Īrclight theme for current MythTV c. 2011īy 2002, major software developments also facilitated media management, hardware integration, and content presentation. Advancements in hardware identified another weak link: the absence of media management software to make it easy to display and control the video from a distance. Key benefits of these DIY projects included lower cost and more features. Incorporating these capabilities into PCs was well within the ability of a computer hobbyist who was willing to build and program these systems. ReplayTV for instance ran on a VxWorks platform. Innovations like TiVo and ReplayTV allowed viewers to store and timeshift broadcast content using specialty designed computers. In 2000, DVD decryption software using the DeCSS algorithm let DVD owners consolidate their DVD video libraries on hard-drives. Īs DVD players dropped in price, so did PCs and their related video processing and storage capabilities. In particular, the desire for progressive scanning DVD players (480p instead of 480i) with better video fidelity led some consumers to consider their computers instead of very expensive DVD players.
#Sagetv htpc Pc#
The value of using a computer instead of stand alone DVD player drove more usage of the PC as a home media device. īy 2000, DVD players had become relatively ubiquitous and consumers were seeking ways to improve the picture. The Destination was called a "PC-TV Combo" but by December the term "Home-theater PC" appeared in mainstream media: "The home theater PC will be a combination entertainment and information appliance". The unit cost $4,000 and mostly integrated television viewing and computer functions on one color monitor. In 1996 Gateway Computer unveiled the Destination computer that included a tuner card and video card.
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Apple Computer also developed the Macintosh TV in late 1993 that included a tuner card built into an Macintosh LC 520 chassis but quickly withdrew from the market with only 10,000 units shipped. This adaptation would allow a small video window to appear on the screen with broadcast or cable content. Integrating televisions and personal computers dates back to the late 1980s with tuner cards that could be added to Commodore Amiga PCs via the Video Toaster. The HTPC is the product of several technology innovations including high-powered home computers, digital media, and the shift from standard resolution CRT to high definition monitors and projectors. 5 Impact on traditional television services.4 Digital media receivers and consumer electronics integration.2.3 External and networked storage devices.
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The increased availability of specialized devices, coupled with paid and free digital content, now offer alternatives to multipurpose (and more costly) personal computers. Since 2007 digital media receiver software has been incorporated into consumer electronics through software or hardware changes including gaming systems, Blu-ray Disc players, televisions, and set top boxes. Enthusiasts can also piece together a system out of discrete components as part of a software-based HTPC.
An HTPC can be purchased pre-configured with the required hardware and software needed to add video programming or music to the PC. An HTPC system typically has a remote control and the software interface normally has a 10-foot user interface design so that it can be comfortably viewed at typical television viewing distances. Īn HTPC and other convergence devices integrate components of a home theater into a unit co-located with a home entertainment system. The term "media center" also refers to specialized application software designed to run on standard personal computers. In recent years, other types of consumer electronics, including gaming systems and dedicated media devices have crossed over to manage video and music content. Although computers with some of these capabilities were available from the late 1980s, the "Home Theater PC" term first appeared in mainstream press in 1996.
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A Mac Mini as a home theater PC showing Apple's stock Front Row interfaceĪ Home Theater PC ( HTPC) or Media Center computer is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, audio playback, and sometimes video recording functionality.
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