[CaptSaltyJack]

I'm looking at picking up the RL80-UR22 for an HTPC:

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/mode....SPMAA.001

I would either put Ubuntu or Lubuntu 14.04 on it and run XBMC. Can anyone confirm if this is a smooth setup?

I'm also confused about the differences between using XMBCbuntu and OpenElec, or just installing Ubuntu/Lubuntu, adding the xbmc PPA repository, and doing "apt-get install xbmc". I'm what I'd consider a Linux pro, so I don't necessarily need something simple/easy to set up. I did try using the apt-get route to install xbmc on Ubuntu, and found it was quite easy to get running.

Thanks for any help!

[noggin]

I ran a Celeron 1007U RL80 and it was pretty good. Very easy to add the internal CIR receiver to get integrated IR (including remote power on)

Downside was that it was Ivy Bridge - as is the i3 variant - so you get the 24p bug.

OpenElec often has useful little things ahead of the Ubuntu mainline stuff when it comes to HTPCs. Make sure you go for the Fernetmenta PPA or fork if you compile your own.

[CaptSaltyJack]

What's the 24p bug? How do I fix it or work around it?

If I install xbmc on Ubuntu, I should use ppa:wsnipex/xbmc-fernetmenta-master instead of ppa:team-xbmc/ppa?

[noggin]

Until Haswell and Baytrail Intel graphics couldn't accurately output 23.976Hz (*) refresh rate video. Which is a pity as that is the most common frame rate for "24p" content (Blu-rays, US TV shows that are de-interlaced etc.) If you don't notice the occasional dropped/duped frame you won't notice it. If you do notice it - you do. I do.

You can get round it by locking playback to the video refresh rate, but that means you have to either resample or drop/dupe audio to keep things in sync. You can't fix it. It's a fundamental limitation that was baked in to the Intel graphics chips until recently.

The fernetmenta PPA has quite a lot of improvements for Intel stuff compared to the standard team-xbmc one - particularly if you watch interlaced content.

(*) When the US introduced colo(u)r TV in the 50s they were worried that the chroma subcarrier would interfere with the broadcast audio carrier, and the chroma subcarrier had to be precisely locked to the line frequency of the video. So to avoid the potential interference they had to alter the colour subcarrier frequency, which meant altering the line frequency. They couldn't alter the number of lines per frame, so instead slightly altered the frame rate. Which is why "NTSC" regions have been suffering 59.94 and 23.976Hz refresh rates ever since. To add insult to injury there ARE some 24.000Hz releases as well... It's a bit of a minefield. But the bulk of "24p" content isn't 24.000Hz it is 23.976Hz - and so compatibility with that is quite important.

[CaptSaltyJack]

Great, thanks for the help! And OpenElec is probably the most recommended route to go, even over the fernetmenta PPA?

[noggin]

Great, thanks for the help! And OpenElec is probably the most recommended route to go, even over the fernetmenta PPA?

Depends what you want to do. If you just want XBMC with the OpenElec plugins then OpenElec is fine. If you want more recent builds of TV Headend or to run your own apps alongside (like VPNs etc.) then Ubuntu + Fernetmenta PPA is a better route. I run both.

[CaptSaltyJack]

On second thought, I might get this machine:

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Computing-Gi...B0093LINVK

Or whichever model lets me add an SSD drive to it.

[noggin]

The model you link to is also Ivy Bridge - so will have the same issues as the RL80 when it comes to 24p.

To avoid the 24p bug you need a Haswell i3 - which will have a model number beginning with 4xxx. (The Haswell Celerons begin with 2xxx)

That NUC is quite an old model - and beware it doesn't have USB3 (which the RL80 does). That era of NUC only accepted mSATA SSDs - not SATA models. Only the current Haswell NUCs include a model option that includes 2.5" SATA SSD support.