What can you do with a Media Center?

Media Centers combine all forms of digital entertainment. A media center is a stylish entertainment center component that can not only play movies, burn DVDs and record television, but also has the ability to access all Internet content.

Media centers have unlimited potential for entertainment, whether you like to watch humorous video clips or online news content or music videos. With a media center, you can:

Record Television

All media centers have TV tuners, so you can watch television and record your favorite show—play them back commercial free and on your schedule. Some systems even have dual tuners, so you can watch one show while recording another at the same time.

Play Music

These systems can play CDs, streaming Internet radio stations or any music file on your hard drive, such as MP3s, WAV files and so on. Many also come with audio/music editing and organizing software.

Access the Internet

Visit your favorite websites or download music and movies from the comfort of your sofa with a wireless mouse and keyboard.

Burn DVDs/CDs

Most media centers have the ability to burn to dual layer discs, as well as standard DVDs and CDs. Some even have dual drives, one for reading and one for burning.

Watch Video

You can watch DVDs, movies stored on the hard drive, cable or satellite shows or streaming video from the web.

Organize Photos/Videos

Genuine Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, which comes preinstalled on all systems, has a photo and video organizer. Or, you can install one of your favorite programs like PowerDirector 5 or Photoshop Elements and edit from your armchair instead of your desktop.

Chat

Never miss a minute of your favorite show and stay in touch with your friends. You can log on to MSN Chat or your preferred chat service and IM while you are watching a movie or a TV show.

Life Management

Since these systems are compatible with most software, you can manage your money, do your taxes, organize your schedule or use a word processor or spreadsheet from the comfort of your lounger.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to media centers, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side–by–side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which media center is right for your entertainment needs. At TopTenREVIEWS – We do the research so you don’t have to.™

What to Look for in a Media Center

We looked at component type media centers, which are media centers that look like a stereo component instead of a tower type PC and are designed for digital entertainment. Media Centers start at around $1000 and can be as much as $4000. Media “Servers” on the other hand, are designed to hold large media libraries and start at around $5000.

Media centers perform the best with a good dual processor, a high–end 256MB graphics card and at least 2 GBs of RAM. It is also beneficial if the hard drive is large enough to hold a fair amount of video. We’d recommend at least 250GB. Most systems offer various upgrades; however, we compared non–upgraded systems.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate Media Centers:

• Processor – The top–rated media centers have dual processors, like the Core 2 Duo which excels at multitasking.
• Memory – Media Centers require a hard drive large enough to store video files, 250GB or more. In terms of RAM, 2GB (2048MB) will effortlessly run most applications.
• Video/ Audio – A high–quality graphics card is imperative for playing DVDs, TV, digital video or games. Generally, you should look for a dedicated 256 MB video card and surround sound ability.
• I/O Devices – Media centers should provide all ports or connections necessary to connect to TVs, cable television, stereos and peripherals such as video cameras. Most provide several types of audio and video options. They should also come with a wireless keyboard/ mouse combo and a remote control.
• Price/ Value – This criteria compares the suggested retail price to the included features. A good system with a low price rates better than a average PC with a higher base price.
• Support/ Warranty – The manufacture should at least offer a one year parts and labor warranty. They ought to also provide several ways for customers to contact them and post helpful online information.

To begin your search for the best media center PC, see Okoro. Or, if your entertainment budget is tight, see CyberPower’s Ultra Edition.