When we build a Home Theater PC we use most of the same parts as we do when we build all of our other PC's. The main differences in these PC's are the specialized software and hardware needed to fit them into your Home Theater system.
You have to start out with a case that will fit into stylishly into your living room or home theater. We spent a lot of time researching cases. We wanted a case that hold a full sized motherboard. It also had to be large enough to fit a full sized high wattage power supply. After much thought and comparison we chose ThermalTake. They are leaders in cool, quiet, and stylish enclosures for the Home Theater.
Once you choose a case and the other parts you want to add to this PC, you'll need a couple of other key components. Both of these components are directly related to each other. TIVO users know what a great experience it is to easily record and watch your shows. The downside of TIVO is that it's not as easy to archive your shows to watch them later or share them with someone else. With the other components I will tell you about, you can experience a TIVO like experience without the restraints. Snapstream's software, Beyond TV, and Hauppauge's line of TV tuner cards can expand your digital television horizons. With Beyond TV you can archive shows, burn them to discs, and rip them down to put right on your iPhones and iPod's.
Below we have configured what we think is the perfect base Home Theatre PC. Like any one of our computer models we can customize this PC any way you want it.