According to ABI Research the number of home theater PCs in the living room or homes is set to boom over the coming years. ABI says that by 2013 there will be 25 million home theater PCs installed worldwide.

ABI says that Microsoft and Windows Vista will help solidify the market. ABI also says that there will be a small market of home theater PC enthusiasts who will buy custom designed home theater PCs resembling consumer AV equipment. All in one systems are bulky today, but will shrink in size as time goes by.

"There are two primary ways the PC can be incorporated into the digital living room," says principal analyst Steve Wilson. "One has a PC directly connected to a client device, a home theater PC, or in the form of a PC integrated with a display. The other involves using an embedded client to extend the PC output to a TV."

Via ABI Research