Create a media centre

Stay in control
It is also important to make sure the computer comes with controls that are convenient for use on the sofa, as even the best mouse will struggle on a fluffy cushion.

A Media Center computer should be supplied with a special remote control. These can be purchased separately if required and only cost around £17.

A wireless keyboard and mouse set is also essential. Some keyboards include a way of controlling the cursor, rather than relying on the mouse. The Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 is designed for use with a Media Center computer.

The keyboard is wireless and has a navigation pad for controlling the cursor. Modern optical mice may be accurate as never before, but are hardly ideal for use on a sofa cushion. The keyboard is also backlit and ideal for typing in the dark. Find out more here.

There are also improved remote controls available, such as the Gyration Media Center Remote control.

Cheaper alternatives
Before spending money on a Media Center, you should decide if it is really necessary. Simply recording television can be done with a Freeview PVR box. The Toshiba RDXS25 has a 160GB hard disk and can record to DVD. It costs £130 from Comet and is much cheaper than a computer.

As much more complex devices, Media Center computers use more electricity and can get very hot, so don’t leave one in an enclosed cabinet. We have been frustrated that it can be hard to organise a large library of recordings, as they can only be sorted by title or date. There is no way to sort by genre or even to assign descriptive tags to programmes.

Some examples
Shuttle is well known for building compact computers that are stylish enough to be used in the living room. The x200 is small even by their standards, but still has a hybrid TV tuner for recording either analogue or Freeview TV broadcasts. It has connections for both computer monitors and televisions. We also found that it was very frugal with electricity, only drawing 50W during testing, so it won’t send bills through the roof. Read the full review.

With USB and even built-in TV tuners, there is no reason a notebook should not be used as a Media Center.

In fact, if space is tight the built-in monitor is an advantage and avoids the problem of matching inputs. A cheap example is the Acer Aspire 7520 Gemstone notebook that costs £399.

Streaming music and video files
Copying a large music collection to a Media Center is not an attractive task, but thankfully there is no need for this as Media Center can play music on another computer if both are on a home network.

Wireless networks can be used, but 802.11b networks will only be able to play music. A network based on 802.11g or 802.11n is required for playing video. Alternatively, Homeplug adapters offer better speeds without the bother of having to install wires.

Windows Media Player must be told to share media. Press the Alt key and then left-click on Tools, then Options. Click on the Library tab and then on Configure Sharing. Click in the box labelled Share my media to: and then on OK in both windows.

If the Zonealarm firewall is being used on the computers, it must be set up to allow sharing over the home network. Instructions for this can be found here.

There is more information about sharing files with a Media Center computer on the Microsoft website.