Is anyone using OpenElec with XBMC for streaming duties?

Reason I ask is that since upgrading to Windows 8, my XBox 360 Media Centre Extender is struggling with downloaded movies (very blocky) whereas ones I've ripped play fine. Different codecs obviously. If I use the normal dashboard player they also play fine, but the front end is a bit crappy compared to MCE. Plenty of people are having the issue but there is no fix yet by all accounts.

I could downgrade to Windows 7 again, but that seems a backwards step.

I've been having a look at Zotac boxes for HTPC use and they seem pretty good when married up to OpenElec and XBMC, so I just wondered what experiences people have of this system (or similar), or if indeed you can recommend something else. Does XBMC pretty much play anything you can throw at it?

I use HomePlugs for networking my XBox 360 to the Sky router and this system worked a treat pre Windows 8, including streaming HD material. I'll be getting a Synology NAS for Christmas to save on electricity costs of leaving my PC on (plus all the other benefits of these systems) and this will be hooked up to the same router...so wired to whatever solution I have at the TV end.

Any recommendations or experiences would be much appreciated.

I've been using XBMC for years and use it on a daily basis. I've been making use of the PVR capabilites for a couple of years now (though it's been in beta on a seperate dev branch until recently).

If you want something prebuilt and easy to setup then OpenElec is a good way to go.

I don't use OpenElec. I've setup my XBMC systems from scratch, because I like the flexibility and they do other things apart from just run XBMC.

They will play anything I've tried. No issues there.

I used homeplugs too and they work fine with the whole setup.

I prefer nvidia based systems for XBMC and Linux but others prefer ATI/AMD. Read the forums if you're all that interested. But I'm sure OpenElec provide builds for either out of the box.

I didn't realise the PVR features had been around for as long as that although I've really only just started reading about XBMC. I know that 12.0 has just gone to feature freeze and this is supposed to include PVR. Interesting but of no real use to me since I have a Sky box. It's purely the streaming from something easy and pretty.

I love a good visualisation while music is on and I note that Milkdrop is in XBMC. Used to love that.

It sounds like your setup is similarish to what I have in mind so I'll probably go for it come March time.

Thanks.