My Sony Desktop is currently my Media Center PC (XP) but its getting old and the case is big. I want to get a small PC, one I can put in the entertainment center. Any recommendations? HP seems to fit the bill, cheapest I could build with an HD tuner was $700 or so. Dell was closer to $900. Any other options? I guess I could build one, but the cube PCs usually don't come with 7.1 audio cards or enough slots to install a vid card that can run Vista Aero and a slot for the tuner.

 

Will the Apple TV an acceptable option?

 

No, Apple TV just streams content, it does not act as a DVR, something a media center PC does.

 

I have an HP media center pc with a tv tuner card...I thought i was going to watch tv on it all the time, however the quality is nowhere near great.

 

well, my sony has the same, and I use it all the time. However, it does look like crap, because it is not an HD tuner card. HD is the key my friend.

 

hd tuner card... have never seen that before...

but hp > sony

 

Which HP are you looking at? Because the only media centers I can find on their site are pavillion-based (mini tower cases) with no HD input/outputs, and their z5xx series which is an HTPC case with HDMI outputs, but is $1700.

 

HP Pavilion Slimline s3000y series
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...=s3000y_series

I actually just use the PC to record the HD content, but stream it to my Xbox 360 which would be connected via Component (till I upgrade to the HDMI Xbox 360 Elite)

 

If I were going to spend that much on a media PC I would just get a Tivo Series 3.

I read somewhere that HP is getting out of the media PC business.
Here it is http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...enter-pcs.html

 

have you checked gateway?

http://www.gateway.com/home/

 

Tivo can't do anything for my music (mp3s), stored videos or pictures. Not only that, I have to pay for Tivo service. Even if HP discontinues the product, they support it. My Sony desktop has been running strong and I've never had to call Sony Support for it. Media Center PCs are great, esp if you have an Apple TV or Xbox 360, you can stream all your content to them AND use the computer as a PVR. You can browse the web on your large TV at decent resolutions. I've had one since 2004 and I haven't looked back.



Are they any good now? They use to be back in the day.

 

This may be a stupid question but why would you stream it to the 360? Is there improved picture going through the 360 rather than just the computer? I am picking a 360 elite and turning my old PC into my media center so I was just curious. Thanks!

 

360 (esp the elite if you use HDMI) will upconvert the video

 

Ok thanks.. I figured it would improve the picture quality. I plan to use the HDMI, just going to see when I can pick up a TV after I get the Elite.