$1250 isn't expensive? Considering what you get, and what you *can* get for that money if you don't pay the Media Center Tax, I think it is. You could build a PC a lot more powerful for the same money, or get the same power for less - but then you don't get the special CableLabs blessing to access their content. For $400 off, as mentioned above, that's not too bad. But even the 'cheap' Media Center PCs are expensive PCs. For $1250 you could get a TiVo HD, three years of Service, a PS3, and have money left over - for the eSATA drive for the TiVo, some games, movies, etc. You'd have a good high-def dual tuner DVR, a Blu-ray disc player, and a premium game system.
If you get the PC, it is still a PC - are you going to put it by your TV? Or do you need to buy a Media Center Extender (or 360) now too? And it is still single-tuner, so there's the $300 for the other tuner. Are you going to use it for other PC tasks - and hope it doesn't interfere with DVR recording and playback?
And the biggest argument against Media Center PCs - laptops are taking over the market. People want PCs they can take with them. A laptop Media Center PC is a terrible idea - if you take it with you, what is home recording your shows?
For $1250 you could get the TiVo, ($250) 3 years of service ($300), and an OK laptop with the $700 left over. (Or put that towards a nicer laptop.) ;-)
Even cheap Media Center PCs are expensive compared to the other options.
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$1250 isn't expensive? Considering what you get, and what you *can* get for that money if you don't pay the Media Center Tax, I think it is. You could build a PC a lot more powerful for the same money, or get the same power for less - but then you don't get the special CableLabs blessing to access their content. For $400 off, as mentioned above, that's not too bad. But even the 'cheap' Media Center PCs are expensive PCs. For $1250 you could get a TiVo HD, three years of Service, a PS3, and have money left over - for the eSATA drive for the TiVo, some games, movies, etc. You'd have a good high-def dual tuner DVR, a Blu-ray disc player, and a premium game system.
If you get the PC, it is still a PC - are you going to put it by your TV? Or do you need to buy a Media Center Extender (or 360) now too? And it is still single-tuner, so there's the $300 for the other tuner. Are you going to use it for other PC tasks - and hope it doesn't interfere with DVR recording and playback?
And the biggest argument against Media Center PCs - laptops are taking over the market. People want PCs they can take with them. A laptop Media Center PC is a terrible idea - if you take it with you, what is home recording your shows?
For $1250 you could get the TiVo, ($250) 3 years of service ($300), and an OK laptop with the $700 left over. (Or put that towards a nicer laptop.) ;-)
Even cheap Media Center PCs are expensive compared to the other options.