I have some time interested in the theme of 'Media Center' and finally have mine ready. I will try to explain a little what they are, to be used, as we ride one ... I hope we might interest someone. WHAT IS A MEDIA CENTER? It's basically a PC connected to your TV and stereo or home theater (if have). If we have Internet connection at home, for the better. With all this, we are going to give us the possibility of many things, including: - Watch the TV, depending on the type of grabbers, we can see it in analog or digital (DTT) - Listen to music either from CD or from our MP3 collection on your hard disk - Listen to digital quality radio - Recording our favorite

radio / TV so the hard drive as a CD / DVD - Pause the display of a live program and continue from the point where it stopped - Check all from one remote control - Riding a Karaoke - Use it as a game console - View our mail or connect to the Messenger from the couch - ... ALL THAT IS IN OUR IMAGINATION "Impressive right? Let's go by parts, ok? OPTIONS The first thing to determine is what we want to ride, currently there are various software that perform these tasks, but I am going to focus on 2: Windows XP Media Center 2005 and Pinnacle Media Center. - WMC 2005: This is a XP like we have at home, with some tweaks to make it more accessible from the remote control and additional software from where you perform all the tasks we have said before. The problem as always is the price, the whole operating system, remote control (it's one specific to Microsoft) and wireless keyboard with mouse built cost around 300 €. To this we must add that not all devices are compatible, we only have a few models that can be used. Here is a list of compatible hardware. - PMC: is a software similar to Windows, but at an affordable price? FREE provided they buy a capture card that mark. I've healed as health and do not know where the shots will go in the future, I bought a model of this brand is also compatible with WMC. The first thing I tried in my house was to install WMC on my computer, but as I feared, some of my hardware components were not compatible and did not work properly. Since this option was out, I prepared to install Pinnacle Media Center, which is what I have now. TEAM SELECTION To install a different software from Microsoft, can use any type of computer: - Portable: It is an option, but it's a pain having to connect all the cables each time you want to watch TV or listen to some music - Desktop PC: If you're going to put a desktop PC ordinary, a bit cantoso will stay in the room, but hey, to taste colors? Another thing is that we use a smaller box, there are some very coolest of small size that we can come in handy, much like I have is, is well hidden and does almost no noise. We can also use a barebone, but are expensive for the power they give. - Embedded PC: this is a normal PC, but with smaller pieces and shaped like a tape recorder or DVD player. This is milk, but are extremely expensive. WHAT PARTS DO I NEED? For people who dare to ride an MC, I commented: - Safety: As I said before, yours is to get us a small box, and it is firmly in our lounge. In alternate online stores, we have plenty to choose from. I buy it there and I'm very happy so far. We should look at the source is silent on that front has connections for USB, Firewire, Micro ... - Microprocessor: No I recommend that Monteis 'a PC more cucumber the world', would be too expensive and not necessary. I would advise you to go to the cheapest (but of course that is not Celeron, Duron or Seprom). I have an AMD Athlon 2400MHz, as well as being cheaper than Intel, works less frequently with the same efficiency, which translates into less heat. - Motherboard: A micro according to which buy some, not you must go away at the most expensive. I have a mini ATX Asrock - Fan: It is important to be one quiet. - Memory: With a module 512 that shoots you. - HDD: Depends what you want to record, but the price they are, I would put at least one of 120Gb - T. Video: It should not be bad, but not buy you that you must use to play Quake Freaks I have an ATI Radeon 9200 128Mb and is perfect. I'm assuming that must have TV out, the same is there any out there that does not bring - T. Capture: The best thing to take away is that is internal pots, a couple of models that are well Pinnacle, I have the most complete, the 310i, which will incorporate digital radio, digital terrestrial television and analogue television. Very good, is narrow (valid for thin boxes), brings you a very cool remote control, good documentation ... come on, though a bit more expensive, did not hesitate at any time. This is the basis of our Media Center, do not think it's good save at this point. - Sound Card: you will usually bring a motherboard built, but not usually of high quality. It is best that you try and see if over time we want more quality and performance, as already bought one. I have not found type SB Live cards fine, but when you read the same article there, so I bought an external one is perfect. - Memory card reader: You are going to centralize all our leisure at one point, it is best to provide our Media Center for all possible uses and because it costs so little, I think it worth buying. From there, they can download the memory cards directly from our phone, camera ... If it is internal, it's better, we can put in the place of the 3.5 floppy drive no longer used at all. - Label: The best way to have a complete system is to use a DVD burner dual layer. With a normal LG is burning. - Wireless Card: instead of having to carry a cable to the TV, and provided we have WIFI in our house (do not be bad, not worth the neighbor) we can use a wireless card to connect to the Internet from TV. - Wireless Keyboard & Mouse: what would get him a single device that has both, but if you do not find any good. * Be careful when choosing the box. If you take a box you must choose a miniATX PCI cards that are not high, which then do not come (I say this from experience). Some of these cards close, they bring you two badges for screwing the pc, one regular and one closer to this type of boxes. Please bring it, which is as normal, you can do yourself. If someone has a Dremmel, this is a breeze: you catch one of the plates we removed when we put a new card and we make the holes to match ours. If anyone has doubts about this, write me and tell him more about the subject. BUDGET I've got a budget for proper configuration example: - Case: AOpen H340H - 54 € - Microprocessor: AMD Athlon 64 3000 + SK939 - 150 € - Motherboard: ASROCK K8 PLATE 939A8X-M SK939 DDR AGP M-ATX - 60 € - Fan: REFRIG. K8 ARCTIC COOLING SILENCER64 ULTRA TC - 11 € - Memory: 512 MB DDR 400 Memory - 43 € - HDD: 120 GB UDMA 133 DISCO MAXTOR 7200 - 67 € - T. Video: SVGA AOPEN FX5200 DDR 128MB AGP - 43 € - T. Capture: SINT. TV PINNACLE PCTV 310i - 108 € - Sound Card: Sound Blaster Live T. 24-bit External - 53 € (test first internal motherboard and if not, find a box suitable for internal matter) - Memory card reader: READER ANTLER MULT.TARJETA 9x1 INT - 9 € - Label: REG.LG DVD-R / + RW GSA-4167B 16X DL BULK - 40 € - Wireless Card: USB CONCEPTRONIC 54Mb - 25 € - Keyboard and Mouse: either the good (from 20 €) IDEAS - I consider incorporating the remote sensor on the box itself, but that will be later, I'm tired of tinkering - Also wanted to put a video link on the front for easy connection of video camera to PC.