Media Centre PC and my Views
 

Ok been streaming crap for years and tro be honest to best out there for Streaming from Flat files from a cheap NAS is.....


Boxee or XBMC, period it doesn't need any transcoding or heavy PC running it just works..... BUT on that note ive been tested others.

So I got the Apple TV 3 working last night using PLEX and the Trailers part of it, the ATV is on the latest Firmware 6.1 and it took me about 10 mins to do it, works very well, However it relies on PLEX which is good, but needs some fair grunt for anything worthy of 720P or 1080P. I would advise nothing less than a core I5 really maybe one of the NUC devices, I do run it on a lesser machine but it struggles.

So today ive got the Google Chromecast coming to attached to my none smart TV, I,ll report back once its here.

I also won a Rasperry Pi XBMC box on Ebay for 30 quid, comes with remotes everything, normally retails about 60 quid. Im sceptical about if they works ok, but its running XBMC and that's the best there is, so I,ll report back.

So what would be the holy grail.

Most Probably a NAS running a core I5 with 16TB of space. but alas there aint any and if they were they would be about 3 grand. You could build a PC, but im not one for leaving high power pcs running all the time.

So I have a question, do you think a core I5 NUC should handle everything Plex can throw at it, or would you buy a PC ?

Let me know your views.

P.S I do have a WD live tv but to be brutel its pretty ****, compared to Boxee and XBMC, slow clunky....

What we need is the APPLE tv 3 or 4 when it comes with XBMC that's would be great.

I have a HP N40L (from their range that offers £100 cashback)

I've had it running Serviio DNLA server fine, and have recently put PLEX server on it which allows for remote viewing - and it does whatever transcoding needs to be done just fine.

The machine is on 24/7 and consumes way less power than a desktop pc.

G7 or G8 model ?

I was going to run my home NAS/server with Plex as my TV has a Plex app which means I don't need another box to put in the TV. I've got a NUC which I've put in my bedroom for now.

let me know how it goes ed with a 720p or 1080p x264/mkv file

My humax freesat box plays most stuff - doesn't like dolby encoded files tho - they have to be changed to AC3 or something similar.

Before the android media players set off, I got a stand alone media player similar to the popcorn hour but it supported 3D ISO and I stream from my nas where all my media is and it plays everything without hassle. Paid about £130 at the time

I'm only considering getting an android for Xbmc just for cover art :lol1:

plex does cover art, btw

My nas is a very basic one(I just use SMB and FTP) which wouldn't allow installation of plex and such and my pc doesn't have the grunt to transcode 1080p and higher or I would go that option .

I use my MacBook Pro on the upstairs tv xbmc through hdmi sometimes , I'm waiting for the android ones to be really smooth and cover bluesy.isos

Ant yours sounds like mine, I use a netgear Duo, and a Mybook Live and with XBMC they run fine.

these seem to be the thing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8GB-Media-...item35d7860301

I've read the raspberry pi are a bit slow with the1080p MKV

Unless anyone on here can guarantee they play stutter free over network?

I use a Synology NAS with Serviio as an installed app

All my DVD players are DNLA complient, so no problems there

Connections are via Homeplug

It will stream 3D HD movies no problems.

The biggest hiccup I've found is the individual players all have limitations on what codecs they support so i found that as a basic rule, Avi's will paly on most players, MKV's only work on the Samsung downstairs

Xbox falls over any any non standard codec,

Ras pi struggles with some stuff too

Mart

So chrome cast came today, it's not bad good for the without inet etc, but let's be honest it's a glorified airplay....

So been messing with plex today, still ****e stutters with anything 720p and dts, must be media PC I know if I use my work machine it will be fine
Amazes me how xbmc just works from a flat file system, no hassle just works.

The RPi's are fine if you use the overclocked settings and ideally wire them for ethernet rather than WiFi.

I am using an N36L HP Microserver to run Plex and no real issues - I've even added live tv server app to it and it seems to be fine :)

I'm using PlexConnect, running both it and Plex on my iMac, talking to my 3rd Gen AppleTV.

On the subject of needing a powerful machine for Plex to run on, is this still the case if you're not getting it to transcode media? I have mine setup to, from what I understand, just stream and not transcode media.
I will admit I've not actually looked at the load on the iMac when I'm watching something, which is part of the point, I'm not at the machine when viewing media, so if it did slow it down, it would not really be a problem.

The only problem I have encountered is with one specific video which is meant to have 5.1 sound, but it won't play it properly unless I change the PlexConnect setting on the AppleTV from 'auto' to 'transcode' It's not a big problem, it is just this one file (trying to remember what the audio format is, it's something a little odd though), everything else is fine.

Say what?

Advise me then, most of my Films are 720P DTS some AC3, I might have a look to see if I can make it just send it, But im pretty sure the Apple TV wont decode DTS ?

Lets play :)

Apple TV won't decode iirc

Having had a quick google, it would appear it will handle Dolby Digital, but not DTS :(
I believe it does also depend on how the DD is encoded in the file.

I can say that a rip of one of my James Bond DVD's via Handbrake did preserve the DD track and the Apple TV was picking that up correctly.

I don't think I've any media with DTS in it, and Handbrake seems only to be able to encode it to another format.

Google any of the following:

MediPortal
TVHeadend
Argus-TV

Basically allows you to distribute live tv and pvr functions to other devices :)

I stream to my Samsung Smart TV over powerline ethernet from my Raspberry Pi running MiniDLNA (on Debian Wheezy). Plays everything faultlessly including 1080p DTS files.

Two USB HDD's connected to the Pi, replicating each other overnight for backup. Sits up in the loft running 24/7 using very little power. My other devices just access the Samba shares from it so everything is always available.

At work I recently bought a Gigabyte Brix Ultra Compact PC. i7 processor, 16Gb RAM, 250Gb SSD. The tiny thing is incredible. It's stuck to the back of a 42" touch screen, runs Win 8.1 and is an absolute joy to use. Beats most of our laptops and PC's hands down and all from a little box about 10cm wide.

fack me Dunk that box is immense for 400 quid

core I7

A NUC would be twice that for that spec

presume u need to add mem, and disk yeah ?

Will it take an SSD or does it need to be mSata

It's unbelievable. Ours is the 3537 which was £325. Yes, you just need to add RAM and an MSATA SSD. It's too small for a full size one. I used 16Gb of Corsair Vengence and a Crucial SSD. So the whole lot was about £500. WiFi is included.

Boots to Win8 faster than the monitor takes to start up :lol1: The touchscreen we have powers the PC too, so it's really neat and tidy.

Ok so Raspberry Pi turned up today, Plugged it all in, booted up, updated itself very Impressive.
mapped my folders and walla everything including 1080P plays like a dream, Amazing for such a little unit, ok so the menus are a little clunky, but other than that. Happy.

The box is hidden with the infared extension thing just stuck to top of TV. great stuff.

OK so I've now tried the Remote ipad
Software and it's getting better no clunky Ness I just choose press play an tv springs to life