I want to record and playback OTA HDTV in my HT using my Panasonic AE900 projector. It has a native resolution of 1280x720. I have looked at several options:


Tivo Series3. Simple Plug/n/Play. Would work great with what I am trying to do. Cons: Kind of spendy ($600). Box is sort of 'locked' - SATA port is currently not enabled and Tivo2Go is not enabled, so the ability to add storage in the future is uncertain and the liklihood of being able to play contet throughout the house is doubtful. Monthly subscription fees add up.
Existing Athlon XP2600 PC resting in closet. Add capture card like a MyHD 130 or equivalent. Pros: Fairly cheap, exapandable, already own the PC which is now doing nothing. Cons: You have to wonder about how good a product like the MyHD is when the master thread is over 300 pages long with more than 6000 posts. Many of the posts deal with warrantly issues, buggy drivers, etc. There is no doubt that the card is poplular.
Convert my existing Mac Mini 1.5ghz Power PC to a HTPC. I identified the EyeTV Hybrid as a simple way to get the HD signal into the box and add USB or Firewire NAS to hold all the content I would ever want. Cons: It seems the PPC may not play back my captured HD in full res on my display.
Buy a MacIntel Mini for this purpose. A dual core will work i.e. play back the HD content, but now am looking at ~$1,000 if I have to buy both the Mini and an EyeTV hybrid.


Can anyone relate to these issues and weigh in? Maybe 720X1200 is not too much for the Mini to handle? I don't know. That would certainly be an easy way to go.

Option e) Convert existing Mini to HTPC via EyeTV, buy and hack AppleTV to playback in HD.

Assuming, of course, that people get the appleTV to do that, but most evidence seems to indicate that it will work in that capacity sooner rather than later.

I would not have thought of that solution. Something else to research. Thanks for the idea.