With the increased use of the web as a gateway to video content, more and more people are turning to Home Theater Portable Computers (HTPCs) as a way of centralizing their viewing experience.  The idea is that by using an HDMI input from the computer to the HDTV you’re able to take the web and make it bigger.  This will take you from watching Hulu, TV.com, YouTube, or Netflix video on your laptop to being able to do it with the whole family from your livingroom.

There are lots of ways of going about this.  One is through the use of a small form factor desktop, similar to the Acer Aspire X1200.  Another way is through a “nettop,” like the ASRock ION 330.  Both retail for $349, have HDMI inputs and will allow you to watch HD web video on your 720p or 1080p HDTV.   (more…)