I currently rip all my media onto my desktop machine and run it through to the PS3 (a floor away) via wireless. Due to wireless lag (particularly with HD rips) I'm mostly needing to copy directly to PS3 before playing, and due to PS3 limitations needing to rip to certain undesired file formats and restrictions. Looking to upgrade to a new TV shortly (C580 40" looking to win) and desire a HTPC to go along with it. Have been looking at getting the Acer Revo R3700 and then finding a good internal hard drive, and loading it up in a hard drive enclosure (IcyBox?) No experience with HTPC's prior, or external hard drive use. Will the Revo R3700 be able to handle 1080p, the hard drive enclosure be quiet and capable with a 2TB+ internet or which hard drive to choose to ensure suitable write/read speeds? * Budget: £300'ish. Can go a little higher, but also upgrading PC alongside so don't want to go over the top here. * Main uses of intended build: HTPC under TV (also new purchase, Samsung C580 40") * Parts required: HTPC, External hard drive, hard drive enclosure * Previous build information (list details of parts): N/A * Monitor resolution: 1080p * Storage requirements: 2TB or more * Will you be overclocking: No * Special requirements: Directly under TV so not too loud / an eyesore. Will be leaving on sleep when not active, so power consumption isn't much of an issue. Will be running it on wireless as have no access to Ethernet ports close by. Cheers.
i'll recommend you a zotac zacate based z-box coupled with a 2tb esata external for storage, should be not too much over budget. as you'd need a 2.5" hdd for the os etc, and some ram. they go for about £190 for the zbox itself, then the rest you could get 'value' components on if need to keep at budget.
Thanks for the fast reply! I'd not heard of the Z-box until now (as mentioned above, new to the idea of owning a HTPC), only had the Revo recommended to me by a colleague. Was looking at; http://www.ebuyer.com/product/236579 originally but have now found http://www.scan.co.uk/products/zotac-z-box-mini-pc-amd-e350, a good Z-box choice? (not stocked everywhere it seems). Would the box's performance warrant the additional price of needing to get individual components? I'd certainly appreciate the eSata.
I recently bought the Revo from Ebuyer and I love it. I was really tempted by the Zboxs but the Revo is cheaper when you consider it comes with ram and a hdd of it's own. Performance is identical if they're both Atom, and either the Atom or the Hudson can both play HD just fine, so why not just pick the cheapest? If you're after a big hdd it would be almost as cheap (and far neater) to build a system that can house a 3.5" disk internally, surely? Mini ITX and Linitx both sell Atom/Hudson/Via boards and cases that can take standard HDDs.
i have a zotac atom / ion and while not bad i would have gone for the zacate if it was available at the time. plus since they're newer they typically have sata 3 and usb 3, which will be handy to have in the future. and yes that was exactly the model i was thinking of, just couldn't remember the specific model. while acer are cheaper, they are in my opinion a much lower quality products. you could look into building yourself, but i doubt you'd be able to do something comparable in a mitx in the same price range as the prebuilts.
I've had a good look around at doing a potential custom build mitx, but the increased cost and size/appearance concerns sitting right under the TV. Looking at the Zotac AD02, it looks to be sold out everywhere. Reading some reviews there seems to be issues with Brazos H.264 video (is this the case with Ion 2 too?). It's either; Zotac AD02, + OCZ Vertex 2 60gig SSD + 2GB RAM (still to pick) Icy Box enclosure (still to pick), Samsung F4 2TB via eSata. or Antec R3700, Icy Box enclosure (still to pick), Samsung F4 2TB via USB 2.0. The Zotac option is going to be a lot more (£400'ish vs £250'ish). It's all down to if the Antec is more than capable enough to run the 1080p films (pref H.264) via XBMC (Windows 7) as desired. Any further experiences with the above greatly appreciated!
I reviewed a Zotac Ion system with Blu-ray last year - that was far more beautiful that the two suggested above, very quiet and had eSATA. I think you could get it with just a DVD drive for cheaper too.
I'd look into getting a Z-Box AD-03 (probably plus) but they don't seem to be in stock anywhere in the UK. Trying to spec a few different custom builds, but aesthetics and price don't really add up to comparable custom nettops. Antec R3600 series is an option given that it has eSata, but it's a let down that it's old hardware for a higher price :|
