[snake4210]

I recently got a Raspberry Pi 2 and have OSMC on it. It has been able to play everything I've thrown at it and haven't noticed any lag moving around Kodi.

I've seen a lot of threads mentioning much more expensive hardware and was wondering for the purposes of just playing back blu ray content, etc, what is the advantage to devices like an Intel NUC beyond moving around the UI faster?

[nickr]

Hi def audio pass through. That's about it.

[noggin]

Slightly improved deinterlacing if you have any interlaced Blu-rays (and if you go for a NUC that supports MCDI) and a UI that's a bit snappier and rendered more fluidly. (So as you move around the UI you get less jerky movement)

I always end up back with the Pi 2 though.

[wrxtasy]

Noggin, MCDI on a NUC is that Hardware deinterlacing or Software or a mishmash ?

---

And here is someone I upset earlier regarding NUC's that is definitely relevant here

However, for basic 4K/2K/1080p video playback, Intel i series NUC's are complete overkill and overpriced for Kodi use only.

This is where I have a problem because it seems you dismiss anything greater than a Chromebox as being unnecessary. I have a Chromebox on one TV and I would say that is the minimum. I spend a lot of time navigating around Kodi and from a pure hardware standpoint I want more speed, and if it costs me 10 cents more per day I am cool with that. The better hardware comes at a premium but I don't think it is "complete overkill and overpriced".

Ps. Wrxtasy, I don't have a problem with you in any way, in fact I have lost track of how many times I've had a question and you had the answer handy when I searched. Your work doesn't go unnoticed and I want to thank you.

[noggin]

Noggin, MCDI on a NUC is that Hardware deinterlacing or Software or a mishmash ?

VAAPI-MCDI is hardware deinterlacing. Same as Chromebox (well a NUC and a Chromebox are just Intel platforms after all). Obviously you need a model of NUC that has a CPU+GPU combo that supports it as not all NUCs are equal - some only support MADI, some not even that. Similarly some can support Lanczos 3 scaling of SD to 1080p, others only Bilinear (think that's the recommended not-quite-as-good option)

On a decent Intel platform you have a choice of VAAPI-BOB, VAAPI-MADI and VAAPI-MCDI in increasing order of quality (BOB worst, MCDI best). You also have the option of software YADIF 2x instead should you need it and your processor support it (i.e. be fast enough).

The Kodi Linux / Intel team have done amazing things getting VAAPI deinterlacing to the state it is in, and now they've added the EGL stuff to allow 16-235 to stay intact it's a brilliant solution (and they've worked hard to get the best results possible from lower-end processors).

However you do need to double check the model of NUC and what is supported on each architecture. (Haswell/Broadwell vs Sandy Bridge vs Baytrail vs Braswell etc.)

More info in the EGL thread : http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=231955

Deinterlacing-Method: VAAPI-MCDI or VAAPI-MADI (Sandybridge) and VAAPI-BOB (BYT)

I'm not sure what the minimum spec for a NUC that does MCDI and Lanczos3 upscaling of SD to 1080p. Intel haven't made a NUC range based on the Haswell Celeron 2955/7U and Broadwell equivalent Core-i based Celerons used in Chromeboxes, they seem to be either full Core-i series (i3/5/7s) or Atom-based Celerons like N2820 and newer.

[wrxtasy]

Thanks I will link that info into the Pick the Right Kodi Box thread.

[noggin]

Thanks I will link that info into the Pick the Right Kodi Box thread.

Key thing is that "NUC" is like saying "Intel box" - without knowing which model and CPU you have no idea what the capabilities of the box are. It's not like a Pi 2 or a Chromebox where the name kind of defines the capabilities (I know there are Core-i Chromeboxes - but nobody really bought them!)

[wrxtasy]

BTW, speaking of deinterlacing. I have a solution ready for all AML platforms playing Interlaced mpeg2 .vob Rips. Works well.
Details will be over in the WeTek Core thread in a minute....

[noggin]

BTW, speaking of deinterlacing. I have a solution ready for all AML platforms playing Interlaced mpeg2 .vob Rips. Works well.
Details will be over in the WeTek Core thread in a minute....

Great news. Not being able to play music DVDs has been a barrier to me using my C1 and Core more.

[Qtrmeg]

Noggin, MCDI on a NUC is that Hardware deinterlacing or Software or a mishmash ?

---

And here is someone I upset earlier regarding NUC's that is definitely relevant here

However, for basic 4K/2K/1080p video playback, Intel i series NUC's are complete overkill and overpriced for Kodi use only.

This is where I have a problem because it seems you dismiss anything greater than a Chromebox as being unnecessary. I have a Chromebox on one TV and I would say that is the minimum. I spend a lot of time navigating around Kodi and from a pure hardware standpoint I want more speed, and if it costs me 10 cents more per day I am cool with that. The better hardware comes at a premium but I don't think it is "complete overkill and overpriced".

I wasn't upset, W, I just found it odd that on a Stickied thread about how to pick the right box you dismissed anything more powerful than a Chromebox. I have a collection of media that crushes the gadgets and slows down the Chromebox. I run my TV from my Haswell i5 desktop and when I have the money I want to separate the two. I know for a fact that I want more performance than a Chromebox after trying it.

To stay on topic I doubt I'd be satisfied with a RPi2, and I think entry level for my main TV is an I series NUC. What surprises me is I am like the only one that thinks this way. I've tried the cheaper solutions and I am sick of wasting time and money and making excuses.

[ZwartePiet]

I wasn't upset, W, I just found it odd that on a Stickied thread about how to pick the right box you dismissed anything more powerful than a Chromebox. I have a collection of media that crushes the gadgets and slows down the Chromebox. I run my TV from my Haswell i5 desktop and when I have the money I want to separate the two. I know for a fact that I want more performance than a Chromebox after trying it.

To stay on topic I doubt I'd be satisfied with a RPi2, and I think entry level for my main TV is an I series NUC. What surprises me is I am like the only one that thinks this way. I've tried the cheaper solutions and I am sick of wasting time and money and making excuses.

A high-end x86 box does provide certain tangible advantages over cheaper hardware, it's just that those advantages have been shrinking by the day as SOCs get evermore powerful. Most people aren't willing to pay 500% more money for 10% more utility.

[wrxtasy]

Noggin, MCDI on a NUC is that Hardware deinterlacing or Software or a mishmash ?

---

And here is someone I upset earlier regarding NUC's that is definitely relevant here

This is where I have a problem because it seems you dismiss anything greater than a Chromebox as being unnecessary. I have a Chromebox on one TV and I would say that is the minimum. I spend a lot of time navigating around Kodi and from a pure hardware standpoint I want more speed, and if it costs me 10 cents more per day I am cool with that. The better hardware comes at a premium but I don't think it is "complete overkill and overpriced".

I wasn't upset, W, I just found it odd that on a Stickied thread about how to pick the right box you dismissed anything more powerful than a Chromebox. I have a collection of media that crushes the gadgets and slows down the Chromebox. I run my TV from my Haswell i5 desktop and when I have the money I want to separate the two. I know for a fact that I want more performance than a Chromebox after trying it.

To stay on topic I doubt I'd be satisfied with a RPi2, and I think entry level for my main TV is an I series NUC. What surprises me is I am like the only one that thinks this way. I've tried the cheaper solutions and I am sick of wasting time and money and making excuses.

Just to re-iterate what was actually written in the Pick the Right Kodi Box thread....

However, for basic 4K/2K/1080p video playback, Intel i series NUC's are complete overkill and overpriced for Kodi use only.

Take special note of the word basic here. I've even underlined it so it would stand out. I was not dismissing NUC's at all, just stating the obvious. I could even say that for basic 1080p video playback a NUC is utterly a waste of money compared to a RPi2.
This is video playback only, no other GUI or usability considerations were taken into account.

If you are a Power user, with a massive Video collection and special decoding needs, as Qtrmeg appears to be. Then as stated in that thread you throw CPU cycles and the decoding grunt and the flexibility of a i series Intel NUC at the problem.

Really in the end, it comes down to what makes the end user happy and satisfied, regardless of price. This is highly variable between individuals, and you can never please everyone.

[nickr]

Out of interest qtmeg, what size is your media collection, what skin do you use, do you use local db or mysql?

My chromeboxes are more than adequate. 999 movies, 332 tv series, arctic zephyr, mysql.

[Qtrmeg]

Out of interest qtmeg, what size is your media collection, what skin do you use, do you use local db or mysql?

My chromeboxes are more than adequate. 999 movies, 332 tv series, arctic zephyr, mysql.

Close to 6000 movies & 600 TV series, Xonfluence skin with local database.

The Chromebox works fine, it is just noticeably slower than my desktop.