If you want to watch movies at home without the need for a television, you can build a PC to play these movies. Home theater PCs have to have proper cooling, which is a challenge since they are usually dropped into a rack with little ventilation. The computer will also need to be quiet. Here are some tips to make your PC as quiet as possible. You can find the right hardware to build your own home theater PC.
AWOW NYi3 Mini PC
The AWOW NYi3 Mini PC for Home Theater is a powerful computer that features a small, sleek form factor that fits well into any home theater setup. Its powerful internal components make it capable of displaying 4K UHD video and even virtual reality gaming. Its other features include a 1TB storage drive, built-in Wi-Fi, and an Ethernet port. Despite the size, this mini PC is more affordable than other top picks, but it is capable of doing the job as well.
Awow’s NYi3 Mini PC also features an i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and an M.2 SSD. It supports two HDMI connections simultaneously, which is a great feature if you plan to watch movies or stream content. The AWOW NYi3 Mini PC also includes an SD card reader for easier file storage and a warranty. It’s also easy to update Windows and has many useful features, including a 4K display.
Intel NUC 8 Performance-G Mini PC
For those of you looking to create a custom mini PC for your home theater, the Intel NUC is an excellent choice. Its tiny, 2-inch size, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and Thunderbolt port make it the perfect choice for creating a full-fledged home theater PC or a media streaming box. In addition to these excellent features, the NUC is also compatible with 4K media and includes an HDMI port.
The NUC 8 comes with 3 USB 3.1 ports and 2 USB-C ports. Two of the USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 3, and the mini-DisplayPorts are compatible with up to 6 displays. Regardless of the type of displays, you plan to use with this system, you can expect it to deliver high-quality video and audio. The NUC 8 also has an SD card slot and two mini-DisplayPorts. So, if you plan on using your home theater PC for gaming, you should invest in an Intel NUC 8 Performance-G Mini PC.
XBMC
To install XBMC on a home theatre PC, follow these instructions. First, open a folder on your computer and add movies and TV shows to it. Make sure that they’re named with the title and year of release. Each movie file should be stored in its own folder with the name the same as the movie’s title and year. Blu-ray folder structures should not be named MKV, for example. XBMC will pick up the movie’s name from the folder name.
Next, install the XBMC media player. This may sound like a complicated process, but once you know how to install XBMC, you’ll be able to install and run it in minutes. You’ll also need a disk with at least 4GB of space. You should now be able to see your new media. Now, configure XBMC to find the media files you want to play.
Windows Media Center
If you’ve been thinking of building a home theater system but haven’t yet done so, you may be wondering how to build a PC with Windows Media Center. While Windows Media Center is included in some editions of Windows, you can use it to build a powerful home entertainment center. You can connect your PC to an HDTV, a standard computer monitor, and even play CDs. You can even stream media from your home network.
While you might think that a PC is too old to be a media center, you’d be surprised to find out that even a low-end model can serve as a powerful home theater PC. You can even use your PC to play OTA television. If you’re using Plex for streaming, you can time-shift and watch live TV, or record shows. It’s not hard to convert a PC into an HTPC. Connecting the PC via HDMI or other connection is the easiest part, but you can also use a media center app or a media server to make it even easier.
OpenOLEC
An OpenOLEC home theater PC runs on an embedded operating system that is based on XBMC, an open source entertainment media hub. This makes it easy to use the device like any other media center device, without the hassle of installing and managing an entire operating system. Designed for ease of use, the system is easy to set up, manage, and maintain. It’s more like a set-top box than a full-blown computer, which makes it the perfect choice for most people who want a media center without the hassle of installing and running a complex operating system.
In addition to its media center capabilities, OpenELEC features an image viewer and a catalog for audio files. It can display and record TV channels, and can be customized to incorporate home automation functions, tools, and new skins. With the wide variety of add-ons available, OpenELEC will meet your needs no matter what you’re looking for. It’s a free download, and a great way to get started with your home theater PC.
