Acer Revo R3610 "Nettop" Computer for HTPC Usage
So I have a couple Acer Revo R3610 computers incoming today to test as dedicated HTPC clients. I'll be sticking with W7MC, adding on Media Browser, and streaming the same content currently being streamed via XBMC from the media server to the modified AppleTVs. These new clients should open up my options content-wise considerably, allowing vastly higher bitrates as well as high profile h264 encoding with smooth playback at 1080p. For once in a systems upgrade, I can see absolutely no drawbacks at all in using these. I'll be using them with Windows Media Center Remotes and possibly the best input device Microsoft has ever designed, the Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Windows Media Center. I'll also be able to run XBMC under Windows 7 on the new clients in case the wife wanted to use the old interface for some reason.
These will also allow me to stream live HDTV streams (Mpeg 2 Transport Streams) from a Silicondust HDHomeRun Dual with no problem at all, as well as being able to view the high bitrate HDTV recordings from the DVR software on the central media server in the house. At only $330 with Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit pre-installed on them, I think these may be pretty close to the perfect HTPC client machines one can get.