OCMODSHOP builds an HTPC running on Vista Home Premium, to see how it does at replacing the Media Center edition.  You also get some good recommendations on what hardware to include in an HTPC.  Read on to find out why Vista may be your new best friend when it comes to HTPCs.
“Setting up a Home Theater PC used to be a huge ordeal. Before Windows Media Center (and other all-inclusive media software), configuring a HTPC was an ongoing project as there were no standard or tested methods on achieving stability or automation. Getting a PC to ran as simply and reliably as an appliance has always been the goal of any Media PC enthusiast.

Microsoft’s Windows Media Center 2005 was the answer to a lot of our prayers, as it offered a relatively stable media experience and provided advanced media features. Sure, it had its problems, but we were willing to live with them because the PC consolidated a rack full of equipment down to one box.”

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