Home theater PCs

One of the coolest toys around is the home theater PC (HTPC). The HTPC is a fully functional computer that's optimized for playing and recording video and music. An HTPC contains all the usual computer components (hard drive, DVD/CD player or recorder, and video card) but may also include a high-definition television tuner (HDTV) card and a TV card for receiving a TV signal. The HTPC is a personal computer turned into a convergence device, a PC that can take over the functions of many of your consumer electronics tasks, including the following:

- Music serving

- High-definition TV tuning Gaming

- PVR functions Web surfing

Because an HTPC is a fully functional computer, you can add a wireless network adapter and hook it up to your WLAN. Then you can access all your video and music flies from any other computer.

The best part about an HTPC is that you don't have to buy one; you can build one yourself. The Internet has an active community of HTPC enthusiasts. You can find everything you need to design and build your own system, from hardware and cases to HTPC software applications. Of course, you could just buy an HTPC system, but half the fun is the do-it-yourself aspect of the HTPC. This also allows you to customize the system so that it's just the way you want. Designing and building your own HTPC is not difficult, and there are plenty of resources on the Internet to help you get the job done.