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2011-01-21, 15:53
Hi all,
I am looking to set up xbmc so that I can run it on my TV in the living room.
I cannot seem to find any threads that will tell me what equipment I need to run this.
I may be blind, or stupid, or both but what I really need is a step by step guide to set up that includes options on what equipment i need, what OS to run on it and how to attach this to my TV.
I'm certainly not a complete novice with computers and have installed xbmc on my pc and have had a play around with it, but how to get it onto my TV is a bit confusing.
Any help would be appreciated.
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2011-01-21, 16:32
(This post was last modified: 2011-01-21, 16:34 by Doctor3D.)
Well, a full "how to" would take quite some time. The information is there if you look for it. I`ll give you a rundown.
Hardware:
Processor - Just about any processor will do.
RAM - 1GB is sufficient
Graphics Card - It's highly recommended you have an NVIDIA brand 8-series or above
Sound Card (IF your TV or NVIDIA card doesn't have HDMI)
USB External Hard Drive or Thumb Drive
Your TV needs to accepts any one of the following: Component, VGA, DVI, HDMI inputs.
1- Download the XBMC-Live ISO
2- Burn the ISO to disc
3- Put the Computer together
4- Connect your TV and USB Drive to the Computer
5- Turn on the Computer and go into the BIOS
6- Change the Boot order to "1st: CDROM and 2nd: External Drive"
7- Insert Disc into Computer and Exit BIOS
8- The XBMC Live CD will load -- Choose "Install XBMC LIVE" on the options screen and just follow the prompts to magically turn it into an HTPC.
9- Remove the Disc when prompted and restart the HTPC
10- Put Popcorn in the microwave and grab a beer.
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The only issue you may encounter is if your mobo is picky and does not boot from USB properly.
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2011-01-21, 16:57
(This post was last modified: 2011-01-21, 17:02 by tcman47.)
My example:
I built my own dedicated htpc (home theater personal computer) to run xbmc and to serve my media to my big screen tv.
I built my htpc for about $400, dual core cpu (xbmc needs some cpu horsepower to avoid jerky motion when playing hd content), onboard nvidia 9400 video chip, little hard drive to install windows 7 on and a little cube case to house it all, (see my avatar under my name). Cable from htpc to tv has to be hdmi if you plan on watching HD content.
After the htpc is in place and connected to your tv, simply start windows and install xbmc, then inside of XBMC point it to the source of your media, in my case I point to media sources on my upstairs computer via my home network.
For controller I use a wireless mouse and keyboard that sits on my coffee table which is in front of my tv.
Loft - Intel I5-3570K, Asus P8Z77-LX, Corsair 16GB DDR3, AMD HD 7700, AOC 27" LCD
Bedroom - Intel I3-530, Intel DH55HC, Corsair 4GB DDR3, Nvidia G610, Samsung 37" HDTV
Living Room - Intel E8400, Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H, 4GB DDR2, Nvidia G610, Samsung 52" HDTV
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Oh dear! I seem to have caused a slight arguement.
Seriously folks, thanks for all your replies so far.
I have burnt the live iso and will start looking around for a pc to put it on now.
Would an old Xbox be any good? Not sure about external storage though.
Whats the best way to get a remote control set up for a home made pc please? From what I've read so far it sounds a bit tricky.