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Cheapest small 'box' for XBMC?
#1
Hi
not sure if this question has already been asked but what is the smallest box I can get to run xbmc eg. Boxee, apple tv size box?
I currently have it running on an acer aspire revolution 3280 ( which is cool ) but I want smaller n cheaper ( for my girls room )
Any ideas?
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#2
Acer Revos are the golden standard of small and cheap in this community. You can pick from other available ION systems (Zboxes, Shuttles, etc.) but they will all be the same approximate price and size as a Revo.

If you are willing to sacrifice some on the experience you MIGHT be able to get a first gen AppleTV+ Broadcom card for cheaper, but I think the size is the same.

I know what you are basically asking: "What small $100 set top box like the second Gen AppleTV or the WD Live supports XBMC?" The answer to that question is none do- XBMC is the high end when it comes to media players.

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#3
I noticed that there has been some work on the beagle board not sure if this is still being worked on or even if it's out yet?
If you didn't already know it's a tiny chipset moboard ?
Look about 1/2 to 1/4 the size of the Acer revo
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#4
The Beagle Board is pretty cool for a tiny server, but it has no hardware built in to play 1080p files. A GSOC was created to port XBMC to the Beagle Board so that XBMC has an embedded future (as it looks like many future media boxen will have the same CPU, etc. as the Beagle Board), but that is not usable by any means:

http://beagleboard.org/project/XBMC/

For the time being, as in the next one or two years, ION systems are the best and cheapest XBMC boxes.

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#5
I'd say but then I'd have to start killing people. Smile
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#6
davilla Wrote:I'd say but then I'd have to start killing people. Smile

Please do! Big Grin
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#7
No! There's already too much violence in the world! Laugh
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#8
davilla Wrote:I'd say but then I'd have to start killing people. Smile

I can't wait for you to prove me wrong yet again!

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#9
davilla Wrote:I'd say but then I'd have to start killing people. Smile

A port to the new Apple TV?

JR
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#10
Old Atom non-ion board (like 230, you can get those very cheap on ebay) + broadcom cristal HD + some memory + (not necessarily) case.
If you use live setup, you probably won't need HDD. Cost will be close to 100 bucks.
Drawback is that it will move kinda slow and you will be limited to simpler skins. But it will play 1080p for sure.
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#11
The cheapest new, non barebones system I can find right now is this Zotac Mag. If you want to buy refurbished you could probably pick up a revo 1600 on ebay for around 175 if you're patient.

http://www.amazon.com/Zotac-MAG-Intel-NV...592&sr=8-1
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#12
Vultures Wrote:Old Atom non-ion board (like 230, you can get those very cheap on ebay) + broadcom cristal HD + some memory + (not necessarily) case.
If you use live setup, you probably won't need HDD. Cost will be close to 100 bucks.
Drawback is that it will move kinda slow and you will be limited to simpler skins. But it will play 1080p for sure.

If you're going with a Crystal HD, you might as well go with a 1st gen Apple TV. The Pentium M should be comparable to the Atom and the form factor is nicer. The drawbacks would be that you'd lose power management and probably a USB port or two.
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#13
poofyhairguy Wrote:I can't wait for you to prove me wrong yet again!

Image
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#14
Davilla, yer killin me! Tell us already!!!! Smile
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#15
I hate posts where there is a hint of a big announcement. I was planning on picking up some hardware in the next week or so. How long before this new info goes public? CES is in a few weeks so I am going to guess it will be then.
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Cheapest small 'box' for XBMC?0