[pesfan79]

Hi all,

I tried to read as many threads as possible, couldn't find a definitive answer to my question so apologies if someone else asked this...

I'm already set on a NUC as my 1st HTPC and I narrowed it down to the i3 Models (would get a Celeron, but the price of the i3 is acceptable). However, I'm undecided on the model to buy after I found there are 4th Gen NUCs out at the moment.


The NUC will ONLY be used for the following:

- MKV, MP4, AVI video playback (SD, 720p & 1080p files from 175Mb to 15Gb. No 3D content whatsoever)
- Internet stream viewing (soccer matches, some news, etc)

From what I read, since I'm NOT GAMING AT ALL, OpenElec looked like the right alternative as it's lighter than Windows.

I currently have a 1Tb USB 3.0 drive (WD My Passport Ultra) I use to store my movies and all, so I was hoping to connect it to the NUC and watch them from there. The 3rd Gen i3 Model has no USB3.0 ports, while the 4th Gen model does.
Is USB 3.0 that advantageous over USB 2.0 to read/play the video files through OpenElec?

Also, is it really worth buying an SSD drive just to run OpenElec, since no video files would be stored there? I read about running OpenElec from a reliable and fast USB stick, but in the long run is it recommended or this should be a temporary solution?

OK! Based on how I plan to use it, would you guys go for the 3rd or 4th Gen i3 Model and would anyone have any RAM and SSD or USB drive recommendations?

Thanks!
- PES

[noggin]

USB 2.0 is fine for replay of even high bitrate files in XBMC. USB 2.0 connected HDs usually deliver around 20MB/s which is 160Mb/s, and even raw Blu-ray rips won't go above 50Mb/s. I've had no problems playing losslessly ripped Blu-ray material from USB 2.0 drives, and have been doing so since long before USB 3.0 was a widespread option.

Where USB 3.0 connectivity is useful is if you want to copy large volumes of data quickly. When you only want to access it in real-time USB 2.0 is fine.

[pesfan79]

Thanks for the reply!

So for all intents and purposes, and taking into account what you wrote, I'm considering the following:

- Intel NUC i3 (DC3217IYE) - 3rd Gen
- Crucial 4Gb Ram (DDR3 PC3-12800 • CL=11 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.35V)
- Fast USB 2.0 Thumb drive (recommendations, anyone?)

I'm hoping to start researching the world of remotes, but if you have a suggestion, please let me know (IR? Bluetooth?)

Thanks!
- PES

[Platypus2]

I think you are missing the biggest upgrade the 4th gen NUCs offer - The built in IR.

The USB 3 ports and the power / heat reduction is an advantage over the 3rd gen but since you aren't going to be stressing the CPU to me it would come down to whether you want the big differences between them.

Do you want the analog audio out? Do you want the built in IR that allows you to turn on / off the NUC?

I recommend you research the remotes first before deciding which NUC you want, as if you want an IR remote the 4th gen is probably a much better choice.

[joelbaby]

You only need a Celeron processor. Wait for DN2810FYK if you need infra red + 2.5" drive support, or just get a Celeron NUC + Flirc. This will save you $150 from the i3 price.

[pesfan79]

Ok, made my mind up on a "Always good to have the option, even if you don't need it yet" -basis.
Seems my Samsung TV has Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) option, so I could eventually even use the same TV remote to control the OpenElec so for now I'm not getting one.

Getting the following setup:

- Intel NUC i3 D34010WYK - (4th Gen)
- 1x Transcend USB 3.0 Jet Flash TS16GJF700E (16Gb) > To run OPENELEC <
- 1x Mini HDMI to HDMI Type C cable (1.4a)
- 1x Crucial CT51264BF160BJ DDR3 1600 MHz PC3-12800 (4Gb)
- Media will be played from a 1Tb WD My Passport Ultra (USB 3.0)

I believe this should get me a pretty smooth setup for what I need it for.

Do I get your blessing?

Thanks!
- PES

[joelbaby]

NUC does have CEC, but you need to purchase separate hardware for it to work and plug into the 'Custom Solutions' port, and it might not fit inside the case.
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...id=1560410

[pesfan79]

What about using an Android phone or tablet as a remote control, via wifi?

I tried it with my laptop and it worked perfectly with both my S3 and Galaxy Tab using the Yatse Remote app, but then again I was running XBMC on Windows XP.

Since I'm going for OpenElec, what are my chances of using the phone or tablet to control it?

[Platypus2]

Afaik any apps that can be used as a remote control for XBMC do not care about the OS. As long as the HTTP control is enabled in whatever version of XBMC you are using it should work.