How to Build Your Own Home Theater PC

In the last few posts, we've been talking about specific satellite to PC software.  Now I want to talk about something equally important: how to build a good home media PC. 

If you've never built your own computer before, this can seem intimidating, but in reality it's not that bad.  There are actually many computer retailers like iBuypower that give you enough customization options that you are essentially building your own PC.  You don't have to get together all the bits and pieces and hardwire it yourself; you just need to know exactly what you want to go into it. 

A few important things to know when you start building a home media PC: 

-What kind of CPU and memory you want

-What graphics card is best

-What monitor gives you the best picture

-How to network it for internet and TV reception

-Processor speed 

-Speakers

So before you go out and invest in all the latest hardware on the market, be sure you research your specs and know exactly what you want.  It helps to consult an expert or find a good how-to guide; the one I personally used was Ed Tittel's Build the Ultimate Home Theater PC.  A good place to start getting your hands dirty, and it has simply, clear instructions that work well even for newbies.