Building a HTPC

Buiding your own HTPC Home Theater Personal Computer.

• Choose a case wich fits in you livingroom
• Choose processor, motherboard, powersupply, memory and other components 
• Assemble the components
• Install an operatingsystem like Ubuntu
• Install XBMC for Ubuntu

See for detailed project discription the subjects on Johfrael MyWiki (in Dutch)

What is a HTPC?

According to Wikipedia (en):
A Home Theater PC (HTPC) or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality. 

My definition for a HTPC is a Homecomputer wich is mainly used for playing film and music and looks like a DVD-player and fits into the furniture with my audio, mediaplayerand my TV on it. It has to be connected by HDMI and operated by a wireless keyboard with touchpad. Sound and image is sent through my AV receiver wich is connected with dolby surround speakers and the LCD flatscreen TV-set. A Blu-ray player has to build in and it has to be very quiet and economical in powerusage. It has also to be able to be used as a Personal Computer so I can read my email and browse on internet. So it should be connected with internet through my computernetwork and with various devices connected on the home network to exchange data and media.

I've started this project because my computer in the livingroom died, it was an iMac with OSX and used for playing music on my stereo aswell for browsing and email. When I replaced it with a temporary desktop with Ubuntu I embraced the idea of building a HTPC myself.