HTPC or NMT

[devin_m]

I'm in the process of re-thinking my home theatre situation and I need some opinions. Currently I'm using a Boxee Box and it is falling out of favor with me for a few reasons:

1. I never really liked the interface, coming from a skinned XBMC setup
2. It doesn't do blu-ray menus from ISOs
3. It seems to lock up frequently when trying to 'wake' it up necessitating a forced shutdown
4. Slow interface

What I want from my media device:

1. Dolby - true hd and DTS-MA support
2. full blu-ray menu support for my ISOs (disc support nice but not a req)
3. nice interface (ideally like aeon65 for XBMC)
4. very responsive
5. high WAF

What would you guys recommend? A HTPC running XBMC? I've run this in the past and the lack of blu-ray support on PITA DTS-MA support made me switch. Or something like a PCH C-200? What I'm worried about is the interface and reports of firmware bugs but I don't have any current bug information. Or something else? I'm open to options.

 

[Valaire]

AFAIK XBMC can't do full menu support because there is no open source mechanism for that. It can play Bluray movies with some degree of integration but not menus, and I wouldn't expect that anytime soon.

I'd still say your best option is an HTPC running XBMC though putting aside the desire for bluray menu support.

 

[rufio]

I pretty much finished up my HTPC last night.

My goal was to have it be fully automated like our dish DVR and be easy for the GF to use with one remote. I ended up with the following program flow, each of which is basically set it and forget it.

Sick Beard + Couch Potato -> Plex Media Server -> XBMC (PC) & Plex (OSX)

The HTPC is hooked up to the TV/AVR and runs XBMC as the front end. When my GF wants to watch something in the office she can pull up plex on her iMac. I can also stream from outside my network to any xbmc/plex client as well at ~720p quality with AC3 and some slight buffering. I can't speak to using menus, as I always kill them. They're extra clicks and i'm impatient.

 

[AQ_OC]

What do you guys mean when you say "menu support"?

I use WMC and MyMovies along with PowerDVD Ultra 11. BD are ripped to disc as ISO and I stream them over my network. I get all lossless audio support and disc menus, plus the menus/interface/movie info from MyMovies database. I don't know what else one could ask for on an HTPC.