I’ve been doing some research on Home Theater PC’s and how it will affect content being  viewed and distributed.

We as Solo VJ’s need to come to terms with the fact that, at least here in the states, viewers are going to become even more connected to the Internet, and less to the traditional broadcast venues of content distribution.

Last night I was observing a teen who was watching an episode of The Fresh Price Of Bel-Air, a sitcom that launched Will Smith’s career.  This show now runs in regular broadcast syndication - but it also can be viewed on the internet - which was what he was doing while sitting in the living room over our wireless internet connection.

This Gen X/Y generation is becoming more connected - they see other venues for content besides broadcast TV.  Internet Broadcasting is going to make huge inroads in the next few years and HTPC’s are going to be a major component of viewing said content - and this is going to affect how we approach creating and distributing the content we create for news and feature documentaries.

I found a couple of HTPC apps that can convert any decently spec’d PC and convert it into a multimedia Home Theater Personal Computer.

The first one, MediaPortal, is an open source add on to Windows XP and Vista that allows you to store your videos, music, pictures and even listen to streaming FM radio with a broadband connected PC. MediaPortal is simple to install and configure for those who are not computer savvy.    The second is for the more adventuresome, it’s called LinuxMCE, and as one can surmise from the title, it is a distribution of Kubuntu Linux with a Media Center add on.  Needless to say, it provides a level of functionality that also provides additional freedom in sotring and watching content that could be more difficult on the Windows platform due to DRM (Digital Rights Management) features that Microsoft Windows incorporates.  But this functionality comes with a price - it requires an adventuresome spirit in delving into using an alternative platform that isn’t Microsoft Centric.

As Solo Video Journalists, we need to keep informed about what venues are becoming available for viewing the content we create - and how we can utilize these technologies to allow our viewers to take part in the content we create.

Each of these HTPC apps are open sourced and free to download.  Visit their websites and take a look at what each is capable of doing - you may find that your world view on content viewing will change.