HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #419: Dell Inspiron Zino HD

Started by arad • Apr 2, 2010 • 3 posts

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#1 Apr 2, 2010 at 6:14 am

By now you know that Ara has built himself a nice HTPC out of a Mac Mini. We've received a bunch of email asking us to define a similar system using a PC. There far more options using a PC than a Mac and they come in all shapes and sizes. Ara touted size and quiet operation as a major factor in his love of the Mac Mini. So when we saw that Dell had a box that was roughly the same size as a Mac Mini we ordered one and put it through its paces. The Dell Inspiron Zino HD we bought cost $747, about $150 more than the Mac Mini. The Dell comes with something you can't get on a Mac, a Blu-ray drive.

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#2 Apr 13, 2010 at 2:52 pm

Hi

Thanks so much for this info. Your advice to forgo the Blu-ray player was valuable.

I am confused on one point.

Early on, you say: "Since the Zino does not come with a tuner you’ll have to provide your own."

But a few paragraphs down, you say: "Windows Media Center has a nice built in tuner/DVR package."

Please clarify.

#3 Apr 13, 2010 at 2:56 pm

Media Center software has a nice interface for a DVR. You still need to provide the tuner. By the way, what we like about the HD Homerun is that every PC on your network can share its two tuners (if not already being used by another PC).

Ara