2013-03-07, 19:00
Hi All,
Current setup:
I am using a few popcorn hour media players and my plan is to move over to xbmc. I have had a few issues with each of the players in the last few months and i hope an HTPC will solve most of the issues.
- Sluggish Movie Wall, it is very slow when navigating through the video jukebox
- Scrapper. It takes an average of 30mins to complete a full scan. A simple scenario is when i add a tv episode to the server and run the app which updates my jukebox, I have to wait 30 mins to see the update in the video jukebox, compared to XBMC which would probably take a couple of seconds.
- Random Reboots. I am forced to reboot each player at least 5 times a week
- Grouping Movies. XBMC's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G70w6dGcY8 looks good and more importantly, easier to set up
I'll start with the bedroom player and see if it meets my expectations. If it does, i'll probably replace all PCHs with HTPCs. I have previously owned pre-built systems & Apple TV with XMBC installed but i did not enjoy the experience. Recently, i was checking out some of the features from the latest XBMC 12.0 Frodo release and i would like to give XBMC another try
Before i go ahead and start the build, i will like to confirm all this will be possible:
1 - Full Web Browser for live video streaming
2 - Support DTS-HD MA / Dolby TrueHD files
3 - Streaming Video from unRAID server and smooth video playback via HDMI.
- 1080p MKVs with DTS and HD Audio
- Full BD - ISO & BDMV Folder Structure
- 3D ISO & 3D SBS
4 - Online streaming apps - iPlayer and Netflix
5 - Full BD Menu Support -- I am not really fussy about this one but would be nice to have. I believe i'll need a bluray drive?
6 - Streaming Music from server - Mp3 & Flac
7 - Controlled by Harmony One Remote
Thanks to eskro's thread, i have put together a possible list of parts but i am not entirely sure they're all compatible with each other:
Motherboard AsRock A75M-ITX Motherboard - £68
CPU AMD Llano A6-3500 Tri-Core Processor with Integrated AMD Radeon HD, 6530D Graphics and Socket FM1 - £50
SSD SanDisk 64GB 2.5 inch Solid State Drive - £48
Memory Kingston hyperX 1600MHz DDR3 Non ECC CL9 BLU 4GB DIMM Memory Module - £22
Cooler Akasa Viper High Performance S-Flow 12cm Fan - £12
Case CiT Mini ITX Case with 300W PSU - Shiny Piano Black - £30
Total £230
Any suggestions on the parts?
Lastly, which OS would work best? I'm currently leaning towards Win7
Thanks
Current setup:
I am using a few popcorn hour media players and my plan is to move over to xbmc. I have had a few issues with each of the players in the last few months and i hope an HTPC will solve most of the issues.
- Sluggish Movie Wall, it is very slow when navigating through the video jukebox
- Scrapper. It takes an average of 30mins to complete a full scan. A simple scenario is when i add a tv episode to the server and run the app which updates my jukebox, I have to wait 30 mins to see the update in the video jukebox, compared to XBMC which would probably take a couple of seconds.
- Random Reboots. I am forced to reboot each player at least 5 times a week
- Grouping Movies. XBMC's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G70w6dGcY8 looks good and more importantly, easier to set up
I'll start with the bedroom player and see if it meets my expectations. If it does, i'll probably replace all PCHs with HTPCs. I have previously owned pre-built systems & Apple TV with XMBC installed but i did not enjoy the experience. Recently, i was checking out some of the features from the latest XBMC 12.0 Frodo release and i would like to give XBMC another try
Before i go ahead and start the build, i will like to confirm all this will be possible:
1 - Full Web Browser for live video streaming
2 - Support DTS-HD MA / Dolby TrueHD files
3 - Streaming Video from unRAID server and smooth video playback via HDMI.
- 1080p MKVs with DTS and HD Audio
- Full BD - ISO & BDMV Folder Structure
- 3D ISO & 3D SBS
4 - Online streaming apps - iPlayer and Netflix
5 - Full BD Menu Support -- I am not really fussy about this one but would be nice to have. I believe i'll need a bluray drive?
6 - Streaming Music from server - Mp3 & Flac
7 - Controlled by Harmony One Remote
Thanks to eskro's thread, i have put together a possible list of parts but i am not entirely sure they're all compatible with each other:
Motherboard AsRock A75M-ITX Motherboard - £68
CPU AMD Llano A6-3500 Tri-Core Processor with Integrated AMD Radeon HD, 6530D Graphics and Socket FM1 - £50
SSD SanDisk 64GB 2.5 inch Solid State Drive - £48
Memory Kingston hyperX 1600MHz DDR3 Non ECC CL9 BLU 4GB DIMM Memory Module - £22
Cooler Akasa Viper High Performance S-Flow 12cm Fan - £12
Case CiT Mini ITX Case with 300W PSU - Shiny Piano Black - £30
Total £230
Any suggestions on the parts?
Lastly, which OS would work best? I'm currently leaning towards Win7
Thanks