How could I make my computer more like a home stereo system?

Question

What I ought to buy and what brands R out there to help set me up somehow

Answer 1

Very easy to do, add a sound card like this:

http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/audiotrak-prodigy71/

Then add speakers like this:

http://reviews.cnet.com/pc-speakers/creative-gigaworks-s750/4505-3179_7-30642802.html?tag=lst

This will create the biggest baddest 7.1 dolby sounds you can imagine, will blow you away!

Answer 2

The first thing is just to get ambient noise of the computer down as much as possible. Since this is merely sound you should not enhance the video in anyway, if your current video card has a fan on it bring in a downgrade that operates without it anyway you see fit.

Underclock anything possible, to make it producing as little heat as possible.

Disconnect any fans.

AM/FM radio and tape deck is trickier, but since computers don't have such equipment you need a stereo connector line and such device with a line-out on it, connect line-out of it to the line-in of the computer.

If you wish to go full home theater, get a 5.1 Surround Sound card, it is 6 channels instead of the usual two. A matching Surround sound audio speaker system.

Answer 3

I use the Microsoft Zune and bought some off-brand quality speakers... http://www.zune.net/en-US/

Using my computer as a Stereo is quite easy for me... I do it when I clean my room.

Of course, when I leave, I can play the same list on the actual Zune itself too (like an iPod)... nothing to connect or fuss with.
Videos? No problem... Zune has the bigger screen and I have a flat-panel monitor now... I'm set!