need cheap but good HTPC

[maximusbad]

Hey guys i need to know what would be good for a HTPC that will work good but not cost alot, I would like it to be in a case that would look suitable in a living room and still be able to have network hookup if i needed it.

[Thrax]

All the HTPC guides in <a href="http://www.short-media.com/review.php?c=41" target="_blank">this series by MediaMan</a> make a great HTPC. It's behind the hardware curve, but still <i>plenty</i> powerful.

[maximusbad]

Ok thanks for the info but would a 1ghz AMD Athlon with 1gb PC133 memory be good enough to do what is needed for a HTPC?

[Thrax]

Yeah.

[maximusbad]

ah ok then that's good to hear, i have that sitting at home, just need a case and harddrive, oh and windows media center

[Wired]

I'd also recommend asking the opinions of the guys over @ www.htpcnews.com since they specialize in HTPCs. IIRC, WinMC has some flaws in either streaming video or something with DVDs, dunno. I know HTPCnews covered it in their review. May have been fixed already though. There's alternate MMS (Media Management Systems) out there that are cheaper than WinMC, albeit you'll still need Linux or Windows on the setup.