excellent review and also very interesting product. It can almost replace a dedicated server with all the extra functionality (itunes server, rsync, external backup, time machine,...)
especially interested in the XBMC plugin, how well does it work?

Did you try to play some notoriously difficult high Mbps samples?
http://www.auby.no/files/video_tests/

the first one in the list is a killer

Birds mkv 1080p h264 high profile 4.1 40mbps none none Direct bluray (or hddvd) remux
(comes from BBC Planet Earth HDDVD/Bluray series)

Hi John,

I have tried some HD movies, but also some 1080P rips and they worked without a flaw. Haven't tried though very high bitrate movies so far

Update:

Ran Birds -> no issues
Ran hddvd -> no issues
Ran Monsters -> no issues

excellent news that!
that XBMC $99 Ouya console at this stage seems to have issues with certain codecs: http://www.madshrimps.be/vbulletin/f...onsole-103422/

Indeed, the Ouya seems to have very high GPU/CPU usage even in the dashboard screen of the XBMC, which usually means that the hardware is not that powerful (had the same experience with the Android mini-computers that I have tested in the past).

in the menu's high CPU usage doesn't mean video playback will be bad, as soon as the video started, it can talk to dedicated acceleration hardware and CPU usage will drop. Check in the youtube the 1080p MKV H264 sample, it plays fluently http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...4j9hfLE#t=375s , I hope XBMC can tweak the android edition to make the Ouya a valid alternative for a complete HTPC.

if they fail, this QNAP certainly seems to be more than capable of the job

Software support must be indeed offered, otherwise Ouya could not handle HD video at all without the GPU kicking in. I had the same experience with the two Android systems, and when running video it was like playing a slideshow (when the video ran, the GUI was also sluggish and it was also difficult to exit playback). Considering how fast Chinese HDMI sticks with ARM evolve (and their mini-PC form factors), it will be hard for Ouya to keep-up hardware-wise. These mini-PCs are in the $70-75 dollar range, so about the same as Quya without the controllers.