Hardware for a holiday gift - suggestions?
#1
Question 
Okay, I have been slowly but surely helping a family out with their entertainment needs. I got them an old XBOX years ago running XBMC and last year got them a flat panel TV. I would like to update the XBMC hardware for HD this year and am looking for something low power, low cost, low noise, blah blah.

I have used Zotac Atom\ION boxes for my own hardware with great success (I have 3 boxes total). I am tempted to do this for them but... the AppleTV 2 has caught my eye! It's small and apparently the install isn't super hard judging from the wiki. Now, how capable is that? 1080 I assume with decent bitrates, is the interface decently responsive with a reasonable sized library? Audio over HDMI without crying? Can I slave a USB HDD off of it or must I use network shares? Any serious pitfalls? Uses the standard Apple remote okay?

With the ION boxes I have super flexability - and have had giant PITA issues with HDMI sound from time to time. Since this will be a gift I'd like it to be as bulletproof as possible regarding tweaking, the fact that they are cheap is a huge attraction and I'm tempted to buy more than one! Big Grin Thoughts? Can I do better with something else?

Thanks!
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
Reply
#2
forget 1080P with AppleTV2,,,,
altho capable, it only outputs to 720P....

best bet is a prebuilt system like you already have
Reply
#3
according to this, ATV2 only do 720p.
Reply
#4
Well crap, that sux! This page mentions 1080 but....

Honestly if it cannot take an attached USB drive that's the bigger killer of this deal. Building\buying an ION box will cost me at least double and probably require more maintenance but I may be forced to do that. Other than the prebuilt Zotac's what else is reliable and decently priced? This is what I'm looking at currently -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6856173005
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
Reply
#5
It can play 1080p content, it just can only output it at 720p, for $99 it isn't a bad deal for a basic setup for someone. Sure there are better options out there for a basic system but you'll be spending at least double.
Reply
#6
It would not be as good looking as an XBMC system. But for the budget concious, for about $100, it's hard to beat the new WD TV Live. It also fits the criteria of low power, low cost, low noise,and display 1080p etc... It plays pretty much everything I have, including bluray iso. Simple to set up, can play attached USB drive or network share, and already has Netflix/Hulu Plus, etc...

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-St...790&sr=8-1

Discussion on avs forums http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1364999
Reply
#7
This is still pretty decent IMHO: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name...2PB32&c=CJ

Could have saved like $20 a few days ago, but even at $192, I don't think it's bad. Small, capable, and you're used to it. Need Memory, a flash drive for OpenELEC and then some sort of remote.
Reply
#8
Kirky99 Wrote:This is still pretty decent IMHO: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name...2PB32&c=CJ

Could have saved like $20 a few days ago, but even at $192, I don't think it's bad. Small, capable, and you're used to it. Need Memory, a flash drive for OpenELEC and then some sort of remote.

I'd probably want some sort of HDD in it, I've not used OpenElec yet but I think I played with it. I had all sorts of issues with HDMI sound last go-around and ended up with stripped Ubuntu server installs with a stripped desktop loaded on top. MY biggest issue was wanting to be able to run code from GIT which I sure won't be doing on these builds heh. I have one spare Zotac box built I may lend as a test case before buying more hardware. Anyway, HDD run about $50 easily for spinning media and SSD sting pretty good too even at the tiny capacities needed. The Giada I found at just $259 has both memory and HDD onboard out of the box at that price...:confused2: I guess they both come out pretty close to one another overall...

As for a WDTV... I could be convinced although *I* truly prefer XBMC. I will research this for sure today. Looks brandy new and if it supports all that I want might be a winner. I REALLY like building stuff, tweaking, and playing, but for a gift for someone many miles away? I really hate "support" calls!

I think I will TRY a WD device. What I'm NOT seeing that XBMC has is MP3 library functionality but with no storage I'm not super surprised... I will keep looking for decent ION solutions too, after all I do have more than one family to buy for Tongue
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
Reply
#9
there's nothing cheaper then the AppleTV's....
but if they dont suit your needs, then,
Image
you can take a look at the $215 ACER Veriton
but again, i dont think it can handle 1080P....
Reply
#10
If you haven't tried OpenELEC recently, I'd really give it another go. The went final, and I've been running a pre-Eden PVR version on a Ztoax IONITX-A and it's flawless. Others probably won't mess with anything either, so it might help your support.
Reply
#11
Kirky99 Wrote:If you haven't tried OpenELEC recently, I'd really give it another go. The went final, and I've been running a pre-Eden PVR version on a Ztoax IONITX-A and it's flawless. Others probably won't mess with anything either, so it might help your support.

Well, I ordered both the WD box and an Asus EEE box so I may yet have a chance to try out OpenELEC! :-) The WD box arrived, the Asus today or tomorrow. I'll have the weekend to play with both of them I hope. If OpenELEC builds an appliance, supports HDMI sound, MCE remote, USB automount, etc. then I may be in business although the WD box is much cheaper as gifts go. Next year they get a server and then I'm out of ideas lol

Thanks for the suggestions - stay tuned and I'll try to give WD impressions when I've played with it.
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
Reply
#12
OpenElec is really nice if you want something almost trouble-free. You can even set the updates to "no" when you get a 100% working HTPC. So, it will never go own due to a bad upgrade. Fast boot time, lightweight.

If you only use XBMC, go with OpenElec.
Reply
#13
Okay, I've had a little time to play with the WD unit. So far I've only managed to crash it once! Big Grin I find that overall it plays things pretty seamlessly although a time or two I've detected some stuttering on REALLY tough test clips. On movies I've encoded to watch it seems to do fine. The interface to this is a bit simple though and I don't like that I cannot, so far as I can tell, simply point it at a specific share or set of shares. I open the server, then the share from a lengthy list, and then get to the media. Some of my XBMC images work fine which is nice. There's some sort of "dashboard" functionality I've not figured out that might give me better access to the library or allow me to build one anyway - we'll see. As a gift for someone who doesn't want anything but an appliance and who perhaps doesn't have a server filled with shares or wants to use attached USB this box looks pretty good! I may use this for a holiday gift once I've spent a little more time with it. I *DO* like the way I can easily switch from various audio streams within the movies easily, I'm not sure XBMC has such a nice toggle as this....

The Asus EEE box I got on the other hand is interesting... It's much slimmer than the Zotac boxes for starters and it provides a VERY nice access door for the HDD which mounts in a slide out tray. Now how to install memory? Oh yeah, pop out two screws and PRY the side off ala Zotac Rolleyes I have not yet added an OS to this thing but I did slap in 2Gig of memory and a 60Gig SSD. I might try Myth again, possibly on Windows maybe, and I will certainly try out OpenELEC. Thus far the box looks nice and so long as it's not super loud or too hot it ought to work well. Naturally it appears to have a super bright blue LED on the front - argh! It also cannot be stood on end without it's little stand, oh well. Nice box overall, we'll see what issues it gives me when software goes on it....Big Grin
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
Reply
#14
I was in the same situation when my relatives want a simple setup. Thus, I just bought them the WD Live player and put the movies/tv shows they want on an external USB drive. The WD will pull the metadata for them and put them in the library if the movies/tv shows are on the external USB drive, but would not do if they are on network share (may be in future firmware update). I did not want to build a system for relative since then I would be on call for every little problem . AND as a bonus, the WD came with the manual, so I can always tell them to go read it Shocked For $100 it's very hard to beat, since building a cheapest system would run close to $250.

PS: I think the dashboard function would only work when using attached USB. I could not get it to work while using network share.
Reply
#15
Oppps... Sorry about no mention of the light. I have the 1501 it's got a power/activity light too. There's GOT to be a way to disconnect it, I just never tried.

Hope you like it... Mine has been carefree for many months.
Reply

Logout Mark Read Team Forum Stats Members Help
Hardware for a holiday gift - suggestions?0