2014-09-10, 15:50
I have been running a houseful of XBMC clients for several years, starting with Windows/XBMC and slowly moving to OpenElec installs.
I have a new bedroom TV that needs a HTPC that can run XBMC. I had a spare Raspberry Pi which plays HD video surprisingly well, but any kind of navigation or searching in the UI takes a very long time. I am looking for something a step up from the Pi but less than a Windows-centric HTPC. All media is on a separate server in the house.
Requirements:
- fanless or nearly silent
- RJ-45 Ethernet, Wifi not needed or desired
- Decent speed in the UI but doesn't have to match PC speeds
- Netflix streaming would be a plus
- Somewhat straightforward to use
I know there are Android HTPCs but I have not tried them myself. Is there any clear winner in terms of hardware? I assume most Android HTPCs have a way to access the App Store to get the Netflix app. I see that some people use the Amazon Fire TV, how well does that work with XBMC? Based on the description, it looks like XBMC get shunted down into a Applications area instead of showing on bootup. I am concerned this will be too complicated a user experience for non-techies.
I have a new bedroom TV that needs a HTPC that can run XBMC. I had a spare Raspberry Pi which plays HD video surprisingly well, but any kind of navigation or searching in the UI takes a very long time. I am looking for something a step up from the Pi but less than a Windows-centric HTPC. All media is on a separate server in the house.
Requirements:
- fanless or nearly silent
- RJ-45 Ethernet, Wifi not needed or desired
- Decent speed in the UI but doesn't have to match PC speeds
- Netflix streaming would be a plus
- Somewhat straightforward to use
I know there are Android HTPCs but I have not tried them myself. Is there any clear winner in terms of hardware? I assume most Android HTPCs have a way to access the App Store to get the Netflix app. I see that some people use the Amazon Fire TV, how well does that work with XBMC? Based on the description, it looks like XBMC get shunted down into a Applications area instead of showing on bootup. I am concerned this will be too complicated a user experience for non-techies.