Operating System (OS) for a Home Theater PC
For HTPCs it has become increasingly common to have Linux as the OS rather than Windows. This is due to its cost (it’s free!) and the availability of common software (it’s free!). However you’ll probably need to get your hands dirty and tinker with your computer at a more micro level.
If you’re more of the set it and forget it type, than Windows is your man. There are a couple different versions of Windows you might want to use. We recommend Windows XP Professional (B00022PTI4) for the operating system. It’s the most stable OS Microsoft has put out, and has a huge software base. It has a bunch of security features built in that XP Home version does not include. The majority of today’s hardware and drivers are developed with Windows XP in mind. Be sure to get the package with Service Pack 2 update included. To get it separately requires a huge download.