Hey all,

 

So I use windows Media Center for my playback, and my 360 just isnt cutting it anymore.  I need something else.  I would like to be able to handle 1080p playback, as well as the ability to power on with a remote (I know alot of PCs dont do this)

 

this will primarily be used in my bedroom's, so size is a concern.  I have a full size HTPC in my living room....

 

Network is all hard wire, so wireless is not needed.

 

thanks

I would look into an AMD Fusion based machine and run something like XBMC on it

wow you guys are fast....

 

The plan is to run Windows 7 actually.  With the primary concern being remote power on.  My Xbox can be turned on with an MCE remote.

 

thanks

If you want something that 'just works', I'd recommend a WDTV Live. For ~$100, you get a small, silent box, with a remote control that will play most video files. I own 3 of them, and it's so simple to operate that visitors can use it with little instruction.  Wife Acceptance factor - high

 

If you enjoy tinkering, then a HTPC/XBMC combo may be more to your taste. I've got one of those as well. But the Wife Acceptance factor is low. If it crashes, I have to be the technical support.

 

I also have a Logitech Revue, which is more appliance-like than the HTPC, but still allows room to tinker. Wife acceptance factor is low here.

 

Finally I had a mac mini as a frontend to Plex. This was absolutely the best solution for me, but at $600, a mini was too valuable to use as an HTPC, and was re-purposed as my desktop.

 

wow. 3 WDTV Live +'s, an ION based HTPC, and a Logitech Revue. I think I may have a problem.

Thanks for the reply.  My current playback solution consists of Windows Media Center with the Mymovies/Mediabrowser plugin.  Id really like to stay with that solution

You can setup a HTPC in the bedroom, and as long as it has a 3.5" external bay, you can use this to power it on, there might be others out there but I have one of these, works pretty good.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999191

 

You can use this remote for basic functions, using EventGhost you can map the ir signals to different tasks, such as "Go" can launch Mediabrowser(or mediacenter or anything else you want), and map the arrow keys to the corresponding directions, OK to enter, and it works MediaBrowser pretty well.

 

If you have a remote that supports learning IR commands, you can use the small antec remote to program the "power" and use your fullsize MCE remote for everything else.

I have a Acer Revo, Zotac ND22 and a Popcorn hour. I'd take the mini pcs running xbmc over any media tank.

 

While the pch is somewhat a plug and play your left waiting for fixes. I've had a few of these tanks and they are relatively problem free but they do have issues. to get a guy worthy of a media center you have to use addons. There have been improvements but it still falls short of XBMC.

 

I've been using Openelec Eden beta on my Revo and it's solid. Not had one issue since the upgrade. Even the Dharma release was problem free.

You can setup a HTPC in the bedroom, and as long as it has a 3.5" external bay, you can use this to power it on, there might be others out there but I have one of these, works pretty good.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999191

 

You can use this remote for basic functions, using EventGhost you can map the ir signals to different tasks, such as "Go" can launch Mediabrowser(or mediacenter or anything else you want), and map the arrow keys to the corresponding directions, OK to enter, and it works MediaBrowser pretty well.

 

If you have a remote that supports learning IR commands, you can use the small antec remote to program the "power" and use your fullsize MCE remote for everything else.

 

This is actually a pretty good suggestion.  Cheap MCE Case, this addon and a lowend Harmony remote would do the job....

 

thanks

wow you guys are fast....

 

The plan is to run Windows 7 actually.  With the primary concern being remote power on.  My Xbox can be turned on with an MCE remote.

 

thanks

 

Plex would work on any Win7 box you find and I can't recommend it enough (especially with the unRAID plugins for the Media Server). Worth a look.

 

This is actually a pretty good suggestion.  Cheap MCE Case, this addon and a lowend Harmony remote would do the job....

 

thanks

 

Its what I used for my htpc for a longtime before it became more of a server than HTPC so it stayed on all the time, but now that I have my dedicated unraid server I'll likely put it back in and use it again.

nice solution for the remote power on. I went the HTPC route myself. Converted an older SFF C2D with a newer fanless video card. Works great with USB-IRB (could never get power on by USB working). With an HTPC you could run it 24/7 with torrents and such if you don't want to put it on unRaid. If you are buying new, I second the AMD Fusions.

You could also add this for remote power on:

http://www.hd-plex.com/remote.control.html

I love that.  but it looks out of stock and says the PCB board isnt included.  Can you elaborate?

That looks basically like the one I posted. Does all the same things, it looks like the hd-plex is an add-on to add the same functionality.

 

Probably some way to make it work, but doesn't look like it'd be a simple plug and play solution. The Veris I linked to you plug the power switch into the IR attachment, and then plug the provided power cable into the motherboard. It also comes with a internal USB header converter to plug in the adapter. If there is not an internal header available you can plug into a standard USB port(although this wouldn't look as neat and tidy)

I love that.  but it looks out of stock and says the PCB board isnt included.  Can you elaborate?

 

I'm not sure what they're referring to with the PCB.  I don't have this myself but was considering it.

 

It's still out of stock and I have to wonder if they'll get more in.