Hello all,
I'm wanting to cut the cord and I think Kodi is just what I need. Before I start buying the hardware and going down the rabbit hole I'd like some people with experience to chime in and correct anything I may have wrong.
First, this must have live TV. Second, I'd like it all to be integrated and not have to go to this app for live TV, that app for movies, etc. This also needs to be wife/kid friendly meaning as easy to use as a DVR. I'll handle the backend work but from their experience it needs to be simple. So, after much web searching and forum reading this seems to be what will fill the bill:
1) My "server" will be my Win10 machine. It has 16gb, i7-4770, 6TB, GbE and is undergoing upgrade to more space (I still have boxes of BluRays and DVDs to rip). It's already running Plex but it doesn't do everything I need so I plan to replace Plex with Kodi.
2) I need Live TV (OTA) and was thinking of the Hauppauge WinTV-QuadHD for 4-tuner capability. I will need 4-tuners minimum for peak hours (can you run multiple cards in one machine?). I'm thinking NextPVR will be the backend.
3) I'm open to suggestions on the hardware at each TV. I can't afford to build dedicated PC's but RaspberryPi's are cheap. There are also those Android TV things but I'm not sure of their upgradability. My understanding is with one of these each TV will be able to connect to the server, stream media, watch live tv, etc.
Does that sound feasable? Is that something relatively easy to do? Is the hardware side of things sound reasonable? If so I'll pick the Hauppauge and start the process. Thanks!
All eminently feasible. Also look at Chromeboxes as clients. Avoid the android crap.
You don't need to run kodi on your server.
depending on the tuner and backend, AFAIK it's possible to watch multiple channels from the same transponder without the need for an extra tuner. Also, if a part of your family is watching the same show, but in different rooms, also only one tuner will be used and broadcasted to multiple clients. So 4 tuners should be enough IMO.
As for Android - if you don't need any of the Android apps, don't go Android - too many issues with chipsets and firmware in regards of video playback, HD audio etc. I only use Android because I watch Netflix which is not available via Kodi yet, but for Kodi I actually prefer my PI2. For a pure Kodi experience a RPI (or any box with open firmware, like Wetek boxes that can also run LibreELEC) is just fine. It might be a good idea to create a list of features that are important to you and then decide for a certain HW. The PI f.e. is good if you're into 3D movies, but you won't be happy with a PI if your media library is all HEVC encoded etc.
Yes, Kodi will do this perfectly fine.
I have a similar use-case and I manage with 'only' 2 tuners.
As already mentioned this doesn't mean you are limited to two channels at any given time.
But you can run multiple cards on a system that has the slots or usb ports.
The mux thing depends how your broadcaster sets them up. I know in the UK one mux might have
BBC1 - London
BBC1 - Manchester
BBC1 - Somewhere else
Meaning that being able to watch/record more than one channel per mux is pretty useless.
In my country its ordered a bit differently ;-)
In any case, I doubt there will be any problem with the planned 4 tuners for a typical family situation.
I would like to say thank you to all who have replied! Very helpful. The question of multiple people watching a single channel (and possibly pausing) and using only one tuner is good news! I agree the quad will work just fine then with maybe a little room to spare!
I'm sure this is another thread but we do watch Netflix around here so I am glad you mentioned they aren't available on Kodi so I will need a device with that built in. I guess this is a confusing part as after installing and messing with Kodi, am I right that basically each device will run the software itself and just access the data via shared folders on my server? I guess I can create public shares with read-only access is that what everyone does? Will that affect the performance (ie: saving user settings?). And lastly, it looks like Roku supports Kodi and Roku has all the services I use (Netflix, Amazon Prime for now) has anyone tried one of those? I'm not married to any band/OS/etc. just want something that "works" and will not confuse the wifey (I'm sure the kids can handle more than I can throw at them!).
This client processing thing brings me to a thought. I have some media that maybe in formats requiring transcoding depending on the device. It sounds like since Kodi will run on whatever device I get that I need to get a device that can transcode 1080p real-time with good quality. If the PI won't do that, I'm sure the Roku won't. I guess before I get too gung ho I need to settle this pretty quick as I really don't want to buy a NVIDIA shield for every TV, was hoping to get away with something $100 or less for the STB side of things.
Thanks!
Nextpvr can do multiple streams per tuner. May also be worth while looking into emby instead of Plex as it integrates very well with kodi. Where are you located? Maybe check out the hdhomerun extend or connect.
What media do you think the pi won't be able to play?
(2016-09-20, 00:23)nickr Wrote: [ -> ]What media do you think the pi won't be able to play?
Is Netflix possible on the pi now?
Sorry I missed the Netflix requirement.
First, no, Kodi can not run on a Roku so I'm not sure were you got that "Roku supports Kodi".
Second, if you want apps like Netflix then either you're going to have to go with a 2 device solution or go down the Android route. And even then, if you want Netflix in 1080p or above you're going to be limited even more since there are only a few devices that have the correct certifications to do that, most Android devices are max 480p for Netflix.
(2016-09-20, 05:45)Tinwarble Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure were you got that "Roku supports Kodi"
from dodgy Youtube videos
lol yes I watched a video that showed you how to get into "developer mode" to install Kodi on a Roku, apparently I know just enough to get into trouble!
It looks like really Kodi needs to be installed on something with a bit of horsepower to be able to transcode. So it sounds like that is the only issue. I'm trying to find a WinTV-Quad in stock somewhere and can get started getting the "back end" up. I'm in Tampa, Florida (USA) and yes the HDHomerun is an option, but it has 2-OTA tuners for $179. The WinTV has 4 tuners for $99. Unfortunately both products appear to be on major backorder
I will look into Emby as I've never heard of it so will do some research. Thanks to all for the tips!