Over the last couple of years I have enjoyed the ease of hooking up a computer to a modern TV for a little VOD action. In the past I used a laptop, but currently I am down to one system that I have been switching between the TV and proper monitor for depending on what my goal of the moment is.

I'm not particularly fond of this arrangement. The system is a bit noisy, and I tend to like having something on while I'm on the computer which limits me to DVDs and regular TV channels. Its also a bit annoying toggling between the TV and monitor. So I've been rethinking the arrangement and wondering what options exist, and more specifically, how others might approach the problem personally.

As I think about it I know there are a few things I would like factor into the equation.

The solution should provide access to say Hulu and Amazon VOD which I do use (as they are linux friendly)

The solution should provide some sort of music playback option.

The solution should be mindful of its power consumption.

The solution should be able to output to High resolution TV's and provide reliable(smooth and steady) play.

The solution should be reasonably or understandably priced (something costing more than an XBOX may need to justify that pricing difference via features)

The solution does not require gaming ability.

The speed of access to the solution is a factor (boot time)

Full web access is a nice bonus but not required.

Solution should be discrete in size if possible.

Solution does not need to be portable, but could be.

The solution should strive to be as quiet as possible.

Now the question becomes what factors would you prioritize? Would you sacrifice the low power aspect in order to put gaming on the table? Do you say “get a Roku,” or “what do I care? I have an XBOX.”

Not that I can afford to do it but, I like the idea of having an actual computer. AMD's entry level APU is fast enough, rated at 65w, and can be found for as little as 40$
http://www.microcenter.com/product/375728/A4_X2_3400_27GHz_Dual_Core_Socket_FM1_Boxed_Processor
I'm not sure how the video component affects the overall power draw in this case, but find a Micro ATX motherboard and case for it, and toss in a small SSD and I would think it should be fairly quiet, boot quickly, and be about as power friendly as one could expect a desktop PC to be. The down side is you have to buy all that stuff plus memory, a PSU, wireless keyboard and mouse, and perhaps a disc drive of some sort.

From a pricing perspective the Roku sounds like it makes an attractive offer that meets all the important points at the cost of browsing the Internet. However, I am unsure if one has to have the paid for versions of things. Netflix is always a pay service, but one can get a fair amount of mileage out of Hulu without subscribing. Then there is the Xbox which I personally swore I would only use for gaming since they had that red ring problem. I hear that's all better but mine predates that fix. I'm tempted to say if it breaks they are cheap enough to replace (all things considered) but I think you have to pay for the Gold service to use any of the fun stuff which makes it far less attractive to me.

At any rate. What do you use, or wish you could use?


***edit
I will not spell roku rouk. I will not spell roku rouk. I will not,......

I've trod this road, I'm going to tell you the hard lesson that many have learned and many have failed to head and subsequently learned the hard way:

JUST BUY A SOLUTION.

Seriously, even if it grates on your nerves a bit. Pay for a HDTV (a 32 inch IPS panel HDTV ran me 320 bucks over 2 years ago, you can do very well here), pay for an XBox 360 or a Roku box, and then pay for whatever subs you need (XBox Live Gold is 40 bucks per year on sale, Roku is probably even cheaper). Plug it in and simply enjoy your media.

Benefits:
1) Non-techies don't get pissed at you when your jury-rigged solution inevitably breaks, which will happen often and frequently when they would like to be watching something.
2) There are no hot stares of anger as you try to fix the broken shit for the umpteenth time, increasing your stress level, ruining the peace in your home, and making the whole thing even harder than it already was.
3) You get to enjoy your shows for basically free. A year of Netflix instant and XBox Live Gold is about what you'd pay for 1 month of cable TV in the US with a few premium channels or some extra sports tossed in. Yeah, it isn't completely free beer, but if your free time has even a modicum of value to you, fuck it, pay the evil empire, you come out so far ahead I can't even tell you.

You sound a bit more social than I am. I'm not sure I would run into that particular set of issues anytime soon.

I am quite interested in anyone using a roku and what other costs are involved. Cost wise they seem very affordable.