I’m setting up a Windows 7 Media Center at home and thought I’d share feedback on how I went about getting it done. Being a tech enthusiast, and NOT much of the movies/music person, I went for something very modest and inexpensive.

The PC: Acer Aspire Revo R3600

• Very sleek, black, ultra small form factor, can be mounted on the back of a flat panel TV or mounted on its own footing. Both mounting kits are provided in the package.
• Intel® Atom 230 processor @ 1.6GHz (intel’s smallest processor)
• 2 GB RAM, expandable to 4 GB
• NVIDIA ION chipset
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400 upto 896 MB
• HDMI output, VGA output
• 6 USB ports,
• 4-in-1 card reader
• eSATA port
• Built-in wireless adapter, Ethernet port
• HD Audio 7.1

The Display: Videocon Haute 32” Flat Panel LCD TV (VBL32HBG-FLA)

• 32” LCD, 16:9 aspect ratio, 1366×768 resolution
• 2 HDMI ports, VGA with audio jack
• 3 RCA inputs
• Proudly made in India  

Human Interface: Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 1000

I would have preferred a keyboard with built-in trackball instead of a mouse for living room coffee table convenience, but I couldn’t get hold of one.

Webcam: Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000

I used the LifeCam VX-6000 only because I had a spare one lying around. For those buying a new webcam, I would recommend the LifeCam Cinema, a great webcam that I had evaluated:

• 720p HD widescreen @ up to 30fps!
• Auto Focus
• Digital microphone

The LifeCam VX-6000 that I used is an older model, that has the following features:

• 71 degree Wide Angle Lens (good for living room set up)
• High Definition video
• 3x digital zoom
• Up to 30fps
• Built-in microphone

Why a webcam on my Media Center PC? OK, I like to use the living room computer for video conferencing with relatives, because this way the whole family can be on the couch *and* within frame

TV Tuner:

I am still looking for a good, locally available external TV Tuner/Capture card that is on the Windows Media Center Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). The ones that I found locally are from Lightwave – and that’s not listed on the HCL. I already have an STB with RCA composite output and RF out jack, and I’m looking for a capture card that will receive one of these and display it in Windows Media Center. I will post an update when I finally install a TV Tuner.

Meanwhile, if any of you have got Lightwave TV tuner cards working with Windows Media Center, please post a comment and let me know of your experience.

For now, the only thing I watch on my PC is Internet TV from IslamBox.TV.

Other hardware:

• Since the Acer Aspire Revo R3600 comes with no bluetooth, I have a USB bluetooth dongle plugged in.
• The Revo comes with no DVD player/recorder and you might want to buy one. For me, I already have a DVD player hooked to my LCD TV, and I have other computers in my Windows 7 HomeGroup that have DVD recorders. Installation of Windows 7 on my Revo was done with a USB stick.
• I had to buy an HDMI cable because neither the Revo nor the Videocon LCD TV came with one.

Audio: HDMI output

The audio from my TV is good enough for me. You can always connect a sophisticated audio system if your TV supports it. The Revo only has a headphone jack.

Setup:

• Unpack and set up the Revo as per the instructions enclosed, initially use the wired keyboard and mouse supplied with the Revo
• Connect the HDMI cable between the PC and the LCD TV.
• Power on both units, get connected to the internet, install updates, antivirus software, etc.
• Install the wireless keyboard and mouse as per the instructions enclosed and unplug the Revo’s wired keyboard and mouse
• Install the LifeCam as per instructions enclosed. Plug the device in only when prompted by the installation software.
• Uninstall any useless software that was pre-installed by Acer (some games, utilities and trial software)
• Upgrade the Revo from Windows Vista to Windows 7 using a USB stick.
• Connect your TV/STB to the TV tuner card and do the installation. Run through the Windows Media Center setup.
• Set up a Windows 7 Homegroup to better share
• Try not to mess around with the display resolution too much. I use 1024×768.

Here are some pictures of my living room computer

What next?

The next things on my list:

• Get that TV Capture card
• Set up a Windows Home Server running on Hyper-V