Tech Tip 48 - HTPC Pointers, Part I

by Jason Kohrs - 13.OCT.05

HTPCs (Home Theater Personal Computers) are gaining in popularity as people spend more time and money getting comfortable in the living room, and as the availability and understanding of the technology becomes more user friendly. An HTPC can be used for a variety of things, including video/audio playback, streaming online media, big screen gaming, and watching/recording television, all of which make them quite appealing devices to have.

HTPCs don’t have to be much different than your typical computer, but a few key areas do need to be addressed. Just as with a typical desktop computer, there are limitations to what certain configurations can achieve, but customizing the hardware and software can enhance the experience to the point where it may threaten the existence of some of your more traditional home electronics components.

This two-part series of Tech Tips will cover a few pointers related to getting started with your own HTPC. There are obvious considerations that will be different from person to person (such as budget and existing home theater components), but in general, there are a few things that should be addressed by any prospective HTPC builder. In this part of the series, we will take a look at the two biggest things to consider: video and audio.

If this is a “theater,” you had better be able to see something! Most graphics cards come configured to display on monitors using either a 15-pin VGA cable, or using the newer DVI cable. Although many new televisions, specifically HDTVs, have a DVI connection that may accept the signal from your computer, other models may require an alternative connection.

Getting a video signal out of your HTPC is mandatory, but getting a video signal back into the HTPC may be just as important to some. TV tuners and capture cards are gaining in popularity in all sorts of computers, and seem especially at home in an HTPC setup. An HTPC with decent processing speed and ample hard disk space can easily store hours of recordings from sources such as VHS, DVD, and perhaps most importantly, television.

When people think of watching or recording television, they associate this as an activity that occurs in the living room, since the VCR or PVR (ie. Tivo) are traditionally located there. With an HTPC, you can use a TV tuner card and some fairly basic software to provide the functionality of a PVR without an extra component in the rack, and without the additional monthly service fee that a service like Tivo requires.

The recent Tech Tip on TV tuners covers all of the basics of these devices, which will hold true for use with desktop computers as well as with HTPCs. Your typical TV tuner allows you to receive your usual programs from an antenna or cable, and with a card like the ATI HDTV Wonder, you can even watch and record HDTV. The software included with TV tuners is all somewhat similar, as it mimics the look and feel of your TV/VCR, and provides fairly intuitive controls for watching and recording programs. Although many offer options for programming your recordings like a Tivo might do, there is other software available, and for even more information, visit a resource like Build Your Own PVR.

Audio

After video, audio has to be the next most important thing to consider in a theater setting. If you intend to enjoy movies, games, or streaming audio/video, you need to be able to hear it. The main considerations here involve choosing an adequate sound card and choosing the speakers it will drive.

Higher end HTPCs will most likely tie into the traditional stereo components found in the living room, and use the speakers that already handle the audio responsibilities of VHS/DVD movies and CD audio playback, among other things. You could use even the most basic of sound cards for this by adapting the 1/8” stereo jack to two RCA jacks to be plugged into the back of the receiver. The sound quality from this arrangement may pass for some, but it will not be nearly as good as it could be, and you will have reduced any surround capabilities down to two channel stereo.

Some sound cards offer digital audio connections that allow for the signal to be sent to the component receiver without being converted to/from analog before playback. This eight channel sound card provides SPDIF (Sony/Phillips Digital InterFace) connections to handle such tasks. You will obviously need a receiver that can accept SPDIF, and the sound quality will be greatly improved as compared to the 1/8” jack adapter method.

Motherboards used to provide onboard audio that was considered the last resort for those not yet ready to spend any more money on a decent sound card. Things have definitely changed, and many of today’s boards offer high quality audio processors with multiple channel surround sound, and some like this Albatron nForce4 SLI board even offer SPDIF connections onboard.

Some sound cards, such as those in the X-Fi Series from Sound Blaster, take audio to an even higher level with refined controls, multiple digital/analog connections, and other professional quality features.

If you don’t have a component audio system to tie into, or if you just want to use speakers intended for use with a computer, you could set up a dedicated system using the 1/8” stereo jacks as you would at your desk. The quality of computer speakers has improved greatly over the years, and the sound from some of these mini-systems can rival that of many bookshelf component systems.

Combining a surround sound capable sound card with a set of 5.1 channel speakers, such as the Logitech X-530’s, is a cost effective way to get a decent sounding system that won’t break the bank. The choices in surround sound computer speakers have grown greatly in recent years with a variety of styles, arrangements, and power levels to suit just about any taste. For example, if the 70 Watt output of the X-530’s isn’t enough, you could ramp things up to something like the Logitech Z-5500’s sporting 500 Watts in a fairly compact 5.1 channel system.

Not all HTPCs reside in the living room, and this sort of setup might be an excellent match for a bedroom, dorm room, or other locations where you don’t need a big sound to fill the room with realistic audio effects.

Video and audio are by far the most important things (in my opinion) to address when setting up an HTPC, but there is more to consider. In the second and final part of this series, we will look at other areas that can set an HTPC apart from your typical desktop computer and really enhance the experience.

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