcast television signals are available in your area, complete with detailed orientation information, use the great online tool at TV Fool.  It allows you to "compute the expected signal strength for every channel "in the air" at your location, including adjustments for transmitter power, terrain obstructions, curvature of the Earth, and other factors that affect signal availability".  

• VCR Replacement: I didn't want to pay a subscription for a DVR or a TIVO box. By using Media Center's Guide and Record TV  features, I now have a replacement for my old VCR and can record all my favorite shows using the built-in two-week TV guide which updates daily automatically over the internet .  

• Streaming TV: I have found a goldmine of streaming video programs available over the internet. There are free downloadable programs such as  iTunes, Boxee, Hulu, and Kylo that allow you to organize and view hundreds of TV programs and podcasts, all on demand. To set up iTunes on your Media Center read this post. You can also add a relatively low-cost monthly Netflix or Amazon Prime account for watching a large collection of movies online as well as on DVDs. Many people already have a broadband cable or DSL service which just sits there unused when not browsing the web or doing email, so why not put it to use?

• 720P / 1080i TV or Monitor: I already owned a two-year old flat panel Philips TV that had several external inputs that I could hook up to my PC's graphics output. Newer TVs can support VGA, DVI and HDMI digital connectors.

• Build Your Own compact full-featured Home Theater PC Media Center with standard components purchased online from Newegg and Amazon and get ready to join the "Cable-Free" TV revolution

My DIY Media Center
(click to enlarge)

Do It Yourself? I enjoy the challenge of a rewarding DIY project and like to save money as well. I have built several Media Center HTPCs before for myself, family and friends.  This time around, I decided to build one and describe the steps in this blog as I go along. Those of you who are hesitant to build one yourself, or just want to know more about the subject are welcome to follow along. Of course, the following notes and suggestions are based on my own experiences, so I am not responsible for any problems or consequences resulting from your use of this information!

How to start, what do I need and what will it cost? The following is a list of the parts I ordered from various online stores. At time of purchase, the total cost of all parts (not including the Windows 7 Home Premium O.S.) came to just over $500.  Your own costs will probably end up being different based on availability and the parts you select. This build is based upon my own research but there are many possible variations. Let me know about your own experiences!

• The Operating System: I have built several HTPC Media Center boxes, all based on Windows 7 Home Premium.  Most people can find a "System Builders" copy under $100. Windows Media Center is fairly stable, but be aware that it is built around the Windows OS, and things can sometimes lock-up and need a restart - the infamous three finger salute! In this build you have to push the power button and keep it pushed for a few seconds.

• Which version of Windows 7, 64-bit or 32-bit?  32-bit processors are limited to 4 GB of memory, and typically can't use the full amount. The newer Intel 64-bit processors are theoretically capable of referencing 2^64 locations in memory, or 16 exabytes, however, all 64-bit versions of Microsoft operating systems currently impose a 16 TB limit on address space and allow no more than 128 GB of physical memory. I have installed  the 64-bit version of Windows 7 in my recent Media Center HTPCs builds. I can't see a huge difference in performance, but if you have at least 4GB of SDRAM, or are looking at the larger 8GB versions, then be aware that 64-bit Windows 7 is designed to make use of all that RAM efficiently. Make sure first that all your hardware (i.e., tuner or graphics cards) have the necessary 64-bit compatible drivers available.

Xbox Universal Remote Control

RC6 infrared USB Receiver

• "The 10' Viewing Experience" using a Remote Control: Since the whole idea of a Media Center is to be able to sit at a comfortable viewing distance, you will need a suitable remote and a USB infrared receiver. I bought a used Microsoft XBox 360 Universal Remote Control that can be integrated nicely with Media Center. It has ergonomic lighted buttons, fits nicely into my hand and is cheap. I also found an RC6 InfraRed USB Receiver on eBay. The following registry tweaks are required for this remote to work with Windows Media Center: http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Remote_Control_Reviews. This site also has gobs of useful information about other Media Center compatible remotes. The following site shows you how to add even more functionality to this excellent remote: http://mediacenterguides.com/advancedremotes. 

• Wake-up from "S3 Sleep Mode": The Remote Control's ON/OFF button will cause the system to go in and out of low-power sleep mode. This mode is an important requirement for Media Center, since it allows automatic Record and Guide Downloads to occur at pre-determined times and the system goes back to sleep when done. In case of a power outage, or if the box is unplugged, the sytem requires a "power on startup". In other words, the remote control cannot be used to bring it back up and you have to use the power button. I also keep a mouse and keyboard handy for initial setup and occasional debugging.   

The Case:

Athena Mini-ITX Case. Charcoal with Hairline Texture Body. SECC Steel.
With 150W Power Supply.

OR:

APEX MI-100 Black / Mirror finish Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply

• Mini-ITX Case: I wanted the smallest case that could comfortably house a mini-itx motherboard with adequate room to mount the stock Intel heatsink and could fit easily on a bookshelf. The best case I found was the $49 Rosewill RC-CIX-01 black steel case from Newegg or Amazon measuring 10.28" x 7.87" x 6.54". It includes a 150W power supply and a quiet 80mm fan. 
• The Apex MI-100 is another inexpensive well built mini-itx case measuring 5.1 x 8.7 x 11.8 inches that also works well. Since there is no built-in fan, the power supply's fan serves to exhaust air out of the case since it sits right on top of the CPU. There is barely enough clearance between the Clarkdale CPU's stock fan and the P.S., but the Sandy Bridge CPU/stock fan fits nicely. 

Motherboards and CPUs: 

• Mini-itx form-factor motherboards are well suited for low-power, compact HTPC builds. I selected the 6.7" x 6.7" form factor Biostar TH61 mini-ITX motherboard for my latest build. It includes the recently introduced Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3-2100 3.1GHz CPU  featuring Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000, DX10.1, Pixel Shader 4.1 and Blu-ray Stereoscopic 3D with HDMI 1.4. Other alternatives are the ASRock H67M-ITX  or Gigabyte GA-H67N-USB3. Note: You can only use an Intel Sandy Bridge LGA 1155 socket compatible motherboard with the Sandy Bridge CPU! 
• My previous build was with the Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3 paired with an Intel Core i3-550 Clarkdale CPU LGA 1156 socket compatible motherboard. 
• NOTE: You won't need an additional Graphics card with either the Clarkdale or Sandy Bridge compatible motherboards that feature direct video CPU outputs. The usual on-board graphics chipsets have been left off and they make use of the integrated graphics cores built into the Clarkdale or Sandy Bridge CPU's instead. Only the necessary interface from the CPU's graphics to the 3 rear-panel HDMI, DVI and VGA video connectors is included. 

Other Components:

• DDR3 RAM: I used a pair of compatible 2GB Corsair DDR3 1600 SDRAM.

• Hard Drive: Recorded TV and photos gobble up storage space rapidly, so I decided to get the largest hard drive I could afford. I selected this Seagate Barracuda 2TB 5900 RPM drive.

• DVD / CD Burner: I will be using a Blu-Ray drive, but I am currently concerned with higher cost and compatibility issues with Windows 7 Media Center. So for now I have used a Liteon CD/DVD Drive.

• TV Tuner Card: In my case, this was the most critical requirement for watching and recording "cable-free" ATSC TV programming. I wanted a dual tuner card that could allow me to record two programs simultaneously, or record one program while watching a second. I selected this Avertv MTVHDDUWB HD Duet PCI-E card. It plugs into the single available PCI-E slot on the Gigabyte motherboard,

DIY Videos: Refer to following additional links for step-by-step videos and detailed information to assist you with building your own Media Center:

1. Assembling the HTPC - Video

2. Windows 7 Software Installation - Video
3. Media Center Setup - Video
4. Enhancements & Other Resources
5. Watch TV with iTunes on your Media Center
6. Windows 7 64 bit Vs 32 bit - which is best?

For those of you who have never built anything like this before and could use further help and/or clarification, email me, or post your question in the comment box below. 

Purchase a Complete Unit: You can purchase a customized Media Center similar to the one described in this article, fully assembled, tested and pre-loaded with a licensed copy of Windows 7 Home Premium and Media Center installed. Telephone setup support is free and an Xbox Universal Remote Control with a RC-6 IR Receiver will be included. Contact me for further information.


Tell us about your own Do-it-yourself Media Center Set-up Experiences - or get answers to your questions!
Building your own Media Center is almost always a learning experience. Let others know about some of the things you may have learned or provide us with hints that may be helpful to those attempting a build for the first time. 
Leave your comments and/or questions by clicking here: Comments. Thanks!

The next post describes the HTPC Media Center assembly process.