Further Proof Money Needs to Be Spent
Let me tell you a story about a technology loving son who, in an attempt to make his parents’ lives easier, set up an HTPC that was intended to stream downloaded shows and copied movies from a server to a TV. Let me also tell you about two parents who, when something goes wrong with said HTPC, call up their son now living in Seattle and expect him to be able to talk them through what needs to be done. This son, realizing that such a setup might have worked when he still lived in the same city as his parents but is now on the other side of the “too complicated” border, decides that a simpler solution is required and begins his search for a device that is pretty much dedicated to the functions he needs it to do instead of being a full computer. This change will cost his parents money, but they’re willing to pay it because they agree that something less complicated would be nice. This story, fellow stalkers, was the story of my life today. I have yet to find the perfect solution, but that’s won’t stop me from searching.
Basically, whatever the replacement is needs to be able to do two things: 1) stream the file formats from our server that all the media is in (AVI/Xvid and MP4/H.264), and 2) be able to actually play back discs for when my parents go rent a movie or whatever (I think digital distribution might just be a little much to introduce them to). Perhaps the best solution is to actually go back to a two device setup: a DVD player and something along the lines of my WDTV Live (in this space, I’m very intrigued the Boxee Box that should be coming out sometime soon). There are also options like the Popcorn Hour that could fill either the combination or just the streaming role. Finally, an Xbox 360 or PS3 would also serve both roles just fine (I should know, I use them both for that purpose), and with the latter they would even get Blu-ray compatibility. Honestly, the PS3 may end up being the best option for them all around, but I’m keeping my options (and eyes) open for now.