Epson, perhaps better known for its printers and projectors, has a new home theater PC coming out, the Endeavor ST120. The system's case design is certainly up the alley of HTPCs; its sleek black exterior and minimal facade would look right at home next to a game console or other set-top box. The base model has a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, but if you're looking for a more powerful machine, Epson provides options ranging up to a 2.8GHz chip. The 1GB of RAM and 80GB hard drive in the default configuration are both on the low side, but again Epson give you a ton of configuration options, so you can bump those both up to a more comfortable level. Most importantly for an HTPC, the ST120 has an HDMI output with which you'll be able to watch your Blu-ray discs on your big-screen TV.

Despite some decent base specs and the easy ability to up-configure the system, there are some issues that will probably keep you away from the Endeavor. For now the system is slated to appear in Japan, and though you could certainly track one down and have it delivered, the included high-definition tuner won't work with American broadcasts. The larger problem is the price, which at around $1,530 for the configuration described, isn't a lot of PC for your money, especially if you're going to be using it mostly to watch Blu-rays.

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