Plex running on a Mac Mini. Beautiful interface, excellent meta data support, works with the Apple remote.
I'm curious, what file format do you use for playback and where are your files stored? Using a Mac Mini, can you start playback from your sofa with a remote control, without the need to turn anything on manually or using anything other than the remote? If I went down a Mac Mini route, it would be installed in another room away from the TV, with all my other equipment. I may consider this if Apple TV isn't an option.