A home theater PC (HTPC) combines all or some of the capabilities of a PC, together with software application such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, that supports video, music playback and photo and video recording functionality.
HTPC features several additional characteristics beyond its functioning, including television connectivity, remote control, TV tuner cards, external and networking storage devices and quiet/minimal noise.
Although building a HTPC saves money, it demands much time to research in order to get the right components connected properly. Therefore, customers have the option of purchasing a pre-built HTPC. There are several companies that provide home theater PCs.
Dell has been a significant player in the small form factor HTPC space. In 2009, Dell introduced the Zino HD400 HTPC that employed the AMDs Athlon 64 2650e or 2850e and Athlon 64x2 3250e or 6850e. It featured an AMDRS780G chipset and an option of the discrete 4330 mGPU or integrated 3200 GPU.
The Zino HD HTPC:
The Zino 410, launched in 2010, features built-in networking capabilities. It is an innovative ultra small desktop that offers a superior entertainment experience for families and students. The unit features several configurations to cater for different needs and budgets. Nevertheless, the Dell HTPC features:
Processor: AMD Phenom II x 4P940 (4x1.70GHz, 25W, 2MB L2, 45nm)
Memory: Up to 8GB
Optical drive: Blu-ray/ DVDRW Combo
Graphics: ATI Mobility 5450-1GB DDR3, 80 SPs, 675/800 MHz Core/ RAM clocks
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet 802.11n (Dell WLAN1520)
Operating system: Windows-7 Home Premium 64-bit
Audio: Microphone and headphone, 5.1/7.1 digital output featuring HD audio and bit streaming (SPDIF/HDMI)
Hard drive(s): 750GB 7200RPM 3.5-inch HDD
Chipset: AMD M880G plus SB820
Extras: THX TruStdio ProAudio Certification, IR receiver and MCE remote, interchangeable color lid and wireless keyboard/mouse
The unit comes with a 90W AC/DC Adapter and offers several A/V connectivity options including HDMI, VGA, SPDIF and Stereo. Furthermore, the data connectivity options include the optical disk drive, 4x v2.0 USB, 2 eSATA, LAN (1000 Mbps GbE), 750 GB Internal HDD, 300 Mbps 802.11n Wi-Fi and a card reader. The unit offers three removable color lid options to appeal to many users.
Under extreme conditions, the average consumption of power is 62.3W. While at idle, it accounts for 29.4 W.
