[Tony Rylow]

Last fall I decided to build myself an HTPC. As a computer geek, I felt it was my duty to have one. After going through a ton of parts, I seemed to have found the perfect hardware combo. I found a motherboard that did HDMI and digital audio output. I had a 200 GB main SATA drive with an extra 400GB on the side. A nice looking nMedia case that looks great next to my receiver and underneath my 47" LCD. Windows looks awesome on the TV but I barely use it. I planned on ripping movies to my home server and streaming them over my wireless N network, but I always seem to run into codec and badwidth issues. I received a Gyration wireless keyboard and mouse set for Christmas that makes sitting on the couch controlling it extremely easy, but tough to use Windows Media Center.

In my attempt to get more use out of this box I spent a ton of money on, I have a few questions for you HPTC users:

How often do you use it?
What is your main use?
What do you like most about it?
What do you like least?
What is your primary method to control it?
What operating system are you running?
Do you have a TV tuner and use software other than Windows Media Center ?
Do you leave your TV input set to your HTPC or use some other main source?

[Tony Rylow]

Last fall I decided to build myself an HTPC. As a computer geek, I felt it was my duty to have one. After going through a ton of parts, I seemed to have found the perfect hardware combo. I found a motherboard that did HDMI and digital audio output. I had a 200 GB main SATA drive with an extra 400GB on the side. A nice looking nMedia case that looks great next to my receiver and underneath my 47" LCD. Windows looks awesome on the TV but I barely use it. I planned on ripping movies to my home server and streaming them over my wireless N network, but I always seem to run into codec and badwidth issues. I received a Gyration wireless keyboard and mouse set for Christmas that makes sitting on the couch controlling it extremely easy, but tough to use Windows Media Center.

In my attempt to get more use out of this box I spent a ton of money on, I have a few questions for you HPTC users:

How often do you use it?
What is your main use?
What do you like most about it?
What do you like least?
What is your primary method to control it?
What operating system are you running?
Do you have a TV tuner and use software other than Windows Media Center ?
Do you leave your TV input set to your HTPC or use some other main source?