The term media center refers either to a dedicated computer appliance or to a specialized application software designed to run on standard personal computer hardware which then becomes a so called "HTPC" ("Home Theater PC", also sometimes referred to as a "Media PC"), both of which are adapted for playing various kinds of media (music, movies, photos etc.). A media center usually has a GUI (Graphical User Interface) designed to be used with a living-room TV using a remote control. This remote control is commonly known by their designers as a 10-foot user interface. A media center typically allows one to watch movies (DVD, Blu-ray, and other digital video formats) and watching and recording television broadcasts, playing audio (CD as well as MP3, WMA, and other audio formats).
The media itself may be stored, received by terrestrial, satellite or cable broadcasting or streamed from the internet. Stored media is kept either on a local hard drive or on a (wireless) network attached storage. Some software is capable of doing other tasks, such as finding news (RSS) from the Internet. Media centers are often operated with a remote control, connected to a television set for video output, and can sometimes function as a normal personal computer.
A media center can be purpose-built, modified or created individuals by adding media center software to a PC or some other computer, for example a Home Theater PC or an Xbox. Lately, some video game consoles (such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) with their network services can also act as a basic media center device by default.