Home Theater PC Specification for ALS Patients

(also appropriate for any person with limited hand control)

1. Introduction

The following Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) system specification is similar to one I built in 2008 for my Mother (who has ALS).   Her reaction to this HTPC has been very positive, and she has asked that I publish the specifications for others who might be interested.  A system such as the one described below could be usable not just for ALS patients, but could be a good choice for anyone who has limited ability to control their hands.

2. Capabilities of this HTPC:

Things a person could use a system like this one includes:

Note 1:  This system is not equipped for control by someone with significantly degraded speech (i.e., speech recognition will work fine if there is impaired but intelligible speech, but at a certain point the Voice Recognition Software will cease to interpret correctly).  

Note 2: the system is not equipped with any type of Eye Control System.

3. Recommended Hardware

Below is a simplified diagram on how major components get connected together.  

This diagram only shows the major components.  The full list of specific hardware recommendations is below.  If you are at all confused as to how to connect any of these up, please use a professional service such as Geek Squad.   

Hardware

Reasoning

Example Product

Street Price April 2009

1080p LCD+TV Monitor with HDMI inputs

A big screen is essential for the usefulness of this computer.   

Samsung LN46A650

$1540 (Amazon)

Wall LCD Mount

It is good to get the LCD Monitor high on the wall since often the person using the computer needs to tilt back in their wheel chair.  Knees can easily get in the way of viewing.  

 

Also get professional installation as the TV is very heavy & will take a couple people to lift it into place.   Be careful to make sure the wall can take the full weight.

36-60 inch (tilt optional)

$50

Video+Audio Cable

HDMI 1.3b, at least 2 meters in length in case the PC is on the floor.  Get a decent cable, because signals can degrade quickly with the cheap ones.  (Often cable thickness/gauge will hint at the quality.)

Many viable options here.  Just don’t get the $10 ones.  Or waste your money on the $80+ ones.

$25

PC / CPU

You don’t need a super machine.  But a good one that can handle voice recognition software is important.  The hardest part is the video (explained below).

HP Pavilion M9515F

Spec sheet

 

Included are:

  • Blue Ray Drive+ DVD read/write

  • Wired & Wireless LAN

  • Microsoft Vista 

  • Video Card

  • HD Audio Card

  • TV  Tuner for off-the-air signals

  • other

 

Note: In March 2009,  Dragon speech recognition software just started supporting Vista 64bit.  This makes selecting a PC easier.

$1079 (Amazon)

$1079 (Microcenter)

Graphics Card

It would be *great* if most PCs had HDMI interface options for output instead of just DVI-D output.  But this is rare.  If you don’t go with the recommendation made on this web page, be careful as you might have to buy a special DVI-D to HDMI adaptor.   (By special, I mean that without care you could end up without audio to the TV.)

 

Another alternative is to buy & install a separate HDMI graphics card within the PC itself.  But buying a separate graphics card will mean:

(a) opening up the PC and moving around parts.

(b) also having to install an upgraded  power supply.

BlueRay drive within PC

This is not needed if you have a separate BlueRay player.  But if you don't have a BlueRay player, putting it in the HTPC is a good idea because BlueRay occasionally requires upgrading a player's decryption keys/methods for disks.  So having the PC download updates to the BlueRay software can be a *lot* easier than having to upgrade a standalone player.

Wireless Keyboard & integrated touchpad

A wireless touchpad instead of a traditional mouse seems to work well when a person's hand control begins to wane.  But any type of mouse device can be connected here.


Note 1: Having an integrated mouse/keyboard has seemed easier for my mother than separate mouse & keyboard since she doesn't have to move her wrist very much.

 

BTW: it is a good idea to buy two wireless devices as this allows an additional person to control the same PC from elsewhere in the room.

Adesso WKB-4000US

$80 (Amazon)

$80 (Newegg)

 

 

USB Wired Microphone

At first we tried a wireless Bluetooth microphone.  But experience shows that the voice recognition is less accurate.  So get a Wired USB Microphone.  And make sure the wire easily reaches to the viewing seat (8 feet is a minimum).

 

Also I would recommend a microphone that can stand on its own instead of a wired USB headset.  It is easier to detangle yourself from a microphone sitting  near your keyboard.

Logitech 980186-0403

$20

USB Video Camera

Buy this if you care to make  Video conferencing calls (via Skype).

 

One thing to watch out for is the integrated microphone on most cameras.  You will have to disable the integrated microphone driver in Microsoft Vista software!  If you don't,  the camera’s microphone will fight with the desktop one you use for speech recognition.

 

Also get some Velcro to stick the camera to your LCD Monitor

Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000

$90 (Newegg)

$77 (Amazon)

USB Cable 2 meter

Allows multiple USB devices to attach near the LCD.   Getting a shielded cable is a good idea.  Since the signals are being driven over 12 feet, it is possible a low quality cable will result in disconnected USB devices (which is very irritating).

Belkin 12 foot

$13

USB Hub

Allows connection to the wireless keyboard, the webcam, & microphone. 

Powering this Hub can be an issue.  Try to get away with a non-powered device if possible.  Switch to a powered one if devices cannot connect (sometimes it can be difficult to connect over the 2 meter cable).

Any (such as this one) will do. 

$20

Surge Protector

Some protection for TV & PC.

Doesn’t matter much, but here is one.

$20
Portable Desktop You need some hard flat surface above your lap upon which you can put the keyboard.  (Likely have something for your wheelchair already, in which case, don't buy this.) Here is one Option.  Make sure that 20.5" is wide enough for your chair. $25

As of April 2009, the price for the equipment listed above is around $3000 

 

4. Recommended Software

 

5. Disclaimer

This information is given without any promise or guarantee that it will work for your conditions or environment.    And while I have successfully built several of these types of systems in the past, I am unable to support or troubleshoot any issues you may find.   I do recommend that you find someone trained to do the hardware & software installation.  And if you find these instructions useful, or have suggestions on how they could be improved, I would love to hear them.  Email: htpc@voit.org