Phoronix has published a review of the LIX Systems LX8100-AM2BB-M2NPV, which is a complete HTPC/PVR that ships with GNU/Linux and all of the other goodies. They conclude: “We have become overwhelmingly impressed by the LX8100-AM2BB-M2NPV. This HTPC system is incredibly compact, powerful for video purposes, offers a great deal of installed software and other media features, and is unbelievably quiet. The Lx8100 is extremely well designed for its size and the changeable frontpanel design is interesting and functional for matching the device with other multimedia equipment. The LX8100-AM2BB-M2NPV came loaded with all of the hardware needed to get going. The software also came completely configured and required virtually no setup.”
I really like the idea of this machine… then I read that it doesn’t include MythTV or Freevo or anything like that. So depending on how you look at it, it’s either a PVR that lacks PVR capabilities, or a $600 low profile computer that just happens to have a TV tuner built-in. And from what I’ve read, MythTV isn’t exactly a breeze to install/setup – $600 strikes me as pretty steep for a machine that still requires some DIY in order to be useful.
The review also makes absolutely no mention of video output capabilities of the device. I could watch TV on a computer back in ’93, so it doesn’t seem all that impressive today. Typical consumers of HT equipment won’t give it a second glance if it can’t output to their existing TVs.
Albeit on rather a lot of pages…and I really enjoyed this:
“running these LIX Systems discs will reinstall the entire system within 15 minutes and you’ll be up and running. All that is needed is to type “nuke” after booting from the media.”
If only life itself could be so very simple!
Surely you’d want to stream your captured programmes to other machines in the house (assuming that you wouldn’t be using this unit as your primary PC) and therefore Wifi for most people would almost be mandatory (but it’s currently not on any of the models mentioned – we may see a Wifi model later though).
Also, what happens if you want to record two programmes that clash? Dual tuners, I’d have thought, were another necessity for this system and again, not a mention of those either.
I do like the idea of this unit though, but it needs MythTV + Wifi + dual tuners before it becomes truly useful. I especially like that the noise level of the machine is near-silent, because many people (me included) would like to have this in their bedroom and running 24×7 to record overnight programnmes [hence it mustn’t wake you up, even when recording].