2015-10-11, 13:55
Windows is a better bet if you want Netflix (particularly in 1080p) and Amazon streaming. You will also need to use Windows and a 3rd party 3D Blu-ray playback program (WinDVD or similar) to playback 3D Blu-ray content in Full HD. You DON'T need an external player (or to run Windows) if you are playing SBS/TAB content (most of which is half-HD resolution as it squeezes left and right eye images into a single HD resolution stream - and appears to most bits of Kodi as being in 2D)
You will also get Dolby Digital + audio with Netflix if you use the Windows 10 Netflix app (you only, I think, get stereo audio in the browser version) Windows also supports interlaced VC-1 content replay with hardware acceleration, unlike Linux (there is a long-term ongoing issue with Intel's Linux drivers). This is an issue for some TV series and Music Concert Blu-rays. However with an i5 I suspect software decoding will be possible of interlaced VC-1 in Linux so that may be less of an issue.
However stuff like remote control is a bit more complex in Windows than it is in OpenElec. For purely a media playback device - without Netflix, I'd go OpenElec. It's quicker to boot, has fewer chances of annoying disturbances (Windows pop ups anyone?) whilst viewing, no issues around AntiVirus etc.
You will also get Dolby Digital + audio with Netflix if you use the Windows 10 Netflix app (you only, I think, get stereo audio in the browser version) Windows also supports interlaced VC-1 content replay with hardware acceleration, unlike Linux (there is a long-term ongoing issue with Intel's Linux drivers). This is an issue for some TV series and Music Concert Blu-rays. However with an i5 I suspect software decoding will be possible of interlaced VC-1 in Linux so that may be less of an issue.
However stuff like remote control is a bit more complex in Windows than it is in OpenElec. For purely a media playback device - without Netflix, I'd go OpenElec. It's quicker to boot, has fewer chances of annoying disturbances (Windows pop ups anyone?) whilst viewing, no issues around AntiVirus etc.