Laptops as Home Theater PCs?

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Ryan and the crew at PC Perspective have written an article today suggesting that laptops are a suitable replacement for a home theater PC.

My friend's laptop, however, had HDMI, and was able to play back streaming 1080P HD video without a single issue. It could do everything that my dedicated HTPC could do but it was portable, made less noise, and took up less space. And yet it was nothing special - just a Core 2 Duo laptop with Nvidia mobile graphics."
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Portable is great until you realize your HTPC is in your bag and the tuners are plugged in at home. So much for that scheduled recording.
 
i used my studio 17 as a HTPC for awhile. Execept for a tv tuner it was the best HTPC ive had so far. It took up NO space, low power requirements, no fan noise.....it was perfect!
 
Totally.

My ultra portable Asus UL30VT has HDMI out, enough horsepower to play 1080p high bitrate h.264 content, and a 500GB hard drive. It can play a little more then 2 full movies streaming over the network, or off the hard drive all on a single charge.
 
My dad uses a laptop as htpc, the only issue being HDD space and heat.

I personally use a normal midtower ATX set up for mine. Not particularly worried about the aesthetics of it!
 
Apparently Ryan and the crew at PC Perspective are related to Ric Romero.

ricromeroplain.jpg


In other news, laptops with hardware similar to HTPCs can perform the same function.
 
Guess it really depends on what you use your HTPC for. Every bit of media I buy gets ripped to my HTPC. Anime, TV Shows, Movies, Music, whatever. It acts as the media hub for my family....I guess I could buy a laptop and attach 4 or 5 2TB USB drives to it, get an external tuner, and never move it. Yeah.
 
I've had a laptop dock next to my tv for a while now. Want to stream some video to the TV? Just snap the laptop in the dock and away you go. Makes the whole process easier to connect and more versatile.
 
HTPC is sort of what motivated me to buy my asus n61ja a couple of months ago. It's got all the modern stuff, win7 pro 64bit, i5, 4gb ram, 500gb hdd, usb3, esata, card reader, wireless n, blu-ray, 5730 1gb graphics and hdmi of course. :) Bargain back then for ~$1400AUD. And today I can't find anything close for the price.

So I've got something that I can plug into my 47" toshiba screen to watch blu-ray discs with, and something that I can play all of todays games on. :) Oh yes, it's also fun to plug the xbox controller in and play MAME on the big tv too. :)
 
Until I rebuilt my home theater, I had a Toshiba laptop with a broken screen as my htpc. streamed all the music/video from my NAS box on the network without a problem. Had sp/diff and component out. replaced it with a regular pc only because I wanted 4gb of ram and win7.
 
Uhh, yeah, this is one way I was able to justify to myself an HP Envy 15 purchase ...

Very low power, fast CPU for transcoding if nessisary, ATI 5830 Mobility HDMI out with full video acceleration and HD audio bitstreaming capabilies as desktop 57xx and 58xx series cards.t

Suddenly it was silly to use a desktop to watch a streamed blu ray (from my WHS) that sucks up 175W doing so (Q9450, GTX 280, etc) when the lappy will do the same at around 20W.

Hell the laptop video can even overclocked and not suffer the multi-monitor desktop sceen flickering issues my desktop 5770 had. Then again, the 5770 was faster then the 5830M by a fair bit even stock. :(
 
I've used my old laptop as a basic HTPC (playback of media, some 1080). It worked fine for what I used it for, which was rather light media duties compared to many here.
 
Uhmm, wouldnt a netbook be even better than a notebook?

I am sure some are powerfull enough to 1080p.
 
Wow, how was it complicated? Use remote to switch tv input, pick up wireless keyboard and mouse and away you go, same thing you would have to do with a laptop. And noisy? Sounds like poor fan management. Even my main rig is quiet (gotta love watercooling!). Seriously, if he couldn't figure out how to make his HTPC better then he has no right to write a tech article.
 
SpeedyVV said:
Uhmm, wouldnt a netbook be even better than a notebook?

I am sure some are powerfull enough to 1080p.
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+1

Mine has an HDMI port and can decode standard h264's.

But then again, a nettop might still be cheaper since it has the same innards of the netbook, minus the screen and battery.
 
That's part of why I got a laptop. I've been a desktop only guy for years. I still have my desktop and its still my primary machine, however I now have a laptop. It was bought for 3 functions:

1) Gaming on the road. I don't travel a lot, but when I do, I want the latest and greatest games to travel with me.

2) Information lookup when I play games (MMOs in particular) on my desktop. I want something I can turn to and look stuff up, without tabbing since many games eat shit and crash when you try that.

3) A media PC. I wanted something that could play videos of all types, play games, etc and I'm not at all interested in moving my PC. I also wanted something think, that would fit in an AV stack well.

Because of all of that, I decided a laptop was worth it. Other than mobile gaming, it isn't necessarily the best choice, and defiantly isn't the cheapest. However since it is a single unit that can do all that, it is worth it to me.
 
I own the laptop pictured, HP HDX, and I now use it as a HTPC because I broke the screen on it. Works great.
 
My only issue with using a laptop as an HTPC or most HTPC's in general is the lack of ability to output full 8 channel uncompressed audio over the HDMI. I would have bought a laptop for demo'ing home theaters a year ago if they accomplished this. Most HDMI outs in laptops only do 2 pcm channels. I install Home theaters and If I could play Blu-Ray ISO's and output DTS-HD Master audio or TrueHD I would buy one immediately.

Only solution I have found is buying a Xonar Card ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132012&cm_re=xonar-_-29-132-012-_-Product ) and a small form factor pc.
 
ZeosPantera said:
My only issue with using a laptop as an HTPC or most HTPC's in general is the lack of ability to output full 8 channel uncompressed audio over the HDMI.
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Well I just tested out my MSI GX640 for you, and LPCM over HDMI works flawlessly. It supported 6 channels at any rate up to 192kHz via HDMI (I have a 5.1 system). My receiver confirmed it was getting 6 channel 192kHz PCM, and sound properly played on all speakers. My laptop lacks a Blu-ray drive (the Blu-ray player is for playing Blu-rays) so I don't know if it streams TrueHD out without decoding, but it does PCM no problem.

So, there's an option if you are looking for one. I suspect it is the 5850M, the Realtek sound chip, or both that are the reason it can do that.
 
I get trueHD and DTS-MA through my HTPC's 5770 HDMI port flawlessley. Works great with my marantz receiver.

A laptop would be a joke of a HTPC for me. Mine does the following:

1. Silent
2. Capacity for up to 6TB of storage plus a 250GB ssd.
3. Looks fantastic in the rack and you can't even tell it's a PC
4. Has 4in touchscreen on the front, which can be used to play music when the projector is off. IT automatically dims when movies start, and is totally customizable - no ugly big laptop display to deal with.
5. DTS-MA and True-HD audio via a single HDMI cable to my reciever
6. Destroys any game at up to 1080P resolution with tons of AA and AF while still being silent
7. ultra fast video transcoding with 4ghz core i5

When a laptop can do that, let me know.
 
I don't think anyone is saying a laptop can be the same as a high end HTPC. However riddle me this: What did your HTPC cost you? When I looked at the rack style, high end, silent HTPCs I found they were many of the dollars. Nothing wrong with that, but then my laptop is rather high end and cost about a grand.

Also, you can't take that HTPC with you easily. A laptop just grab and go. If that doesn't matter to you fine, but you can see how many people, like me, are interested in it.

As for your points, most of those aren't unique to a HTPC:

2) I can put as much as I like on my system via eSATA. 2TB is what I currently use, that's plenty.
3) While the laptop wouldn't work well in an actual mounting rack, it works great in an AV shelf. It is very thin, thinner than my Blu-ray player. It just looks like a little black object.
5) I'm pretty sure the laptop does this too. It is a 5000 series ATi card as well. Haven't tested it, but as I said does 192kHz LPCM.
6) Laptop does that too. A 5850M is a 5770 with a lower clock. The 5870M is damn near the same as a 5770.
7) The laptop also has a Core i5 and I'm sure would do just fine for transcoding (I use my desktop though).

Nobody is saying a dedicated HTPC can't be a nice thing, just like nobody is saying a dedicated desktop computer can't be a nice thing. I'm not throwing away my desktop for a laptop. However a laptop can do HTPC functions quite well, and can be packed up to go on the road when you want. Makes it feasible for a dual use machine.

A nice, special case, silent HTPC is a wonderful thing, but expensive. Some of us have budgets we have to live in. Money spent on that is money not spent other computer or AV hardware. THAT'S the point of all this.
 
Sycraft said:
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My dad travels to Detroit every week for work. I spec'ed out a laptop for him with HDMI-out and plenty of power to run Hulu and Windows Media Center's Internet TV as well as DVDs. Just one cable to plug into the hotel's widescreen TV and he's good to go with Windows Media Center. No reason to be stuck with the hotel's 4 or 5 choices of channels when you can get more online.
 
Sycraft said:
I don't think anyone is saying a laptop can be the same as a high end HTPC. However riddle me this: What did your HTPC cost you? When I looked at the rack style, high end, silent HTPCs I found they were many of the dollars. Nothing wrong with that, but then my laptop is rather high end and cost about a grand.

Also, you can't take that HTPC with you easily. A laptop just grab and go. If that doesn't matter to you fine, but you can see how many people, like me, are interested in it.

As for your points, most of those aren't unique to a HTPC:

2) I can put as much as I like on my system via eSATA. 2TB is what I currently use, that's plenty.
3) While the laptop wouldn't work well in an actual mounting rack, it works great in an AV shelf. It is very thin, thinner than my Blu-ray player. It just looks like a little black object.
5) I'm pretty sure the laptop does this too. It is a 5000 series ATi card as well. Haven't tested it, but as I said does 192kHz LPCM.
6) Laptop does that too. A 5850M is a 5770 with a lower clock. The 5870M is damn near the same as a 5770.
7) The laptop also has a Core i5 and I'm sure would do just fine for transcoding (I use my desktop though).

Nobody is saying a dedicated HTPC can't be a nice thing, just like nobody is saying a dedicated desktop computer can't be a nice thing. I'm not throwing away my desktop for a laptop. However a laptop can do HTPC functions quite well, and can be packed up to go on the road when you want. Makes it feasible for a dual use machine.

A nice, special case, silent HTPC is a wonderful thing, but expensive. Some of us have budgets we have to live in. Money spent on that is money not spent other computer or AV hardware. THAT'S the point of all this.
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If you're looking for dual usage machines, that's something different. Also, using esata totally negates the whole protability and formfactor arguments for a laptop. Who would want messy wires, power bricks, usb cables, etc going everywhere and tying you down?

But anyway my machine was also a bit over a grand.

case - $350
CPU - $200
Ram - $ 120 (now its more expensive though)
GPU - $170
HDD's - $200 (got the SSD for free so won't count it
mobo - $100
PSU - $75

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but the point stands. Sure, laptops are great as HTPC-lite, so to speak, and if portability is important for you. On the other hand, I can't imagine replacing my HTPC with it. Even the little stuff matters bigtime to me; for example, I have an IR receiver built into my case. Having to use yet another USB dongle on a laptop would drive me nuts.
 
I would be interested in a laptop HTPC more then a 6TB monster because after I get a job setup and It is time to demo the system for the customers all I can do is pop in a blu-ray.. wait... jump to a scene and hope no-one has fallen asleep in the 2.2 minutes it takes to do that. With a HTPC laptop I could just pop in a single HDMI.. Keep 10-15 Blu-Ray ISO's on it and jump from scene to scene full res, full bitrate, no disks, no mouse, no power cord, no bulk

Can I demo with a standard HTPC? Sure, but carrying around a huge box with a keyboard and mouse and plugging in power.. You have to be cool and sleek like all the expensive home theater equipment you just sold them. My HT yes big black box.. Demo unit.. Small baby laptop required.
 
Azhar said:
My dad travels to Detroit every week for work. I spec'ed out a laptop for him with HDMI-out and plenty of power to run Hulu and Windows Media Center's Internet TV as well as DVDs. Just one cable to plug into the hotel's widescreen TV and he's good to go with Windows Media Center. No reason to be stuck with the hotel's 4 or 5 choices of channels when you can get more online.
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That is a situation where laptops are fantastic. But that's also not what I think of as a "home theater PC". Guess it's a terminology difference.
 
Azhar said:
My dad travels to Detroit every week for work. I spec'ed out a laptop for him with HDMI-out and plenty of power to run Hulu and Windows Media Center's Internet TV as well as DVDs. Just one cable to plug into the hotel's widescreen TV and he's good to go with Windows Media Center. No reason to be stuck with the hotel's 4 or 5 choices of channels when you can get more online.
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This. Road Warrior HTPC is nothing to scoff at. I remember an instructor I flew with years ago who checked a huge suitcase in just so that he could bring his portable DVD player and gaming system... and a separate watch for each day of the trip. Complete tool.
 
SpeedyVV said:
Uhmm, wouldnt a netbook be even better than a notebook?

I am sure some are powerfull enough to 1080p.
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Atom based, probably not. The ones that I've had experience with kinda suck for that sort of thing and barely manage it. Maybe something with ION or graphics better than the shit Intel packages along with their Atoms.
 
If you're looking for dual usage machines, that's something different. Also, using esata totally negates the whole protability and formfactor arguments for a laptop. Who would want messy wires, power bricks, usb cables, etc going everywhere and tying you down?
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You don't have to bring everything. The idea of a laptop is you can have most of your computer portable. You don't have to bring all the drives. Hell, I don't bring my HDTV with me either, doesn't make the laptop useless.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something
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Two things you are forgetting:

1) A laptop comes with a real, genuine, copy of Windows. Maybe you don't care, maybe you pirate software. Not everyone does.

2) A laptop comes with support. Nothing wrong with BYO systems, my desktop is one, but that does mean you are the one supporting it. A laptop comes with support from the builder, 3 years in the case of MSI.


Again, the argument is NOT that laptops are a be-all, end-all replacements for HTPCs, and more than they are for desktops. Just that since most people want a laptop anyhow, that laptop can also make a really good HTPC.

Having a dedicates one is fine if you can afford it and want it. However not everyone can. Had I spent a grand on an HTPC, I wouldn't have a laptop. I had a grand to spend on technology, not two grand.

That's the point. That you have a high performance HTPC is wonderful, but don't start hating on the suggestion that laptops could work for it as well. Same deal with us desktop owners. I've got a high end desktop here I'm typing this on. I love the thing. However I'm not going to hate on a person who says "I travel a lot and need a laptop, and I can't afford a laptop and desktop. I want a laptop that can play games and all that jazz and function as a desktop replacement."
 
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