Zotact Z-BOX looks nice -- and cheap!
A couple of people have been asking me about my HTPC lately. If you didn’t already know, it’s a Nvidia ION motherboard, SSD hard disk in a small case. Total cost was about $600, however I was getting some elements significantly better than retail.
However, if I was buying it all over again, I’d get one of these:
http://www.zotac.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=10...
It’s practically the same thing, but prebuilt and much cheaper.
You can pick up a barebones one for about $300, or with 2GB RAM and 160GB HDD for about $500.
It will comfortably run XBMC, and in-fact that’s what they use to show it off in their videos (embedded below).
Comments
Nice. =)
m0rnin,
Very nice LT. I am considering a HTPC system for the parents. They find the PS3 to be a good, easy to use system for them. If XMB (Xross Media Bar, which is what the PS3 uses) could be used on the system, that would be great, but XMBC doesn’t seem to be that hard for Baby Boomers to find their way around.
I would even consider getting another PS3 for use as their media center (save me moving it downstairs all the time.. Risky on those stairs.. ;p ), but it would at base end up being $500 or about itself, and would need the extras of a
1) Blu-Ray remote, $35 or about.
2) Play TV , $150 or about
3) Larger hard drive, about $100 for a 2.5” 500GB replacement for the 120GB or whatever drive that comes with the latest PS3’s.
$500 for console + $150 for PlayTV + $100 for larger HDD + $35 for Blu-Ray Remote.. = Too much for a system that would never be used for gaming. Would be a good second Folding@Home system though…
$785 for a PS3 with that config. Weight that over the need for a new Blu-Ray player and a TV HDD Recorder..
Would work out being as much or cheaper putting together a nice HTPC then going with the PS3 option, and Sony’s history of taking away features is a big annoyance. There are also issues with copying over your recorded shows to the XMB on the PS3 in Australia, due to Freeview rules/regs.
Also have to keep in mind, lots of format stuff just doesn’t work outright on the PS3. I download lots of the Revision 3 shows off of games@internode (unmetered, yippie), and I have to recode all of those using the PC. PS3 doesn’t like H.264
A HTPC that does Blu-Ray, can access the net (for ABC Iview, also unmetered for node users, record FTA, play divx/H264 would all be nice and sweet for under $700 =)
Peace. #
looks good
LT
I guess that it can be a windows or linux front end for XBMC
ta
Robag
.
Yeah, really like the look of this one. The only thing it’s missing is an optical drive, which I guess just depends on what you’re going to use it for. Will be interesting when the ION2 model (the one in the video) starts selling here. Very nice price for what you’re getting (a full ION2 PC).
Fuzz.
n0mad's PVR
m0rning LT,
Ok after a week 0r s0 0f testing my system l00ks like this;
Computer System – Acer Aspire 0ne
Wireless Keyboard – Wireless Trackball Keyboard
USB Tv Turner – Leadtek DTV Dongle Gold TV Turner USB 2.0
Total Price – $500.00
n0w t0 add;
USB DVD or USB Blueray Drive
USB External HD f0r m0re space
Still g0t testing 0f the s0ftware & drivers t0g0 but all is w0rking well….
n0mad
Interesting
Am I reading this right?
Weight 6.00 kg
That’s a laptop right?
Yes
Yep….
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