Build your own media PC

Chris Gardner and computer services firm Need a Nerd explain and select the basic components of a media centre computer. 

Hard disk drive

The amount of data your personal computer's hard disk drive can store defines the functionality of the machine. The hard disk drive copies the operating system, such as Windows or Linux, during installation.

Other software, such as antivirus and Microsoft Office programs, also sit on the hard disk drive.

But the biggest consumer of hard disk drive space is the computer user's word-processing files, digital photos, music and video.

Less than a decade ago a 40Gb hard drive was considered big. Three years ago the standard was 120Gb and now it's between five and 10 times that, depending on the type of machine it is installed on and the machine's main function.

I chose a Seagate ST3500418AS Baracuda ATA 500Gb hard disk drive because anything smaller than 500Gb would quickly fill up.

If you cracked the case of a hard disk drive open you'd find a metallic platter, much like a CD, which spins at 7200 revolutions a minute or 120 times a second. The platter records and plays back electromagnetic information through components built into the drive.

Hard disk drives can have their data scrambled by electromagnetic devices which includes speakers, so it is not wise to place any such devices within a metre of your hard disk drive.

The latest innovation in hard disk drives are solid state drives. As the name suggests, they are solid, like a USB stick, and have no moving parts, and data transfer is generally quicker than the alternative. But for most, their current 200Gb cap makes them too small.

For more storage space try the Seagate Barracuda 1.5Tb (1500Gb) - an external hard drive, or if 500Gb seems overkill for your needs the Seagate Barracuda 160Gb drive.

Optical drive

You and I would call them a CD, DVD or Blu-Ray player, but when they are fitted in a personal computer they're known as an optical drive and come with additional functions.

The DVD-ROM optical drive is the most common, superseding the CD- ROM, as the newest Blu-Ray-ROM optical drives are just out of the average price range.

As well as reading DVD-ROM disks containing software, and DVD movies through the Windows Media Player or Windows Media Centre, most DVD-ROM optical drives can also be used to backup data on a writable CD or DVD, which can only be used once, or a re-writable CD or DVD, which can be wiped and used again. Such drives, and CDs and DVDs, are marked with the rewritable (RW) logo.

LG's HL-DT-ST DVD RAM GH22NS50 ATA optical drive comes with its own software, including LG Burning Tools and Cyberlink's suite of DVD playback and video-editing software PowerDVD, Power2Go and PowerProducer. The DVD-ROM also includes LabelPrint software, for making disk labels, and YouCam, LG's own webcam software, and a 60-day trial version of Norton Internet Security.

Monitor

The Hewlett Packard 2509p 25-inch Diagonal Full HD LCD Monitor is perfect for a multi-media machine. It's a high definition 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen screen, with 1920 by 1080 resolution. It is big enough for playing games up close and watching live television and DVDs from further away, but it does not dominates the room.

HP's BrightView technology promises a sharper picture, and a three-millisecond grey-to-grey response time reduces blur.

It comes with its own built-in 2W stereo speakers, which remove the need to connect auxiliary speakers.

Keyboard and mouse

Until fairly recently the only difference between the computer keyboard and mouse was whether it was black, grey, silver or white, and what manufacturer's logo it carried. These days they come in so many shapes and sizes that, for some users, choosing one can be a big deal.

Consider whether you want them wired, attached to the console via a PS2 socket or USB connection, or wireless, using a USB receiver or built-in BlueTooth receiver in the computer console.

Consider your primary use of the keyboard or mouse, as extra functionality is built into special media-centre and gaming devices.

For versatility we're using a Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard and a Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse. As well as all the standard functions, the keyboard includes extra media-centre and gaming functionality.

A quick launch key gives one- touch access to Windows 7 and Windows Vista Games Explorer, allowing quick access to the personal computer's game library, a function also available on the mouse.

The keyboard also comes with a modular calculator-style keyboard which can be attached to the right or the left of the standard keyboard or removed all together. When attached it can be programmed to store up to 90 macros, or keyboard shortcuts, in game mode.

The mouse plugs into the personal computer via a wired USB lead, which is connected to a yo-yo-like base around which a second wire, with a magnetic connector which attached to the mouse, is wound. The design allows disconnection of the magnetic connector once the mouse is charged and it then relies on its 2.4GHz wireless connection. It is reconnected when the battery goes flat and can be used as a wired mouse while it charges. According to Microsoft the charge lasts 30 hours.

As well as a scroll wheel with a tilt function and vertical side buttons, the mouse's most unusual feature is an LCD screen that displays how many dots per inch the display is set at, which can easily be adjusted to suit different games.

The X8 is great for operating a personal computer from the couch as it is equipped with Microsoft's proprietary BlueTrack technology, which makes it work on any surface. I've tried it on mouse mats, desks, leather arm rests, trousers and even the palm of my hand and it works a treat. The X8's shape makes it ambidextrous.

Webcam

If you're going to do a lot of teleconferencing using the likes of Skype, which can be downloaded for free from skype.com, Microsoft's LifeCam Cinema webcam offers an affordable high-resolution option.

- © Fairfax NZ News