Make the most of your media with a media centre

One of the best things about the broadband revolution and the sharp price drop in high quality LCD and plasma TV screens is that it's never been easier to connect your computer up to your television and enjoy a media centre.

What's all the fuss about?

Once you've got it all set up having a media centre is fantastic. Depending on your set up, some of the benefits include:

• Being able to pause live TV if you want to have a breather or make a cup of coffee. This also means you can skip through ads by recording the show a little in advance.
• Having the ability to record live TV (and find out what it is you're going to record) just by browsing the TV guide in your media centre
• Being able to record all episodes of a series by pressing the afore mentioned record button twice. This means you'll never miss an episode of your favorite show again.
• Show off your home videos and photos at the click of a button. If they're on your media centre, it's simple to fire up a slideshow or video of your latest adventures.
• Download videos directly from the Internet instead of going to the video shop using online services like Bigpond Movies or iTunes.

What do I need to get set up?

Believe it or not, hooking up a basic media centre doesn't need to cost their earth. In fact, it may even be possible to cannibalize older computers, cables and peripherals you have lying around the home.

Essentially all you need is:

• A computer powerful enough to play the quality of video you want to watch (for example, if you want to watch 720p or 1080p high definition video you'll need to get a slightly more powerful CPU and video card). Your computer should also have a large hard drive (over 500GB if possible) and be running Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate.
• A cable to connect your computer to your television. Most desktops these days come with DVI outputs on the back of them (DVI connection are usually white, as opposed to RGB connections which are usually blue). If you have a newer television, chances are it will accept HDMI connections. Buy an inexpensive DVI to HDMI converter and use a HDMI cable to connect to your television. While we're talking about cables, keep in mind you'll also need an audio cable to connect audio from your computer to your TV (or surround sound system).
• A TV tuner card for your desktop (or laptop if that's what you're using).
• A good wireless keyboard and mouse - we'd recommend a Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 or 8000 as these have great range and let you use your media centre from your armchair. 
• A subscription to IceTV. IceTV is a guide service that lets you download program information from the Internet. This help you figure out what you want to watch and makes recording your favorite TV series as easy as clicking a button.

How can we help?

If you'd like a bit of help getting a media centre set up, or even help working out what to buy, give gizmo a call. Our gizmotechs are media centre experts and can help you get set up quickly and easily! Even better, for the month of August only we're offering 10%* off a Tune Me In service (onsite service only) - just quote promo code GIZ0925 when you call.