So what is the industry doing to meet the needs of the HTPC consumer?

In previous segments we have discussed some of the functions and features of the HTPC. We have shown you the very cool MSI Media Live Diva platform. We have even shown you where you can buy your own system. This time let’s spend a little time on how the hardware industry as a whole is addressing the needs of the HTPC.

Until recently, the HTPC space has been dominated by the “Garage Shop Guy”. By this I mean, the technically skilled enthusiast type person that thrives on building and tweaking their own computer hardware. Building an HTPC required patience and time along with core knowledge of PC hardware. There has been a fair amount of fine tuning the hardware and software to get just the right functionality and performance out of the system. This put the HTPC outside the realm of the mainstream consumer. However, with advancements in technology and greater levels of integration, it is much easier to build a compelling system without the time commitments and tuning previously required. In future segments, I will do a deeper dive on many of the individual topics in this blog, but for now I want to provide a little overview on technology changes.

Improved Video Processing
Prior to HDTV, PCs displayed on standard definition televisions (SDTV) were never that compelling. Resolution capabilities of SD sets were just too low to properly display digital content. However, with the growth of HD TV sets and advances in video processing technology, chipsets are offering better performance and more functionality than previous generation products. Things like hardware acceleration to improve video playback, improved connectivity options via HDMI outputs, and Microsoft’s DirectX® 10 support for better 3D processing have all come together to make the HTPC not only easier to build, but also cheaper since a discrete GPU card is no longer required for many HTPC applications. What this can mean to the consumer is a lower overall cost, low heat, low noise, but with full, Hi-Def playback of your favorite content on your HD TV or monitor. However, many of these chipsets also support a hybrid mode that allows for a discrete card to be used in conjunction with the integrated GPU. This provides more horsepower for more GPU intensive applications like gaming and more.

Improved Audio Processing
Along with improved video performance, vendors are trying to address the audio performance requirements. Watching a beautiful, high definition movie with flat or distorted audio tracks is just not all that interesting. Listening to it through your TV speakers is not all that exciting either. To address this, vendors are moving to support more advanced audio features. This in turn will lead to a much more compelling experience when watching movies or listening to music. One platform that really targets this experience is the MSI Media Live Diva platform covered earlier. As mentioned, AMD, MSI and D2Audio got together to try and deliver a platform that uniquely targets the HTPC market needs.

Improved Chassis Designs
Early HTPC chassis were based upon standard desktop PC chassis designs. They were very big and frequently very loud. They had high RPM fans spinning at full speed that often exceeded 34+dBs. This created very loud system level noise and was very annoying when one could not hear the subtle dialog over the loud fan noise. Furthermore, they still looked very much like a black painted PC chassis that had just fallen over. Aesthetically, these PCs just did not fit into the look/feel of the rest of the Audio/Video components. Today, you can find numerous chassis from different vendors like Antec, nMedia PC, Lian Li, Silverstone, Thermaltake and others making chassis in different shapes, sizes and looks.  The chassis are designed to look/feel much more like audio/video equipment than a traditional PC look/feel. Chassis vendors have spent a great deal of time trying to improve the overall design and airflow of these chassis solutions while improving the functionality. Many have LCD displays or VFD (vacuum fluorescent displays) to show information much like a DVD player or AVR. Some have volume knobs and front panel controls. Others are more simplistic in design for a very Spartan feel. The benefit to the consumer is that they now have much more choice and price points when selecting a unit.  I have a future blog planned to discuss this further, stay tuned for that one.

Improved Thermal Designs
As stated earlier, many of the older technologies were just adaptations from the traditional desktop PC. Noise levels in the desktop context were never a big issue since most desktops sat underneath a desk and quiet systems were merely an afterthought. However, in a living room, you want to hear the dialog when watching movie, hear the subtle details of your music. Audio is fairly important in this space. You really don’t want to hear the loud CPU fan whirring away while trying to enjoy your content. Therefore, cooler manufacturers have worked hard to find more effective ways to properly cool the components in the system without spinning fans at 5K RPMs. There are many innovators working on improving technology in this area. For example, Noiselimit Noiselimit has developed a cooling technology that uses a “bubble pump” technology that allows the use of a low spinning fan (1900 RPMs), yet keeps the process very cool.  There are many others that offer solutions for this space as well.

Improved HDD technology.
Hard Disc Drive (HDD) vendors are also addressing the needs of this market segment. Vendors such as Seagate, Hitachi, and Western Digital offer a line of drives that specifically target the HTPC segment and incorporate technology like fluid bearings, improved streaming, low noise operation, and more, to bring lower power and quieter operating drives for the system. The HTPC does not need super fast drives that are constantly grinding away crunching data. This type of computer setup requires drives that are quiet and have spin rates designed to handle the streaming needs of entertainment content. They also need to operate efficiently in smaller enclosures with less airflow. Therefore, these industry giants have been working on technology to address these operating parameters. As such, these hard drive vendors have launched new products in the recent past that target the set-top box and HTPC markets.

The list of hardware changes can go on and on — graphics cards, optical drives, improved drivers and endless variety of software applications. One could blog endlessly on any one of these industry changes, let alone rambling on in a single post. Therefore, I will try to focus upcoming blogs on some of these pieces of technology, show you various options for components, and explain how it all comes together.

So, what are future hardware topics you would like to see covered?

Till next time, Happy Trails!

Jay Taylor is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.