¿Use Your PC to Build an Incredible Home Theater System¿ is meant for
those home theatre enthusiasts with some working knowledge of personal
computers (PCs) who want to create the ultimate home theater experience.
A Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) is basically an ordinary PC used
in conjunction with a high-definition-capable television, monitor, or
video projector, and a sound system. The book is laid out
chronologically and follows the authors' activities as they assemble two
HTPC systems, starting with a detailed background of video and audio
technologies to help readers understand what the HTPC can do. An HTPC
can do much more than play DVD movies on a HDTV-ready television. The
convergence of computers and digital entertainment formats means that
the PC platform is well suited to reproducing audio in many formats,
including converting older analog recordings to digital. It is also
great for capturing and editing home movies, implementing a personal
video recorder, creating slide-show presentations with digital pictures,
videoconferencing, and much more. Use Your PC to Build an Incredible
Home Theater System will show readers how to set up an HTPC for the most
complete home theater experience available. Bart Farkas is the author of
over 45 computer books and video/computer game strategy guides. Bart
lives with his wife, two sons, and a pair of fuzzy kitties in fabulous
Calgary, Canada. Jeff Govier is a computer software developer and PC
hobbyist with more than 10 years of experience in the high-tech
industry. He is the coauthor of two PC hardware guides and is a home
theater enthusiast. The evolution of the PC into a home entertainment
center is a subject for which he has been waiting many years.