New
#1
Wanting to turn older Dell PC into media center
I have a Dell Demension PC that my buddy/neighbor gave me (upgraded and got a laptop for xmas). There's nothing wrong with the PC other than it needs a good ol reformat and perhaps a video card. I'm looking into turning this into a media center though. Can someone give me some advice on what I need with regards to hardware and software.
A few questions/comments to get the ball rolling:
Thanks
- I do not have cable TV (just broadband internet) our only source of tv comes from Neftlix streaming through the Xbox360. So no need for TV tuner.
- The PC currently only has onboard video but will support an AGP video card. My TV is a bit dated however and only has 1 HDMI input which is used by the xbox, 2 component inputs, and 2 or 3 composite inputs. It runs 720p.
What card (or adapter) could I use to supply video to the TV?- Software? I have an unused license of windows7 can I use that or should I purchase a "Media Center" specific OS? Which one? Windows Media Center seems dated
- What sort of plugins should I use for browsing TV shows available online? I know there's tons but the list is overwhelming for someone just getting started. A quick recommendation would be great.
- Is there any reason WHY this PC couldn't be used as a Media Center? Currently I switch back and forth between my Xbox360 and a modded original Xbox with XBMC (Xbox Media Center). The original Xbox is what I use to stream content from my office PC because the 360 will not play AVI natively.