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I'd say forget about getting a cheap box for anime. The Hi10p decoding is done per CPU and you need a very capable cpu to do it, those cheap players won't cut it. Currently the way to go for this stuff is getting an HTPC with a nice processor
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The WDTVLive boxes play MKVs very well. Interface isn't nearly as nice as XBMC, and a bit sluggish. But the cheaper option (one without internal HDD) is ~$100 and has USB ports to plug in externals.
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2012-12-11, 12:23
(This post was last modified: 2012-12-11, 12:23 by Ned Scott.)
WDTVs can't play
Hi10P (wiki).
Personally, I just use re-encode groups or release groups that have (consumer) standard "8-bit" h.264 files.
A safe generalization/recommendation/whatever would be a core2duo or higher (or equivalent AMD processor). No standalone or ARM/Android/iOS device can playback Hi10P, it has to be a desktop class CPU, and can't be something like an Intel Atom/nettop. It has yet to be done, despite what some may claim.
To do this under $100 would mean using salvaged/used parts and getting lucky with prices.
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Thanks for the heads up Matt, I'll surely check the forums to see how Kodi support goes before buying anything.
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I can play hi10p 1080p anime files with 16 reference frames at level 5.1 on my haswell i3 nuc. Only drawback is I have to use MPC-HC (media player classic home cinema) in windows 8.1 to achieve this. Playing it in 13.2 Gotham is a no go. I also tried playing the same file in openelec 4.2.1 for my chromebox and got the same result (studder during bitrate spikes).
I'll also note that I have no problems playing 720p hi10p anime files on my chromebox using openelec.
Bottomline, you will have to spend more than $100 to achieve what you're trying to achieve. For 720p hi10p you could probably get away with a $150 chromebox. For 1080p hi10p you're going to need at least a haswell i3 nuc running windows.
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I realize that this thread originated from 2012 as h264 10bit was all the rage in the anime scene, but if you consider that so many in the anime scene jumped on 10bit and this caused a problem for XBMC users at the time, and even today, as even with full support it's full software support, this will all likely happen again. I'll bet good money that the anime scene goes HEVC the hardest before any anyone else and so a 'cheap, anime box' today might be a 'not so useful box' in the very near future. The same was with the scene and using OGM for dual audio and soft subtitles, later MKV to do the same, later MKV's ordered chapters... Large scale adoption of HEVC in the anime scene is inevitable and probably become very noticeable in the next 6-12 months.