HD-ready panel PC targets home theater market

The machine falls a little short in a couple of areas... 1) It's no good as a HTPC because it's underpowered in processing power and expandability (no room for a TV tuner card) while simultaneously being too over-powered for a simple input or control device, and 2) Its touchscreen is too small to be a TV replacement, while at the same time having it at all drives up the price over what someone would consider for an HTPC connected to a larger TV... You can get the same specs in a unit without the screen, that is chaper and better suited to remote, hide-a-way HTPC use. It has all the right moves, just in all the wrong directions.

I don't think you need much processing power for HDTV any more: with stuff like VDPAU, it can be done on the GPU instead.

However, you're right about the touchscreen: that thing is a total waste. A true HTPC isn't going to have a screen at all: it's going to simply connect to whatever large-screen TV you have, using HDMI. This thing would be suited for some other function altogether, such as a kiosk or other terminal requiring interaction with users within arms' reach.

For an HTPC, you need an attractive box that looks good below your TV and next to your stereo amplifier, which connects to your TV, and gives you all kinds of video abilities like access to Netflix and other online video sources, USB drives, videos/music on your local network, and perhaps the ability to record TV.

Quoting:You can get the same specs in a unit without the screen, that is chaper and better suited to remote, hide-a-way HTPC use

If you watched the demo, I believe the purpose of the small screen is not to watch TV/Video but to use the device as a computer/kiosk.

It would be smart of them if they offer an option to purchase the base unit without a panel for $300-400. The base has pretty good specs and I definitely would buy one.

@ Grishnakh

I'm starting to agree as to HTPC thin clients (ones that don't do encoding or transcoding of video, or anything else processor intensive). In fact, I have been toying with the idea of Android clients for any future expansion I do on my multi-media system (adding TVs in the kids' rooms and finished basement). A lightly powered Android system (especially an Atom based one with accelerated graphics support), ought to be fine as an energy efficient client. You just need a launcher that is customizable enough to make for pretty menu screens and maybe the VLC Android port to be completed. The only other things would be TV tuner support and communications support. But Android tablets are beginning to get to the level where they could easily support the HTPC role if stripped of their touchscreens, made into set top boxes, and given some peripheral support, like ethernet, webcams and USB TV tuners.