[popper]

Hullo guys

I've about to start building/buying my first HTPC. I've build systems before but haven't in a while. And technology moves so fast that I've gotten a bit out of touch about recent hardware.

Having fallen in love with XBMC, I am now looking to create a HTPC to run it and play movies. I'm also looking to futureproof it a tiny bit, so something a little above minimum spec is preferable.

Budget: About $1000 (Oz dollars)

Things I need it to do
Ability to play 1080p without skipping
Low power consumption (ability to sleep/wake up - No more than ~30w idle)
Run quiet
Small form factor
Play real DD/DTS sound (not just an audio jack)
Run Windows 7 and XBMC
Have or allow the addition of a TV tuner
USB ports for Bluetooth keyboard etc
Network connectivity
HDMI 1.3

And these are things that are nice to have but not essential
Wireless 802.11n
Have or have the ability to put in a bluray/DVD/CD disc drive.

And these things are not important
Storage is not important as I have all my media served from a NAS.
I don't plan to do things like watch netflix or Hulu
Ability to play games (though would be nice)




I've been reading a few specs here in the forum and there's specs that appeal to me, but usually miss one or two of my main requirements. I know its hard to meet all the requirements so I've given it a generous budget. Naturally I would prefer lower, but I'm willing to spend extra if it means getting a good HTPC and the money is making a difference.

I've looked at the Aspire Revo which seems ok (and cheap!) but I'm not sure if it does real DD/DTS Audio, run quietly or have the processing power to future proof it a bit.

I also liked the Apple Mac mini as well, it ticked all my boxes (low power, quiet, small etc), but I don't feel it's suitable, No Bluray and I'm hesitant to go OSX (unless I can run Windows 7 on it with no compatibility problems). Also I feel I'm paying a premium for the apple brand, so I'm not sure it's the best bang for buck. Something equivalent in PC form would be ideal.

Currently investigating Asrock and Zotac as those names are coming up alot.

Any advice would be much appreciated

[popper]

I've been doing a bit more reading on the Aspire Revo.
It seems that audio is possible through the HDMI port, which is good.

Though I am reading disturbing stuff that many people are having trouble playing 1080p content on it though.

[popper]

Ok, doing a bit more research,
It seems like the Asrock is more powerful so I'm going for that

a question I have though is will it be able to play 1080p movies in XBMC in windows?

I know it can do it in linux with VDPAU, but since there is no support in windows, I'm wondering if the processor is still capable of doing it without GPU accelleration.

[voyager2]

No it will NOT do 1080p in windows only in linux with VDPAU, it will play some 720p but its not happy with it. I have a asrock system and really love the small box. Just go the linux way. Most people are happy to help you if you run into problemes. Alot of us have a asrock ion system and most problems are easy to solve.

[popper]

Doh, there goes my plans of a windows + XBMC environment. I too really like the small Asrock box.

I am open to the idea of an XBMC Live install but don't like the idea of only being able to use XBMC on it.

Maybe its possible to have a dual boot type of situation, where I can choose on boot up to launch windows or XBMC live (XBMC being the default). The reason being is that I would like to do other things on it, like surf the net, use windows media center 7 (if it's any good), do some file maintenance, maybe even run some games.

Also, I'm wanting to run 1080p on it mainly as a future proofing measure. I don't actually have any 1080p content at the moment, most of it is 720p. Do you think if I still go with a windows install, that the good ppl behind XBMC, in time, will release a windows version that uses GPU acceleration?

[dsimages]

I hope so.
Im happy with 720p max and it seems as if you need really good processing power to get it to run smoothly.

If xbmc supported hardware acceleration it would be perfect.

[joebanana]

I have an Revo R3610 running Win7 and XBMC just fine. But you'll have to use an external player to really enjoy 720p and 1080p movies (I use MPC-HC).

Other than that, it's the perfect system for an HTPC.

[popper]

Ok, it's been a year, and I'm still searching
I've been looking for a small HTPC capable of running Windows 7 + XBMC (with the most CPU intensive skins) + 1080p (smoothly)
so far I haven't found one that seems close to being able to do it, which is a bit frustrating.

There have been some new developments though,
The new XS35 looks like it might be able to do it. Is there anyone who can confirm?
I've come very close to getting the new Mac Mini a few times, but haven't because I feel you don't get as much power for the money spent.

[Volkov]

people still recommend Revo R3610 and I think im set on buying one of these this week!

[okolowicz]

There is a thread over at avsforums.com called "Guide to Building an HTPC." If you are searching for answers on what to get, you will find them there. It is THE guide. Furthermore, the guy who started and maintains the thread not only monitors it and answers questions but also regularly publishes different configurations from Low-End to High End, Mini-ITX to ATX, and on and on...

I've built four systems from what I've learned there. All of them run XBMC and all of them will play virtually anything you throw at them.

I could not begin to summarize the extent of info there you'll have to see for yourself but, here is the link: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972

[ThY91]

http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/rmp_sg_whirlpoolpcs

Has suggestions there for different PC builds.