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Computers are for living rooms.

1. 

   bsacco
   Member

   Hi all,

   I own (2) Tivo HD lifetime units.

   Sick and tired of Comcast Cable I reduced my cable service down to basic local cable channels.

   Now I only receive the local news channels and one PBS station. Well, that's not enough content for me.

   I'm interested in HTPC but know nothing about it other than i know that i can watch some pretty cool content online and much of the same content i was paying Comcast for before I canceled my 60 channel lineup.

   So, I'm very aware of the Google TV and Apple TV announcements but I'm now scared to pull the trigger on a HTPC for fear of investing into the wrong technology.

   Can anyone shed some light on what path to take in terms of getting content on my large LCD flat panel TV?

   Posted 3 months ago #
2. 

   Fernando Dunn
   Administrator

   @bsacco A few years back I got rid of my AT&T U-Verse and went back to my HTPC for my sole entertainment needs. I basically only used the DVR and had to ask myself "Why are you paying for DVR when you can watch these same things online for free?" Aside from live sports I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

   Picking the right solution depends greatly on your viewing habits and the source of your content.

   • For local (downloaded or ripped) content, DVDs and Blu-Ray a HTPC is the best solution.
   • For general web streaming, Google TV looks great. However, you could also use a PC with either an internet-savvy media center like Boxee or just use a web browser to go to Clicker (http://clicker.com or http://clicker.tv).
   • For Netflix streaming, most media centers apps for HTPCs have a streaming app or you can just browse to netflix.com. There are also HD media players like Roku, WD TV Live Plus, Seagate FreeAgent Theater+, or Seagate GoFlex TV that can play from Netflix, USB hard drives and stream from other computers. HD media players may not be best for living rooms but are great for the bedroom or other rooms.

   The thing I love about HTPCs is that they have the most potential. With the right combination of hardware and software the HTPC can be your set-top box, internet streaming, music player, etc. They're not that expensive or complicated to build and you can even get a small, ION based mini PC like ZOTAC ZBOX or Acer Aspire Revo.

   There are a lot of software solutions to choose from. If you let me know what you're looking for I can help you pick the right one.

   Posted 2 months ago #

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