The HTPC or Home Theater Personal Computer was an idea before its time. Something only well-heeled and tech-savvy tinkering media geeks could even achieve, and then, more often than not, the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Yet, we have the HTPC to thank for our myriad modern media options. So let's look back at the HTPC and give it the respect it deserves.
The HTPC was ahead of its time
At its core, an HTPC is the combination of a PC and a TV, or at least some sort of AV (Audio-Visual) technology. This goes back further than you might think. The Amiga's Video Toaster—an expansion card with multiple video source inputs—is responsible for much of the titling and special effects we saw on TV in the 90s.
By the late 90s, video capture cards were commonplace and relatively easy to get for your computer. In the early 2000s, I had a used Pentium II computer equipped with an ATI All-in-Wonder, which combined a 3D accelerator with a capture card, so that you could record TV, digitize VHS tapes, and then watch it on your computer or play it back on a real TV.
This is a great write up of a transformative moment in computing.