[JediKnight2]

I currently run xbmc on an AppleTV2, which I LOVE...best toy I have purchased in years...took it out of the box and the first thing I did was jailbreak it!

With all the hulu crap going on I am thinking of building an HTPC or getting something else for the main room where my 50" Panasonic Plasma is so I can do what I want and use the appletv2 upstairs in my work room where I have no cable to the tv hanging on the wall.

So this is what I am thinking...

Option A: Purchase a used MacMini
Option B: Purchase a ZBox
Option C: Build a MiniATX form factor PC myself...might be hard to do and compete with prices of A and B

This is what I think I will be doing...

• Streaming video from the internet and local storage NAS or USB drive
  
• Emulation using MAME
  
• Stream audio from the internet
  

I have an XBox360 and I doubt I will play PC games on the system. I also have a blue-ray player and can access NetFlix from it if I want to. In addition I have a 50" Panasonic Plasma HDTV that uses AmazonVOD if I want to use that.

I don't want to OVERSPEND...but I don't want to UNDERspend either...as far as money...OBVIOUSLY as little as possible to do what I want with a little buffer....but nothing over 500 bucks...and that stays between you and I...if the wife sees that she will hunt me down and you'll see me on the news!

[eskro]

i say go for miniITX!
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=94199

[PatrickVogeli]

If you want something really small, go for a barebone. You won't be able to build something as small as the Zotac, the shuttle gt35, acer revo and some other ion2 builds around (jetway, asus, giada, asrock, etc)

[poofyhairguy]

Streaming video from the internet = you want more power than a Atom.

I recommend what Eskro does, a Mini ITX build...

[Laserray]

Streaming video from the internet = you want more power than a Atom.

I recommend what Eskro does, a Mini ITX build...

I guess I would agree, but I did get my Revo 1600 to stream just fine.
Hulu works great, but it doesn't take much to stutter.

I really like these new AMD boards.
Put it in a nice case and it should beat any ATOM hands down.

[poofyhairguy]

Hulu works great, but it doesn't much to stutter.

Hulu is kinda a lone exception of works well. Once you try something like, say, Netflix it can eat an Atom's heart out...

[eskro]

Streaming video from the internet = you want more power than a Atom.

I recommend what Eskro does, a Mini ITX build...

Yepp! Can't believe how much online streaming eats CPU's these days...