Is Mid 2011 Mac Mini (MC815LL/A) still worth buying for HTPC?

[Osamede]

I am looking at a used Mac Mini mid 2011 entry level model (2.3 ghz i5, single hard drive) as an HTPC (VLC, Plex server and player, Squeezebox, slideshows - no gaming at all). Model (MC815LL/A). Is that model worth purchasing at this point, or is there any reason to think that buying a used or new version of the current model (2012) a better value?

At the moment I have a mid 2010 (C2duo, 2 HDD, no optical) Snow Leopard server model which I use at HTPC in the living room. The new purchase would be to use a secondary HTPC in an activity room, or to replace the mid 2010 as primary HTPC/Server and I move the mid 2010 to the activity room.

 

[blanka]

All Mini's from the 2009 and up are excellent as HTPC. With the 2011 you kind of drive a Subaru Impreza to the suburban shopping mall, but it will work. You just pay a bit too much.

 

[brdeveloper]

I use a Mini 2010 with this purpose. Don't know what can't be played at 1080p. I even use an external USB 2.0 DTV adapter through Windows and it runs well at 1080p. As I read in some forums, most broadcasters are still unable to stream faster than ~15-17Mbps per channel so USB 2 is still capable.