Which is the Better HTPC OS ?

[Belles_Toaster]

I have a cheap ATI 4850 on matx EVGA 7150 630i mobo with a e5200 cpu with 4gb of sytem memory. I would like to just plug it into my HDMI widescreen. With XP is the sound passed through the HDMI via the 4850? or do I need the evil vista to do this feat. If it is supported is this a media center 32bit thing versus the 64bit version of XP. I am going with the 4850 since ATI has the better cinematic output. Any opinions?

 

[Belles_Toaster]

Or can I put it more simply, could I output video and audio through the HDMI on windows 32 bit XP Pro and in Media Center 2005?

 

[kjv1611]

For just outputting the desktop of your computer, you just need to have the correct connectors on each end (adapter(s)) if necessary, and it's best to have a graphics card that supports "tv out".

If you're connecting over HDMI, you shouldn't have much if any problems there.

As far as for "media center" type stuff, on Windows, you need Media Center or you need a 3rd party application, which there are a few of, but the names elude me at the moment.

If you want to try something different altogether, Linux MCE seems to be working pretty well now. And if you have other things you'd like to tinker with like a home automation system or home security system, it's DEFINITELY worth a look. It has lots of cool features. Now don't assume that it will work perfectly, like the videos try to tell. I've yet to see anything - regardless of OS - that is 100% bug-free through usage history.

There are some other Linux distros (free) that are for media center applications as well. Lots and lots of options, really.