Build It! Building a Windows Media Center 2005 PC
By flung
WhiningDog.NET
Dec. 6 th , 2004
Introduction
We've been meaning to build a new Home Theater PC (HTPC) over the last several months but we've been waiting for the release of the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) OS – version 2005. We've built several HTPC systems in the past – mostly to deliver audio and video media to the living room television set. Of course, an HTPC can function without the MCE user interface but we actually love the GUI.. Now that MCE 2005 has been released for a few months, it was time to start on our new HTPC project. This article is part of our ongoing Build It series here at WhiningDog and this time – our focus is on building a Microsoft Windows Media Center 2005 system. This article will provide an overview of constructing an MCE system and an overview of the Media Center Edition 2005 OS. If you're interested in creating a Windows Media Center PC and don't feel like buying a ready made system from third party hardware vendors, then come on in as we explore just how to do it.
Background
 For those of you who do not already know this, the Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition OS is a specialized version of Windows XP meant for home entertainment PC's. The underlying Operating System is identical to the other variants of Windows XP but there is now a new user interface that a person can use for media related activities such as watching a movie or listening to a MP3 file. Most importantly, the graphical user interface (GUI) of the MCE is built around a 10 foot interface concept. This means that the GUI should be usable by someone standing at least 10 feet away from the display. This of course means that graphics and text are going to be larger than a standard Windows desktop.
Microsoft Windows Media Center has undergone three revisions since it first came out in 2002. The latest version is called MCE 2005 and it is now nearly perfect. The new OS supports up to three TV tuners allowing you to capture TV signals from three different video feeds. The MCE GUI has been updated to support peripheral devices such as the Windows Media Extender and the new Portable Media Center . More importantly, it's hard to say that anyone should really purchase a regular Windows XP PC anymore. Quite frankly, we believe that Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is the way to go for new systems.
So how do you get your hands on a Media Center PC? Unfortunately it's not as easy as going to the local software store and picking up a copy of the OS. Typically, Microsoft has only bundled the MCE with new PCs and these PC's usually came from their tier one list of vendors. This meant that no consumer could easily build a PC on their own and install the MCE OS - that is until version 2005,
With the release of the MCE 2005 , Microsoft loosened the control over the distribution of the MCE OS. You are now able to obtain the MCE OS through a select few software distribution channels You can also get the MCE Remote Control which is pretty useful if you plan on operating the system from afar.
For more information about the Windows Media Center Edition OS 2005, please go to the following website:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx
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