[hoob]

Hello hope this in the

I'm stuck on what device to buy to put xbmc. I'm looking for the best you can buy not to worried about money with in reason lol I was thinking raspberry pi .I don't want go down the desktop to route or laptop some thing like rb pi or pivos ?

Thanks
Hoob

[cwide]

Being more specific and cleaning up your post would help a lot.

What all do you plan to do with your device?

Do you want fastest, cheapest, most stable, easiest?

[hoob]

Sorry I was in a rush when I wrote that post .. I'm looking for a all rounder really some think that's not to a slow but also stable ?

[Martijn]

Just like every one else here

[hoob]

Yea true but there must be one you people would recommend I don't mind about the price ?

[thestig]

this is such a tough question because it's hard to objectively compare different types of devices at different pricepoints and with different components/media sources.

If you don't want to do a shit ton of research but want to avoid making a "mistake", it's usually a pretty safe bet to get one of the Zotac Boxes.

[hoob]

I have research a bit but still can't decide what one the raspberry pi seems to be popular :/ what would be the best device to put xbmc on ?

[Ned Scott]

The best device for XBMC is going to be something that is desktop-class in power. If you want small and good looking, I would recommend the Intel NUC. You can get them configured with RAM and a small USB drive with OpenELEC for under $300, maybe close to $250.

ARM devices are great, and the future of XBMC, but for the time being, you simply cannot beat the desktop-class (x86) CPU for XBMC. It will likely be that way for another two years at least.

[hoob]

Thanks for replies if I went for a android what would be the best one not worried how much ?

[tential]

Android boxes are supposed to be cheap. However usability won't really be there as much.

Like Ned said, you want an x86 (desktop/windows) processor type.

You're specifying multiple different and conflicting criteria. You're not worried about price, but are looking at a 45 dollar raspberry pi. It's very confusing. You need a feature list of what you want XBMC to do before anyone can help you. Without an idea of size, features, etc. we have no clue.

Because of the fact that you Specified you wanted the BEST and that you were NOT worried about Price, These are my recommendationsyou'll need to shop further in each class if you're looking for the best DEAL but all of these are decent deals given the price range:
Laptop: ($300-$400)
http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15-352...on-15-3521
Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3-3227U processor (3M Cache, 1.9 GHz)
Operating System Windows 8, 64-bit, English
Display 15.6 HD (720p) WLED with Truelife (1366x768)
Memory2 4GB3 Single Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
Hard Drive 500GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
Optical Drive 8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
Video Card Intel® HD Graphics
Warranty 90 Days Premium Phone Support + 1 Year In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis
Weight 4.96 lbs
I like using a laptop for XBMC hooked up to a TV. You get XBMC, but you still get to be able to take the laptop with you on the go if you actually need it. Also, I find it easier to trouble shoot. You can take it with you to a different router, location to see why internet/streaming isn't working or something.

Desktop ($300-400)
http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-660s/p...piron-660s
Processor Intel® Pentium® processor G2020 (3M Cache, 2.9 GHz)
Operating System Windows 8, 64-bit, English
Memory1 6GB2 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
Hard Drive 1TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Video Card Intel® HD Integrated Graphics
Warranty 90 days Premium Phone Support + 1 Year In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis

Nothing beats the power of a full fledged Desktop. Lets be real, you can tuck away just about ANYTHING. You don't need an extremely tiny PC that you pay extra to have a slow processor and less ram. Why not have it all? You get the expanadability allowing you to add whatever you want inside, the ability to load ANY skin without worrying whether it will eat your processor up, and it will be super fast/responsive. All at the same price point as a laptop or small mini PC like the NUC. Since your HTPC is almost ALWAYS hidden why not?

Mini PC (I choose the NUC!) - $400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6856102002

Intel Core i3 3217U 1.8GHz

This is a little more work. You have to buy the RAM, SSD (hard drive), separately as well as now how to put them into the device. It really isn't as hard as it looks though. It's EXTREMELY tiny at 4 inches by 4 inches and is still fast enough to do everything you want. However, if you plan to put movies on here (rather than stream from a separate server PC) you won't be able to fit as much. Still though, if you NEED it to be tiny because you don't have a place to tuck a computer away, then this is the route to go. You can NEVER go wrong with intel processors (hence why all choices I recommended are). Since 2008, Intel stopped fooling around with the Pentium 4 and went straight for the jugular with their processors.

------

After this you have devices like the Rasp Pi, or an Android Device. Really not my recommendations though as I don't know much about them, they require more knowledge, and aren't completely polished. I dunno much about OpenELEC either since I'm a windows person and I like to still have the option of tabbing out of XBMC to possibly use my PC for other functions if I have to/want to. So I won't really elaborate on these options, especially when you say cost isn't an issue and you're looking for the best you can buy. This is the best, quite simply. You can of course look for other Desktops/Laptops that fit the price range but this gives you an idea of the price/power I'd personally look for when looking for the BEST. Avadirect.com and other sites like that other Nonbranded PCs that will offer even better performance as you're now not paying a premium for a brand name.

Hope this helps.

[Krankdroid]

Arctic MC001 could be what you are looking for

[Joele90xbmc]

Hi Guys,

On the topic of what to use i agree on something with more omph than the pi.
The pi is great for what it is but lacks speed. I use this in my daughters room running RASPBMC. It is slow navigating but once a movie is on its great. However any menu actions during playback and it will start to jitter. Also for some reason i have had to rebuild it twice due to it not loading up maybe too much in her collection.

My main setup is an i7 with 12GB ram. This works like a dream. I connect it to my TV direct and leave it running on a dedicated screen (4 screen GPU).

Anyhow gona try this pi for the last time.

[tallnerd1985]

Actually, keep an eye out for a Foxconn NT-A3500 when they go on sell for the low $100s then some ram and a memory card or a 30Gb SSD, you got yourself a speedy and 1080p capable HTPC for under $150.

[StrictlySparta]

for crying out loud, every forum i look into is full of non-relevent bull with everyone trying to make the most wittiest comment without actually helping,


Hope this ACTUALLY helps.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Android-Midnight...B00CI7O8G0

[Dougie Fresh]

for crying out loud, every forum i look into is full of non-relevent bull with everyone trying to make the most wittiest comment without actually helping,


Hope this ACTUALLY helps.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Android-Midnight...B00CI7O8G0

Thanks for registering and then using your first post to dig up thread that hasn't had a post in a month to let us know how you feel.