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I have been running XBMC for years now on XBOXes that I got from gamestop for $50 and did the softmod. My setup has been working great for more than 3 years now.
Now I am looking to see if it even exists. I want to buy a box that will run XBMC by itself, just like the XBOX. Not really worried about internal storage (just for the OS), as I basically just stream the ISOs from my NAS. I would like a regular remote that can turn it on or off (dont want to solder or such). I am not really interested in the boxes that tout Windows 7 capability (bloated overkill), just the ability to run XMBC in the most efficient fashion.
Any suggestions? zotac, revo, apple tv...
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An old Apple TV with CrystalHD might be perfect for you.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you
read this first (usually it's enough to follow instructions in the second post).
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I second a ION system like a shuttle.
The Apple TV + Broadcom only wins if the TV lacks HDMI ports. As long as you have HDMI, go for an ION system.
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And the AppleTV is a power leech. It's always on - there's no standby or anything.
I have one, and shut it down and power it off at the wall each night. Not as convenient as you want, but I have no HDMI. Go with the ION. You should be able to do a Wake-on-USB with the remote.
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Anyone consider this: Giada Cube Series CUBE-N3-D2OB
Newegg has it for $180
It seems to have gigabit LAN (where the Shuttle does not)
The Asrock seems "pricey" and hard to find. Besides, I have spare hard drives and memory (both laptop and desktop), so barebones is a plus to me.
What options are there for wireless? Asrock seems to come with this. I have spare minipci wireless cards. Giada seems to have a wifi version for $200 as well (Giada Cube Series CUBE-N3-D2WB)
And what about remote? Some sort of USB remote kit? any suggestions?
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Just ordered the shuttle and the rosewill remote from newegg.
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2011-03-31, 21:32
(This post was last modified: 2011-03-31, 21:39 by hegemon13.)
Although this is an older thread, I thought I'd post about the Giada Cube N3 in case anyone else is curious. I just bought the wireless version off Newegg for $149, an absolute steal.
To say I have been pleasantly surprised would be a gross understatement. The build quality is exceptional. The case is 100% aluminum, and a sturdy, heavy gauge aluminum at that. It's both smaller and more attractive than I expected from the Newegg pictures. It fits right in with a home theater and looks much like a basic stereo component. It's got a fingerprint-resistant matte finish, slip-resistant rubber feet, and easy access to the internals.
Things to note:
- This unit only has one memory slot, so keep that in mind. It will support up to 4GB, but it has to be in one stick. I bought a 2GB stick, and even with Windows 7 loaded, that seems to be plenty.
- My wife complained about the brightness of the power light. It's a blue LED, and it is pretty bright. I haven't checked yet to see whether it can be disabled in the BIOS.
- It's fan-cooled. The fan is very quiet, though. I have it behind a glass cabinet door, and I can't hear it at all. If the door is open, I can hear it faintly if nothing else is on, but the fan on my DLP TV is louder, so the sound is imperceptible once the TV is on.
- Runs amazingly cool. I guess that's the advantage of the active fan cooling and aluminum case. After playing video for 3 hours in a closed cabinet with other components, the case was barely lukewarm. Above the processor, where the fan exhausts, it was actually slightly cool to the touch.
Of all the options, I think this is among the best. It's not flashy like a Zotac or computer-y like a Revo. It's just very simple and disappears into the other components. Very minimalist form, and exceptional function. HIGHLY recommended.
EDIT:
Oh, yeah, this DOES go in and out of either standby or hibernation with the remote I bought (AVS Gear HA-IR01SV). I have not tried waking in from complete power-down with the remote because that doesn't really fit my use. It wakes from standby in <5 seconds and from hibernation in about 15-20. Either one is less than my Blu-ray player, so I am happy with that.
