What exactly is a "HTCP"

[AshleyAshes]

3 hours ago, ARikozuM said:

An HTPC is a small form factor computer, usually M-ITX or M-ATX motherboards enclosed in a slim case, in an area where multiple people may be present.

My i7 3770k HTPC is ATX.

[ARikozuM]

1 hour ago, AshleyAshes said:

My i7 3770k HTPC is ATX.

I'm just stating what I would say constitutes an HTPC.

[AshleyAshes]

4 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

I'm just stating what I would say constitutes an HTPC.

And I'm saying that my HTPC is bigger than your limited definition.

[Mooshi]

With the ever more retarded DRM being introduced, the htpc seems dead unless you like shelling out hundreds for no real gain. You'll be better off getting an xbox one s. 

[dalekphalm]

22 hours ago, QuantumBit said:

Hello!

 

I know HTPC mean Home Theater PC, but what's the point of having one? Is it just for browsing the internet, using netflix etc? Wouldn't something like a chromecast etc be better and cheaper?

 

Thanks!

An HTPC is a Home Theatre PC. It has no one strict definition, but it's main advantage over something like a Chromecast is versatility. It's a PC, so it can do anything a PC can do.

 

Generally, you would use it to consolidate functionality of multiple media/set-top boxes into one PC. It also has much more power and capabilities over something like a Chromecast (Yeah they're nice, but man, people overrate them so badly).

[dalekphalm]

1 hour ago, AshleyAshes said:

And I'm saying that my HTPC is bigger than your limited definition.

Indeed, the "original" HTPC's were OEM Pre-built's from HP, etc, that were either Mid-Tower or Full-Tower ATX cases.

[WkdPaul]

22 hours ago, QuantumBit said:

Wouldn't something like a chromecast etc be better and cheaper?

22 hours ago, TomR said:

Is a Chromecast cheaper? Yes.

 

Cost is relative, my HTPC is an old Dell SFF with a Core2Quad and a small SSD and I got it for free. So in my case, a Chromecast would've cost MORE.

 

I know I'm more of an exception but I've seen other people than me get their hands, also for free, on almost complete systems with better specs that the Dell I use, but yeah, if we're talking brand new the Chromecast would be cheaper.

[dalekphalm]

@QuantumBit just so you know, there's a typo in your Title. It incorrectly reads "HTCP" which should instead read "HTPC".

[JCBiggs]

It's for people who can't stand freezing every 10  seconds

[Quinnbeast]

First off, it's worth noting that the term HTPC was first coined at the end of the 90s, far back enough that even the humble DVD player was relatively new to the market. It's easy now to look at today's streaming boxes and wonder what the fuss is about, but at the very least, it ignores the decade or so preceding all of the gear we now take for granted.

 

The hardcore fans of the HTPC will tell you that a gaming PC plugged into a television is exactly that. It's a PC with a big monitor. Some of the things that define what you might deem a "true" HTPC is that it's as easy to use as a set-top box (i.e. decent remote control / IR receiver on the case / TV-friendly GUI), that it would fit in aesthetically with typical A/V equipment, but with the functionality and power of a PC + any extras you might want. If you go back 15 years (and much of this remains true today), and you want to watch a DVD, play a video game, record live terrestrial / cable / satellite (w/ pause-rewind etc), play back your own ripped films and CDs from fast HDD storage etc, then you could easily need four or five boxes for all the different functions of a single well-equipped HTPC.

 

My plasma TV has lost nearly all of it's smart functionality - after 4 years, most of the support was dropped for the streaming channels. The Roku that I now use is a brilliant piece of kit that is easily worth the price, but an HTPC it isn't.