[bashr]

hello,

I have been using xbmc for years on a first generation xbox.
Always loved it but time for something more modern.

I am looking for a box that can play 1080 movies from a nas or usb.
No blueray's..just yifi quality. Also surround doesn't interest me.
Besides that I wont to be able to play music without the television being on. (Start music from phone, tablet, laptop)
The audio is quite important to me. the box will be connected to a hifi stereo with good speakers.
So I think it would be interesting to have good digital to stereo conversion in the box.

Any advise on what I should get? 200euro's is my top budget. But I prefer lower

I am looking at the amazon fire TV which looks very interesting and I think it has everything I need? But I am not sure about the audio quality it produces?
or better suggestions?

thanks!

[bashr]

Do I need to give some extra info?
Or all of you find this a stupid question?

eager for some answers....

[Calum]

hello,

I have been using xbmc for years on a first generation xbox.
Always loved it but time for something more modern.

I am looking for a box that can play 1080 movies from a nas or usb.
No blueray's..just yifi quality. Also surround doesn't interest me.
Besides that I wont to be able to play music without the television being on. (Start music from phone, tablet, laptop)
The audio is quite important to me. the box will be connected to a hifi stereo with good speakers.
So I think it would be interesting to have good digital to stereo conversion in the box.

Any advise on what I should get? 200euro's is my top budget. But I prefer lower

I am looking at the amazon fire TV which looks very interesting and I think it has everything I need? But I am not sure about the audio quality it produces?
or better suggestions?

thanks!

The Fire TV has a SPDIF output, but that's a digital outpu, fiber optic actually. Digital to Analog conversion wont work. Does your stereo have a SPDIF or HDMI input?

[wrxtasy]

Are you in a PAL (25/50Hz) region or NTSC (60Hz) ?

(to all users - I would not have to ask this question if Users actually configured their membership - profile - country details correctly ?)

How important is deinterlacing to you ?

[bashr]

The Fire TV has a SPDIF output, but that's a digital output, fiber optic actually. Digital to Analog conversion wont work. Does your stereo have a SPDIF or HDMI input?

I didnt yet buy my stereo but it will be almost certain the marantz pm6005 with dali zensor 3 speakers.
so no hdmi input but it has optical and coaxial digital inputs.

My television set is the Sony KDL-42W705B.

Are you in a PAL (25/50Hz) region or NTSC (60Hz) ?

(to all users - I would not have to ask this question if Users actually configured their membership - profile - country details correctly ?)

How important is deinterlacing to you ?

I am from Belgium so that's a PAL region. But I won't be watching regular television so I think this is not important to me?
deinterlacing is semi important to me. I don't need the best but it has to be acceptable off course.

[wrxtasy]

The two most popular and proven choices to stream using Kodi would be the Amazon Fire TV and the ASUS Chromebox.
There is also the cheaper Amazon Fire TV stick that is the baby brother of the Fire TV, its fully capable as well.

Be aware the Fire TV has to be rooted to use external USB drives.
Definitely check AFTV's are rootable before purchase if not networking to you media sources.

http://www.aftvnews.com/
http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-fire-tvs-...-bricking/

Picture quality issues have recently been fixed on the AFTV Stick by a Amazon Firmware update.
It really is a bargain buy at the moment, especially with an included Bluetooth remote.
I've just bought two using a shipping forwarder from the USA.

Keep in mind your TV has an Optical Out, that can output Audio from anything fed into it via HDMI. (Sony, good choice!)
http://forums.sonos.com/showthread.php?t=33927
http://www.cnet.com/au/news/20-tvs-teste...sound-bar/
This fixes a Chromebox issue as it has no optical output.

Have a good read of this thread which will help make up you mind.

Chromebox vs Amazon Fire TV

[bashr]

The two most popular and proven choices to stream using Kodi would be the Amazon Fire TV and the ASUS Chromebox.
There is also the cheaper Amazon Fire TV stick that is the baby brother of the Fire TV, its fully capable as well.

Be aware the Fire TV has to be rooted to use external USB drives.
Definitely check AFTV's are rootable before purchase if not networking to you media sources.

http://www.aftvnews.com/
http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-fire-tvs-...-bricking/

Picture quality issues have recently been fixed on the AFTV Stick by a Amazon Firmware update.
It really is a bargain buy at the moment, especially with an included Bluetooth remote.
I've just bought two using a shipping forwarder from the USA.

Keep in mind your TV has an Optical Out, that can output Audio from anything fed into it via HDMI. (Sony, good choice!)
http://forums.sonos.com/showthread.php?t=33927
http://www.cnet.com/au/news/20-tvs-teste...sound-bar/
This fixes a Chromebox issue as it has no optical output.

Have a good read of this thread which will help make up you mind.

Chromebox vs Amazon Fire TV

thanks for all the info.
a quick question before I start reading the threads.
the AFTV stick and the chromebox would require my TV to be on if I am correct?
I want to be able to play music without the tv switched on.

[wrxtasy]

I have 2007 Sony TV that was top spec when it came out.

I'm able to go into Power Saving > Picture Off mode and turn the Screen off and then have all other functions on the TV operate normally. This is what would have to be done for the Fire TV Stick.

Check your manual for such a Menu / Setting. I'm pretty sure there will be something similar there.

Optical can be added to the Chromebox via a $25 Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro II USB > S/PDIF dongle.
Your TV can stay off then.

This will be of interest as well, its an auto Audio output switcher:

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=...pid1866116

[bashr]

the sony was idd a good choice..the image quality is very very good for the price.
the software sucks a bit but thats why we use kodi

the workaround with the 'screen off' option is workable but I prefer an option without turning on the tv.
reading some threads now....

all info/advice more than welcome

[Calum]

You're going to want to be able to change tracks as your listening. If you're using kodi as your media manager you'll need the TV on to change them. I'd imagine it would get annoying to have to turn on the TV as part of the steps to changing tracks. Have you tried any of the visualizations? I haven't, but it might make listening with the TV on tolerable.

[wrxtasy]

If you have Apple devices you can just get music from the cloud or phone / tablet and Airplay to Kodi.

With Airplay to Kodi you can control music from at lot of devices and choose tracks. No need for a TV.

The other option is turning a Kodi device into a Squeezebox, and serve music from a Squeezeserver.
This can also be controlled from a smartphone / tablet.

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=...pid1861636

[bashr]

I did not yet try visualizations...but i really want to play music without the tv being on.

no apple devices. I thought that I could start and change music in kodi with the Yatse remote app from a phone or a tablet?

checking the squeezebox now...

[bashr]

anyone can confirm it is (or is not) possible to start music in kodi with a remote tablet or phone?
I think its also possible to autoboot kodi?

Am I missing something or will this do what I want?(start music without the tv being on)

What happens with the audio when I connect the tv with the hdmi cable and my receiver with the digital audio.
Audio goes to both the tv and the receiver?
Or is it possible to only enable the audio on the digital out in kodi?
I took a look at the audio switcher but I dont understand why I would need this. My receiver is stereo so I dont need different settings for music or video.
It all needs to go in 2 channel to my receiver who will convert the digital to analog if I'm correct

I was looking around to buy the amazon fire tv overhere. Best price I found is 110euro. I saw another device, M8/S802, for 90 euro. specs look generally the same to me so maybe thats not a bad choice either?

thanks!

[wrxtasy]

Kodi's has to be running first with its Webserver talking to a tablet or Smartphone before any control is possible.
Music Control with nice artwork and everything can then be selected and controlled from you smartdevice with TV off.

The Chromebox running Openelec - Kodi can be setup to autoboot directly into Kodi upon powering up.
Leave it on 24/7 as its a low powered device anyway.

You must buy the USB Turtle Beach adapter to feed audio into your Amp from the Chromebox via S/PDIF-optical.
This will be the only easy way to listen to music if you want to leave your TV off.
Audio from Video will be output this way also to your Amp.
5.1 Surround sound from Video can be fed to the Amp via optical output.

Auto-Audio switcher is only needed if you wanted to switch over audio output automatically and feed audio from videos into the TV via HDMI.

I personally would not go near a cheap Android device, get a proven well supported mainstream media box if you want to set it up and have minimal troubles.

[bashr]

Kodi's has to be running first with its Webserver talking to a tablet or Smartphone before any control is possible.
Music Control with nice artwork and everything can then be selected and controlled from you smartdevice with TV off.

I thought you could autoboot kodi. I read in the wiki that "Note: Users have reported that you can autostart XBMC after boot using an Android automation apps such as Tasker, AutomateIt, or Llama. Alternately, you can use Autopilot to autoboot to XBMC. "

Or is autbooting not enough to start using a remote app?

thanks