Sometime ago, we had a few readers request an update to our build
guides we published shortly after we started the site. I will remind
our readers of a couple important points. Ultimately we pick a piece of
hardware because we feel it offers the best bang for the buck. I would
imagine that there will be a lot of people that disagree with our
specific choices but we hope the guiding philosophy we lay out in our
guide helps you build a successful HTPC. I simply won't pick a piece of
hardware and say use this because I am damn smart. Instead, I hope to
provide that reader with an understanding of what we are trying to do
and he/she should be able to apply that to the hardware you are
interested in.
As well, keep in mind there are a many configurations and uses an HTPC
can take. As such, I am going to try and tackle a few different builds
based on budget and network topology.