[theplunger]

I'm looking for a small box to act as a HTPC. Can't be a computer, kids and dummies will use this. Box Budget of about $170.00

1. Must play well with Kodi using Hevc (x265) at 1080p and 720p. I can care less about 4k and above. Hevc is a small file size, and I hope more start using it.

2. Must play well with Kodi using AVI with codecs Xvid and Divx.

3. Must play well with kodi using the following file types MP4, AVI, MKV

4. Must play well with very large hard drives. Like a 3 or 4 TB. maybe more? From what I've seen the Mixi, which seems like the top of the line, only can take a 2.5TB drive. Why? Even the Minix's windows 8 box only can take a 2.5TB.

5. Also keep in mind after the box is set up, it is going to a house with no internet. I've been using a program call, Tiny Media Manager to gather the meta data. I hope it works for Kodi, otherwise I've made a very bad mistake.

I really don't think I'm asking for much. Hevc has been out for at least a little while now. Something has to play it with no issues. Xvid / Divx is an old codec and so many files use it. I've been readying for a few years off and on and these little box always seem to have one issue or another. Every time I write something I always get, "wait six more months." Or, I get read a long thread for your answer, but the thread has no answer.


I need help. Just because I said the brand Minix doesn't mean I just am considering them. What boxes are by options now? What boxes are coming down the pike that might help me more?

I know, answering this post will not be easy. I ask for only informed replies, please.

Thanks.

[Ned Scott]

You're mainly looking at Android boxes at the moment. For whatever reason, hardware video decoding is taking longer to hit desktop-class processors (x86).

A lot of boxes will say their max for an external USB drive without actually testing this. It's fairly common for these boxes to accept much larger drives. As long as you can get someone to confirm this in a review, then I wouldn't worry about what the company itself says.

As for the exact box, I haven't looked in a while, but you will want something with one of the following chipsets: AMLogic S805, AMLogic S812, Rockchip RK3288.

[noggin]

Yep - for hardware HEVC you're looking at ARM boxes really at the moment. It's worth investigating the Odroid C1, as that looks to be getting hardware HEVC decoding in Kodi under Linux (it's VPU has the functionality and it uses an AMLogic SoC which appears to be more open than most)

I have no experience of it, as HEVC for 720p and 1080p stuff isn't really on my radar. I think HEVC/H265 will become important to me when we start getting 2160/50p or 60p broadcasts (i.e. UHDTV) - but until then I'm OK with AVC/H264.

[DrowningApe]

I don't think HEVC encoders are mature enough at the moment to make your scenario worthwhile. Storage is so cheap that good quality h.264 encodes are totally manageable. If/when we get a lot of 4k going we'll need HEVC, and at that point we'll likely have many options. At the moment you can't beat a chromebox with Openelec for Kodi. The Celeron chromebox can actually play a lot of HEVC content in 1080p and especially 720p pretty well
with software decoding, and the i3 version can do higher bitrate stuff very well.

[DocG]

The Celeron chromebox can actually play a lot of HEVC content in 1080p and especially 720p pretty well

This. If you don't need 4K HEVC, you may not necessarily need hardware support for HEVC. Something worth keeping in mind.

That said, I'd really like to test run the MSI Cubi, and see how it performs with HEVC content.

[nickr]

Kodi only runs on computers, so your requirements list is a little odd. Yes those android boxes are computers too. Now that you know that, buy a chromebox.

[theplunger]

Ned Scott: Size limits have surprised me. Maybe they do this because Kodi can't load 3 or more TB of video cover and meta data quickly enough? Minix only has 2.5TB limit and they seem to be in the high end of boxes. They also have support, unlike other boxes I've read about. The average joe would just go to walmart and get what's on the shelf. And btw what's on the shelf at my local walmart and Sam's club is 4TB drives!! Personally I current have 3TB drives and I use my personal computer. I do not use Kodi; however, I do have it installed. I find if faster to just click on the file name of the video. Kodi is pretty, I'll give it that. Remember I do want Kodi on the box because the users are children and dummies. When it comes to the various chip sets you named, I just talk in brand names and model numbers. I'm not into this hobby that deep. LOL


Noggin: I'm looking for something a bit more "turn key". Although cheap and it looks like something I would like to play with, the box I'm looking for will be at someone else's house that doesn't have the internet nor has any tech knowledge.


Drowning Ape: Hevc might not be 100% read for primetime, but know that I have so many of those files I can't spend the time to convert them. I will have to find a box that plays Hevc and Xvid / Divx.

DocG: From what I've been hearing even boxes that say they can do Hevc are having issues with the .265 at 1080p , like the Minix Neo 64w.

Nickr: I will consider the chromebox. I have some questions about it for you and others below.


Note that Hdmi port is a must, but an RCA port would be very nice. From what I understand they would have to replace a very large SD TV that has an RCA and a VGA port with a flat screen w/ an Hdmi port.

Several of you talked about the Chomebox. with Openelec. Okay, let me ask some questions.

1. Which model are we talking about? I'm guessing the cheapest celeron one, right? Please note my budget above. That might be able to go up a bit.

2. So the celeron ver. can play 1080p Hevc with no issues? ...also play Divx / Xvid AVI's with no issues?

3. Can it act a as a HTPC without the internet?

4. What is the highest full usb external hard drive size it can comfortably use with Kodi? Would I have to format it to fat32 or can I leave it alone?

5. Is this box commonly used for HTPC, so I know I can get support if an issue should come up?

6. From with looks of it, I would have to install Openelec. I guess it is an operating system? I see there is a youtube video on how to install as a dual boot device. ..and that what I would have to do right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gQgSDdZuLY

7. Would a mini pc work with openelec as well? Say for example the Gigabyte Brix GB-BXBT-2807 with windows 8? Would it work with Hevc / Xvid? Would it except large hard drives? Wait, I just looked at it's price, plus I would have to get and install a HDD and Memory. This doesn't look as good as I thought.

Thank you for replies.

[wrxtasy]

I will do a comprehensive review of the ODROID C1 with a Amlogic S805, that does 1080p h265 video tomorrow. Works well with Android Kodi when played from a local HDD using the external MXPlayer. Also various distributions of Kodi such as the Kodi 15.x Isengard nightlies and SPMC can decode h265 from within Kodi.

The other device that has this same Amlogic S805 if the MK808b Plus, there is already a review of that here in the Hardware threads, plus the Sticky Hardware section has info on it as well.

Both are about US$35.

[Maito]

Chromebox with Openelec...

[wrxtasy]

Anyone found out what the upper bitrate limit of 1080p h265 decoding is on a Chromebox, It would not be high due to no hardware to decode h265 content.

[noggin]

I will do a comprehensive review of the ODROID C1 with a Amlogic S805, that does 1080p h265 video tomorrow. Works well with Android Kodi when played from a local HDD using the external MXPlayer. Also various distributions of Kodi such as the Kodi 15.x Isengard nightlies and SPMC can decode h265 from within Kodi.

The other device that has this same Amlogic S805 if the MK808b Plus, there is already a review of that here in the Hardware threads, plus the Sticky Hardware section has info on it as well.

Both are about US$35.

Is there Linux HEVC decode support on the Odroid? Android doesn't really float my boat for Kodi purposes - had hoped that there would be an (unofficial) OpenElec or similar lightweight distro around that supported it. Was thinking about trying a C1, potentially as a TV Headend front & backend (GigE appeals for that purpose) but if HEVC is Android only I'll wait.

[nickr]

I cannot understand the 'no internet' requirement. Kodi without metadata is no fun. I assume tine media manager uses the internet to get metadata.

OPenelec is an operating system designed to deliver kodi in a small package. Its website tells you what it runs on, but basiclly any modern x86 computer will do it.

[theplunger]

I cannot understand the 'no internet' requirement. Kodi without metadata is no fun. I assume tine media manager uses the internet to get metadata.

I agree Kodi without metadata isn't fun. That's why I'm hoping that Tiny media manager does the job grabbing the data from the internet, here. I have the .nfo metadata file with the same name as the video. One pic with the same name as the video. Another simply called "fanart." Another simply called, "poster." All of this in a folder of the same name as the video. Plus the video's name is copy / paste from imdb.

The box is to be ran off site, where there is no internet. In theory it should work.

Any more commits regarding my questions about Chromebox?

[DocG]

2. So the celeron ver. can play 1080p Hevc with no issues? ...also play Divx / Xvid AVI's with no issues?

It depends on the bitrate of the HEVC files. I've had no issues with any of the HEVC files I actually needed to play, Sintel and Tears of Steel played fine, some of the Big Buck Bunny encodes did not.

You should have no issues with either Divx, Xvid or H.264.

Actually, do you have a good representative sample of an HEVC file you actually need to play on the box?

[Ned Scott]

@theplunger, I have a few android devices and I've tried plugging a 3TB USB HDD into them. None of them have had any issue so far reading the drive. So again, I would not believe what the manufacturer says about the limit. They're normally going to give themselves a safe guess, so that they won't get in trouble for things they haven't tested with.