The new Shuttle M1000 is about as good looking as it gets.
Here’s how Shuttle sells it:
The Shuttle XPC Media Center’s built-in analog TV tuners, FM radio tuner, dual format DVD writer, and 8-in-1 card reader, make it easy to enjoy TV, video, music and photographs with your friends and family.
Based on Shuttle’s all new ‘M’ chassis, the Shuttle XPC Media Center sits stylishly within any home audio/visual entertainment center. But don’t be fooled by its simple exterior. Inside the attractive case you will find; analog TV tuners supporting HDTV, time shifting, and real time or scheduled recording, high definition 7.1 channel audio, FM radio with pause and replay capabilities, and 3D graphics processing power from NVIDIA.
What’s the catch? How about the $1899 price tag? That’s a lot of money for a PC that’s going to sit in your living room and not be used for anything else. (And if you’re thinking about buying this box to use in your office, well, you can spend half the money and get just as much computer.)
The good news is this base configuration has everything you need (sans speakers and monitor, of course) – no missing pieces, no hidden upgrades. The only quibble I have with the configuration is the onboard B/G wireless networking, which really should offer 802.11A support as well.
AnandTech has a typically comprehensive review that nails the real problem with this box:
The problem is, someone looking for an expensive but capable HTPC probably has some other wants as well. HDTV compatibility is a major flaw in the design. Sure, you can watch DVDs without trouble, and you can even download movies from the Internet and watch them on your HTPC. The NVIDIA output either through component or DVI to an HDTV works great. The inability to record or view HDTV broadcasts on its own makes this, at best, a secondary A/V component for many people.
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In the end, there are several things holding back the HTPC market, and none of them are Shuttle’s fault. The DMCA and similar legislation are definitely not helping the home user get the most out of their electronics. Content providers share the largest portion of the blame, as standards like cablecard were promised years ago and yet content providers are still “nervous”.
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What we want in a fully featured HTPC is the ability to record SD and HD content, and even better would be compatibility with cable and satellite subscriptions. You can get all that for $10 a month from many providers, though other compromises are made in those systems. HDD size is never as large as we would like, and networking support is generally omitted as well – likely to keep the content secured on the device. Shuttle has the right idea with the M1000 design, but unfortunately it won’t meet the demands of many Home Theater enthusiasts.
If there’s anyone to fault for the problems with HTPCs, it’s Hollywood, the MPAA, the RIAA, and the cable and satellite providers, because while the ability to create our dream HTPC exists in theory, it can only be achieved with more cooperation among all of these parties. The hardware manufacturers would love to be able to sell new hardware that supports the necessary features, but those features are as yet undefined.
Can I recommend this computer today? No way. As gorgeous as it is, I can’t justify its high price tag until it does HD. And without a guarantee that this box will be upgradeable when CableCARD hardware and software upgrades appear next year, it’s too risky.
[Cross-posted at Ed Bott’s Media Central]
Ed Bott 