Hi,
So many hardware options available but they appear at either end of my spectrum. So I'm going to ask for advice.
-XBMC is perfect for me as long as it also allows for all this:
1) I have a large movie collection on both NAS and local USB drive. I'd like to be able to see my HDD on the network through this new hardware device.
2) However XBMC doesn't work with a particular video website I subscribe to. So this may need some sort of other OS to view it via a browser. Maybe Ubuntu? No idea.
3) I have a 5.1 sound system. So output needs to be via this.
I do not do gaming and don't need a high spec HTPC for any other reasons, just my video files and live streaming.
Any advice greatly appreciated
(Budget is as little as possible but £150 maximum)
£50 with 5.1 surround sound and browser capable OS/hardware?? The only device in your range is a raspberry pi, and then you still have issues with 5.1 audio and separate web browser.
Assuming you dropped a zero in typing in your price
I would suggest any recent (new or second hand) PC with 5.1 audio capabilities will fit your needs for under £250. Install XBMCbuntu or something like Xubuntu and you have all you need.
Sorry £150. (now edited)
Anything close?
(2013-07-31, 16:10)mayoman Wrote: [ -> ]Assuming you dropped a zero in typing in your price I would suggest any recent (new or second hand) PC with 5.1 audio capabilities will fit your needs for under £250. Install XBMCbuntu or something like Xubuntu and you have all you need.
Tried this with an HP Pavilion laptop and failed spectacularly.
Maybe I'll just get a Utilite. I presume XBMCBuntu can easily be loaded on that.
(2013-08-01, 11:02)smallclone Wrote: [ -> ] (2013-07-31, 16:10)mayoman Wrote: [ -> ]Assuming you dropped a zero in typing in your price I would suggest any recent (new or second hand) PC with 5.1 audio capabilities will fit your needs for under £250. Install XBMCbuntu or something like Xubuntu and you have all you need.
Tried this with an HP Pavilion laptop and failed spectacularly.
Maybe I'll just get a Utilite. I presume XBMCBuntu can easily be loaded on that.
XBMCbuntu itself, not yet, no. There are linux builds of XBMC that are being developed in the community for the freescale hardware that Utilite also uses, but it's very much in development:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=161793
Lol. There's enough porn on XBMC repos without pornhub.
I have a Pi and a NAS for the bedroom. Are you saying that Openelec gives better sound than something like RASPBMC?
I have bad experiences with android players concerning media. So am unsure about that stick.
How hard can it be for £150? The Pi streams fine from certain Add-Ons. it's just that other websites I need don't have any add ons.
Gap in the market here I feel.
If you have a NAS, why would you want another?
No, Openelec does not give better sound, but last time I tried both Openelec and Raspbmc, Openelec was more stable. (about a month ago)
The Android stick won't support HD-streaming, but was that your intention? If these websites don't have a XBMC add-on... why don't you make one?
(2013-08-01, 14:13)Nu7s Wrote: [ -> ]If you have a NAS, why would you want another?
I never said I wanted another NAS.
Quote:No, Openelec does not give better sound, but last time I tried both Openelec and Raspbmc, Openelec was more stable. (about a month ago)
If these websites don't have why don't you make one?
make one? that would be copyright infringement wouldn't it? besides i have neither the time or the know how.
I read too fast, my apologies.
I have just bought an Intel NUC with Celeron 847 and very impressed with this using OpenElec. I put in a 4GB RAM and a 32GB mSATA drive and the cost was about £200. If you install to a USB thumbdrive that you have already then the cost would be a little more than £150 and probably right on £150 if you only install 2GB RAM.
All my content is stored on a remote server and everything is very fast. Not buttery smooth but very smooth nonetheless. A far better experience than when I tried a RPi but this was 6x the cost so you would expect it to be so.
Not sure about 5.1 sound as at the moment it is only connected to a TV using its own speakers. However if I remember correctly I think this is supported over HDMI.
Cheers guys. Will look into these if I totally give up on the Laptop experience
Any recommendations please..im.new here so be gentle pls..thanks..just want agood and affordable build my own HTPC that runs xbmc smoothly without any problem using openelec not bothered about windows Os. I just happen to love watching and streaming movies ,tv shows , sports etc.as of now im using acer revo R3600 which I think needs changing now as for me is a bit slow now. I just want suggestions for a good htpc build with SSD.running openelec.thanks very much in advance..
or maybe I can upgrae my acer revo..or not .thanks.