Poll
Best HTPC setup?
Full Desktop (wireless keyboard & mouse)
16 votes (27%)
Laptop (connected as needed)
5 votes (8%)
Tablet (with HDMI out)
0 votes (0%)
Apple TV
2 votes (3%)
Google TV (Chromecast, Nexus Q, etc...)
0 votes (0%)
Game console
3 votes (5%)
Roku
1 vote (2%)
Slingbox
0 votes (0%)
Something more exotic
18 votes (31%)
I don't have a TV, you insensitive clod!
14 votes (24%)
18 comments
59 votes
Reply 18 comments

What? (Score: 1)

by unitron@pipedot.org on 2014-02-27 13:56 (#7G)

No love for TiVo?

Re: What? (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-02-28 14:40 (#87)

No TiVo here.. so.. no

Re: What? (Score: 1)

by preston@pipedot.org on 2014-03-02 06:14 (#8M)

That's what the CowBoyNeal aka "I don't have a TV you insensitive clod" option is for. Then of course come here and complain more ;)

Wireless keyboard and TRACKBALL... (Score: 2, Funny)

by pslytelypsycho@pipedot.org on 2014-02-28 07:33 (#7Y)

I got used to a logitech thumball years ago, I find mice difficult to use...not to mention my cat keeps eating them....

Bay Trail (Score: 2, Informative)

by slash2phar@pipedot.org on 2014-02-28 13:46 (#86)

Intel NUC DN2820FYKH running OpenElec

Re: Bay Trail (Score: 1)

by bryan@pipedot.org on 2014-03-02 08:40 (#8N)

Oh nice, 22nm bay trail atom with 2.5" drive spot, 4 watts at idle.

Ouya (Score: 2, Interesting)

by songofthepogo@pipedot.org on 2014-03-02 20:15 (#8Q)

We backed the Ouya "just because", never expecting to actually do anything with it beyond set it on a shelf as a souvenir, but we've found great use for it as a media player using XBMC.

Plex (Score: 1)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-03-03 12:14 (#90)

I've got FreeNAS with the Plex Media Server plug in blasting out my media. The family can watch on their ipads, Nexus tablets, and via a Roku/Plex connected to the TV, different movies all at once. I'm actually stunned at how well it works. Cable TV can now officially kiss my gringo butt.

The Plex app is like XBMC but a bit newer/better. The new Roku runs it. Roku wants me to subscribe to a bunch of channels, which I don't do and don't need to do. The fact it runs Plex and picks up my FreeNAS over wireless is the only trick it needs to do.

I could have saved a few bucks by installing a Chromecast which now also runs Plex, but I was reticent to do so and Plex makes you buy something called PlexPass which sounds suspiciously like an attempt to work me into a subscription model, which I don't want.

Something more (sorta) Exotic (Score: 1)

by be4verch33se@pipedot.org on 2014-03-03 16:43 (#93)

Why no UPNP/DLNA option? It's far superior to any of these... although I suppose you do need a "Smart" TV to use it.

Tried Raspberry Pi... (Score: 2, Informative)

by caseih@pipedot.org on 2014-03-04 02:59 (#96)

It didn't work out so well. Was very unstable when using hardware-accelerated playback. And frankly I don't really see any mini arm-based PC working quite as well as a regular Intel machine running a full-blown OS. Maybe and Android device would be workable.

But for now, I get the most utility with a mini Intel i5 box running full Windows 7. Tried Linux for a while, but flash sucks in it, and likely always will. And since a lot of web-based TV content is delivered via flash, that was that.

Re: Tried Raspberry Pi... (Score: 1)

by bryan@pipedot.org on 2014-03-04 10:28 (#98)

My ASUS transformer tablet has an HDMI out that I've connected to a TV to watch a movie or two on. The best I could manage was 720p though. Plus, the hardware acceleration can't always keep up with the high-end encoding settings and it skips. I've tried Atoms (45nm) and AMD Brazos (40nm) with mixed results as well.

Since a real desktop-grade processor can decode full HD in software without breaking a sweat and still only use 10-15 watts at the wall, I've kinda given up on the whole "low end" / "low power" HTPC setup.

Full Desktop Baby! (Score: 1)

by sleazyridr@pipedot.org on 2014-03-06 21:17 (#A4)

I just plugged an old tower into a TV. Got a wireless keyboard/trackpad that was about the size of a regular TV remote. That way you can use anything: torrents, Netflix, random dodgy streaming sites, games, youtube all right there on my TV. Of course, the mini-keyboard wasn't amazing for games but you have to sacrifice somewhere.

Re: Full Desktop Baby! (Score: 1)

by gallondr00nk@pipedot.org on 2014-03-07 01:00 (#AA)

Same. A cute black mid 2000's IBM Netvista with a spare dual core pentium running arch with XBMC, though in my case I just use a cheap remote instead of a kb/mouse combo.

Re: Full Desktop Baby! (Score: 1)

by fransve@pipedot.org on 2017-05-17 16:17 (#2PT1F)

Sounds Great! I also really enjoy netflix the free way :-). It's great to watch netflix and even better free.

YaVDR (Score: 1)

by omoc@pipedot.org on 2014-03-07 16:26 (#AS)

I use YaVDR. It comes in a very great package with zero effort on my part and included XBMC. OpenELEC is a close runner up.