How to Determine if Media Center PC Will Support A/V Devices Connection

You can connect your PC running on Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to your home entertainment system and have great fun in the living room. For this, you need to check if your Media Center supports the audio/video (A/V) connection. This depends on the type of system you use for your A/V output.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Collect more information about the Media Center PC. Some Media Center PCs have computer speakers in the package. They can be directly linked with your Media Center PC.
2. Check the speaker configuration. You can use two types of speaker configurations with Media Center, stereo or surround sound. The stereo speaker configuration, also referred to as 2.0 speaker, has two main speakers powered by a stereo receiver. You can add a subwoofer and convert it into a 2.1 configuration. You will need only one cable to connect your Media Center PC to your receiver (a 1/8-inch or 3.5-millimeter stereo-mini-to-stereo-RCA cable). The surround sound speaker configuration is a 5.1 variety. Connected with an A/V receiver, it usually has main speakers, one center channel speaker, one dedicated subwoofer, and two surround speakers.
3. Ensure your speakers and Media Center PC have the correct input-output options for enabling the cable connection. There are standard cable connection slots at the back of the PC. Similar slots will most likely be present at the back of the speaker or the display you will use for your video option.
4. Choose the right cable to connect your Media Center PC for the video display. The display could be a TV, a monitor, a portable Media Center device or HDTV (High Definition Television). The right cables will ensure that your Media Center supports A/V device connection. Your cable options include RCA (Radio Corporation of America) composite, S-Video, Component Video, VGA (Video Graphics Array), DVI (Digital Visual Interface) and HMDI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface).
5. Read the user’s manual for more information on the compatibility of Media Center PC with A/V devices when necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Your Media Center PC comes with several cables you will need for your A/V options. You may not need to buy separate cables every time you wish to connect.
• Ensure your Media Center has a sound card. If not, your A/V connections will be fruitless. If it does not have a sound card, buy one and install it in your PC.

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