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Media applications include some processor-intensive operations, so Media Center PCs benefit from high-end processors. Whereas 1 GHz is recommended in the base specifications, software encoding for Windows, XP MCE 2004 requires more power. It's recommended that your Media Center PC have a processor speed of 3 GHz or better for the best media experience.
Most Media Center PCs on the market run Pentium 4 processors. However, MCE computers can also be built on AMD Athlon processors. The 64-bit processors can provide superior multimedia delivery, and some custom builders are offering Media Center PCs based on the Athlon 64 processor.
When it comes to system memory, more is better -- and this is especially true when you're working with memory-intensive applications such as video.
The more multitasking you do, the more memory you need. If you intend to do a lot of multitasking on the Media Center PC, you should get a system with 512 MB to 1 GB of system memory.
It's also a good idea to find out how upgradeable the memory is before you buy a system. Future operating system upgrades or applications that you may want to install can make more memory desirable or necessary. Find out how many memory slots the computer's motherboard has, the capacity of each, and how many are already installed.
For example, a computer with four slots that will each hold up to 1 GB of memory is a better deal if it comes with a single 1 GB DIMM (dual inline memory module) installed, rather than four 256 MB DIMMs installed, because you have three empty slots left for expansion. Media Center PCs typically have two to four DIMM slots for easy expansion.
The amount of disk space you need depends on the types of files you want to store on your Media Center PC.
The size of a music file depends on the bit rate at which it's recorded and the format in which it's saved. The higher the bit rate, the higher the quality of the sound. MIDI, MP3, and WMA song files are relatively small (2 to 10 MB each). WAV files are much larger (typically around 50 MB for the average song).
Digital photo files can range from a few kilobytes to hundreds of megabytes, depending on several factors:
Compression reduces the quality of a photo, as well as reducing the file size. Highly compressed files may appear blurry or distorted in places when examined closely.
Video files are often several GBs in size because they contain so much information. For example, an AVI file consists of multiple frames (still images) shown in fast sequence. An uncompressed video file can use up to 1 GB for each minute of video. Most video files are compressed to reduce the files to a manageable size. Compression reduces the quality of the video.
Media Center allows you to save recorded TV at different compression rates. You must determine the trade-off you're willing to make in file size versus picture quality. At high quality, a 30-minute TV program requires about 1.5 GB of disk space.
If you plan to record and save a lot of movie videos and/or TV programs, look for a Media Center PC with a hard disk capacity of at least 200 GB.
Another extra to look for is a built-in flash memory reader. This makes it easier to transfer files from your digital camera, digital camcorder, or MP3 player or just watch or listen to them on the Media Center PC without copying the files to the Media Center PC's hard disk.
The best readers handle multiple flash memory formats. However, if your favourite Media Center PC doesn't come with a flash reader, you can easily add one via the USB port.
Some USB devices (such as some USB scanners and printers) don't work well when plugged into a USB hub; they need to be plugged directly into the computer's USB port.
For this reason, it makes sense to get a computer that has as many USB ports as possible. A minimum of four is a good rule.
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