HOME THEATER PC - Build a SILENT 4K Ready HTPC for less than $300
Part 1 - What is a Home Theater PC or HTPC?
A home theater PC is a PC located in your living room, directly connected to your TV. Use the HTPC to play games or watch content while sitting comfortably on your lazy boy recliner or couch. Like a gaming console, with the added benefit of MUCH more functionality.
My HTPC serves the following uses:
- watching movies and TV series (Kodi, or my own library)
- storage server for all backups (mostly Timemachine and Macrium Reflect images)
- DVR for recording live television
- Library for all my music and movie DVDs
My HTPC currently is an old ugly tower case, sitting on it's side in a cabinet under my TV, open to the air so it cools better. But I'm ready to replace it if possible.
Because it's old, it's full of dust, I have to clean it several times a year to try to quiet it down. It's full of fans.. I want to miniaturize it, and make it quiet!
Instead of a remote control, I recommend a wireless keyboard with built-in touchpad.
MINI PC - QUIET!
Choosing a mini PC
I really like the new mini PCs with the J3455 CPU. Fast and inexpensive. This one by ACEPC, is less than $200, and should fit my needs (no games, just 4K video).
Comes with 32GB drive; you should replace it with a large SSD.
Most mini PCs today are Intel Atom based, but this one is Celeron based. Fast too, at 2.3Ghz.
Mini PCs from Lenovo and others can range from $500-1000, but this ACEPC does the job very well, according to reviews, for $200.
Very impressed with this little computer, we were looking for a small htpc to run on our 4K tv and this does the job perfectly. It's quiet and starts up very quickly. Anything that can be done with a Windows PC can be done with this lovely little box. And it comes with Windows 10 installed!
MINI-PC CPUs Compared:
Intel Celeron J3455 - https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Celeron+J3455+%40+1.50GHz
Compared to a new modern i3, it's half the speed, but keep in mind i3 is expensive and mostly overkill these days. Today's i3 chips are twice as fast as older i3s from 5 years ago..
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-7100U+%40+2.40GHz&id=2879
And for memory; I would say, NEVER RUN WINDOWS on less than 4GB of memory! (Ubuntu will run on 2GB)
SPECS of the ACEPC:
Hardware:
CPU:Intel Celeron J3455
GPU:Intel HD Graphics 500
RAM:4GB DDR3L
ROM:32GB eMMC
WiFi:Ac3165 Dual Band，2.4G/5G
LAN: Ethernet RJ45 10/100/1000M
Bluetooth: BT V4.0
Interface:
USB port:2xUSB 3.0;2xUSB 2.0;2xType C;support USB disk and USB HDD
Card reader: TF Card （up to 128GB）
HDMI Port :HDMI 1.4
Microphone audio: 3.5mm Microphone jack x1
More Support:
Support Decoder format : HEVC（H265@4Kx2K）,H.264@5.1,SVC,VP8 1080P,VP8 4K,VP8 stereo，MPEG4 ASP/SP,AVS,BD2.4，H263
Support Media format :H.264@5.1,VP8 1080P,VP8 4K,VP8 stereo,SVC,AVS,H263
Support Music format : MP3,WMA9,AAC,PCM（WAV）,AC3
Support Photo format : HD JPEG/BMP/GIF/PNG/TIFF
Mouse/ Keyboard: Support mouse and keyboard via USB;Support 2.4GHz wireless mouse and keyboard via 2.4GHz USB dongle
Package Include:
1 * AK1 Mini PC
1 * HDMI Cable
1*VESA bracket
Mount this mini PC to the back of your television if you like; which gets it out of the way and makes it invisible.
As a selection of SSD, I've been happy with the Samsung. Many other's I have had die on me, including Sandisk.
WARNING: always keep a Macrium Reflect disk image of your SSD available, in order to create a new boot drive if your SSD dies. I found out the hard way; I've had 2 SSD drives fail for me in 5 years. Each time, I had to rebuild my HTPC from scratch, including re-installing Windows.
What software should I run on my HTPC?
Choosing an operating system:
You can run either Ubuntu or Windows easily, and have all the software below running on either OS.
GENERIC SOFTWARE FOR HTPC:
- Kodi with Specto or Exodus
- Media Player Classic or VNC audio video players
- VPN of your choice (OPTIONAL: I like Private Internet Access, available on all client OS types)
- Chrome browser
WINDOWS SPECIFIC SOFTWARE (find your own solutions if you run Ubuntu):
Windows Media Center (If you run win 7 instead of Win10 and want regular cable TV)
Macrium Reflect - backup software - imaging and restore
Stablebit Drivepool - Optional
SECURITY:
Backup and make sure you are secure - keep installed apps to a minimum!
Do not install software you are solicited to purchase or download!
Never install any software you are not 100% sure is safe!
What Comes Next?
- Why a windows machine for HTPC use?
- Should I choose Win7 or Win10?
- What accessories will I want for my HTPC?
- In the future we will discuss installing Kodi, and some plugins for it allowing video streaming of TV shows and Movies. And we will discuss how to mount the mini to the TV, and how it is controlled, and using bluetooth devices with it.