[nickr]

So how is your mele NOT an HTPC?

[Qefx]

I could imagine that android takes the place over the place of HTPC´s in classic sense

Classic sense for me is either Linux or Windows PC which costs a lot more than my Android box.

[nickr]

It's still a device which is external to the TV. OP was saying smart TV internals means the death of the HTPC. The fact that ARM/Android is becoming more capable as time marches on doesn't affect the argument.

[joelbaby]

With better and more complex hardware becoming standard in todays televisions, does anyone else see the HTPC becoming obsolete?

No.
There are smart TV's but they all use proprietary software.
Look at Apple ... their technology works with all Apple products, but not very well with competing technology. Eg. You can't visit icloud.com on an Android device.
Even Google used to talk with everything, but they're removing that ability bit by bit. Eg. they disabled Microsoft's Windows Tablet youtube app.
Manufacturers want to make it easy for you to use their product, but on their terms - and often only in their own "walled garden".
Even if you stick with one manufacturer the TV software changes all the time.

Do you want to have content that you watch on your own terms, or on someone elses?

I actually think we're at the beginning of something very big. An HTPC in every house. When this technology becomes both a simple 'out of the box' experience, and is not a major purchase decision (ie less than $100 for the box, the remote and the hard disk) - then its gonna go crazy. That's still a couple of years away.

September/October/November 2013 should see the release of some exciting hardware both for x86 and Android.

[mayoman]

I think it will eventually be the death of the set top box, rather than the HTPC. It's surely only a matter of time before a second tier TV manufacturer (or two) realises the sales potential of a cheap hackable smart TV. And once that genie is out of the bottle, then the Samsungs of the world will have no choice but to cut prices and bring out better products with less limited or restricive OS (e.g. Android) to compete.

[Dougie Fresh]

I have a Smart TV and HTPC. I've stopped using my HTPC for some of the apps on my Smart TV because the apps on my Smart TV are better than what I can get on my HTPC -- Netflix, VUDU and Pandora. My HTPC though is the best for serving my local media and live TV. I have no issue using the best of each. It doesn't matter.

BTW, as for ARM in HTPC -- two words: Bay Trail.

[voochi]

Things change. Tablets were a bit of a joke for a long time and then suddenly they're selling hundreds of millions and are almost a 'common' device.

A few years ago most people thought of a HTPC as big bulky ATX box with tv tuners and lots of storage. Nowadays most enthusiasts have a separate server and a lot of people will torrent stuff instead of record it via a tuner. You can hardly buy an ATX HTPC case anymore because nobody wants them.

I don't think HTPCs are going to die; they will change to suits the needs of the time.

[awp0]

I don't think the HTPC was ever really "alive" to begin with. It's always been a niche thing, and the vast majority of people don't have movie and TV collections on their hard drives. "Smart TV's" merely provide them with a Netflix and Pandora/Spotify interface and maybe some features to display photos and home videos. Smart TV's are great for that.

People who spend the time and money to build/configure/tweak XBMC likely aren't interested in their smart TV interface for watching local content. I have a smart TV and it's nowhere near good enough to for me to switch away from XBMC for local content. And I don't think it ever will be. Smart TV manufacturers really don't care enough to build a rich interface for local content. It's expensive and there's no money to be made by it. They'd rather make it "app enabled", and support Google/Yahoo/Netflix/etc apps. And those guys aren't about to build local content interfaces either. So no, I don't think there's any threat here.

However, I believe eventually many of us will be less interested in amassing local content altogether. I've already stopped collecting music because over 90% of what I like is available for $10/month on Spotify, which is a bargain IMO. I can stream it all over my house, on the road, everywhere. And there are unique value-add features like shared playlists that are hard to match with local libraries. So one day, when the movie and TV industry can get out of its own way and find a similar model then I'd gladly stop collecting local movies and TV shows.

[ozkhan1]

I will never dump my HTPC for the glut of other inconsequential and mostly overpriced media players, streaming boxes, dvd players, etc out there.

[Dougie Fresh]

However, I believe eventually many of us will be less interested in amassing local content altogether. I've already stopped collecting music because over 90% of what I like is available for $10/month on Spotify, which is a bargain IMO. I can stream it all over my house, on the road, everywhere. And there are unique value-add features like shared playlists that are hard to match with local libraries. So one day, when the movie and TV industry can get out of its own way and find a similar model then I'd gladly stop collecting local movies and TV shows.

Same here w.r.t. music. I've had Rhapsody since there was a Rhapsody. The only downside is every once in a while some album I really like disappears from their collection and it never comes back. So, even though you pay a subscription just know that tomorrow when some contact is renegotiated something you like might be gone. At the same time of course, new stuff shows up. I've also found myself listening to Pandora a lot since I can be lazy and listen all day without playing DJ.

[loot87]

I don't see it for folks like us. We want a great UI and LAN access. Most of the market wants the on-demand stuff. We'll never see a really good UI built in to a TV. Why? Support. Look at all of the support that a great UI with all of the codecs and audio types like XBMC requires. No company will put that kind of time in unless consumers demand it. And most of the consumers could care less about having all of their movies on HDDs. I just hope that HTPC hardware remains low priced so that the hardcores like us don't get left out in the cold.

[DocG]

I would rather see the death of the "Smart" TV for an extra $500+ they throw in a bunch of half working useless garbage. It's getting harder and harder to find a "Dumb" TV, just a screen with no useless stuff added. I just bought a Samsung 55" 3D dumb screen for $800, the equivalent in a "smart" tv would have been over $1500. The extra $700 would buy a very nice HTPC that is much smarter than any "smart" tv

Oddly enough, I've been thinking a lot about this lately. What I really really want is a fully customizable and programmable smart TV, or alternatively, a TV screen, and a TV case with plenty of room to put all my own stuff in. I don't really want another box, I want to simply be able to put my own "smart" into my very own barebone TV.

[Diggs]

I don't see it for folks like us. We want a great UI and LAN access. Most of the market wants the on-demand stuff. We'll never see a really good UI built in to a TV. Why? Support. Look at all of the support that a great UI with all of the codecs and audio types like XBMC requires. No company will put that kind of time in unless consumers demand it. And most of the consumers could care less about having all of their movies on HDDs. I just hope that HTPC hardware remains low priced so that the hardcores like us don't get left out in the cold.

DING!!!! You beat me to it. I see posts saying that companies force their GUI onto the consumers, but I don't think that is their intent all the time. Support is HUGE! And that APP/GUI that smart TVs have is typically dominated by ease of use and hopes of reducing support.

I love my HTPC and have exposed some good friends that are not technical to it. Once they see it, they really want it, but just don't have the know how to make it happen. The level of support to get them started and then the continued support is really unbelievable. Most of us here are tech minded and it just makes sense to the majority of us. The XBMC gui is not that hard for the average person to deal with, but the setup is. Then on top of that teaching them how to deal with content is another huge layer. Anyone here that has provided support to friends and family know how hard it is to get someone to understand something as basic as a directory structure, now get them to rip those DVDs down so they have local content. HA!

IMO XBMC is basically useless without local content. Regardless how you get your content, it's not simple for the average non tech Joe. There is a learning curve even if you are technical. Streaming is going to be the easy way, and I think that is the hinge pin for this argument. Not so much if the tech is there, which honestly it already is, but whether or not there is ever a service that can provide me the content and gui and features I want to overcome what I get from XBMC and my HTPC at a price I am willing to pay. IMO that is the death of XBMC and the HTPC. We are a niche group, as most people see a computer hooked up to a TV as some type of crazy wizardry. I think technology is really already there, but no one has packaged it in a way that we XBMC users will accept. Will they ever? Who knows.

[Vampirebat]

I want to simply be able to put my own "smart" into my very own barebone TV.

Thats what vesa mounts are for :-)

[DocG]

I want to simply be able to put my own "smart" into my very own barebone TV.

Thats what vesa mounts are for :-)

And how am I going to mount my TV to the wall then?