[anrkyuk]

Hi,

Firstly I have genuinely spent around 15-20 hours reading up many things on many places before coming here.

I recently purchased a tablet for my mother and spent significant time converting her DVDs to be watched on it. She is disabled and as such struggles with getting up and putting a DVD on, as such have decided to set her up an XBMC machine to dump all her DVDs on and also to get access to HD TV channels as she only has basic Virgin with no HD.


The first 2 nights I spent reading I had set my mind on a Pi B+
by this morning my shopping list was something like

Rii 174; Mini 2.4GHz Wireless PC Keyboard

Raspberry Pi Model B+ OFFICIAL 5V 2A Multi National Power adapter

Tontec® New Raspberry Pi Model B+(B Plus) 512M Board Case

SanDisk SDSDQXP-008G-X​46 8 GB Extreme Pro UHS-I MicroSDHC

SanDisk SDCZ80-016G-X4​6 16GB Extreme USB 3.0 Flash Drive

WD My Book 4 TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive ( or icybox with WD Green )

CSL - 300 Mbit/s WiFi Adapter with antenna connector + 8 dBi WLAN ( router not in same room tablet gets about 80% signal figured this would be better than nano adulator )


However moments before ordering and a further 5-7 hours reading I found a cheap N54L HP server, add in a GT610/620, Keyboard, WD Green drive and possible fan replacement.

Am I right in at least thinking that the N54L is the better option, running XBMCbuntu ( read several places that XBMC was designed for Linux and runs better on it than Pi ), N54L hardware is faster ( at least from synthetic tests seen on web ), N54L easy to add additional drives at a later date.

Only cons I can see for it is, taking into account Pi extras, is the N54L will use more electricity ( similar N54L builds report 24w ish idle 50w under load ), noise, not so much an issue my mum is deaf, I have her TV on between 10-18 vol she has it on between 32-36, the fan in her Sony Blue Ray player drives me mad even when the TV is at 36, she did not even realize it had one till I mentioned it.

Cost for both taking into account extras is about the same give or take 10%.

I have talked myself out of one and yet not quite into another, would anyone be kind enough to add their view, opinion or 2c.

Please note cash is kind of tight having recently bought her a Note 10.1 & accessories so as far as I can see the options are the N54L, Pi B+ or an Ouya or other droid box.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you in advance for any and all assistance
Regards
A

[Miguix]

That looks like many components.....

How about this.

- add synology nas (ds214j or sth) to her router, so you can copy new movies for her remotely
- samsung tablet w kodi or gotham on it

With the nas hooked up to a decent router she can stream without problems. I have this config for my daughter, works fine, even can stream remotely if over at a friends place

Not sure about exact costs, but you should be ok with a few hundred euro. If you dont wana get the tablet - i stream movies to my telly on a minix neo x7. Works brilliantly

[anrkyuk]

That looks like many components.....

How about this.

- add synology nas (ds214j or sth) to her router, so you can copy new movies for her remotely
- samsung tablet w kodi or gotham on it

With the nas hooked up to a decent router she can stream without problems. I have this config for my daughter, works fine, even can stream remotely if over at a friends place

Not sure about exact costs, but you should be ok with a few hundred euro. If you dont wana get the tablet - i stream movies to my telly on a minix neo x7. Works brilliantly

I have already bought her the Note 10.1 ( its the 2012 version ) I also have bought her the HDMI adapter and a HDMi to use with it. I guess chromecast or other dongle might make it wireless ?. I had looked up previously about running XBMC on the tablet however this thread ( http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=164648 ) made me think otherwise. I confess that after reading that thread I read no further on the matter, does the tablet require rooting to do so ?, and again back to the point I was under the impression the XBMC experience was better on Linux than Android.

Many thanks again in advance for you time and assistance.
A

***edit***
Having given this a little thought it is probably not the best route, she plays on her tablet alot when watching TV, just listening to the TV and the same with Facebook and Skype, I think a separate device might be the best option as its not the fastest device out there, and she will get frustrated if she mucks up the TV while trying to do something else on the same device.


***edit***
Have been doing some reading on j1800 boards came across these threads

http://babylon.xbmc.org/printthread.php?...30&page=32
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=198703

I think I am going to go the Pi B+ route, overclock it a bit and buy a NAS to stream to Pi and Tablet

I'll wait till morn before ordering on the off chance someone persuades me not too.

Miguix if you read this first thanks and second any cheaper recommends for a NAS, those are way out of my budget.

Regards
A

[JonSnow88]

wouldn't it be more cost efficient running a NAS and then a htpc? HP server is about $480 on newegg. For that price you can get her a nice 2TB NAS drive or if her router has a USB port then just an external HDD might work out. Please note this is just after a quick search.

For XBMC/Kodi you can get a Pi or something like a chromebox or the many Android boxes. I myself use an old Intel Quad Core PC with 8GB and 4TB storage as my NAS running Windows Server 2012 and MYSQL, it also a central backup for all my PC's. Then the Server itself is backed up 2 external HDD's.

IMO the htpc should be separate from the media, that way you can easily upgrade the htpc if/when needed. NAS/Server rarely need to be updated since all they do is serve the files.

[anrkyuk]

wouldn't it be more cost efficient running a NAS and then a htpc? HP server is about $480 on newegg. For that price you can get her a nice 2TB NAS drive or if her router has a USB port then just an external HDD might work out. Please note this is just after a quick search.

For XBMC/Kodi you can get a Pi or something like a chromebox or the many Android boxes. I myself use an old Intel Quad Core PC with 8GB and 4TB storage as my NAS running Windows Server 2012 and MYSQL, it also a central backup for all my PC's. Then the Server itself is backed up 2 external HDD's.

IMO the htpc should be separate from the media, that way you can easily upgrade the htpc if/when needed. NAS/Server rarely need to be updated since all they do is serve the files.

The N54L is currently on offer with a rebate with no HDD or OS for £100 GBP, hence it was an option, the NAS as previously recommended to me is £150 GBP no drives. While I can currently afford to treat my mother to a few gifts like these the additional power consumption of a Quad Core PC running 8-12 hours a day would be a big dent in her budget, not in summer by defo in winter, she is at home all day 6 days a week with all her gadgets in near constant use her bills are quite high, working has is benefits not just being paid but not having to pay utilities 9 hours a day.

Regards
A

[kortina]

Have you thought about the new Pivos?

For a friend/family the Pivos is great bang for buck. Just add an external drive for the content.

EG: buy 2 x 2Tb 2.5" HDD's (one to connect to the Pivos, and one to live at your place to continually fill with new content)

Just swap the drives over every few weeks.

Comes with a remote, powersupply, HDMI, quiet etc.

The only thing I don't like is that it isn't videophile/audiophile quality, so if you are OCD or have invested thousands on video and audio then it might not be for you.
Your friends and family would love it.

in my opinion the Pi is not suitable for anyone other than nerds as it does not come with a case or remote... it doesn't really pass the "Appliance" test.
in my opinion the N54L is more of an enthusiast device, as it requires tweaking which is fun for you (but this equals frustration for most others).

[Milhouse]

I'd suggest using the N54L as your NAS, running FreeNAS, NAS4Free or UnRAID, then stream content from the NAS to the tablet and Pi B+.

I'd recommend avoiding WiFi with the Pi, mainly because WiFi in general is so unreliable and often less than ideal for streaming. If you can't run a Cat5 cable between NAS/router and Pi then consider Homeplugs, they're cheap and typically more reliable than WiFi with bags more bandwidth (500-AV good for 140Mbits of actual/real throughput). Something to bear in mind if you find your WiFi streaming is unreliable.

[kortina]

Another option (if the budget is there) is a Chromebox running just Openelec with an External Drive.

Just add a MCE remote for another $20

This would give a better video/audio result, as you would get 23.976, 25, 50, 60 Hz video and also bitstreaming audio (including DTS, DD, and the HD Audio too).
I will be replacing my custom ITX build with a Chromebox soon (probably a 4Gb ASUS).

I am more fussy than friends/family with the Video and Audio as I have "invested" far to much cash on my TV and 5.1 Speakers/Amp.

[anrkyuk]

Have you thought about the new Pivos?

For a friend/family the Pivos is great bang for buck. Just add an external drive for the content.

EG: buy 2 x 2Tb 2.5" HDD's (one to connect to the Pivos, and one to live at your place to continually fill with new content)

Just swap the drives over every few weeks.

Comes with a remote, powersupply, HDMI, quiet etc.

The only thing I don't like is that it isn't videophile/audiophile quality, so if you are OCD or have invested thousands on video and audio then it might not be for you.
Your friends and family would love it.

in my opinion the Pi is not suitable for anyone other than nerds as it does not come with a case or remote... it doesn't really pass the "Appliance" test.
in my opinion the N54L is more of an enthusiast device, as it requires tweaking which is fun for you (but this equals frustration for most others).

Curious I had ruled out droid boxes as from what I had read I had assumed a Pi @1Ghz was a better solution. These are avail already setup with XBMC for just £50 about half what a Pi with extras would cost. Is this seriously a viable device able to perform ?

I'd suggest using the N54L as your NAS, running FreeNAS, NAS4Free or UnRAID, then stream content from the NAS to the tablet and Pi B+.

I'd recommend avoiding WiFi with the Pi, mainly because WiFi in general is so unreliable and often less than ideal for streaming. If you can't run a Cat5 cable between NAS/router and Pi then consider Homeplugs, they're cheap and typically more reliable than WiFi with bags more bandwidth (500-AV good for 140Mbits of actual/real throughput). Something to bear in mind if you find your WiFi streaming is unreliable.

Agree with the poweline network option, had already been looking into this, need to add some power sockets behind her TV as currently only 1 socket with a emi surge protection brick, was going to replace with 2x2 sockets and worked out that would be better if doing this.

Still unsure about NAS vs USB drive this will depend on device used for XBMC, no real need for access to content beyond the XBMC device itself, the tablet is wifi only and I have already converted all her movies to tablet format and they all fit on several memory cards so no need for access to a NAS outside the house.

Another option (if the budget is there) is a Chromebox running just Openelec with an External Drive.

Just add a MCE remote for another $20

This would give a better video/audio result, as you would get 23.976, 25, 50, 60 Hz video and also bitstreaming audio (including DTS, DD, and the HD Audio too).
I will be replacing my custom ITX build with a Chromebox soon (probably a 4Gb ASUS).

I am more fussy than friends/family with the Video and Audio as I have "invested" far to much cash on my TV and 5.1 Speakers/Amp.

Chromebox I think is out of my budget, early on I looked at an NUC and a the Celeron 4gb ASUS is the same price as the Intel Celeron NUC with drive and memory about £200 then add £100 for an external hdd or £200-250 for a NAS and £15 for remote or Keyboard.

Pi with USB HDD would be £200
Pi with D-Link ShareCenter 2 Bay Cloud Network Storage Enclosure & drive would be £260
Pi with Synology DS213J 2 Bay DiskStation Desktop NAS & drive would be £360
Pi with N54L ( as NAS ) & drive would be £300
Using a Pivos rather than Pi would reduce cost £50
Using a chromebox ( asus 4gb celeron ) would add £115
N54L with drive and remote and graphics would be £240 ( used as XBMC device )

I like the idea of the N54L or NAS over USB due to the obvious easy nature of expanding storage over USB HDD, which I suppose is why I initially leaned towards using the N54L as the XBMC box due to its low cost, better performance than Pi and ease of storage expansion.

I also have some old Dells laying around an e7500 vostro and an e8400 opti 960, however I have ruled these out on the basis they would consume 2-3x the power of the N54L and not exactly quiet.

Regards and again many thanks for all your assistance with this matter
A

**edit**

Just to throw another spanner in the works, what about that Asustor AS-202TE as XBMC device with keyboard / remote and drive would work out at £300

this review is seriously tempting me
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R24Y6567Z...=computers

[noggin]

Curious I had ruled out droid boxes as from what I had read I had assumed a Pi @1Ghz was a better solution. These are avail already setup with XBMC for just £50 about half what a Pi with extras would cost. Is this seriously a viable device able to perform ?

Android boxes may be fine for your situation - but they are not great in A/V quality terms. The Pi is undoubtedly a better quality player in audio & video terms in Europe (where we have a mix of frame rates). Watching 25p stuff at 60Hz or 24p stuff at 50Hz is pretty nasty. (The Pi will automatically switch frame rates, Android currently can't implement that) Droid boxes allow you to run other apps - like Netflix - and the faster ones may have a snappier UI than the Pi.

A Model B Pi with PSU, SD card, HDMI cable and Case can be bought for £42. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raspberry-model-...spberry+pi

A keyboard and mouse should cost you less than £9. http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-USB-Keyboard...+and+mouse

That's £51 for all you need to run XBMC on a cabled connection. Add a £5 WiFi dongle to that if you need WiFi.

If you prefer Pimoroni stuff they currently have a 10% off offer until Sunday. They do a very nice starter bundle (B+, case and SD/MicroSD card for a little bit more - but the cases are great and the company is also great) for £45 (not including 10% discount) but you'd need to add a PSU and HDMI cable.

Chromebox I think is out of my budget, early on I looked at an NUC and a the Celeron 4gb ASUS is the same price as the Intel Celeron NUC with drive and memory about £200 then add £100 for an external hdd or £200-250 for a NAS and £15 for remote or Keyboard.

The 4GB Celeron HP Chromebox is £150 not £200. (HP's online store price is £149) It's a better performer than the Intel Baytrail 2820 NUC (the Chromebox has a Haswell 2955U CPU which is a better performer than the GPU in the 2820. Only really an issue if you care about scaling and de-interlacing quality) However the Chromebox comes with a 16GB SSD, 4GB (in this version) of RAM and an integrated WiFi/Bluetooth card. You can probably build the NUC for a lower cost but the Chromebox is a very effective solution. I run one with OpenElec and "it just works".

http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Produc...9D05EA#ABU

You can either add a cheap USB IR remote control or a Bluetooth PS3 remote (which doesn't require a dongle) - the USB remote will also wake the Chromebox from standby I believe, but you may occasionally have to re-pair it.

If you can get the N54L for £100 after cash back, then that running an Open Source OS with the Pi as a client is probably a very good low cost solution at around £155.

I run an N54L with a Chromebox in a secondary location, and it's a great combination for around £270-280 (adding a keyboard and remote to the costs)

I've removed the cost of HDDs as these will be the same whatever you buy.

[noggin]

**edit**

Just to throw another spanner in the works, what about that Asustor AS-202TE as XBMC device with keyboard / remote and drive would work out at £300

this review is seriously tempting me
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R24Y6567Z...=computers

I think the issue with that box is that you are putting all of your eggs in one basket. If you want to upgrade your storage you're left with a very large and unwieldy XBMC client, if you want to upgrade your XBMC client you're left with a slightly OTT storage solution (rather than being able to eBay on what you've replaced, or pass it on to someone else - which is what usually happens with my redundant stuff)

I also don't know how 'mainline' the XBMC client running on the box is. It flies in the face of what a lot of us do - which is put the noisy storage somewhere other than our living room (to reduce noise/heat etc.) and just run a small client (in my case usually a Chromebox) in the living room. My Sky+HD is the only spinning hard drive that runs regularly in my living room. (The games consoles only spin their drives when powered). The storage for my XBMC library (CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays) is all in a cupboard under the stairs. (I run unRAID on a self build server in my main location)

[anrkyuk]

Curious I had ruled out droid boxes as from what I had read I had assumed a Pi @1Ghz was a better solution. These are avail already setup with XBMC for just £50 about half what a Pi with extras would cost. Is this seriously a viable device able to perform ?

Android boxes may be fine for your situation - but they are not great in A/V quality terms. The Pi is undoubtedly a better quality player in audio & video terms in Europe (where we have a mix of frame rates). Watching 25p stuff at 60Hz or 24p stuff at 50Hz is pretty nasty. (The Pi will automatically switch frame rates, Android currently can't implement that) Droid boxes allow you to run other apps - like Netflix - and the faster ones may have a snappier UI than the Pi.

A Model B Pi with PSU, SD card, HDMI cable and Case can be bought for £42. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raspberry-model-...spberry+pi

A keyboard and mouse should cost you less than £9. http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-USB-Keyboard...+and+mouse

That's £51 for all you need to run XBMC on a cabled connection. Add a £5 WiFi dongle to that if you need WiFi.

If you prefer Pimoroni stuff they currently have a 10% off offer until Sunday. They do a very nice starter bundle (B+, case and SD/MicroSD card for a little bit more - but the cases are great and the company is also great) for £45 (not including 10% discount) but you'd need to add a PSU and HDMI cable.

Forgive me I was under the impression that the Pi ran better with the OS on a microsd card and XBMC on USB stick, when first planning the Pi route I budgeted in a 4-8gb Card with an 8Gb stick

[noggin]

Curious I had ruled out droid boxes as from what I had read I had assumed a Pi @1Ghz was a better solution. These are avail already setup with XBMC for just £50 about half what a Pi with extras would cost. Is this seriously a viable device able to perform ?

Android boxes may be fine for your situation - but they are not great in A/V quality terms. The Pi is undoubtedly a better quality player in audio & video terms in Europe (where we have a mix of frame rates). Watching 25p stuff at 60Hz or 24p stuff at 50Hz is pretty nasty. (The Pi will automatically switch frame rates, Android currently can't implement that) Droid boxes allow you to run other apps - like Netflix - and the faster ones may have a snappier UI than the Pi.

A Model B Pi with PSU, SD card, HDMI cable and Case can be bought for £42. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raspberry-model-...spberry+pi

A keyboard and mouse should cost you less than £9. http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-USB-Keyboard...+and+mouse

That's £51 for all you need to run XBMC on a cabled connection. Add a £5 WiFi dongle to that if you need WiFi.

If you prefer Pimoroni stuff they currently have a 10% off offer until Sunday. They do a very nice starter bundle (B+, case and SD/MicroSD card for a little bit more - but the cases are great and the company is also great) for £45 (not including 10% discount) but you'd need to add a PSU and HDMI cable.

Forgive me I was under the impression that the Pi ran better with the OS on a microsd card and XBMC on USB stick, when first planning the Pi route I budgeted in a 4-8gb Card with an 8Gb stick

Yes - the Pi can, in some situations, run faster with local storage on a separate USB stick (USB3 sticks are often faster than USB2 even if you are only using a USB2 connection) You could add another £5 or so for an 8GB USB3 stick from someone like Lexar I guess?

[Milhouse]

A good 8GB SD card, such as that available from the Raspberry Pi Foundation store for £5, is likely to offer performance similar to a good USB3 stick, and should be sufficient to run Kodi (OpenELEC, Raspbian etc.) leaving you with one extra USB port available for other devices.

In the past SD+USB would be recommended for increased stability and performance reasons, but as these issues are now resolved I think you should be fine with just SD. The key recommendation when choosing an SD card for use with Kodi is to choose one with good read/write performance (particularly 4K read/write), as is the case with the SD card offered by the Foundation.

[noggin]

I defer to Milhouse. He knows far more than I do about these things.