Home Theater PC's

[wakeboarderdave1]

Anyone have any experience in building one? My parents are in need of a new computer and they also want a DVR. This computer needs to have a TV-Tuner card that will work with Direct TV, use programs like word, print and browse the internet.

[bjeremi]

Here's mine, nothing special. Literally just set it up yesterday so I haven't gone back and hid the cords yet. Just a Vostro 200 that I put a tv tuner card, video card, 1TB Hard drive, and 4 Gigs of ram. I don't have cable so I just have the antenna hooked up right to the back of the tuner. I use the xp version of media center to set and record shows. Have a wireless keyboard and mouse on the way. Can't see it in the pick but there is a couch father back that I sit on to watch the TV.

[Wakebrad]

wakeboarderdave1, I think you have to get the card through DirectTV to get that to work. You can get an over the air tuner card for your TV, with HDMI out and use it flawlessly like a DVR but you won't be able to get it to work with DirectTV.

Looking at the internet/word/anything else is not a fun experience on the TV. If they want to use it for office use as well it would be a good idea to do a dual monitor output.

You also need to look into the remote controls that you can buy (RF or IR, RF being better, IR being more common). Or you can do what I did and get a keyboard/mouse combo that can be used anywhere (RF).

http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-Wireless-Keyboard-Optical-Trackball/dp/B000JJM7S0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1235601305&sr=8-1

I would start with researching the DirectTV tuner card to see if they exist and how much they are. You could add that to any PC you buy. If that is not available it might save you some money to buy an out of the box Media PC, with HDMI out, remote control, and everything.

[Bowen]

I have an off the shelf mac mini for mine. The mac mini puts out 1080P HD so any DVD I play is automatically upscaled, plus it has front row all built in for watching movies, TV shows, and listening to music (which is easy to download off of iTunes).

You can also pick up eyeTV and/or HD Homerun to turn it into an HD DVR. There is a hack to put this into the front row app too, so you run everything from the little apple remote.

then I have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Plus if they have a home theater system, the mac mini puts out optical audio, so it feeds into my surround sound quite nicely.

It really works flawlessly straight out of the box. Just need a DVI-HDMI cable, and a mini TosLink (mini jack optical) cable. At mono price you can grab both for like $10.

[Craig-R]

Bowen, damn that's a great idea!!! i've been thinking about getting a mini but couldn't quite completely justify it but now i can!!! ...now i gotta start saving the money