Linux HTPC Under $200
#1
HARDWARE
* Linux friendly
* preferably intel cpu and gpu (as long as linux friendly broadcom?)
* no less than 2gigs ram
* case not necessary
* no less than dual core
* preferably 64bit but 32 bit ok
* connects to my TV
* need power adapter

MY PLAN
* boots x86 android
* boots Ubuntu
* runs xbmc, mythTV, ubuntuTV, game emulators, netflix on android
* main use is gaming and movie watching

I have seen some interesting setups in this forum but ... is there anything that is already put together? I was going to try to get the apple tv booting linux but it has no usb port. apple tv would have been perfect at 99$ . raspberri pi is never going to be available due to the high demand.

anything I can buy right now , all put together, that comes close to my specs?

thanks.
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#2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813157173 42.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819116348 46.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820313127 23.99 x2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814133425 34.99


so far, 172.95 before hard drive.


oh, you want a prebuilt. no, probably not.


*another edit*

if you're willing to go refurb, maybe. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6883108610 something like this probably could manage everything.
Image
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#3
Wow thank you so much. But I think you forgot the fan and power adaptor right? I don't mind building it myself . I just don't wanna get stuck needing something I forgot to order. Instead of celeron what about dual core atom? Might remove the need for a fan?
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#4
thanks for all your guys help. I ended up going with just a $70 pc from amazon since I just want to use this to test stuff out and then possibly go bigger in the future. found a great deal on a dual core 2ghz with a small 80gig hd and only 525mb ram.
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#5
You can get an apple tv gen 1and install xbmc on it etc...with crystalbuntu
Nvidia Shield with Kodi 18
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#6
yeah, just go with appleTV1 or 2
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#7
I picked up 2 workstations from work which were sitting in the 'recycling' pile, one was a IBM ThinkCentre M52 with Celeron D, the other was a Compaq SFF DC7600 with a P4 3Ghz HT.
Chucked a Nvidia GT210 in each, an MCE remote and XBMCBuntu with a few tweaks to get HDMI audio output. Both are extremely quiet, runs the default skin flawlessly with my 3TB library over Samba, and plays 1080p content with CPU usage sitting below 25%.
Coupled this with my Tivo unit in the lounge transferring recordings and it's the perfect extension to my lounge setup (actually better).

I'm very happy with these setups, i've got one in my bedroom connected via ethernet which I use most nights, and just finished building the other which i'm going to take around to my brother so he has something to use in his lounge.

Now i'm on the lookout for another to go in my lounge so I don't have to use my PS3 to stream all my content, which is a bit cumbersome compared to xbmc without the pretty UI.
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#8
(2012-03-21, 02:33)rflores2323 Wrote: You can get an apple tv gen 1and install xbmc on it etc...with crystalbuntu

That's true except, no USB T_T
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#9
(2012-03-21, 17:07)hoshi411 Wrote:
(2012-03-21, 02:33)rflores2323 Wrote: You can get an apple tv gen 1and install xbmc on it etc...with crystalbuntu

That's true except, no USB T_T

First gen tav does have a usb port.
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#10
(2012-03-21, 04:48)syphe Wrote: I picked up 2 workstations from work which were sitting in the 'recycling' pile, one was a IBM ThinkCentre M52 with Celeron D, the other was a Compaq SFF DC7600 with a P4 3Ghz HT.
Chucked a Nvidia GT210 in each, an MCE remote and XBMCBuntu with a few tweaks to get HDMI audio output. Both are extremely quiet, runs the default skin flawlessly with my 3TB library over Samba, and plays 1080p content with CPU usage sitting below 25%.
Coupled this with my Tivo unit in the lounge transferring recordings and it's the perfect extension to my lounge setup (actually better).

I'm very happy with these setups, i've got one in my bedroom connected via ethernet which I use most nights, and just finished building the other which i'm going to take around to my brother so he has something to use in his lounge.

Now i'm on the lookout for another to go in my lounge so I don't have to use my PS3 to stream all my content, which is a bit cumbersome compared to xbmc without the pretty UI.

Hello,

I'm trying to setup HTPC with similar HW (IBM M52p and GT210) but having problem with corrupted audio on HDMI connected to TV. Could you please explain what "a few tweaks" you refer to ? I'm running XBMCbuntu 12.2 frodo.
The same graphic card works fine on lenovo M58 workstation with the same SW and configuration. I tried to update bios on M52 but no luck.


Regards,
Nenad
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#11
(2012-03-14, 02:51)hoshi411 Wrote: HARDWARE
* Linux friendly
* preferably intel cpu and gpu (as long as linux friendly broadcom?)
* no less than 2gigs ram
* case not necessary
* no less than dual core
* preferably 64bit but 32 bit ok
* connects to my TV
* need power adapter

MY PLAN
* boots x86 android
* boots Ubuntu
* runs xbmc, mythTV, ubuntuTV, game emulators, netflix on android
* main use is gaming and movie watching

I have seen some interesting setups in this forum but ... is there anything that is already put together? I was going to try to get the apple tv booting linux but it has no usb port. apple tv would have been perfect at 99$ . raspberri pi is never going to be available due to the high demand.

anything I can buy right now , all put together, that comes close to my specs?

thanks.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?pid...pid1501364
If I have helped you or increased your knowledge, click the 'thumbs up' button to give thanks :) (People with less than 20 posts won't see the "thumbs up" button.)
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#12
(2012-03-21, 04:48)syphe Wrote: A Compaq SFF DC7600 with a P4 3Ghz HT.
Chucked a Nvidia GT210 in each, an MCE remote and XBMCBuntu with a few tweaks to get HDMI audio output. Both are extremely quiet, runs the default skin flawlessly with my 3TB library over Samba, and plays 1080p content with CPU usage sitting below 25%.

I'm very happy with these setups.

Exactly same hardware I bought and I did the same thing by adding a gt210. Built a bunch of them for family and friends ( bought 7 boxes at $25/each, before video card)

But I'm running OpenELEC which worked out of the box. And I would say has even lower cpu usage.

It's incredible how cheap and how well they work.
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#13
(2013-09-09, 06:03)bnevets27 Wrote:
(2012-03-21, 04:48)syphe Wrote: A Compaq SFF DC7600 with a P4 3Ghz HT.
Chucked a Nvidia GT210 in each, an MCE remote and XBMCBuntu with a few tweaks to get HDMI audio output. Both are extremely quiet, runs the default skin flawlessly with my 3TB library over Samba, and plays 1080p content with CPU usage sitting below 25%.

I'm very happy with these setups.

Exactly same hardware I bought and I did the same thing by adding a gt210. Built a bunch of them for family and friends ( bought 7 boxes at $25/each, before video card)

But I'm running OpenELEC which worked out of the box. And I would say has even lower cpu usage.

It's incredible how cheap and how well they work.
Yeah I have made 2 machines out of HP/Compaq Dc7100s. One has an nvidia GT220 and the other an nvidia GT520 (equivaslnet to 610), both fanless half height. Coupled with this http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Sapphire_Remote very cheap remote is all you need.
If I have helped you or increased your knowledge, click the 'thumbs up' button to give thanks :) (People with less than 20 posts won't see the "thumbs up" button.)
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#14
(2012-03-21, 17:07)hoshi411 Wrote:
(2012-03-21, 02:33)rflores2323 Wrote: You can get an apple tv gen 1and install xbmc on it etc...with crystalbuntu

That's true except, no USB T_T

That isn't entirely accurate. The ATV(1) does have a USB port right on the back while the 2nd gen ATV2 has a micro USB port. If a USB port was the only thing holding you back, buy a "Micro USB to USB adapter" for $2 on amazon.

I have used several setups on ATV both 1 & 2 hardware and was quite please with it. I currently still have a 1st gen with a HD video decoder card (Broadcom BCM70015) running OpenELEC 3.x and it works great. Very snappy through the menu system (Confluence skin) and plays anything I have tried to date. I like that the ATV(1) has component/composite ports for use on old TV's when i take it over to friends and has a built in HDD so I don't have to stream video when on the road.

So if you need a good budget machine, I say the ATV's are still relevant. In fact, I would love to see someone build a rig for less than a $99 ATV (even spending the additional cash on a Broadcom decoder card) that performs so well. I have not yet seen an RPi in action, so I cant speak to its performance.
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#15
I had an Apple TV1 with a Broadcom card, and it worked pretty well, apart from not playing interlaced content (like VIDEO_TS/ISOs from DVDs and .ts and .wtv recordings made of tv shows) Has that been fixed?

I've run Raspberry Pis and the ATV1 was definitely a bit snappier in UI terms - but the video handling on the Pi (including interlaced content) was possibly a little bit better.
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Linux HTPC Under $2000