Home Theater TV info

It's been a while since I've had time to post an update, and this time, I am cheating a bit.  I say that because I originally wrote this post as an email to a friend who asked me for advice on buying a Home Theater PC/set top box.  I have been asked a few times since, then again, so I figure it is worth posting here.

Here goes.


  • Apple TV
    • Pros:  Very easy solution.  You get your content from Apple/iTunes, and everything pretty much works.  You can link it to Netflix for streaming, and iTunes has rentals now.  It can (should) be hacked to add some features, but that requires some nerding out.
    • Cons:  Only does 720p video (no 1080i/p).  You're locked in to Apple, and you don't get Hulu, etc. 
    • Site:  http://www.apple.com/appletv/
  • Boxee 
    • Pros:  Think of Boxee as a front end for Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Youtube, and host of other sites.  You get all of those, as well as any content you already have (downloaded or ripped from DVD).  I use Boxee (not the boxee box) on my PC that I use.  I like the way it treats streaming and downloaded content equally.  It "doesn't care" where you got it, if it's there, it plays.
    • Cons:  No built in store to buy content; you'll have to find downloadable content yourself or stick with Netflix.  Boxee box is a little pricey compared to Apple TV.  No local hard drive to store stuff.  Hulu might block boxee at some point.
    • Site:  http://www.boxee.tv/buy
  • Roku
  • Google TV
    • Pros:  GTV unifies internet and TV better than any other device.  If you have Dish network, it works REALLY well to unify your TV with any streaming content.  You can get it built into a Blu-Ray player or standalone.
    • Cons:  More expensive.  Hulu and others have blocked GTV for some reason.  They are idiots.
    • Site:  http://www.google.com/tv/
  • BYOB (Build your own box)
    • Pros:  You have a dedicated PC free to run whatever combination of apps etc.  Browse the web, check email, everything. I run XBMC as my main front end for content.  (www.xbmc.org)  I also run boxee.
    • Cons:  The most expensive and time consuming option.  You end up having a wireless keyboard and mouse in the living room all the time.
    • Site:  My Blog describing my build:  http://catsmacsandhacks.blogspot.com/2009/02/htpc-ordered.html  I am running Linux, so my build is more complicated than one running Windows or Mac (yes, you can build a Mac, I did :).  If I had to do it now, I'd build a Hackintosh (build it yourself mac) and run it on that.  Linux doesn't have Netflix support (because they use Silverlight, ick), and is a bit finicky.
So there you have it, a brief summary of the options available for Home Theater PCs.  As always, feel free to post any questions or comments.

Happy Holidays!

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