More and more people today are attracted to this object that promises wonders in the living room there is anyone who wants to enjoy the perfect source for your HD DVD movies and high resolution big screen (projector or LCD / Plasma TV), using it as simple player or as advanced video processor - for him to feed all the video sources as possible, thus saving on the purchase of expensive and affluent video processor / scalar dedicated. Or there is anyone who wants to simply making the nerve center of the room, the Media Center, which play movies, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, surf the Internet, play games, record TV programs, supported by the presence of a TV card of various kinds.
There are several materials used in HTPC enclosures. Cases of metal (steel) and plastic these boxes are not necessarily the most attractive but they have a good value for money. The casing with brushed aluminum front panel can enjoy a beautiful facade, design, adapted to a Home Theater environment for a competitive price. Finally, there are boxes made entirely of brushed aluminum. In addition to a sophisticated design and high-end equipment that dissipates heat, which reduces noise. Regarding the colors, the standards are Black (Black) or Silver (Silver). The choice is based solely on user preferences and the environment in which the Media Center will be built. Boxes of Gold (Gold) may exist, but exceptionally well and more recently acrylic boxes or many colors can then be presented. Several shapes and sizes of boxes are available.
The most common is a horizontal box (or Desktop), which generally corresponds to a size Hi-Fi with a frontage of about 40cm which is adapted to furniture like home theater. There are also very thin and compact boxes to make microphones Media Center or, conversely, the most imposing in order to integrate multiple components or even certain forms of cubic or vertical. At this level all depends on your wishes, your space and choice. If you are looking for a discrete box that will fit in a confined space like a bedroom or kitchen while providing basic functionality, then the boxes called nano with their light weight, a compact size motherboard (Mini ITX) are probably fine.
These boxes can have all the features that Media Center can offer i.e. watch TV, videos, listening to music, surfing the internet by their small size, they are easy to integrate or to conceal. However, their small size creates some limitations especially in terms of the evolution of features. Usually these boxes will allow you to add a single optional component (expansion card). Moreover, these boxes are not suitable for gaming and storage capacity is more limited. In some cases we also note the presence of smaller fans spin faster causing further noise nuisance. These enclosures are suitable for basic use but remain limited in their evolution.
If you want to buy a box HTPC compact yet allows even make a change in functionality, size boxes Mini motherboard supports a Micro ATX are right for you. These boxes receive favors from users because they are most suitable for common uses of a Media Center and is often located on a pin money very interesting. These boxes will accommodate versatile storage spaces (disks) and significant expansion cards, TV tuner, sound card, etc. Wi-Fi card to meet most needs and uses.
If you plan to equip you or assembling a highly scalable media center by including the most powerful components, the most impressive HTPC enclosures in general, supporting a format motherboard ATX may be the best option. These boxes allow high enough to accommodate many components of large sizes. Some notable that these boxes generally welcome a dedicated video card that you may elect to choose a very powerful then access via the Media Center in the latest video games. These boxes allow, by the volume available to insert the most powerful components while receiving power dissipation and ventilation while maintaining significant noise pollution.
Most boxes come with a remote control for ease of use. You can choose to have a simple box with a clean face with no screen, but there are boxes with LCD or VFD (multimedia design and hi-fi) which allows for ease of reading, and lets you know for example the song title music that passes without seeking in the Media Center.
Some boxes include a touch screen allowing optimization of the use. No need to turn every time TV, you can navigate your media center directly through the touch screen of the box. This first function is to display information but also a function of interaction. The majority of the front casing connectors offer current use i.e. USB, Firewire and Audio / Video or Multi Card Reader. These connectors can be seen on conventional boxes or hidden behind a flap on the higher-end boxes. Some boxes are equipped with scanners more or less concealed by level range. For ease of access, navigation buttons (play, pause, volume) are integrated into the facade and the models of boxes.
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