PC Based Home Entertainment Systems this was written in
2009, so much is true and still current.
We
are in a revolution for home entertainment.
iPods, iplayers, online TV
all major
changes. Over
the next
few years you are likely to see even bigger changes in the
way you
watch
television, films
and listen to music. Richard Curtis’s last film never saw
celluloid and
was distributed by
the
Internet. Analogue television will be switched off leaving
only
digital. The
BBC has taken over where ITV digital failed and in my
opinion are doing
a
splendid job. Most people can now receive digital
television.
So
where
does the PC fit into all this? We all know you can
play CD’s and
DVD’s
did you
know you can receive analogue and digital TV through your
computer?
Well you
can, if you live in a fringe area then digital may not be
for you but
not for
long. If you install a digital TV card into your computer
you can watch
digital
TV and listen to CD quality audio and radio, there are
around 40 – 50
free to
air TV and radio stations and more will join. Other
advantages with
some
digital cards are the ability to pause live TV and record
programmes in
MPEG2 –
the digital method of viewing moving images as JPEG’s are to
still
images –
obviously this is subject to your systems ability.
We must
all know, if not have heard of MP3 the
music format. With your PC you can ‘rip’ CD’s to MP3 and then
playback
from
your computer – you must keep the original copy of the CD for
copyright
reasons
– Then you can playback by various methods including random or
by
artist etc. We offer a service whereby s1b.com can convert
your old
albums and cassettes to CD's , use the contact us link and
request more
information. In addition to this s1b.com can convert Hi
8, Video
8 and VHS to DVD.
Lets
take
a look at what can be achieved with a PC:
·
Digital
video card – Watch, pause and record TV and radio
programmes. Some
cards will
allow you to capture video from VCR’s, standard or Hi 8
camcorders.
·
Display
cards with dual heads or TV out – use your computer whilst
watching TV
on your
TV.
·
Surround
Sound card – Listen to DVD’s on your computer in glorious
surround
sound. With
the line in facility you could record from mini disc or
cassette, with
a small
pre-amp with what is known as RIAA equalisation you could
record all
your old
albums, even Granny’s old 78’s – if your record deck can
spin that
fast!
·
Firewire
cards – these allow the importing of digital video or DV
from digital
camcorders.
·
DVD
burners – these are often supplied with DVD authoring
software so you
can
easily create your own DVD’s with menus and still
pictures. Just the
job to
send abroad to keep the family up to date. You could also
create copies
of your
favourite TV programmes with your digital TV card, imagine
recording
all the
Formula 1 races through the season, then watching it all
again in the
closed
season. It’s also a very good way of backing up files,
photos etc. One
thing
you will find out with digital pictures and movies is that
they don’t
half take
up a lot of space.
·CD
burners – Make your own compilations to listen in the car
with you,
remember
you must have the original and it has to be for personal
use.
Incidentally DVD
burners will burn CD’s. Many in car CD players will now
play MP3 files
allowing you to store several albums on one CD.
Think about this,
your off spring is pestering you for a DVD / TV / Games
console / CD
player
/ Computer.
Are you really going to buy all those separate items? By
investing in a
PC with
some of the features mentioned above you’ll get much better
value for
money,
admittedly you are limited to the number of things you can
do at once
but
that’s changing and changing fast. The beauty of investing
in a PC
based system
it that the money you save on all those separate components
can go
towards a
fantastic flat screen display! Use the contact link above.