[doug]

should I get a 16GB or 8GB SD card for the OpenELEC? I am going to use an external USB hard drive, which stores most of my movies. But for day-to-day operations, such as backup, cache and installation of a number of Kodi plugins, would the 8GB suffice? My calculation is: ~6GB for the actual OpenELEC (that's what they say on the site), ~2GB of plugins (very overestimated), ~3GB of backups and ~2GB for cache (I don't know if that much is used actually, just a wild guess). Sooo... 16GB?

8GB is fine for most. Your numbers are off. OE itself is very, very small. I don't recall the size of the current partition it uses, but I think it is in the 256MB range. Backups on your SD card? I wouldn't do that. 2GB for cache? Do you mean thumbnail cache? Massive libraries can get that large. Most don't. So 0.25GB OE + 2GB plugins + 3GB backups + 2GB cache = 7.5GB.

Check your current device (if it's still alive) with "df -h".

[wrxtasy]

You are only storing thumbnails and minor database stuff on the SD card in addition to OpenElec. It even runs fine from a 4GB micro SDHC card.

@hyankov, Good idea building a RPi media player yourself. Those Kits usually come with inferior 2.4Ghz usb WiFi and slower microSDHC cards.

[hyankov]

I am gonna use a TL-WN321G dongle I already have. I looked it up, seems to be compatible with the Linux kernel. As for the SD card itself - I think I will use a Kingston 8GB class 10 card, same one as in the kit, seems to have great reviews. 10mb/s would suffice for my needs, I think. Or am I missing something and I really need a 30+ mb/s card?

What I most disliked about the kit is the case - everyone is complaining about it. Also the power supply is not compatible with the sockets in my country and I don't want to use an adapter.

So... all in all, I think I will manage to assemble it for 2/3rds of the kit price.

[forest]

The modmypi modular case works pretty well for me, and they have surprisingly low international shipping options. Here's an article about it.

[hyankov]

Here is what I have ordered so far, from Amazon:
http://i.imgur.com/AF7Lx9p.png (I can't embed images?)

What I still need:

Power supply: I will test the Android crappy power supply, labeled as 2A and as soon as I prove it's actually much less than 2A, I will get another one. I think I can find it for around $4.

HDMI M-to-M cable, duh

... and I think that's pretty much it. I already have a WiFi dongle, I have a 2.4Ghz remote keyboard/mouse and I have an external hard drive with my media on it.

On the software side it's pretty clear for me what I need - Kodi running natively as an OS sounds like a dream come true.

I am very excited to build my first Pi, I can't wait to receive the package ...

[nickr]

Kodi is not an OS.

[hyankov]

I stand corrected, what would be the correct description? Linux kernel, running Kodi as a front-end?

[Ned Scott]

OpenELEC, XBian, OSMC, etc

[langostino]

I'd like buy a raspberry 2 model b for use with openelec as a media player.

I read a lot about this hardware and I have got some questions:

1. Can it support DTS:X and ATMOS passthrough?

2. Can it play mts files in full 3d interlaced?

[noggin]

I'd like buy a raspberry 2 model b for use with openelec as a media player.

I read a lot about this hardware and I have got some questions:

1. Can it support DTS:X and ATMOS passthrough?

No - the Raspberry Pi and Pi 2 range don't support HD Audio passthrough. Their HDMI audio sub-system doesn't have the required bandwidth to bitstream HD Audio. (To bitstream HD Audio you need an HDMI audio bandwith capable of carrying 192kHz 7.1 audio. The Pi 2 is limited to 4.0 audio at 192kHz, so can't do it.

There are Kodi builds with HD Audio decoding support which will losslessly decode Dolby True HD and DTS-HD MA audio tracks to 48kHz/96kHz 5.1/7.1 and output them as PCM - but 192kHz 5.1/7.1 tracks - of which there are very few - will be downsampled and not played losslessly).

As there is no bitstreaming of HD Audio - there is no DTS:X or Dolby Atmos passthrough.

2. Can it play mts files in full 3d interlaced?

I'm not aware of an interlaced Full HD 3D standard...

3D MVC content as included on Blu-rays, which is 24p progressive and output as Frame Packed 1080/24p over HDMI is supported. The Raspberry Pi 2 (and I think Pi) is the only Kodi platform which includes native 3D MVC playback and Frame Packed 24p output (for both Blu-ray ISO and MVC MKVs)

The only interlaced 3D stuff I've come across has been the HSBS broadcast stuff (like BBC HD broadcast for the 2012 London Olympics). That plays fine on the Pi / Pi 2 - as it is just a 1080i H264 stream which the TV displays as 3D.

Or are you talking about the Pi outputting a line-sequential interlaced format (with field 1 fed to one eye and field 2 fed to the other eye) - as was used by much older 3D displays? If so I don't think so.

[langostino]

I'd like buy a raspberry 2 model b for use with openelec as a media player.

I read a lot about this hardware and I have got some questions:

1. Can it support DTS:X and ATMOS passthrough?

No - the Raspberry Pi and Pi 2 range don't support HD Audio passthrough. Their HDMI audio sub-system doesn't have the required bandwidth to bitstream HD Audio. (To bitstream HD Audio you need an HDMI audio bandwith capable of carrying 192kHz 7.1 audio. The Pi 2 is limited to 4.0 audio at 192kHz, so can't do it.

There are Kodi builds with HD Audio decoding support which will losslessly decode Dolby True HD and DTS-HD MA audio tracks to 48kHz/96kHz 5.1/7.1 and output them as PCM - but 192kHz 5.1/7.1 tracks - of which there are very few - will be downsampled and not played losslessly).

As there is no bitstreaming of HD Audio - there is no DTS:X or Dolby Atmos passthrough.

2. Can it play mts files in full 3d interlaced?

I'm not aware of an interlaced Full HD 3D standard...

3D MVC content as included on Blu-rays, which is 24p progressive and output as Frame Packed 1080/24p over HDMI is supported. The Raspberry Pi 2 (and I think Pi) is the only Kodi platform which includes native 3D MVC playback and Frame Packed 24p output (for both Blu-ray ISO and MVC MKVs)

The only interlaced 3D stuff I've come across has been the HSBS broadcast stuff (like BBC HD broadcast for the 2012 London Olympics). That plays fine on the Pi / Pi 2 - as it is just a 1080i H264 stream which the TV displays as 3D.

Or are you talking about the Pi outputting a line-sequential interlaced format (with field 1 fed to one eye and field 2 fed to the other eye) - as was used by much older 3D displays? If so I don't think so.

Thanks a lot.

And finally, in your personal opinion, do you think is preferable a raspberry pi 2 or the android box Himedia Q5 for Full3d mvc playing?

[noggin]

And finally, in your personal opinion, do you think is preferable a raspberry pi 2 or the android box Himedia Q5 for Full3d mvc playing?

Afraid I have no experience of the Android boxes - but for 3D MVC decode with 3D frame packed output the Pi 2 is pretty impressive, and the support here for the Pi / Pi 2 is incredible. (There are forum members and developers who are experts on the SoC and who are updating the Pi firmware to improve things as bugs are pointed out and new features suggested. I don't think there is a better supported Kodi platform based on an ARM SoC)

[nwa1982]

Does the RPi2 still had skipping frames with blurays? Or is this fixed ?

[speedwell68]

Does the RPi2 still had skipping frames with blurays? Or is this fixed ?

I wasn't aware this was actually a problem.

[noggin]

Does the RPi2 still had skipping frames with blurays? Or is this fixed ?

Not sure what you are talking about? AIUI Blu-ray playback is pretty close to flawless on the Pi 2. Is there a particular codec, frame rate or disc that you've heard is causing problems?