First stage of HTPC project proves tricky

Ever since we first reviewed an early version of Snapstream's Beyond TV, I have had some form of Shuttle box or the like running this program in Damage Labs, ready to stream video over the local network to any box in the house. This setup's existence has been suspended for many months between my intentions—to build a real HTPC for use in the living room to replace the TiVo—and various realities involving the relative difficulty of building a truly adequate TiVo replacement and my own available time. Then my HTPC project got a jolt over the weekend when, out of nowhere, the Toshiba DVD player in my living room gave up the ghost. Suddenly, it was time to build a basic HTPC right away.