This is true for the old generation, not true for the not tech savvy new generation that watches movie on laptops, tablets and PCs.

RASPMC and a Raspberry Pi. Takes like 3 seconds to get setup and is easier to get going than a DVR. My parents have no issues using XBMC on my Raspberry Pi that I left back home.

Ex-RaspBMC user here. I used it for a while, but honestly, that interface running on the pi's ARM processor is awful.

I know the pi was created to be an educational tool, not a media device, but therein lies the problem.

Even for the tech savvy, the user experience is very important.