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2011-01-07, 21:05
Hi all, just registered here after trolling around the forums for awhile. I'm trying to start my first foray into building an XBMC center. I plan on running it on my Vizio 1080p 46inch screen. I guess I'm not able to get a clear consensus in my head about what hardware I should go with. Acer Revo? I've seen some posts on the Shuttle? All I really plan on doing with the computer is loading it with my movie collection. I do have a PS3, so would this just be overkill? Do I run Windows 7 or Linux? I really need a bit of guidance here. I'm sure I've not included enough info so just ask. Or maybe this post is out here and somebody will kindly link it for me.
Thanks ahead of time!
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Anything Atom/ION is going to be really popular here. You can of course get a system with a powerful processor instead, which should give you benefits outside of actually playing video (i.e. more responsive UI, ability to run applications/addons better, etc) but in terms of video playback, the ION can usually handle it all.
Acer Revos are definitely popular, but since the $200USD models have pretty much gone off the market, the playing field is much more level now in terms of one Ion box vs another. You're realistically looking at spending $300USD or more on most models these days. I'd recommend going for one with a dual-core atom, although it is not necessary. Hope this info helps.
FYI, if you want hardware acceleration (smooth 1080p playback) get a newer Nvidia card. There is no ATI hardware acceleration support under Linux/Live right now, and the newer Intel integrated options (i3, i5, etc) are not yet up to par on the XBMC support side as I understand.
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Thanks for the info. I was looking at the Acer R3610 a few moments ago and had seen that it's not even available on Amazon. The cheapest I have seen is around $400. I didn't really want to go that high...was hoping to keep it around $300. That may be unrealistic though.
I would def like to get smooth 1080p playback, so that is something I need to remember.
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I occasionally see used (and sometimes new) Acer Revo 1600's on eBay for $200 or below. I absolutely love mine. Picked it up at Best Buy when they were still available.
Personally, I run XBMC Live on my revo. VDPAU handles the hardware for accelerated video. No need for windows.