HTPC - Home Theater Personal Computers

If you're already familiar with the term, HTPC, you're already ahead of

the curve. The last decade of consumer electronics has blurred the line between computers and home entertainment. Internet websites like Netflix and Hulu have infinitely expanded our viewing selection with instant video streaming. Even professional sports are beginning to broadcast their games live over the Internet. This year's Super Bowl XLVI was, for the first time, streamed over the internet to PC and mobile users.

The HTPC offers an incredibly low cost alternative to traditional cable/satellite television. Presuming that Cable/Satellite costs average about $50/month (or more), that's at least $600 annually! Canceling that cable/satellite bill and opting for an HTPC solution would pay itself off in just a few months, not to mention that it will last for several years more.

Windows 7 already has a built-in feature,

Windows Media Center, that can serve as the platform

for your Media Entertainment. From this Program, you can play movies, music, pictures, and even watch live TV. You can even browse your TV Guide and record episodes just as you would with a DVR or Tivo device.

If you have a DVD or Blu-Ray collection of movies, you can copy them onto your computer's

hard

drive and have access to your entire media library available for playback on your TV. This means you can eliminate the clutter of DVD's lining your shelves and also ensures that you have a back-up copy.

Windows Media Center 7 also features Netflix as an integrated add-in, allowing you to seamlessly browse your Netflix Queue, or browse categories.

MediaBrowser is also a must have add-in that is free to download and install. It makes the task of choosing a movie almost as fun as watching it. MediaBrowser scans your Media folders and fetches online Metadata with cover art, thumbnails, as well as IMDB actor data.

The most important aspect of HTPC's is that there are endless ways to customize your system to your unique preferences, and you can make it as simple, or as advanced as you like.