HTPC is an acronym for a Home Theatre Personal Computer and they are beginning to become a very popular hobby with PC enthusiasts who enjoy setting up a computer for their home theatre.
The benefits are many in having a computer connected to your television including the ability to play your MP3s through you amplifier you can fit out you PC with a TV tuner card and set up your PC to record all your favorite programs to your hard drive.

HTPCs can use standard computer hard ware and there are also many motherboards produced now in a small size targeted at the HTPC buyer. Computers are generally noisy but with the advent of HTPC’s manufacturers are producing special cases power supplies and CPU coolers to reduce the noise generated by the computer to almost silent.

Building a HTPC can become quite expensive if you are addicted to the computer hobby as best results are achieved with fairly fast systems with plenty of HDD space memory and a decent video card that can output to your TV.

There are several popular options for running Tivo style software on your computer to handle all your TV recordings. Microsoft make a version of Windows that uses a program known a Media Centre that turns you PC in to a video recorder and more. Similar open source programs are around too like Media Portal or the Linux based Myth TV to name a few.

Controlling any of your hifi system is best done with a remote and your HTPC is no different, Most of the TV Tuner cards on the market come with a remote to control your TV tuner or you can purchase a USB add on remote like the Microsoft MCE remote control.

If you have no need for recording TV with your HTPC, why not set up a PC just to play your MP3s. Connect it to your telly in order to navigate your MP3 collection and run Windows with Media Player on it. A system like this could be made out of you obsolete hardware and achieve good results.