Replacement for Media Center PC

[Jay4]

Hi all,
I have a 6 year old basic media center PC that I use for my kids to watch their videos. The computer has Vista Home Premium, and I use the media center that comes with Vista to watch copies of their DVDs (ripped to external drives) so they don't destroy them. There are a lot of videos, mostly ripped to Xvid in .avi containers, some to h.264 in mkv containers. Long ago I installed the right codecs so they can play.

Crucially, my kids like the interface that has little pictures so they can pick their "shows."

So the Vista machine is dying. I'm not sure why, but it is 6 years old and my guess is that some hardware is fading. So, I'm looking for a replacement.

I use WDTV a lot, and have been happy with it, but the stripped-down interface will not be good for my (young) kids. I can get a Win7 machine and it appears that the interface would be similar. However, it seems a waste to spend $500 on a PC when these little media players are around for $100.

Does anyone have a suggestion for an easy-to-use media player, with an interface as attractive as Windows Media Center, that can play a relatively wide variety of files, for less than a new computer? Any thoughts as to a good direction are appreciated!

[Baldrick]

You might get better help over at http://www.avsforum.com/f/39/networking-media-servers-content-streamers

But I would still use a htpc...a new one will probably last another 6 year while a cheap media player will have problem with newer formats.

[usually_quiet]

I looked at a couple of the $100 media players to try to answer your question. I don't think any $100 player could have a user interface comparable to Windows Media Center. They don't have the processing power or memory to do the same things that a computer running a media center program (not necessarily Windows Media Center) can do. I agree with Baldrick. Get another PC if your children are too young to use something like the WD TV box you own.

[jagabo]

Doesn't the WDTV Live Hub have a pretty graphic thumbnail interface? Boxee Box maybe?

[usually_quiet]

Doesn't the WDTV Live Hub have a pretty graphic thumbnail interface? Boxee Box maybe?

Yes the WDTV Live Hub does have that kind of interface, once you navigate to the folders containing the media files. I think the navigation part would be the big problem for young children.

I'm not sure the original Boxee Box is still in production. Boxee TV seems to have replaced it, but it is a more TiVo-like DVR product offering cloud-based recording and access to premium online services like Netflix.

[_Al_]

I think the navigation part would be the big problem for young children.

Kids will know exactly what to do to get to their show just after one demonstration

[usually_quiet]

I think the navigation part would be the big problem for young children.

Kids will know exactly what to do to get to their show just after one demonstration

If they can read well enough, yes. If not, I don't think so. The fact that thumbnails are such an important concern leads me to think that not all of the OP's children read very well.

[olyteddy]

I think the navigation part would be the big problem for young children.

Kids will know exactly what to do to get to their show just after one demonstration

If they can read well enough, yes. If not, I don't think so. The fact that thumbnails are such an important concern leads me to think that not all of the OP's children read very well.

And if he's just planting them in front of a TV with 'thumbnails of pleasure' they may never learn to read...

[usually_quiet]

I think the navigation part would be the big problem for young children.

Kids will know exactly what to do to get to their show just after one demonstration

If they can read well enough, yes. If not, I don't think so. The fact that thumbnails are such an important concern leads me to think that not all of the OP's children read very well.

And if he's just planting them in front of a TV with 'thumbnails of pleasure' they may never learn to read...

..and what if the children in question are only 4 or 5 years old, or have special needs? We don't know his situation.

[Jay4]

Thanks for all the replies...much of it is very helpful (particularly Baldrick and usually_quite). My two oldest children (age 4 and 6) both read, my 2 and 4 year old don't yet. The point isn't really that they "can't" navigate the WDTV menu, it's that the younger kids would really get to point to their favorites and say "that one," and so forth. the better interface is just easier.

And my goodness:"And if he's just planting them in front of a TV with 'thumbnails of pleasure' they may never learn to read..."
let's try to be a bit less judgmental, especially with limited information, shall we?

[Jay4]

Thanks for all the replies...much of it is very helpful (particularly Baldrick and usually_quite). My two oldest children (age 4 and 6) both read, my 2 and 4 year old don't yet. The point isn't really that they "can't" navigate the WDTV menu, it's that the younger kids would really get to point to their favorites and say "that one," and so forth. the better interface is just easier.

And my goodness:"And if he's just planting them in front of a TV with 'thumbnails of pleasure' they may never learn to read..."
let's try to be a bit less judgmental, especially with limited information, shall we?

I just re-read my post. My oldest are 8 and 6, not 4 and 6...not that it really matters.