Easy PC upgrades: Be a media star

Reading and writing
You'll also want a decent DVD writer. This lets you burn your own DVD videos as well as audio and data CDs. If you splash out a few pounds more on a dual-layer drive, you can double the capacity of each disc you write to 8.5Gb, providing you use compatible media (dual-layer discs have two surfaces on which data can be stored, as opposed to one). At full DVD-video quality, this equates to at least two hours of playback. What better way to archive a recorded TV series?

Despite what you might think, a dual-layer drive needn't break the bank. Lite-On sells a dual-layer multi-format model for a mere £38 at Dabs. Dual-layer discs still cost more than single-layer discs (expect to pay around £28 for five compared with around £1 each for single-layer 4.7Gb discs) but prices will doubtless fall.

As with hard disks, external DVD writers are available but you'll pay a little more. Freecom's dual-layer FX-50 model costs £115.

Sights for sore eyes
With a TV tuner card installed in your computer, you can connect an aerial and watch and record TV channels. An analogue tuner is fine for picking up BBC1 and BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel Five but a digital tuner (sometimes referred to as a DVB-T) effectively duplicates the function of a Freeview box, giving access to many more channels.

Digital tuners can also receive the electronic programme guide that is used to display information about the channel and programme that is being viewed. This is vital if you want to schedule recordings.

Hauppauge's WinTV USB 2 model is an external analogue device that throws FM radio reception into the mix and also includes a remote control. This will set you back about £90. Check out Leadtek for alternatives.

Digital tuner cards are less common but Pinnacle's PCTV MediaCenter 300i is well worth a look. This handles both analogue and Freeview broadcasts and includes a remote control and PVR (personal video recorder) software. It costs £80.

You can also buy monitors with integrated TV tuners but these are mainly designed to bring TV to a desktop system. For a home-entertainment hub, the computer should have control over the television hardware.

When choosing a graphics card, an important consideration is the connectivity it offers. In terms of power, any modern graphics card should be able to play DVD movies without difficulty and most should be able to handle advanced PVR functions (such as pausing and rewinding live TV), providing you have a TV tuner and the right software.

Playing games is another kettle of fish, but Sapphire's Radeon 9800Pro All-in-Wonder 128Mb AGP DVI-I Vivo graphics card is powerful enough for most games and has an integrated TV tuner to boot. It could be yours for less than £190 at Komplett.

Be aware that many new graphics cards use the PCI Express interface, whereas you'll most likely need an AGP model.

Sounding off
The simplest way to feed sound from your computer to a TV is to connect the sound card's audio output to the TV's audio input. You should find a pair of red-and-white sockets on the TV next to the S-Video or Composite video inputs.

If your sound card has a single 3.5mm jack as its output but the TV or adapter has larger phono-style inputs, you'll need a cable adapter. A 3.5mm jack-to-RCA cable costs just £4 from Dabs.

However, while the above scenario takes advantage of the TV's built-in speakers, what if you want surround sound? This is especially impressive when you're watching a film with a powerful soundtrack or audio effects. Here you need two things: a sound card that supports 5.1 or higher surround sound output and a speaker system with satellite speakers and a separate subwoofer for those meaty bass tones.

Upgrading a sound card is easy, as they all use the standard PCI expansion interface. Easier still is an external USB device. You can pick up an external USB Sound Blaster Live 5.1 sound card (with remote control) for £40 and a set of Creative T5400 5.1 Inspire speakers for an extra £50 at PC World.

The internal version of the Sound Blaster card is cheaper still at £23. And hey, presto! Cinematic sound in the living room. But hold that wallet one moment. Your computer may well have integrated 5.1 audio built into the motherboard rather than on an expansion card, in which case all you'll need are the speakers.