Turning Your PC Into a Media Center: From streamlining content, boosting RAM, wireless capabilities and more. (Tech 101 Kindle Book Series) (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

"In Turning Your PC Into a Media Center," author Jacqui Lane offers alternatives for owners of old-but-not-ancient PCs — those, in other words, that are not yet ready for the computer graveyard: Lane suggests turning such a moderately outdated device into a single dedicated media center. She recommends streamlining the computer's existing content — removing unnecessary programs and documents — and explains the steps necessary to boost RAM to a level capable of efficiently accommodating video streaming. She reviews three programs that can run simultaneously without conflict: Windows Media Player and Plex Media Server and MyPlex, providing step-by-step instructions for setting them up. Lane provides the same level of detail for the most popular streaming options, including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Roku. Her discussion of optional hardware upgrades includes a look at video cards, TV tuners and Blue-ray drives, as well as the use of a remote control, a wireless mouse and a wireless keyboard. The text is illustrated with more than two dozen illustrative screen shots.Excerpt from the book:“If you’re like most people, you probably get the itch for a new computer every few years. Compared with the shiny new models on the market, your old computer might feel like a dinosaur, but it’s not quite ready for the trash heap yet. If it was built within the last three to five years, your old PC may not be as zippy as one fresh off the assembly line, but there’s still plenty of life left in it. Instead of sending it off to the recycling plant or letting it gather dust in your closet, why not turn your old PC into a dedicated media computer? A single central media server has several benefits, not the least of which is the ability to organize all of your files in one location and make them accessible to all of your devices. HighlightsPrepping Your PCConfiguring Media Server SoftwareAccessing Your Media ServerTroubleshootingIncludesRAM & Hard Drive UpgradesGetting Windows ReadyOrganizing Your MediaServer Software Programs to ConsiderInstructions on Popular Streaming DevicesVideo Cards, Blu-Ray Drives & Other Optional UpgradesSetting Up Your Media Center