Home Theater and Media Center PCs in the Living Room

HTPC, Media Center, Media Center Extenders, All-in-One (AIO) PC, PCTV

With the Media Center application now included in most versions of Vista, consumers will become increasingly exposed to the multimedia and Internet video capabilities of the PC. The most tech-savvy PC users are fully aware of the capabilities of the PC and those consumers are partly responsible for fueling the development of AV-styled home theater PCs for the living room. AV dealers and custom installers are also finding a small market for high-end whole-home AV solutions using highly customized and specialized PC-based platforms. With the introduction of the Media Center application in mainstream PCs, Microsoft is paving the way for more and more consumers to appreciate the value the platform brings to living room entertainment. This study examines the forces driving the home theater PC market and how regional factors are influencing adoption throughout the world. It evaluates the challenges facing the HTPC market and how the market – and consumers – are adapting to overcome those challenges. It also considers the role of extenders in bringing PC content to the TV. Forecasts are provided on a regional basis for key markets and products are segmented to illustrate the transition of the PC as a living room multimedia device.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

How is the PC evolving as a media center?
What is the market size for HTPC machines?
What is the future opportunity for HTPC machines?
How is the industry evolving to support PC video on the TV?
Which regions have the highest adoption of HTPCs and media center PCs?
What percentage of PCs have TV tuners installed?
What are the market drivers for HTPC installations?
What is the role of All-in-One (AIO) PCs in the HTPC marketplace?
What is the outlook for AIO machines?

Who Needs This Report?

PC manufacturers
Tv tuner card manufacturers
Extender product vendors
Customer AV product companies
CE AV companies
Software developers for Media Center applications
Retail AV stores and other large retailers

1.1. Guidelines
2.1. Defining HTPC
2.1.1. Ten-Foot Screen
2.1.2. TV Tuner
2.1.3. Broadband Connection
2.1.4. Human Interface Devices
2.2. Market Breadth
2.3. HTPC Usage Drivers
2.3.1. Internet Video
2.3.2. Freedom from Barriers
2.3.3. Feature-Rich Applications
2.4. Home Automation and Security
2.5. Consumer Awareness and Acceptance
2.6. Installation and Support
2.6.1. Retail Support
2.7. Regional Barriers and Enablers
2.7.1. Japan
2.7.2. South Korea
2.7.3. European Union
2.7.4. United Kingdom
2.7.5. United States
2.8. Making a Business Case for HTPC
2.8.1. Extenders and Media Center PCs
3.1. HTPC Design
3.1.1. System Responsiveness
3.1.2. Keyboard and Mouse
3.1.2.1. Gyration
3.1.2.2. Text Entry
3.1.3. Noise
3.1.4. Form Factor
3.2. The PC in HTPC
3.3. Operating Systems
3.4. Channel Discovery
3.5. Digital Televisions
3.6. CableCard
3.7. Regional Television Support
4.1. AMD
4.2. Corel
4.3. Cyberlink
4.4. Dell/Alienware
4.5. D2 Audio
4.6. HP
4.7. Lifeware/Exceptional Innovation
4.8. MediaMall Technologies
4.9. Microsoft
4.10. Nero
4.11. Niveus
4.12. Onkyo
4.13. Philips
4.14. Sage TV
4.15. Snapstream
4.16. Sony
4.17. Velocity Micro
5.1. Worldwide Media Center PC Forecasts
5.2. Worldwide Home Theatre PC Forecasts
5.2.1. Worldwide All in One Forecast
5.2.2. Regional HTPC Forecasts
5.2.3. Regional AIO Forecasts
5.3. North America Market Forecasts
5.4. UK Market Forecasts
5.5. Western Europe Market Forecasts
5.6. Japan Market Forecasts

Product Information

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Home Theater and Media Center PCs in the Living Room

HTPC, Media Center, Media Center Extenders, All-in-One (AIO) PC, PCTV