htpc ebook 2014
TRANSCRIPT
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A Publication byMy Media Experience
Home Theater PC:
Lessons Learned
Things I Wish I Would Hae !no"n #e$ore I #uilt My %irst HTPC
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TA#LE &% C&'TE'T(
)* +ETTI'+ (TA,TE-
.* +E'E,AL LE((&'( LEA,'E-
/* H&W T& #0IL- A HTPC
1* H&W T& C&'%I+0,E IT
2* H&W T& (ET 0P (&%TWA,E
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CHAPTE, &'E
+ETTI'+
(TA,TE-
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About this e#oo3
4.5)1 edition6Choosing the right hardware and software for your first Home
Theater PC (HTPC) can be a difficult process.
I wanted to make it easy for you and keep you from wastingyour time and your money on tedious research, so I built and
tested four reference HTPC builds myself and combined all of
the key lessons learned into this compact and practical eook.
If you are looking for some e!cellent hardware and software
tips, this eook will definitely sa"e your time and money. The
content in this eook is for informational purposes only.
#ou should always seek the ad"ice of a professional before
acting on something that I ha"e published or recommended. $o
part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted or sold
without the prior consent of the author.
I7m the $ounder o$ the popular HTPCresource called My Media Experience8$ounded in .559* I hae oer )/ years o$experience in building HTPCs*
Tuu33a !omssi8 Author
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Introduction% Home Theater Personal Computer, HTPC for short, is a
computer connected to your T& which plays media files
(mo"ies, music, and photos) and internet media content.
If you want to reach the full potential of connected home
entertainment, then getting a HTPC is the way to go. HTPC
brings most of the home theater de"ices into one bo!.
HTPCs are often smaller and 'uieter compared to the desktop
computers as they are designed to be used in the li"ing room.
The notsosilent hum of your desktop PC might not be aproblem at the office, but it can be a significant annoyance to
people in your li"ing room trying to enoy the mo"ie.
What are the benefits of a HTPC?
It reduces the number of home theater de"ices
It pro"ides a large degree of fle!ibility
It has large storage capacity for media files It supports many media formats
In this chapter, I will introduce four reference HTPCs that I
currently use in my home*
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+tarter HTPC is the most affordable and smallest build that
features the aspberry Pi board. aspberry Pi has
de"eloped a lot as a media center during the past year and
can be now used as an e!cellent starter le"el HTPC.
aspberry Pi is capable of luray 'uality playback, using
H.-/ at /01its2s. #ou can also play 1P34- and &C5"ideo files, but you need to buy a separate license.
+o, if you are looking for an ultracheap HTPC, then this
starter system is the right choice for you.
Starter HTPC)
Learn more about this system
http://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/raspberry-pi/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/raspberry-pi/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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This budget build is designed to be used with 61C 1edia
Center (either 7indows 8.5 or 9pen3:3C 9+) to watch
5080p H; "ideos, play music and "iew photos.
The system is powered by %1;,
which is a great choice for those looking for good graphics
performance without the need for a discrete 4P>.
The latest %1; ichland generation pro"ides slightly
higher clocks and better power management than the
pre"ious Trinity platform.
Budget HTPC.
Learn more about this system
http://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/budget-htpc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/budget-htpc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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This "alue HTPC pro"ides the best H; "ideo and ?; luray
performance with an e!cellent "alue to price ratio.
7hen using the aftermarket CP> cooler and case fan, this
build is practically silent. This is the HTPC at the moment.
This system includes an Intel Core i? processor, whichmany people regard as the standard in HTPC applications.
If you are not planning to play the latest games with your
HTPC, you will be fine without a separate graphics card.
Value HTPC/
Learn more about this system
http://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/value-htpc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/value-htpc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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This performance HTPC is a proect for building a near
silent HTPC that is capable of 5080p gaming.
I ha"e chosen an Intel Core i@ processor, which is a @7
CP> that runs super cool and keeps e"erything 'uiet while
pro"iding enough performance e"en for games.
4raphic card coolers can easily be the noisiest component
in your computerA this is why I chose a passi"e cooled
+apphire adeon >ltimate H; BB@0. This is the fastest 4P>
that can run under B@ watts.
Performance HTPC1
Learn more about this system
http://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/performance-htpc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/htpc-builds/performance-htpc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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CHAPTE, TW&
+E'E,ALLE((&'( 2)/
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The rule o$ thumb#ou already own a camera or smart phone to take photos. #ou
already own an 1P? player to listen to digital music. #ou
probably watch online "ideos from #ouTube or other online
ser"ices. 7hy wouldn
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efore you proceed in selecting the parts, you should stop
and think about how you intend to use your HTPC.
Here are few questions you may want to contemplate
How much are you willing to spend
;o you want to watch 5080p or /= "ideos
;o you want to watch luray disc mo"ies ;o you want to watch li"e T&
;o you want to play modern games
#ou should focus on the key use of your home theater
system. #ou will need to know this in order to decide on
the type of components you need.
!etermine your needs2
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uilding a home theater computer is about finding the
right balance among*
acceptable noise le"els
power consumption and performance
the appearance and siEe of the case
how much you are willing to spend on it
+ome common considerations when choosing parts are
cost, performance, form factor (siEe) of parts, power
consumption, ease of cooling, storage capacities, dri"er
stability, etc. #ou should focus on the two often ignored
factors, noise and power efficiency.
"ind the right balance>
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$oise is a "ery important consideration when choosing
components for your HTPC.
The key to 'uiet HTPC is to use low power parts such as
slower or solid state hard dri"es, 80 plus certified power
supplies, and low power CP>s, which generate less heatand thus re'uire less cooling.
The more power efficient components you will use, the
less cooling you will need. The less cooling you will need
(and the more passi"ely cooled components you will use),
the 'uieter your system will be.
Silence is golden?
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% form factor means the physical dimensions of a system.
In practice, the motherboard form factor defines the siEe
of the case you can use, so choose the case, motherboard
and CP> first. The most popular form factors among HTPC
users are %T6, micro %T6, and mini IT6.
7hen considering a case form factor, it is good to keep in
mind that smaller mini IT6 form factor cases usually ha"e
smaller fans, which are louder than the larger ones used in
micro %T6 cases. % larger case also means that you can
ha"e a better airflow and room for more hard dri"es and
other peripherals.
Si#e does matter@
%T6
1icro%T6
1iniIT6
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% processor and graphics processing unit are the main
sources generating heat inside a case.
7hen choosing a processor or graphics card, it is ad"isable
to check not only the performance but also its Thermal
;esign Power (T;P), which indicates the power
consumption of a CP> or graphics card.
The T;P describes the ma!imum amount of power in the
cooling system in a HTPC is re'uired to dissipate. #ou
should choose a processor with a ma! T;P of no more
than @ watts. The lowpower CP> runs at reduced
"oltages and emits less heat, which re'uires less cooling.
"ocus on low T!P rating9
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I would recommend to store all media files to a separate
$etwork %ttached +torage ($%+) or backend home media
ser"er that also does all the hea"y lifting such as recording
li"e T& or transcoding "ideo files.
$etwork %ttached +torage ($%+) is storage that can be
accessed o"er a home network as opposed to single
computer access. In other words, a $%+ ser"er allows you
to share media between se"eral PCs and other de"ices.
%n additional benefit is that $%+ ser"ers include multiple
H;;s that allow you to back up and mirror media files.
Store media on $%S)5
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$owadays, many people are downloading or streaming
digital content from iTunes, +potify, $etfli!, Hulu or by
other means from the Internet. If this is the case for you,
perhaps you do not e"en re'uire a ;&; or luray dri"e.
In fact, you do not necessarily need an optical disk dri"e at
all, as it is possible to install both 7indows and :inu!operating systems from a >+ dri"e.
In general, it is a good idea to remo"e the optical disk dri"e
from your HTPC as they use power and are noisy. If you
occasionally need to watch ;&;s, you can ha"e an e!ternal
>+ ;&; dri"e on hand.
!itch optical dis& dri'e))
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Cable management impro"es internal airflow by reducing
cable clutter to promote accelerated heat remo"al. In
order to reduce the cable clutter, it is recommended to use
modular P+>s and cable ties.
% modular power supply pro"ides connectors at the power
supply end, allowing unused cables to be detached fromthe power supply. #ou should also use cable ties that will
help you to make your cabling clutter free and thus
impro"e the airflow.
%nother tip is to run the cables along the edges or under
the motherboard.
Clear that cable clutter).
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>se temperaturemonitoring apps to such as +peedFan to
ensure you ha"e enough cooling after finishing the build.
+peedFan is a hardware monitoring software that is able to
change fan speeds according to system temperatures. In
the +peedFan application, you should look at the Core G for
the best temp gauges. The optimal temp is about @ to 8degrees C warmer than the ambient temp in the room.
#ou may need to play around with the number of cooling
fans, fan speeds and temperature le"els o"er time to find
out what nets you the best balance between good
temperatures and good noise le"els.
(onitor temperatures)/
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CHAPTE, TH,EE
#0IL- ITLE((&'( )1/1
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Media (treamersIf getting a HTPC sounds too complicated for you, then another
option is to get a media streamer such as %pple T&, oku or
4oogle Chromecast.
These de"ices allow you to stream content from the Internet
and other computers to enoy "ideos on T&. They are not as
"ersatile as HTPCs, but as streamers, they are good alternati"e.
If you want to ha"e more fle!ibility but still don
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aspberry Pi is an amaEing little computer that can be used
as a complete 61C media center solution.
I ha"e written a complete and uptodate tutorial on how
to install and configure 61C media center on aspberry
Pi that you can find by clicking the link below.
#ou will learn how to build a HTPC frontend by installing
and configuring a aspberry Pi 61C distribution called
aspbmc. #ou will also learn how to optimiEe aspbmc to
run significantly faster for better user e!perience.
)inu*+based ,aspberry Pi)1
Learn more about ,aspberry Pi
http://mymediaexperience.com/raspberry-pi-xbmc-with-raspbmc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/raspberry-pi-xbmc-with-raspbmc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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If you are looking for optimal hardware for use as an 61C
media platform, the %ndroidbased 9uya game console is
the right choice for you.
In a complete guide that you can find by following the link
below, I will show you easy and ad"anced ways to set up
61C on %ndroid to turn 9uya game console onto theultimate media bo!.
9uya is great for anyone who wants an affordable and
good media center with the ability to run retro games.
%ndroid+based -uya)2
Learn more about &uya
http://mymediaexperience.com/xbmc-on-android-based-ouya/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/xbmc-on-android-based-ouya/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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Custom HTPCs$owadays, there are all kinds of small media streamers and
smart T&s, so why would you need a HTPC in your li"ing room
1any of my friends "iew "ideos through their 6bo!, Play+tation
or luray player, yet they had no idea what an HTPC was. %fterthey saw my home theater PC setup for the first time, they
were amaEed by what you can do with your T&.
The key reason to build your own HTPC is the fle!ibility and
'uality. #ou can ha"e e!actly the kind of hardware and user
interface you need.
%n HTPC is only as e!pensi"e as you make it. #ou can build an
HTPC for less than ?00 dollars. #ou can e"en build one using old
PC components you might already ha"e. Furthermore, most of
the media center software such as 61C or Ple! are entirely
free. %nd by the way, they look stunning
;I enBoy using an HTPC in my liing room8because it is tailored exactly to my$amily7s needs* %aorite T sho"s andmoies are easily accessible8 and eenmy young children 3no" ho" to accesstheir o"n ideos $rom the main menu*
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It is good to start choosing components with a case. The
case siEe will determine the siEe of the motherboard you
will need for the system.
The height of the case will also determine whether or not
you can use full or halfheight graphics or T& tuner cards.
There are three common form factors* miniIT6, micro%T6
and %T6. For HTPC use, the miniIT6 and micro%T6 are
preferred and most common siEes.
Start with a case)>
Chec3 out my Case %inder tool
http://mymediaexperience.com/case-finder/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/case-finder/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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$owadays, integrated graphics processing units inside the
processors are powerful enough for HTPC use.
Intel Haswell processors are currently the best choice
when it comes to performance and power efficiency. The
recommended Intel Haswell options are Intel Core i?
/5?0T (?@7 T;P) and Intel Core i@/@B0+ (@7 T;P).
If you want to ha"e cheaper alternati"es, the
recommended %1; CP>s are %1; %/00= and %1;
%50 B00, which both ha"e @7 thermal design power.
.se a low power CP.)?
Learn more about HTPC CP0s
http://mymediaexperience.com/best-htpc-cpu/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/best-htpc-cpu/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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The type of motherboard you choose will depend on the
CP> chipset you choose. I ha"e been fa"oring 4igabyte
brand in my recent builds, but %sus, %srock and 1+I are
good alternati"es as well.
#ou should pay attention to the number of +%T% ports.
>sually, miniIT6 and micro%T6 motherboards include / or +%T% ports. If you plan to ha"e se"eral H;;s, be sure to
choose a motherboard that has +%T% ports.
For Intel Haswell, I would recommend getting H8B or 8B
series motherboards. For %1; ichland, you should get
%1; F1- or the newer F1-J motherboard.
Compatible motherboard)@
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I would recommend applying a good thermal paste such as
%rctic +il"er @ and $octua $TH5 to the processor as it will
help to drop the CP> temperatures couple of degrees.
#ou should use no more than a peasiEed amount and
spread it in a thin layer o"er the entire processor surface.
%dding too much thermal paste will slow the transfer of
heat, making it more difficult to cool the CP> 'uickly.
Ideally, you should use slightly less thermal paste than the
amount shown in the abo"e image.
.se good thermal paste)9
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+tock CP> coolers come free with your CP>, but are often
too noisy for HTPC use. Intel HaswellDs + (power sa"ing)
and T (thin chasis) models ha"e slightly 'uieter cooling
fans, but they still are not in par with the best coolers.
I would recommend getting an aftermarket CP> coolersuch as $octua $H:K% (%1;), $H:KI (Intel) or +cythe ig
+huriken - (%1; and Intel) that are designed to be 'uiet.
It is important to install the aftermarket CP> cooler with
the motherboard outside the case, as the cooler retention
plate mounts underneath the motherboard.
.se a quiet CP. cooler.5
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The most important thing to remember about memory is
to get at least - 4 for :inu! and / 4 for 7indows.
The ;;?5??? 1HE and ;;?500 1HE %1 memory
are supported by the most motherboards, and while the
5??? is enough for HTPCs, 500 is better for o"erclockers.
#ou should not use memory modules with heatspeaders,
especially with larger CP> coolers as they may not fit
under the heatsink. #ou should use lower "oltage memory
modules as less power consumption means less cooling is
re'uired. #ou will also sa"e on the electric bill.
.se low 'oltage ,%(.)
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9ften stock case fans are too noisy for the home theater
en"ironment, so I would recommend to use $octuaLs
aftermarket case fans.
>sually one case fan is enough in addition to a CP> cooler,
but itLs good to test with stock case fans to disco"er how
many fans you need to reach optimal temperature insideyour case.
I would recommend using the lownoise adapter (:$%)
that comes with $octua case fans to lower the "oltage to
make it spin slower and 'uieter. #ou can also adust the
speed of fans from the I9+ settings.
.se low noise case fans..
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% solid state dri"e (++;) is the single best upgrade you can
make for an HTPC to impro"e the speed while making the
system 'uieter.
%n ++; will make your user interface feel snappier, for
e!ample by helping with the loading of 5080p fanarts and
other metadata.
%s an additional benefit, your system will boot and shut
down much faster, and the system will ust feel much
snappier o"erall. ++;s are really light weight, so e"en if
your case does not ha"e a slot for it, you can use an
adhesi"e tape to attach it anywhere inside the case.
.se SS! as a boot dri'e./
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#ou should use a standard hard dri"e for storing media
files and recordings, since you won
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If you are going to get a discrete graphics card for gaming,
be sure to check the dimensions of the card carefully
before purchasing.
For e!ample, I bought a passi"e cooled graphics card, but it
did not fit inside my case because it was slightly higher
than regular cards due to its passi"e cooling solution. For
this reason, I chose the itFeni! Prodigy case that has
enough space e"en for large gaming graphic cards.
%lso, make sure that the power supply you ha"e chosen is
powerful enough for the graphics card.
Passi'e graphics card.2
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$owadays, an optical disk dri"e is not necessarily needed
as you can install an operating system using a >+ stick.
Howe"er, if you ha"e a large ;&; or luray disc collection,
you will need either an internal or e!ternal disc dri"e.
%n internal dri"e integrates better with your case, but disc
dri"es can ha"e compatibility issues with aftermarket CP>coolers, so be sure to check that. %n e!ternal dri"e might
be a better choice if you need the disc dri"e only rarely.
:ast but not least, many optical disk dri"es ha"e a lot of
te!t in the front panel, so choose the one that has the
most stylish front panel for your HTPC.
-ptional optical dri'e.>
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I would strongly recommend to get a good'uality power
supply with an 80 Plus ronEe, +il"er, 4old or Platinum
efficiency rating. The better efficiency means less heat. If
possible, choose a modular power supply.
:ess cables mean less clutter and better air flow. Howe"er,
be sure to choose a P+> that fits into the case as modularP+>s are often longer compared to standard %T6 P+>s.
%nother alternati"e is a PicoP+> that is small and efficient
P+> that can be used with small miniIT6 cases. #ou will
need to get a PicoP+> and an e!ternal %C2;C adapter. I
would recommend PicoP+>s only to ad"anced builders.
/et a quiet power supply.?
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%fter you ha"e installed all the components, it is time to
plug in all the cables. #ou should follow the motherboardDs
and P+>Ds manuals to plug in all the connectors properly.
7hen plugging in the frontpanel connectors, keep in mind
that colored wire is usually the positi"e (J) and the white isnegati"e (). +ometimes the positi"e side is marked with a
small triangle on the connector.
I would not recommend connecting the case power light or
hard dri"e light cables to the motherboard as the blue light
in a dark li"ing room can be "ery annoying.
Plug in all the cables.@
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If you want to watch li"e T& with your HTPC, be sure you
find the right T& tuner that fits your needs. For e!ample,
do you need multiple T& tuners, and do you need an
internal PCIe or an e!ternal >+ tuner
It is impossible to gi"e a T& tuner recommendation that is
compatible with all broadcasting technologies around theworld, so it is important that you do your own research. e
sure to check that the selected tuner works with your 9+.
For e!ample, if you are using :inu!, it is a good idea to
4oogle first if this particular tuner has :inu! dri"ers and
the e!periences of others with the product.
.se a .SB TV tuner.9
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#ou donLt necessarily need to get a new remote control,
but you can use either the H;1I C3C adapter or Flirc >+
adapter and pair it with your e!isting remote control.
If you ha"e a modern T&, a H;1I C3C adapter allows you
to use your e!isting remote to send key presses to HTPC
"ia the H;1I interface on your T&.
If you ha"e an older T& or you need more fle!ibility, Flirc
remote companion is another interesting adapter that
turns I signals of any remote into keyboard commands.
.se any remote control/5
Learn more about the %lirc
http://mymediaexperience.com/flirc-remote-control-companion/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/flirc-remote-control-companion/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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% remote control plays an important role in the user
e!perience. If you ha"e multiple home theater de"ices, a
uni"ersal remote is a must. :ogitech
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3"en if you use a remote to control your HTPC, it is good to
ha"e a keyboard and mouse combo a"ailable in the T&
cabinet in case you need it. I
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If you intend to play games with your HTPC, I would
recommend getting the 6bo! ?0 wireless game controller.
The latest 7indows 8.5 supports the 6bo! ?0 controller
outofthebo!, and I ha"e not e!perienced any lag when
playing games like ;irt ? or %ssassinDs Creed / with myperformance HTPC.
#ou can also use the game controller to control your media
center software if you wish. There is e"en a chatpad
keyboard for 6bo! ?0 game controller that allows you to
type te!t.
/et a game controller//
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7hile the wireless network is con"enient, it is also too
slow when it comes to steaming highdefinition "ideo files
from the e!ternal backend ser"er to your frontend HTPC.
Therefore, it is a good idea to get a gigabit router and
connect your frontend and backend systems with Cat ethernet cables.
=eep in mind that your Internet connection will not going
to be faster than 500mbit, but your internal home network
will be much faster.
Set up a gigabit networ&/1
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CHAPTE, %&0,
C&'%I+0,ELE((&'( /2/@
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Con$iguring your HTPC+o, you diagrammed your system, spent hours assembling the
hardware for your HTPC, and spent an entire day putting the
system together.
$ow, how do you make most out of it efore you can start
enoying all the media files with your HTPC, you need to
configure the I9+, install the operating system and configure it
properly.
In this chapter, you will learn how to configure the I9+ to set
the correct boot priority and other important settings. I will alsointroduce the two main operating systems I use in my HTPC
builds* 7indows 8.5 and 9pen3:3C.
;I$ you "ant to sae some money in theoperating system and get a realappliancetype o$ loo3 and $eel8 I "ouldrecommend installing the &penELECoperating system $or your $rontendhome theater computer*
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Press the N;eleteN key to enter the I9+ setup on startup.
Change the boot priority if you want to install an 9+ from
a >+ stick. Change the >+ dri"e as the first line in the
NHard ;ri"e I9+ PrioritiesN in the NI9+ FeaturesN menu.
#ou can undercloc& your CP. to consume less powermaking it run cooler. I underclocked the %1; %/00=
from 5./& to 5.-&, reducing the comsumption by -0 watts.
If you wish to wa&e up the HTPC o'er )%$, for e!ample
with your iPhone, you need to enable the M:%$ P63 oot
9ption 91N setting in the MI9+ FeaturesN menu.
Configure B0-S/2
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1icrosoft 7indows B and 8.5 are the most common
operating systems and they are often used in HTPCs.
:inu!based operating systems such as 9pen3:3C, 1int or
>buntu are good and free choices for tech sa""y users who
are knowledgeable enough to fi! any issues that occur.
If you are wondering between ?-bit and /bit "ersion, you
should get a ?-bit 9+ if you ha"e older hardware or less
than /4 %1 memory. =eep in mind that there can be
some compatibility issues with /bit 9+ on some software,
but this has become less in the past years.
0nstall operating system/>
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7indows 8.5 is the recommended operating system if you
wish to watch luray disc mo"ies, use media ser"er
applications such as Play9n or play games.
%fter installing 7indows 8.5, remember to install all
necessary dri"ers such as the graphics dri"ers.
IDd recommend to set up an automatic login and launch
your fa"orite media center app automatically to make your
7indowsbased HTPC feel more like an appliance. IDm
using 7indows 8.5 with my "alue and performance HTPCs.
Windows 123/?
Learn more about Windo"s
http://mymediaexperience.com/windows-8-xbmc-appliance/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/windows-8-xbmc-appliance/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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61C 1edia Center has been the fa"orite HTPC software
of ad"anced users for years, but thanks to the distribution
called 9pen3:3C, it is easier than e"er to install 61C on
:inu! to turn your HTPC as an appliance.
The benefit of using :inu! instead of 7indows is that you
will get a fast booting computer that is instantly ready tobe used as a media center.
%s 9pen3:3C ad"ertises, I was able to install the 9+ and
media center to my budget HTPC in less than 5@ minutes.
-pen4)4C/@
Learn more about &penELEC
http://mymediaexperience.com/how-to-install-xbmc-linux-in-15-minutes-with-openelec/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/how-to-install-xbmc-linux-in-15-minutes-with-openelec/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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CHAPTE, %IE
(&%TWA,ELE((&'( /925
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%rontend so$t"are% lot of people donDt see the point in using a thirdparty media
application when the builtin capabilities of the PC already play
music and "ideos. The reason that you might want to get the
e!tra application is both easy of use and superior playback.
The user interface makes a huge difference to the way you "iew
your media center, so by getting an open source media player,
you are gi"ing yourself more control o"er what you are able to
watch and how easily you are able to watch it.
+econdly, media centers like the 61C are able to supportdifferent "ideo and audio codecs, so no matter what your
media is, you should be able to play it without a problem. In
this chapter, I will introduce the most popular media center
software that you should choose as a frontend.
;While there are many good media centeralternaties8 I pre$er using #MC as itallo"s me to customi=e the userinter$ace exactly the "ay I "ant*Ho"eer8 I7d recommend testing seeral$rontend options to $ind your $aorite*
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61C was originally designed as a media center interface
for the 6bo! game console. Today, it has e"ol"ed as
powerful media center for 7indows, :inu! and 1ac 9+ 6
that is capable of playing most a"ailable media file types.
The user interface looks "ery elegant e"en without any
customiEation. Howe"er, you can customiEe the interfacewith the skins that you can download online.
There are se"eral addons a"ailable, which allow you to
truly customiEe your media e!perience.
5B(C (edia Center/9
Learn more about #MC
http://mymediaexperience.com/xbmc-guide/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/xbmc-guide/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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7indows 1edia Center is no longer included by default in
7indows 8 and 8.5, so youDll need to install it separately.
Howe"er, it is still great media center software for
beginners (and for ad"anced users) who wish to, fore!ample, get li"e T& working "ery easily.
7indows 1edia Center is one of the few media centers
that allows you to integrate luray player into the
interface.
Windows (edia Center15
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%nother good media center with T& tuner support is
1ediaPortal. It is an open source application similar to
61C for turning a computer into a ;&.
1ediaPortal does not limit the number or type of T&
tuners, so it is a good choice if you wish to ha"e multiple
tuners recording different channels and doing timeshifting
at the same time.
1ediaPortal allows you to do ad"anced customiEation such
as selecting which codes you use for different media
formats.
(ediaPortal1)
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Oi"er 1edia Center is a ukebo!style media center like
iTunes. Howe"er, it comes with a nice 50foot optimiEed
interface called Theater &iew. The great thing about Oi"er
is that it supports e"en the most ad"anced codecs out of
the bo!, and it is known to playback your music with
e!cellent sound 'uality.
Oi"er e"en comes with $etfli!, Hulu and #ouTube ser"ices
integrated, so it is suitable for playing online "ideo
content, too. It is a perfect choice, especially if you are an
audiophile and like to play lossless formats of audio such
as F:%C, %C?, %P3, or 71 files. Oi"er costs about @0.
6,i'er (edia Center1.
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&al"eDs +team is the most popular game platform and
using +teamDs ig Picture mode allows you to buy and
launch PC games from your sofa.
7hen you integrate +teamDs ig Picture mode with 61C
1edia Center, you will get a really powerful combination
that gi"es much more control o"er your media e!periencecompared to any commercial game console.
%s this is essentially HTPC, you can use 61C media center
as the main platform where the computer will boot. Then
you can integrate +team ig Picture to the 61C main
menu using an %d"anced :auncher addon.
Steam Big Picture1/
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#ac3end so$t"areHa"e you e"er wondered about creating a media ser"er to link
multiple T&s and to store all the media into a centraliEed ser"er
(as opposed to a dedicated hard dri"e) In this chapter, I will
co"er the main backend software you will need to set up yourown media ser"er backend to store all your media in a cloud.
$etwork %ttached +torage ($%+) is a media ser"er that can be
accessed o"er a home network, as opposed to a single
computer access. #ou can use your HTPC as a backend as well,
or you can build another computer as a media ser"er.
The main ad"antage of the $%+ ser"er is that you can store all
your media files in one centraliEed place and then stream the
files to your HTPC or other de"ice. %n additional benefit is that
$%+ ser"ers often include multiple hard dri"es, which allow you
to back up and mirror data between multiple hard dri"es.
;I pre$er using a combination o$ Plex andPlay&n media serer so$t"are* Plexallo"s me to transcode media $iles toportable deices such as iPad "hile I usePlay&n to stream premium contentchannels to #MCbased HTPCs*
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efore installing and setting up backend media ser"er
software, you should to take a moment to think about how
you will organiEe your media files.
I would recommend using folders and subfolders to
organiEe your media files. emember to put each mo"ieinto a separate subfolder with the full mo"ie title so that
the media scrapers can find the artwork and other details.
:ast but not least, do something special for your spouse,
too. 1ake sure that your spouse
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Ple! 1edia +er"er is a backend application for 7indows,
:inu! and 1ac 9+ 6based computers that is great for
streaming media files across your home network.
In addition to its own frontend software, Ple! Home
Theater, the backend ser"er application is compatible
with many other frontends such as 61C (with Ple!bmc).
There are also mobile frontend apps a"ailable. The most
interesting feature is the ability to transcode your "ideos
depending on your de"ice and network speed.
Ple* (edia Ser'er12
Learn more about Plex
http://mymediaexperience.com/plex-media-server/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/plex-media-server/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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:inu!based un%I; $%+ software has some "ery
impressi"e plugins that enable your media ser"er to ser"e
all your media with their meta data information and li"e T&
stream on any de"ice such as HTPC, iPad, or aspberry Pi.
y following the link below, you will find a guide that will
help you to set up :imeTechnology
Learn more about un,AI-
http://mymediaexperience.com/unraid-nas-with-plex-media-server-and-tvheadend/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/unraid-nas-with-plex-media-server-and-tvheadend/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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uilding a centraliEed storage for your media files does not
necessarily need to be e!pensi"e.
y following the link below, you will learn how to build
your own home media ser"er with a :inu!based Free$%+
software by utiliEing old computer parts.
Free$%+ is an open source storage operating system that
supports sharing files across 7indows, 1a! 9+ 6 and
:inu!like systems. Free$%+ is an e!cellent choice if you
want to use +amba (+1) protocol to share files.
"ree$%S software1?
Learn more about %ree'A(
http://mymediaexperience.com/how-to-build-your-own-home-media-server-with-freenas/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/how-to-build-your-own-home-media-server-with-freenas/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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If you use your 7indowsbased HTPC primarily for
watching mo"ies and T& shows from your media
collection, then 1ediabrowser ? might be the right choice.
#ou can e"en launch all your games from the frontend.
1ediabrowser ? is similar to Ple!, but its strength is
definitely the beautiful user interface. 1ediabrower ? hasthree applications that work well together* 1 +er"e
(backend), 1 Home Theater (standalone frontend) and
1 Classic (7indows 1edia Center frontend).
In addition, 1 +er"er supports clients such as oku, web
client, %ndroid, 7indows Phone, and %pple I9+.
(ediabrowser 71@
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7indowsbased Play9n 1edia +er"er allows you to stream
premium content channels into 61C running on any
operating system or other >PnP compatible de"ice.
%s the 61C 1edia Center supports >PnP standard, you
can ser"e media files with Play9n 1edia +er"er e"en to
:inu!based HTPCs or aspberry Pis.
The software is around @0 (onetime fee) and you will get
access to your fa"orite T& shows, mo"ies and sports from
Hulu, $etfli!, 3+P$, %maEon &9;, H9 4o and more.
Play-n (edia Ser'er19
Learn more about Play&n
http://mymediaexperience.com/integrate-netflix-and-hulu-into-xbmc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learnedhttp://mymediaexperience.com/integrate-netflix-and-hulu-into-xbmc/?utm_source=mme&utm_medium=ebook&utm_campaign=lessons_learned
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luray playback is not supported outofthebo! in
7indows, but there is a simple way to play luray mo"ies
with your fa"orite media center such as 61C. The secret
to play luray discs is to get and install a software called
%ny;&; H;. %fter installing %ny;&; H;, ust launch 61C
and start playing the luray disc. %ny;&; H; will do thenecessary decryption in the background.
%s the %ny;&; H; uses decryption technology that
circum"ents ;1 protection used in luray discs, it is up
to you to follow this suggestion, and 1y 1edia 3!perience
cannot be held responsible for any issues.
%ny!V! H!25
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%inal thoughtsCongratulations If youD"e made to this point, youDre an HTPC
e!pert who knows more about HTPCs than K8Q of other people.
There is always a balance between the price you pay and the'uality you get. The best thing you can do is to only buy what
you really need for HTPC use.
Focus on getting a good'uality case with a ?00/007 80J rated
P+>, Intel Core i? or %1; % series processor and a compatible
motherboard. Then add -/ 4 %1 memory, get an ++; as a
system boot dri"e. #ou can buy a separate graphics card, 'uietercooling fans and other components later if needed.
I would recommend testing different kinds of media center
software to find out what best suits your needs.
;
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WHAT7( 'ET
This eook contains recommendations on optimal components that
are suitable for HTPC use.
I thought it would be helpful to create an HTPC comparison page
that you can always come to for the latest and tested componentrecommendations.
Please note that some of the links at 1y 1edia 3!perience are
affiliate links, and I will earn a commission (at no e!tra cost to you)
if you purchase through those links.
Thank you for supporting my hard work.
So8 what are you
waiting for? Clic& below
to build your own9