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 by individuals by adding media center software to a PC or some other computer, for example an Xbox. Lately, some video game consoles (Playstation 3 and Xbox 360) with their network services can act as a media center devices by default.

Typical, complete media centers offer the following functions to the user:

* Integration of all forms of media, entertainment and communication functions including TV-reception (analogue TV, DigitalTV via terrestrial-, cable-, satellite-, IPTV-, webTV-networks), broadband Internet access, IP-telephony, video-telephony, e-mail etc. into one common user friendly GUI (graphical user interface) controlled with a remote control or wireless keyboard by the family members typically in the living room
* Ability to receive digital media files (via direct video signal, computer network or USB)
* Ability to store digital media (usually on a standard computer hard disk drive)
* Ability to play back digital media through standard television or hi-fi equipment
* Simplicity (compared to a computer equipped to accomplish transfer, storage and TV/hi-fi playback)
* Cost savings (compared to a computer equipped to accomplish transfer, storage and TV/hi-fi playback)
* Portability (compared to a computer equipped to accomplish transfer, storage and TV/hi-fi playback)

Devices
* Telly Home Entertainment Server
* Dreambox
* Moxi
* Niveus Media
* Hauppauge MediaMVP
* MediaImpact Media Center
* Daboda HMC-1 Multicodec Media Center
* Klegg MediaShare
* Popcorn Hour