Check out that guide to get your fully customized XBMC box up and running like a champ. First, download and install XBMC. This ensures that XBMC will start up automatically with your computer. This will solve some video problems XBMC has in full screen mode. Our original XBMC guide should have everything you need to know about installing add-ons, but note that which add-ons you install will change over time. Most add-ons are not official, so things like Amazon or Hulu may break over time and require updates or an entirely new add-on to work.
The best way to keep up is to search around the XBMC forums. See this article for our streaming recommendations. If you want to set up video games, check out our feature on turning your XBMC media center into a video game console with Advanced Launcher. The process is simple, and Windows will walk you through every step, so I won't go into details here.
Just know that when you're done, you'll be ready to schedule and record television TiVo-style on any basic PC. Now it's time to soup it up. Sure your computer is all set up for handling DVR duties, but it's all the way over at your desk, and hell if you're going to sit around the computer to watch TV—that's why you've got a living room.
But what's that, you say? You've got an Xbox sitting in your living room? And it's connected to your home network? A dedicated audio solution will provide you with high quality sound straight out of your box, with the ability to acutely control levels and the equalizer in the same way you might with dedicated media center audio devices. It may also support more exotic output options not normally found on a motherboard, like optical audio.
While a large number of users prefer infrared remote controls with a receiver to catch the signal, there are issues with line of sight and responsiveness that can be solved by using a gaming controller with a Bluetooth adapter. A number of generic controllers are available at a bargain price, but if you really want to get fancy, XBMC works wonderfully with a PS3 gamepad or Wiimote if you have a sensor bar.
The Bluetooth adapter will cost you a little more than, if not the same as, an infrared extender, and provides a unique input solution. Unfortunately this requires the purchase of a wireless adapter so that the controller can connect to the PC, and then needs a bit of love to get it working fully. Storage While you have a number of options for storing and playing back your media on a HTPC, one of the easiest and most reliable is an internal hard drive.
Graphics The graphics chip you select has become relatively unimportant unless you plan to play games in which case you may want to read our recent take on rising system requirements for PC titles.
Sound As long as you do a good job picking out a motherboard there should be no need for a discrete audio card. Best Buy laptop deals for January The best webcams for Best desktop computer deals for January The second option for watching cable TV on your computer is to use a card such as the InfinitiTV 6 , which actually decrypts the signal itself using a CableCard like the one found in your cable box.
For a little more money than the budget officially allows, you could buff up your HTPC with extra storage, a fancier TV tuner, or a sound card such as the Asus Xonar. The other half of the HTPC equation is the software—what you use to browse and play all of your media. Enter the front end , a software suite that combines all of those various media playback functions into a single interface with a foot range.
Unfortunately, the suite has been removed from the latest version of the operating system, and Windows 8 users will have to pay to add the functionality back. A dialog box will pop up, giving you the option to buy a new product key online or to enter one you already own. Click the former, and you will see the option to purchase Windows 8 Media Center Pack.
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