

The DIY PC market changed all that, and there’s a staggering variety of cases for all possible purposes. So strap in and hang on for a wilder ride than usual.Ĭhoosing the right PC case once meant just finding a beige case with rolled edges so you wouldn’t slice open your hands when working inside it. As the industry shifts to PCI Express and other new technologies, some older and current devices won’t work as effectively with the latest technology. The main issue revolved around the ongoing technology transition. Still, it took us some time to build and integrate the system. The core components are all the same, but the cases and power supplies differ to suit different users and needs. However, we took a slightly different approach here, and offer several alternatives. Usually, when we spec out a configuration, we try to develop a single, recommended configuration for a particular purpose.
#Mediacenter pc case windows
Windows Media Center Edition vastly simplifies the integration issue, and with an update, even supports HDTV. You no longer have to get a complete PC system to use WMCE. The latest version of Windows is now available through OEM channels to anyone who wants to build a system. We also wanted to use Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (WMCE). Finally, the system had to support HDTV viewing and recording. Secondarily, it had to look like it belonged in a rack with A/V components. At the top of our list was the ability to seamlessly integrate this rig into our home-theater system. But even mainstream PC manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon-Sony with its VAIO RA-810G and HP with its Digital Entertainment Center.Īll of them are certainly fine products in their own right, but it seemed to us that we could build something equivalent, or maybe even a little better. The boutique PC makers, such as VoodooPC with its Voodoo Vibe and Alienware’s DHS series, offer examples of the craft. In the past year, a number of interesting, pre-configured “media PCs” have arrived on the scene. Our the last effort to build a home theater PC was about a year ago, so it’s time to revisit the topic.
