In this article, we will compare the top 4 HTPC operating systems that can be used as the 10-foot user interface for your TV. So, let’s continue looking in detail Windows 7, Mac OS X, Linux and Windows XP operating systems to find out which one is optimal to the living room use. In this comparison, we are using the following evaluation criteria: – Compatibility with the hardware (support for remote controls, etc.) – Compatibility with the 3rd party software (support for media center software) – Video codecs support and performance (support for Blu-ray, H.264, etc.) – Look and feel (how stylish and practical is the UI for TV) Windows 7 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium is the most common operating system and it is also used in HTPCs. Windows Media Center is the most known 10-foot user interface, but many other media center software are compatible with Windows nowadays. Why do so many people hate Windows I have always been a proud Windows user, but I am currently writing on a Mac Mini, own an iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone, and use Linux based home theater PC. However, I have been wondering why so many people absolutely hate Windows. Are there really better alternatives as the main stream operating system? Windows 7, the most successful update? Windows 7 has been claimed to be a lot more successful update than the previous Vista version. Football manager 2009 download full. I definitely agree that it is way better than the slow Vista, but I still think XP is the best Windows update of all time. Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things. The built-in Windows Media Center gives you an easy access to music, pictures and movie files. Windows 7 also features DVD codecs to play DVDs and has the ability to work with popular Blu-ray viewing software such as PowerDVD. ![]() Built-in codecs make it easy to get started There is no doubt that this is an obvious choice for most of the HTPC users as it will be the most installed operating system for sure. The biggest advantage are the built-in codecs and easiness to get fluent playback of videos. However, not all codecs work out of the box. For example MKV file format that is popular container for HD Blu-ray video is not supported by default. Fortunately, there is a codec pack that allows you to. If you are building a new media PC, then these are optimal setup for Windows 7. Windows 7 is excellent for Blu-ray video, live TV, games, Hulu and Netflix. Mac Operating System Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard is a good operating system, but is not as compatible with the third party software as Windows. Mac OS X is much more intuitive and easy to use compared to Windows 7, but there is a limited number of hardware that are compatible with the OS. FrontRow and Plex are probably the best know media centers that are designed particularly for Max OS X. Mac is a controlled environment Many people will often claim Mac is better. What people are failing to understand is that Mac OS X is completely integrated with the hardware. Instead of creating an operating system that works with thousands of variations, Mac only needs to worry about the couple of hardware variations. Good video performance with limited codec support Video playback is great provided that you use video formats that are naturally supported by the Mac. However, in practice Mac OS X’s hardware acceleration support is not as good as Windows and Linux, because, I have not been able to play high definition MKV files smoothly with Mac Mini. Mac OS X is excellent for organizing & managing music and photos. Linux A user who is tech savvy would love to use Linux Ubuntu as the operating system in his HTPC.
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