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+--- Thread: Best XBMC HTPC Hardware with HDMI / HD / 1080p + HDMI Audio (/showthread.php?tid=34235)
- BLKMGK - 2008-12-21
Spozen - I think this is simply a configuration issue for stereo output as it doesn't even work at the Ubuntu desktop for me. I too WANt music so it's just a matter of flippnig the right switches.
Ashmaston - if you installed the NVIDIA drivers using ENVYNG or the Ubuntu repository then it will not give you HDMI audio - drivers need to be 177.xx apparently which neither of those will give. You likely have 173.x drivers. This is the reason why on this last build I used 8.1 - the 177.x drivers are in the repository
Waldo - without transcoding I would want a 3ghz C2D of some flavor for sure. Especially since not all of the BD out there are H.264 encoded. Personally I'd transcode them, in fact I do, as you will save about 40% on disk space and done right not be able to see a reduction in video quality. I think they will play smoother transcoded as well based on what I have witnessed although I'll admit it's been awhile since I tried to play one raw and not recoded.
As for which CPU - the E7300 with a light overclock ought to do it. If you aren't comfortable with that or wany more headroom just in case then do the E8400 and know that it will clock to around 3.4ghz without breaking a sweat if needed. My E8400 is at 3.8ghz as a reference and it transcoded for hours on end without issue. AMD? So far as I know no one has been able to say that one of those CPUs can play say Killa' without dropping frames. For video you aren't transcoding I think I'd make Killa' a benchmark. For some reason when I was testing the raw stuff off the disk seemed more intensive than stuff I transcoded - YMMV. Certainly a 3ghz AMD doesn't seem to cut it, I don't know why. I honestly wonder if there's something about the way XBMC is coded that favors the Intel CPU. <shrug> In any case, I wouldn't go AMD right now....
Edit: If you want some help figuring out the transcoding lemme' know. I use eac3to to rip into a MKV container with AnyDVD-HD under the covers.
- waldo22 - 2008-12-21
Thanks BLKMGK,
I figured you'd know.
I think I'll just do the E8400 and be happy.
No reason to buy something now, only to replace it soon after.
Also, I'll probably take you up on that transcoding help offer.
Cheers,
WEs
- ashmaston - 2008-12-21
Hi there,
Good guess, i'm running the 173.14.12 version of the Nvidia driver. I'll give a try to Ubuntu 8.1, in order to have access to a more recent verson of the driver. Concerning the Alsa version : 1.18a, et no channel are muted (checked the alsamixer dozens of time
I spent time on the Alsa website and looked over all the .asoundrc example and when it comes to use dmix to play with channel all of them have a binding part in the pcm definition part. I can't try right now but here is what i think it will look like :
Code:
pcm.dmixer {
type dmix
ipc_key 1024
ipc_key_add_uid false
ipc_perm 0660
slave {
pcm "hw:0,3"
rate 48000
channels 2
format S32_LE
period_time 0
period_size 1024
buffer_time 0
buffer_size 4096
}
bindings {
0 0
1 1
}
}
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave.pcm "dmixer"
}Maybe this can help with the stereo problem. If not can you explain more precisely what is the issue. I think the solution is somewhere in this file. If you look at the website, all the mixing stuff for stereo, 5.1 or anything is made using .asoundrc and dmix utils.
Thanks,
Ash
- realm360 - 2008-12-21
I think this wil be the best solution!
Check it out: http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=13626
It has remote controle, 720/1080 support, looks great!
I hope it can handle 1080p MKV. If so this wil be the best HTPC
for XBMC, i think!
- BLKMGK - 2008-12-21
Ash, I agree there's something in that file that's likely to fix this but I know about zip concerning ALSA so this is quite frustrating. Good to see others poking at it though as I no longer have this hardware within easy access. I am however tempted to upgrade my own machine to use this ASUS board - it's REALLY nice!
Realm360 - you realize that has a single core 1.6ghz Atom CPU in it right? Sorry but that's not going to cut it by a long shot, not until the GPU can be used to accelerate video in Linux. It's also using ATI hardware for which no accelerated driver yet exists despite promises. IMO the NVIDIA ION platform looks much more promising with a dual core ATOM and accelerated drivers being actively developed...
- spozen - 2008-12-21
Heres an article on video accelration on AMD based systems: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=amd_xvmc_xvba&num=1
Basically we will have to wait a few months or even years if the devs have to reverse engineer. So you really need some CPU that are available to play the killa sample if you want a AMD based system(CPU & GPU). And were is that CPU AMD?
- realm360 - 2008-12-21
I also have seen the new Aopen.
http://xc.aopen.com.tw/CubeProduct_01.aspx?Auno=2643&mdstyl=22
Will this be better?
I want a replacement for my old xbox, for less money!
- falc410 - 2008-12-21
Go read this thread ffs! Then you would know what to buy.
The one you posted does not play 1080p material.
I'm currently building a system similiar to this one: http://www.srv0001.de/bilder/htpc/
lets hope the last of the components arrive on tuesday so I can get it to work before christmas!
- realm360 - 2008-12-22
Looking good!
But that will coast you 500.- Euro minimum!
I want something cheap.
Is there a way to change my xbox 1 motherboard / video
with a new and faster one?
than i will be setled.
- spozen - 2008-12-22
You will only need this:
Motherboard: 140
CPU: 150
RAM: 10
TOT: 300
+ case and storage device.
No you can't modify xbox hardware to play 1080p i heard you can change CPU but only to 1.4GHz so no 1080p there.
Also why the hell are you posting about the xbox in the linux forum? Theres already tons of threads with this question in the xbox forum.
- realm360 - 2008-12-22
One other thing.
I use a pc i don't build them. (don't know how)
If you say it won't work, why does azus and dell bild
these pc's. And say the will work on HD.
(Oke mayby the problem is xbmc)
Even the dell is support with Blue Ray
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studio-hybrid?c=us&cs=19&l=en&ref=dthp&s=dhs
- falc410 - 2008-12-22
Do some reading, playing blu-ray and using xbmc to play 1080p mkv files are a totally different thing.
If you want to play only blu-ray discs then for gods sake buy a dell but then again what are you doing in the xbmc forums?
- spozen - 2008-12-22
Look all you need to look for is: Geforce 9000+ and E7300 or higher.
That machine is customazilbe if you select E8400 1080p will play without dropped frames and without overclocking.
Also about building computers, you might consider reading some tutorial on the net it's really easy now a days. You don't need to know anything about hardware if you follow the instructions step by step.
Also some shops can build the computer for you but thats not worth it if you ask me. DIY and you will be proud of your self.
- BLKMGK - 2008-12-22
spozen Wrote:Heres an article on video accelration on AMD based systems: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=amd_xvmc_xvba&num=1
Basically we will have to wait a few months or even years if the devs have to reverse engineer. So you really need some CPU that are available to play the killa sample if you want a AMD based system(CPU & GPU). And were is that CPU AMD?
AMD is slowly but surely releasing specs on their video cards. In theory this will allow open source drivers to be built and for those drivers to support accelerated decoding - eventually. I think they may even be working on those drivers themselves, honestly I've nto kept up with it. Right now though nothing exists from ATI/AMD for Linux that will do what we need. NVIDIA on the other hand has actually released closed source drivers that can do it if the software is written to support their interface - that is slowly occuring. Hopefulyl when ffmpeg supports their API XBMC will get some acceleration too. For now though we're stuck using the CPU to do it, the upside being that CPUs aren't a million bux and are VERY flexible.
As for why companies advertise machines as being HD capable - it's because they ASSume you will use Windows. On windows drivers that accelerate video are available in spades - but XBMC on those platforms doesn't use them either because XBMC's code is written to be crossplatform and runs on more than just Winders.
So, yes it will cost you like $400 to build a 1080 capable system right now. Considering that this can be the central part of your media center with which you will spend a great deal of time watching video and listening to music I really think that's not bad. My receiver cost more than 2x that and I got a deal on it!
My TV cost waaay more than even that and I get to tinker with XBMC, I feel it is worth the cost <shrug>
- davo600 - 2008-12-23
Hi Guys,
I have been following this thread closely for a while now - great effort!
I had a question - in australia the asus mobo costs nearly $220.
I can pick up a decent msi g31 matx mobo ($60) and disable the video processor and buy a nvidia 8400 gs for $40 (which has the same g98 processor as the 9300m).
Then i could spend the $ on the e8400.
Later on hopefully when vpdau starts to work the 8400gs will be able to benefit like the 9300m will.
I only need it for 1080i now - is that much less processing than 1080p?
Cheers Dave