We have excellant advice on the forum and i wanted to see if i can get suggestions for a new HTPC. My old Sony media center crashes a lot and wifey has asked to have it thrown out

Need to support these features
- dual monitor (small LCD & Projector)
- support DVR function
- Blu-ray
- Analog 5.1 ? for blu-ray
- HDMI
- SATA (add 4TB) and get rid of the freeNAS box
- maybe add more external storage later
- silent (will be in media room)
- Windows 7
- PlayOn (for mediaroom 2 PS3)
- Squeezebox (Music)
- use the existing firewire connected 200 DVD changer.

MOST important..wifey should be able to use it.

--Avi

For the most important item, a good universal remote is critical. I love my Harmony One (and the wife can use it, too).

There is nothing unusual in your list. The only thing you will not get yet from onboard video is HDMI passthrough. I think that AMD had them on their roadmap for Q1 2010. The inexpensive 5000 series cards with PAP for full HD support should be out soon.

Take a look at this thread and do a bit of research on the Nvidia Ion platform.

Appears to be a pretty cost-effective solution that delivers the goods in a small package.

Thanks for the link Ray...that little device looks interesting. I've been debating doing something for a HTPC but don't really want a computer sitting in the rack, and haven't taken the time to find a nice case with a system I could build. That little guy could do the trick.

Or you could stay right here, and have a look at this thread.