What I've noticed, though, is that the bandwidth being used seems to be constantly hovering around the 25Mbps mark, which is the max my network can handle. I've tried to lower that in PS3MediaServer with various settings, but it doesn't seem to work.

My file server is also my main computer, so it has good hardware. The only movies I can't stream to my PS3 are 1080p, but I suspect that is due to lack of wifi bandwidth.

But something has happened the last year or so, for sure due to the devlopers efforts, the product has matured a lot. I have also noticed that since I left Windows XP for Windows 7, MediaPortal has run 24/7 on my server without any crasch or other problems for over a year now.

Especially the latest release, 1.2.x, seems very nice and solid.

So my hints for a successful MediaPortal installation are:

- Use a dedicated pc for the MediaPortal server (and client)

- Use the latest version of MediaPortal

- Don´t "mess up" the system by installing different codecs, media players etc. A fresh install of Win7 + MediaPortal and keep everything else to a minimum (I have a webserver running on my machine, but in a separate VM)

- Use the standard skin, it looks quite nice in the latest release

- Have good transfer speed to your disks and decent amount of RAM (CPU speed is not a very big issue, I use a MB with an integrated Atom CPU)

Now it's a dvd player connected to a projector, and no TV.

Nevertheless, I never was able to create a 100% stable solution with MediaPortal.

From my experiences that I have with the Plex based solution I feel the whole MediaPortal setup and configuration process way too "big" and complicated.

But things may have changed, my experience with MediaPortal is about two years old.

Knowing more than me on this wouldn't be that hard right now ;-)

After years of reading and benefit from tips on your site, I think it´s payback time by posting a comment about something I maybe know a litte bit more about than you :-)

My best tip, especially if you´re a person with a bit of technical interest and patience, is to use MediaPortal (http://www.team-mediaportal.com/) on a "HTPC".

My setup, thats been working very well for years now, is like this:

- A dedicated media pc/server ("HTPC"), built for low energy consumption and silence. Motherboard with integrated CPU och graphics. Windows 7. This could as well be any ordinary pc with Windows.

- Integrated DVD-player (and/or a BlueRay player)

- TV-card(s), in my case a Fire-DTV box, but could be any TV-card supported by MediaPortal (most of them are). MediaPortal supports as many TV-cards as you like.

- Install MediaPortal (it´s completely free software!)

- Disks to store films, music, TV shows, photos etc. on. In my case I have the disks attached to the pc/server, but could be a NAS as well, or both.

After a litle configuration of MediaPortal (with latest releases its quite simple really), you get:

- Watch, record/pause live TV

- Instant access to stored recordings, ripped DVDs, movies, music, radio etc.

- Install MediaPortal client on other computers on your network to access same functionality on them, like s watch streaming TV from server, start recordings, watch movies on server etc.

- Endless ways to enrich MediaPortal with skins and plugins, for example to control the server from a mobile device. I use my HTC to start recordings and watch TV schedules and as a full featured remote!

MediaPortal is under constant development by a very dedicated community and lead developers.

I think it is the best solution today to get it "all in one box".

Good Luck!

I use Apple TV with XBMC installed. XBMC plays just about every format you'll need, which means you don't need to transcode your dvds to a different format, saving loads of time and effort. I just rip my dvds to a single iso file and then stick it on my HP mediasmart server which is a tiny black box running windows home server. XBMC connects to it via SMB shares from my ATV either by wifi or ethernet (I prefer ethernet).

You can also download movies/TV shows through ATV or watch BBC iPlayer via XBMC. I still need to see if there is a 4oD plugin yet for XBMC. You can also control the whole setup from an iPad or iPhone.

It's a simple and neat, low cost setup which ticks all the boxes apart from the TV recording but I have sky+ HD for that.

What made me notice when I first looked was that they use Sigma designs decoding hardware and my very first internal dvd decoder was made by them and very good (back before software decoding was viable!)

Also, I believe there is a Boxee Box app for the iPad as well.

http://dune-hd.com/hd_players/current/134-dune-hd-smart-b1.html

It doesn't quite fit your requirements in that it doesn't record TV, but perhaps some of their other models do.

I didn't find them doing a search for media streaming devices, I only found them when they were mentioned on a forum I was looking at whilst researching a netgear device.

does it makes sense to have an All-in-One device ? A component that fails and everything returns to the seller ?

However, I see only one Touch Screen Computer to meet your desires ...

The best is to do it yourself ... i know there are some 'media center' linux distribution ... or Windows Media Center as you said ...

I don't know Apple very well ...

I like the 21:9 LED TV series ;) ... you can split the display into two ...

my setup is similar but I have AT2 not windows

http://xbmc.org/natethomas/2011/09/24/one-network-to-rule-them-all/

just sent me email if you need help on AT2 , i will gladly help you

I was looking at setting up windows media center, I have a good little box that would do the trick, but we just don't watch the television enough to warrant the effort. Some time ago, Grandma bought each child their own portable DVD player with something like a 5" screen, made by COBY. We chipped in a good set of Caliphone headphones for each (big and comfy and durable) and we never hear a fight about who gets to watch what when. More important than a good technological solution is the problems it solves as a result. Our biggest media related problem was fighting. Problem eliminated. Now I just need to get them both their own computer. Sharing my older mac-mini is creating many of the same fights, though they're seemingly more happy to watch each other play games than agree to watch a show... maybe because one person is playing and one person is watching they're happy and in different states of mind?

Murray

Some tinkering is required, but you're good with that, and it's part of the fun.