Ultimate HTPC Setup?

I have a dual core box with 4GB ram in my server rack that is wired to our living room TV via HDMI. It runs Windows 7 and Plex client. I have a virtual server (on another bare metal server) that runs Plex server and a standalone NAS to hold our media. However, as much as I really like Plex, I find that I rarely use it. It seems that most of the 'channels' do not work and when I want to watch a downloaded show I just browse to the folder and play it in VLC.

I am making this post because I feel that I am not getting the most out of my HTPC. Other than media center software, what does everyone else do with their HTPC? What software setups do you have? Since this is our sole means of media now, I want a really solid interface and easy to use software. One idea I have in mind is to mount a webcam above the TV and use Skype with it. I just feel like there is so much more I can do with this hardware but I don't know what it is.

It's also possible that I'm just an idiot and you can down vote this into oblivion if that's the case.