[Prot0n]

After some time using Kodi, both on my Laptop and on a Raspberry Pi 1 model B, I think is time to take the next step and build my own HTPC.

I will use it to watch Movies and TV Shows and listen to some Music once in a while. At the moment I don't care much about 3D or 4K, I'm comfortable with 1080p, due to my TV limitations although the motherboard I have selected seems to supports it.

The idea is to build an ITX, and these are the components selected:

Motherboard + CPU: Asrock N3150DC-ITX (Link)
Memory: Kingston DDR3L-RAM 4Gb 1600 MHz
System Drive: Kingston SSDNowV300 120Gb Sata3
Case: M350-ITX
OS: Openelec (I guess is the best option)

I would also like to add WIFI capability, but I'm having some doubts with this. Would it be better to use a WIFI USB dongle or using the motherboard's mini-PCIe Slot to connect a WIFI card? Any dongle recommendations?

In the case of the second option, I guess I would need something like this:

Intel 7260 (WIFI + Bluetooth) + 2x mini PCI to RP-SMA adapter + 1 or 2 antennas

Is that correct? Would you recommend a dual band 2x2 WIFI and 2.4 GHz / 5GHz antennas?


And this is it folks. Any comments and suggestions are welcome.

Best regards!

[noggin]

Whatever you do for WiFi make sure you have 5GHz connectivity at both your HTPC and your Router/Access Point. It's almost always a major improvement in throughput terms, though 2.4GHz can be better in range terms (so may be better if you live in a stone house or with your HTPC a long distance from your WiFi Router/AP)

OpenElec is great with one caveat. If you have any VC-1 Interlaced content (mainly TV series Blu-rays in Europe and concert Blu-rays) then Windows will support them and Linux will not (you can only hardware accelerate progressive VC-1 in Linux/OpenElec) This isn't an issue with OpenElec - it's Intel's Linux drivers sucking a bit...

[swetoast]

Here is my default question why is openelec considered the "best" option why not have a better platform for expanding your HTPC

if i was to consider using getting a computer for kodi i would opt for Kodibuntu or a simular platform since i can include more fun things and have full access to ubuntu repositories rather then be locked to that awful busybox

[Matt Devo]

Here is my default question why is openelec considered the "best" option why not have a better platform for expanding your HTPC

if i was to consider using getting a computer for kodi i would opt for Kodibuntu or a simular platform since i can include more fun things and have full access to ubuntu repositories rather then be locked to that awful busybox

do you want a maintenance-free appliance (OpenELEC) or a full linux distro that requires some knowledge and configuration (Kodibuntu etc)? Apples and oranges...different people have different needs from their devices

[noggin]

Here is my default question why is openelec considered the "best" option why not have a better platform for expanding your HTPC

OpenElec is designed as an 'appliance' OS. It just works and is massively optimised for Kodi use. It also employs a read-only system OS which makes it massively more resilient to non-graceful shutdowns (i.e. people pulling the power rather than going through the shut down process). It works much more like any other consumer electronics device and is less like using a PC. It also has far less bloat in the OS, boots faster, takes up far less storage space etc. and has a lower performance overhead than a fuller-featured OS like Ubuntu.

When you run a box with OpenElec on it - it feels less like using a PC and more like using a consumer electronics device. (Albeit a very flexible one)

Also because you can install lots of extra functionality using Add Ons (Live TV servers like TV Headend and VDR, VPN clients etc.) you often find that most of the stuff you want can still be installed. I run both Ubuntu PCs and OpenElec boxes, but my media playback devices are almost universally running OE because it is so clean and straightforward. You never get thrown into a situation where you need to use a keyboard or mouse - everything is always remote control driven.

if i was to consider using getting a computer for kodi i would opt for Kodibuntu or a simular platform since i can include more fun things and have full access to ubuntu repositories rather then be locked to that awful busybox

It depends what you want to do. If you want to use the box that runs Kodi for general computing or for compiling new builds of stuff then OpenElec isn't for you. If you want a solid media player experience for the whole family, then OpenElec fills that niche very well indeed.

[nooryani84]

Here is my default question why is openelec considered the "best" option why not have a better platform for expanding your HTPC

if i was to consider using getting a computer for kodi i would opt for Kodibuntu or a simular platform since i can include more fun things and have full access to ubuntu repositories rather then be locked to that awful busybox

I honestly don't understand your dislike for OE. I've seen you complaining about OE and busybox on other threads... It's simply an extra option and one that is quite foolproof, IE - it's intentionally locked down/read only by design.

[swetoast]

Meh i dont like to be locked down to a busybox simple as that and that the reason why i dont run OE just curious as to why people dont explore more when given doing massive projects.

its like buying a state of the art gaming computer and installing MSDOS 6.22 on it

[Matt Devo]

Meh i dont like to be locked down to a busybox simple as that and that the reason why i dont run OE just curious as to why people dont explore more when given doing massive projects.

its like buying a state of the art gaming computer and installing MSDOS 6.22 on it

it's fine that it's not your preference, but you don't need to keep interjecting it into unrelated threads. And your comparison to DOS is pretty baseless - either you don't understand what OpenELEC is designed for, or you're being purposefully obstinate.

[swetoast]

have a pretty good grasp of what/who OE is designed for

[Prot0n]

Ok, thanks guys. So OpenElec is a great choice if you just want to use Kodi. I didn't know about kodibuntu. I will give it a try since I like messing around with new things and I may learn something new.

On the other hand, I found out that this WIFI dongle (Edimax EW-7811UTC AC600 Dual-Band) performes quite well with these systems. I might buy this one and leave the mini-pci option for later on.

[nooryani84]

Meh i dont like to be locked down to a busybox simple as that and that the reason why i dont run OE just curious as to why people dont explore more when given doing massive projects.

its like buying a state of the art gaming computer and installing MSDOS 6.22 on it

This. Some people always have to have an axe to grind, or belittle something that other people like just because they themselves don't. We get it. You don't like OE, but it's out of context to bring it up repeatedly. Let people use what they want and respect that.

[swetoast]

I didnt say that the user shouldnt use it just wondered why but then you guys if you look at the thread jump at the thread and keep on giving me shit for asking the simple question why so please dont act like a saint and pass the blame on to me

[nooryani84]

Fair enough. As for why someone would use it over a full blown distro, I think Matt Devo explained it well.