[jech]

Hi,

I would like to make a HTPC with DVB tuner. I currently have a Shuttle XS35V4 with USB DVB-T tuner running Linux and Kodi. It is a nice setup but pretty expensive. I would like to get something cheaper for my weekend house. The main purpose will be to use it as a set-top-box to watch live TV. Currently in my country is used DVB-T but it should be switched soon to DVB-T2 with HEVC (H.265).

Time to time I would like to check something on the internet, play video from Youtube or other online services and play a movie from external hard drive. I don't care about 4K, CEC, multichannel audio or other advanced features.

I read a lot in the forums but still can not decide what should be the correct choice. A good one (but not really cheap) would be probably WeTek Play 2. But it is almost twice as expensive compared to the pretty similar Xtreamer mxV Plus. Almost identical to Xtreamer mxV Pro seems to be KII Pro. They claim to support Android and Kodi. But I¨m afraid that the TV tuner will not work in Kodi on Android. Or has the situation changed? Using a proprietary application for live TV is something I would like to avoid. Xtreamer claims they have a dualboot to OpenElec, which would be fine if it works correctly.

Another option I see is RPi3 or Odroid C2. But those are not cheap solutions either. Both will come close to $90 if I include nice box, BT, WiFI, memory, power supply and remote. Then I would need to get a TV tuner. The cheapest one with Linux support is close to $30 so I'm looking at $120 device. That doesn't make much sense IMO.

The last option (I can imagine) is an Intel mini PC. It can be as cheap as $70 for this one. And in this case I will not have to worry about DVB-T tuner Linux compatibility and get for example this one for $20. I hope I can use almost any DVB-T tuner on Windows with Kodi, right? It should create a full featured media center including MS Silverlight and Adobe Flash support (I hate those technologies but you need them sometimes). It seems to be the best option for me. It is also by far the most powerful HW.

What do you think about my ideas? I'm very eager to hear your suggestions and comments.

[noggin]

I'm guessing you're in Germany. Germany is likely to use 1080/50p and 720/50p with HEVC on DVB-T2 - but may well go 10-bit. I'd be looking at AMLogic based solutions - AIUI there isn't a 10 bit HEVC Intel solution yet?

Wetek Play 2 could be worth a look - DVB-T2 built in tuner. Or a Wetek Hub with OpenElec and a DVB-T2 USB stick IF they have got the drivers folded back into the ancient AMLogic kernels.

To be honest you use a Raspberry Pi as a TV Headend tuner (a Pi Zero with a USB/Ethernet hub and DVB-T2 USB stick would work I suspect) if the Hub doesn't have new enough drivers...

An ODroid C2 might also work - but the C2 seems to use an older version of the S905 SoC which corrupts on some HEVC DVB streams.

[wrxtasy]

An ODroid C2 might also work - but the C2 seems to use an older version of the S905 SoC which corrupts on some HEVC DVB streams.

I believe the newer stock of C2's is running AML S905 Revision C's. 100% confirmation would need to be sought before purchase I would think if DVB 2160p HEVC is a priority.

There are guys watching 2160p HEVC with DVB-T2 on the Play2 already in Germany I believe. It really is the only out of the box, working option I can see for TV in Android at the moment. With the Play2 you could dual boot into LibreELEC and use the DVB Tuner and Kodi there using TvHeadend. This works well and is better than the WeTV App at the moment.

There are various LibreELEC distributions about that fold back in newer Linux Kernel drivers for wider DVB support with AMLogic, Over on the C2 LibreELEC forums there is a media_build versions that does this. I believe kszaq on the LibreELEC forums has something similar. Confirmation of working DVB combos would need to be investigated beforehand I would think.

If you go the LibreELEC route, as Noggin said look at the RPi series or if you are sticking with DVB-T only then any of the AMLogic's running LibreELEC will support a cheap Dual Tuner called the old PS3 PlayTV (DiBcomm 7000PC). They are a bargain on Ebay and work well.
This is what I use with an old AML S805 ODROID C1 in Australia as a backend TV server.

[jech]

Thank you for the advices. I'm not from Germany but just next to it, from Czech Republic. It is not yet clear what resolution will be used but I guess it will be FHD. So I don't really need 4K support. But at the same time it is clear that it will use HEVC compression. I hope they will not use 10-bit. The Cherry Trail supports even 4k HEVC decoding, according to information I found but not 10-bit.

One more option would be to wait for something with AML S912. But it will probably take some time before it gets LibreELEC support.

[noggin]

Thank you for the advices. I'm not from Germany but just next to it, from Czech Republic. It is not yet clear what resolution will be used but I guess it will be FHD.

Ah - I didn't know the Czech Republic was also going DVB-T2+HEVC/H265 - but it makes a lot of sense to. Germany is likely to be a mix of 720p and 1080p I believe - but I think the 1080/50p stuff may be a bit of a 'status' thing. It may be that Czech Republic continues with the same HD production standards as the rest of Europe - 720/50p and 1080/50i. I don't think anyone expects 4K/UHD to be broadcast terrestrially as a full service. That's likely to remain DVB-C/S2 and IP I suspect.

So I don't really need 4K support. But at the same time it is clear that it will use HEVC compression. I hope they will not use 10-bit. The Cherry Trail supports even 4k HEVC decoding, according to information I found but not 10-bit.

I wouldn't bet against 10-bit, even without HDR. The increase in quality (particularly on saturated colours - particularly blue) is noticable, and the HEVC encoding means you don't get much of a hit in compression effeciency terms AIUI. In fact 10-bit can help with compression (as you remove an artefact that can cause issues)

Lots of broadcast content is (and has been for years) shot and edited 10-bit (studio cameras and interconnects, and most codecs used in VTRs and Disc servers are 10-bit) so the content already exists.