In my search for an HTPC (media center) case, I was stunned to realize that none of the one offered is fanless.

I understand that some folks live in the city, where ambient noise is so loud (even with the windows closed) that fan noise is negligible. But I live in a very quiet place and I can't stand even the slightest fan noise.

In this day and age where fanless NAS devices, netbooks, etc. are ubiquitous (and don't cost premium!), is there a solution that can help me build an inexpensive fanless media center?

It doesn't have to have super performance (which mandates CPU cooling). All I want to do with it is watch DVDs (don't care about Blue-ray for now), Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, etc.

Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks!

If you want fanless, then go with something like HDPLEX H3.SODD Fanless Mini-ITX HTPC Case, personally i dont mind a fan or two, as long as you can undervolt them, but if you want truly fanless then drop the $$$ for something like the above.

That's expensive. Are these cases even available?

The Zacate board by Zotac in a case not designed for HTPCs like the Morex T3500 should do assuming you don't mind highish temps... not the cheapest components but not the bottom of the barrel either.
You can watch DVDs with cheaper fanless Atoms builds such as the ones reviewed by SPCR but the extra expense of a Zacate with a nice case is not that much more money and would be more flexible. For instance you might have trouble with some web content which Zacate handles easily (assuming decent drivers).
You could also wait a few weeks for the new Atoms and see how their new IGPs fare at decoding video. The trouble is that prices might not be attractive right after they're released, a problem if you want to build soon.

Depending on your OS and other factors, you might be able to use a cheap USB flash device to boot or to boot from the network. Otherwise a cheap SSD will keep your build silent.
But if you need storage (no NAS), you could use a drive like a Hitachi 5400 rpm 2.5''. The old ones used to be very quiet in a case (I tried the single-platter 250G model). You can still get them or try your luck with a newer model (higher performance and capacity).

Do you need a PC for that?
My Samsung BD-D6900 Blu-Ray Player does all that, it even has WLAN. I just have to set up my media server to stream all my media, but hopefully that will be done this weekend.
You don't need a PC as a media player.

Try this: http://www.silentpcreview.com/Coolermaster_Fanless_TC-100_mini-ITX_case, available here.

I think so. I just listed the video requirements to demonstrat how modest they are. Blu-Ray at that price is definitely a plus but not if it comes at the expense of the flexibility of installing additional software (e.g. XBMC, Linux vs. Android vs. Windows, etc.).

I definitely want to be able to browse the web and use various web-based services like Internet radio streaming (e.g. TuneIn, Pandora, etc.). Can the Samsung BD-D6900 do that?

I can't find the Samsung BD-D6900 on my favorite store (NewEgg) but I could find the Samsung BD-D7500. Does the BD-D7500 include all the features that the BD-D6900 has?

Lastly, can you confirm that the BD-D6900 has component video outputs?

Thanks.

This is cool. I like the price. I just need a Mini-ITX board that has component video outputs.

Does a Mini-ITX board that has component video outputs even exist?

I never seen a board with component, its more a HT standard than PCs, given that you building a HTPC... i dont think you will find it, but there are external converters if you would consider, HDMI to 5 RCA component AV Converter.

Just in case you were not to need a PC, there are players that can play dvds, blu rays, and media like x264/mkv, like DunePlayers, just they lack on the Netflix/Hulu, but its fanless, the Sigma CPU runs without a need of a fan.

Actually, it seems that I am not alone, according to this thread: Component Video Output on a motherboard?

The problems with the proposed ASUS M2NPV-VM motherboard are two:

1. It's no longer in stock
2. The HDTV/AV/AS output module that provides component video will not fit the 2 cool cases suggested above.

But this one, the Albatron KI690-AM2 has it!

And this VIA motherboard has it.

OTOH, this excellent comparison chart lists none with component video.

Are you serious? Have you checked around the traps for the cost of similar / equivalent case? Regarding expense, I hold an opposite view.

Check the HD-Plex Forum for info on availability. It seems to be perpetually soon but for the H3, it looks as though timing is within weeks. Apparently the H3.S has at least made it onto a ship. This is news that I'm very glad to hear.

My "HTPC" is a WDTV Live, running a custom firmware (WDLXTV). Cheap, fanless and even though it's not as flexible as a normal HTPC it is very convenient.

Since I have yet to find a motherboard that fits one of the 2 cases suggested above and also has component video output, I will be seriously considering this option.

Which WDTV Live model do you have? (initial search yields several models, ranging in price from $100 to $200)

Can you use it for http://tunein.com/ ?

Can you use it with an existing DVD player (that has component video outputs), so that I don't have to switch cables between the WDTV Live and the DVD player ?

I have the WDTV Live. The Live Plus is a newer version with more stuff like Facebook support etc. I have never used component video out so I'm not familiar with that.

TuneIn seems to be supported in the later official firmwares but not in the latest WDLXTV (yet). Check out http://forum.wdlxtv.com/

It's a nice little machine really. ~7-8W while on and not much less when off.. I cut the power when I turn it off to fix that.. The remote has good "range" which is nice. The interface is a bit sluggish but you get used to it. Plays almost any format. Cannot handle gapless audio, its biggest flaw imo.

This is weird: The Plus is newer and has more stuff, yet it costs less than half the price of the non-plus. What is the explanation for that?

Also, I now see that it really has only 2 inputs: Ethernet and USB 2.0 -- Which means that I can't connect my existing DVD player to it via component video. Do you know if I can connect and external plain DVD drive (via USB) and use the Live Plus to control it? (play, stop, pause, etc.)

One of those is the Live Hub. Don't know anything about that, seems to be less popular than the older versions. And more expensive.

It's possible to connect an external USB DVD-RW but support for that seems limited. Easier to rip the DVD to disk and play it from there. Do you really use actual discs?
If you already have a DVD player, why not use that for DVDs? Assuming you have more than one input on your reciever or TV.

Oh, "live hub" means it comes with a 1TB HDD built-in. I actually don't need it (noisy and I have plenty of silent storage via Ethernet)

Yes. In fact, I have been watching only rented discs, so ripping them to disk is not an option for me.

BTW, I don't need the RW option of a DVD drive. I only need the R.

Because I want to consolidate everything into one box to minimize the cable jungle...

I actually have only one input and it's component video only.

I love your proposed WD TV Live solution although that wasn't my original plan. What makes it really viable is that community support in the form of open source firmware (like the DD-WRT). IMHO, it's only a question of time before plugin-based support for my favorite sites becomes available.

Do I understand correctly that so called "DVD Navigation" is the "external USB DVD drive support" I was looking for?

Web browsing doesn't work well because the system lacks a proper keyboard.

Some web based services like youtube are already available, the player can be upgraded with various "apps", youtube is a free one and so is google maps, but I haven't had time to check them all out. It's called Smart Hub and Samsung Apps.

The BD-D6900(s for satellite, my version) definitely has component. The BD-D7509, the model I could find, has component, too. Maybe it's just a model number for a specific retailer?