[NinjaMonkeyUK]

Hi all.

I am about to retire my aging soft-modded XBox which is running XBMC - it has served well but the hardware just can't cope with HD content.

I am looking to build an XBMC box in small form factor case. The Shuttle XS35GT is the kind of thing I am looking for, but it lacks optical output. Having done a search on Google, I am having trouble finding a unit that meets these specific requirements:

• nVidia ION / ION2
  
• HDMI
  
• Optical S/PDIF on the REAR I/O panel
  
• Can run audio through HDMI to TV and optical to Amp simultaneously
  
• All-black case
  

Does anyone know of a unit that would fit the bill? My amp doesn't have HDMI input, so I need to use an optical cable to get 5.1 audio to it from XBMC.

Other than those specific requirements, it of course needs to be powerful enough to run XBMC Live. I will be adding my own SSD and RAM, and don't need an OS pre-installed, so a barebones unit would be best.

I was also looking at the ASUS B204/6, which has HDMI and S/PDIF, but seems to be based on an AMD video chip, which I want to steer clear of.

Also, one last thing - can anyone recommend an IR remote control for XBMC? I don't care how poorly laid out the remote is - I just need the IR receiver really as I'll map the remote to my Pronto.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

[Gadjet]

Hi all.

I am about to retire my aging soft-modded XBox which is running XBMC - it has served well but the hardware just can't cope with HD content.

I am looking to build an XBMC box in small form factor case. The Shuttle XS35GT is the kind of thing I am looking for, but it lacks optical output. Having done a search on Google, I am having trouble finding a unit that meets these specific requirements:

• nVidia ION / ION2
  
• HDMI
  
• Optical S/PDIF on the REAR I/O panel
  
• Can run audio through HDMI to TV and optical to Amp simultaneously
  
• All-black case
  

Does anyone know of a unit that would fit the bill? My amp doesn't have HDMI input, so I need to use an optical cable to get 5.1 audio to it from XBMC.

Other than those specific requirements, it of course needs to be powerful enough to run XBMC Live. I will be adding my own SSD and RAM, and don't need an OS pre-installed, so a barebones unit would be best.

I was also looking at the ASUS B204/6, which has HDMI and S/PDIF, but seems to be based on an AMD video chip, which I want to steer clear of.

Also, one last thing - can anyone recommend an IR remote control for XBMC? I don't care how poorly laid out the remote is - I just need the IR receiver really as I'll map the remote to my Pronto.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Hi,
I moved from an Xbox to the Revo 3600 (XBMC Live) about a year ago, using an external USB to SPDIF converter to my amp, which worked fantastic until the release of Dharma.

No way will Dharma boot or run with the USB to SPDIF connected so I have now upgraded to a ZOTAC ID11, this is a dual core Atom with HDMI and Optical SPDIF on the back.

I got it from Amazon for £160 and it runs Dharma fine with no mod's required, it plays 1080P with no problems an sends 5.1 audio to my Amp.

I've not tried the audio over HDMI though.

I use a Microsoft USB MCE remote controller without any problems.

It's not all black, the front is silver but it comes with a mounting bracket so you can hide it away out of sight.

All in all I thought it was a cheap PC to run XBMC on.

[deppan]

see asus EB1012P/EB1501P, they should fit your description. Comes with an spdif adapter. The EB1501P usually has an ir receiver built-in also, depending on SKU/where you live.