I have finally got my NAS sorted...its basic but does the job.
Best kodi option that will run 1080P movies and if possible, 3D.
*NUC (what specs?)
*HP Chrome Box (what specs?)
*M8
*Minix NEO X8
But regardless for all these options its going to cost an average of around $250 AUS.
I switched from the i5 intel nuc to the amazon firetv. there are lots of advantages for the firetv. use spmc which is customized for the firetv with suspend and a few other goodies. All the firetv apps can be a tile on your xbmc like netflix etc which is not possible with the nuc. not to mention firetv has a neat remote but a keyboard is recommended to play around deep. you can get a firetv for about 75 to 80 from staples.
I believe 3d can only be done in Windows so you have to choose between the chromebox or the NUC. Personally I would go with the NUC.
(2014-09-17, 01:33)z31fanatic Wrote: [ -> ]I believe 3d can only be done in Windows so you have to choose between the chromebox or the NUC. Personally I would go with the NUC.
where did you get that idea? OpenELEC handles 3D playback just fine.
OP - go with the Asus ChromeBox over the HP, the latter has much poorer thermal design which causes the fan to run at a higher state. Lots of complaints about it.
(2014-09-17, 01:43)Matt Devo Wrote: [ -> ]where did you get that idea? OpenELEC handles 3D playback just fine.
It's what I have read. I didn't know openelec does 3d.
Don't think the 2955U in the Chromebox will do full 3D. Define "3D" -- full frame packed or SBS? i3 or i5 NUC will do full 3D.
Depends on the type of 3d - MVC (the type used on bd's) is windows only with external players. SBS, TAB, anaglyph or interlaced will play in XBMC, and at a quick glance it appears without hardware acceleration.
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=3D
so a few local sellers I actually found (which is rare) that sell HP chromebox installed with XBMC gotham 13.2 (I think) and also a seller for Amazon Fire TV with XBMC installed as a default launcher.
For instance if I was going to go with NUC, proper specs and a remote would costs around $350 which is insane just for a media centre. I've already gone to the trouble of setting up a NAS (which is useful, but also costed a bit). Setting up a cool media centre is costing a fair bit! (although I do think its worth it, just a big financial commitment)
Should I try out the Fire TV or will I regret it? (so far its the cheapest option)
(2014-09-17, 05:19)cv15xbmc Wrote: [ -> ]For instance if I was going to go with NUC, proper specs and a remote would costs around $350 which is insane just for a media centre.
$350 is not insane for a device as nice as the NUC is. People waste money trying out different Android shit boxes and in the end they spend the same as they would have spend on a NUC. The NUC is so superior to the Android shit boxes that it's laughable to compare them.
Quote:Should I try out the Fire TV or will I regret it? (so far its the cheapest option)
If you don't care about DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD audio, then the FTV is probably the only Android box I would recommend.[/quote]
most movies I have are just stereo and dont have DTS-HD. so its not a big deal. besides I only ever use 2.1 with my surround sound system.
fire tv is attractive not just because of price, but because of fire tv itself and remote.
in saying that, how future proof is bay trail NUC with xbmc? is it significantly faster than fire tv? what would be minimum specs?
fire tv has way less support in AUS because its not really heard of and readily available. if I get a NUC, its essentially a PC so heaps of info and help on it.
I don't know about the bay trail NUC. I have a first gen i3.
The FTV is pretty damn fast in general and with Kodi. It will work great for your purpose. Save your money then a give the FTV a try.
Hmmm. Yeah. Tossing up options. i3 actually gets very pricey. If I do get a HTPC, it will be NUC tho
Quote:Should I try out the Fire TV or will I regret it? (so far its the cheapest option)
If you don't care about DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD audio, then the FTV is probably the only Android box I would recommend.[/quote]
[/quote]
If you have a sound processor like a bose or something, you can do raw output and get your dts 5.1 or any of the codec supports. the biggest advantage of firetv over nuc is that you are not limited to only xbmc, you will have the range of apps like aetv netflix etc natively on the box. The voice search isin't bad at all as well. As for me I do the voice search for movies and see the recommendations and decide what I want to watch and then switch to xbmc and get it the usual ways.
You can get the firetv for about 80 shipped with tax from staples if you look hard. My suggestion if you are getting the firetv. get it soon as they have released a firmware that disables root access. i suggest get it. and disable updates until towelroot is out. Its simple to install the softwares.
I had two nucs. the i5 and the i3 version and both had remote issues. Infrared does not work very well. One thing I do recommend is to get the logitech keyboard k400 I believe its on amazon for 25 bucks.
good luck with what you choose. but I personally went through the nuc experience. It wasn't bad but its not as fluid as the firetv as well not to mention the huge price difference.
Also if you do go with firetv. i suggest install spmc. which is a branch of gotham by the dev of xbmc itself. You will have the latest codecs and all the firetv commands are incorporated like sleep etc.