SFF pc for use with TV

[- Bobb -]

Anyone familiar/can recommend a small size PC for using MCE with TV/DVD etc.
I'd like to hook up TV/monitor in living room to a MCE PC that I could use
for DVD/CD/internet/.wmv/.avi etc
playback on TV - also record to DVR.

I DO have a few XP era PC's and curious from those that have done so: is it
worth BUYING MCE and installing over old OS ? I'm thinking would be more
economical to buy a PC with MCE already on it - maybe a laptop that I could
use on the road as a "regular Pc " too.

If a laptop, I was leaning toward the 'netbook' size - 10" or so with 100+
gb hdd for storing movies/music.
Any thoughts ? experience ? recommendations ?

 

[smlunatick]

Anyone familiar/can recommend a small size PC for using MCE with TV/DVD etc.
I'd like to hook up TV/monitor in living room to a MCE PC that I could use
for DVD/CD/internet/.wmv/.avi  etc
playback on TV - also record to DVR.

I DO have a few XP era PC's and curious from those that have done so: is it
worth BUYING MCE and installing over old OS ? I'm thinking would be more
economical to buy a PC with MCE already on it - maybe a laptop that I could
use on the road as a "regular Pc " too.

If a laptop, I was leaning toward the 'netbook' size - 10" or so with 100+
gb hdd for storing movies/music.
Any thoughts ? experience ? recommendations ?

Please note that usually buying a preassembled PC would be the main
method of getting MCE. Media Centre Edition has specialized set of
compatible hardware for the TV viewing. XP MCE is sold only as an
OEM product, usually installed.

 

[Curious]

Certainly getting a new PC with Vista Home Premium, which includes MC, and
a TV tuner is probably your lease expensive path.
However, I am not sure that the Netbook models are configured with these
options and have enough power supply power to support them.

Anyone familiar/can recommend a small size PC for using MCE with TV/DVD
etc.
I'd like to hook up TV/monitor in living room to a MCE PC that I could use
for DVD/CD/internet/.wmv/.avi etc
playback on TV - also record to DVR.

I DO have a few XP era PC's and curious from those that have done so: is
it
worth BUYING MCE and installing over old OS ? I'm thinking would be more
economical to buy a PC with MCE already on it - maybe a laptop that I
could
use on the road as a "regular Pc " too.

If a laptop, I was leaning toward the 'netbook' size - 10" or so with 100+
gb hdd for storing movies/music.
Any thoughts ? experience ? recommendations ?

Please note that usually buying a preassembled PC would be the main
method of getting MCE. Media Centre Edition has specialized set of
compatible hardware for the TV viewing. XP MCE is sold only as an
OEM product, usually installed.