Hello,
I know 720p, 1080p/i resolution are getting common which is fine.
From the next feature thread I see there is some interest in H.264
channels :-)
I don't like the hardware decoder solution : Intel core duo 2 are really cheap now and don't use that much power...
I built my VDR PC (in fact my only PC...) with such a solution (and a fanless nvidia gfx card) and I find it perfectly suited for HD. The most important part from my point of view was the case : http://techgage.com/article/antec_p182_performance_mid-tower/
So that I don't have noise from the PC...
I think almost any PC with core duo 2 CPU are enough for perfect H.264 decoding...
I don't really like closed hardware solution neither...