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Amdis posted:Nothing important like that, it's just going to be a dump for all my media files. Whoa dude, this might be the wrong forum for you, we only consider solutions for legitimately acquired esoteric anime imports, endlessly redundant Linux distros, and ~family photos~.
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Dec 9, 2016 22:25
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The standard method for the last 2 years or so is basically get a NAS to store all your Linux ISOs on and use thin clients for watching...installing? We need a new code term here - your stuff. Cheap boxes that connect to TVs and can play virtually anything are where it is at. The only real reason to go the HTPC route these days is if you are a total videophile sperg with the very best audio and display devices that you calibrate with pro tools and you want to run stuff like MadVR or Reclock to transform a HTPC in to a high-end multimedia processor. Which if you don't have said top-shelf set of audio and video devices to take advantage of is a total waste of time and money. Otherwise, get a Shield, or Mi box/whatever the gently caress that cheap Android TV thing is, or Apple TV, Roku, Pi, whatever and go nuts for TV playback while storing all those sweet Linux ISOs on the NAS.
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Dec 10, 2016 00:01
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HTPC also gives you the option for bideo shames. Steam Big Picture and a 360/xbone controller is nice
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Dec 10, 2016 03:20
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I've got a media server that runs Emby, and a NAS that I have everything on the media server backed up on. Then I have two Nvidia Shields, a FireTV and a FireTV stick that I serve the media up to. I use Kodi on the two shields and the Emby app on the FireTVs. My wife and kid also watch stuff with the Emby web interface on iPhone/iPad. The watched/in progress is synced across Emby and Kodi. If you're going to serve up your media on something like a FireTV or Shield, then just using a NAS is probably fine since you won't have to do any encoding. I already had the parts sitting around so that's why I built a server and grabbed a Synology NAS. I also use the NAS to back up everything else around the house, since it's got decent apps that makes for backing up photos and such on an iPhone/iPad (and I assume Android as well) pretty simple.
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Dec 10, 2016 05:20
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Ixian posted:The standard method for the last 2 years or so is basically get a NAS to store all your Linux ISOs on and use thin clients for watching...installing? We need a new code term here - your stuff. If people aren't using an HTPC, do you just have the NAS controlling the Linux ISO downloading apps like SABnzbd and Sonarr, but you know the one for Linux ISOs? My friend set mine up how he had his setup and those apps run on the Intel NUC HTPC which is running Linux and then it also runs Kodi. He said this is just because if the NAS does it, the IP address scheme is annoying or something? I gave my old HTPC, a Zotac Nano AD10, from when those were popular here 4 years ago, to my dad. That's just connected to a linux server, no NAS, which controls the apps and the HTPC just has Windows. I have Kodi with Plex running over it and it's been super slow navigating lately. It was always kind of slow trying to browse the web and streaming stuff in a browser was always choppy despite playing 1080p HOME MOVIES in Kodi just fine. I'm thinking about replacing the 4GB RAM with an 8GB stick. Think that would do anything? Sounds like you're saying that just getting a Fire TV is better than spending ~$50 on memory. He did just buy a Harmony Remote and an Echo Dot to control his home theater, Kodi, etc. He's also very pumped to play his enormous music collection through the iTunes cloud off the HTPC but maybe there's alternatives?
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Dec 14, 2016 23:33
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I'm still using an AD10 with LibreELEC and it works fine. Do that instead of Windows + Kodi.
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Dec 15, 2016 02:40
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wolfbiker posted:I'm still using an AD10 with LibreELEC and it works fine. Do that instead of Windows + Kodi. He watches Netflix using the Windows app and iTunes too though like I said. How much RAM do you have? Is Kodi known to run better with different OSs?
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Dec 15, 2016 19:00
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4GB I think. I must have overlooked the other requirements. I would say an Apple TV would be a better option, but I don't think that can run Kodi. Not sure of any other boxes like a Fire TV Xiaomi Mi TV box can do iTunes.
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Dec 16, 2016 02:48
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Get a good thin client like the Mi or the Shield TV that doesn't really need any heavy server-side transcoding. Run Plex (or Emby) on a small NAS where you store your (your dads) media. There are better ways to do this but that is the simplest and possibly cheapest one. Use the Plex (or Emby) client on the thin client. Or install Kodi (which is available on Google Play for Android TV and others) and use the library addons both have to sync libraries. Run Netflix or whatever else on the same client. For Android TV the only major one that isn't available is Amazon Prime video because Amazon are being a bunch of dicks about it. If you want that get a Fire TV box. If he is absolutely married to iTunes for music (there are other ways to go there, like Play Music, Prime Music, Spotify, whatever) then the Apple TV is the only real way to go in this context. Plex works very well on it. You can also install Kodi though that is a little complicated and involves having a Mac and the ability to compile it with XCode then transfer - which is easier than it sounds, really, though something of a hassle when it comes to updates. Honestly unless he has bought a ton of stuff on itunes he's probably going to be just as easily pleased with other music services that run on other boxes. Which would be easier in the long run if you prefer Kodi.
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Dec 16, 2016 03:43
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4gb of RAM should be enough to run kodi and plex, they're CPU heavy rather than RAM heavy, if you're running very old hardware. You can just confirm this with task manager or whatever, though. If your RAM is constantly pegged, more of it should help. If your CPU is pegged, you need a new computer.
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Dec 16, 2016 07:39
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Emby works on AppleTV as well. I haven't tried it out yet. I'm currently on Plex and thinking of switching to Emby myself.
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Dec 16, 2016 16:26
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What's the CPU hit for Plex like if you're not downsampling video ("original" quality)? I tried Plex on my Synology a few years ago and it didn't have the CPU to transcode, but I'm not sure I need to anymore.
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Dec 17, 2016 00:01
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Might still need to do the audio.
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Dec 17, 2016 00:22
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Yes, audio-only transcoding is still fairly common when the client devices don't support it (i.e. the device they are running on doesn't support the audio codec or you aren't passing through to an AVR that does) but that is a pretty low CPU hit. "Direct Streaming" is also a common thing, where the device you are playing on might support, for example, the h.264 general profile, but not, also for example, the mkv container said essence is wrapped in. Both of the above are things even modern low powered NAS devices can handle (though if you share and have multiple streams at the same time, less so). The heaviest workload comes when you are playing back on a client that flat out won't support the container and codec used for video/audio. Kodi handles all that client side no matter what, as long as the hardware is powerful enough. Plex, Emby, et. all do not. In part - a large part - this is due to licensing/patent issues - there's a reason Plex and Emby have "free" servers (that handle transcoding duties) but clients are often for-pay, in full or in part. That is the business model. Kodi is free and open source, which doesn't exempt it from patent/legal issues but does make them a much less attractive target.
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Dec 17, 2016 06:45
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wolfbiker posted:4GB I think. I must have overlooked the other requirements. I would say an Apple TV would be a better option, but I don't think that can run Kodi. If you have access to a Mac and Xcode, it can. If you don't, there's ports of Kodi that have the whole plug-in infrastructure removed because that's what violates App Store guidelines etc. And if you don't like that, and your Apple TV is your primary media consumption device, there's Infuse which a lot of people love. However, it doesn't track watch statuses etc across multiple devices via a shared backend the way that Plex and Emby do.
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Dec 17, 2016 07:50
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Any suggestions on a good wireless mini keyboard? My regular desktop is only 10 feet from my TV (apartment living!) and I figured just running an HDMI cable to my TV and extending my desktop to it for gaming/other stuff was the simplest solution. Need some sort of input solution that can be toggled on/off and won't interfere with my default keyboard and mouse (and require me to, for example, manually go and swap my input device back and forth every time in control panel like my headphones). Using Windows 10 64 and ideally would have is own rechargeable battery instead of relying on AAs/AAAs. I have a gamepad (PS4 controller) so I don't need it to be usable as one or anything.
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Dec 29, 2016 15:20
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Fuzz posted:Any suggestions on a good wireless mini keyboard? The k400+ is a good bet. Practically every Windows nowadays will support multiple keyboards and mice controlling the computer at once, so interference isn't an issue. The only problem is that it uses AA batteries, but you should be good on a single charge for about a year.
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Dec 29, 2016 16:02
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Seconding the K400+. I had the original K400 for like 2 years, only had to replace the batteries once, and I just replaced it with a + because one of my friends spilled a drink in it. I also have a really bad habit of forgetting to turn the keyboard off for a day or two here and there, so that's a further testament to how energy efficient it is. If you're wanting much smaller than that, like remote-sized, there's a bunch of truly mini-keyboards out there like this, which came out as a brief trending response to the glut of cheap XBMC/Kodi devices that released a couple years ago. They work well enough, but the buttons are TINY.
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Dec 29, 2016 17:04
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G-Prime posted:Seconding the K400+. I had the original K400 for like 2 years, only had to replace the batteries once, and I just replaced it with a + because one of my friends spilled a drink in it. I also have a really bad habit of forgetting to turn the keyboard off for a day or two here and there, so that's a further testament to how energy efficient it is. I only turn mine off if I'm cleaning it or the one time my nieces came over and wanted to push every button they could find. I'm still on the original set of batteries 1.5 years in. They automatically go into sleep mode and wake up when you hit a button.
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Dec 29, 2016 17:31
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The downside I see on that K400+ is it not being backlit when you're trying to use it in a dark room to watch a movie. I have a different Logitech mini remote-style keyboard thing (shaped like a little t-bone steak) and it's a giant pain with no light AND tiny keys.
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Dec 29, 2016 18:25
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SpelledBackwards posted:The downside I see on that K400+ is it not being backlit when you're trying to use it in a dark room to watch a movie. I have a different Logitech mini remote-style keyboard thing (shaped like a little t-bone steak) and it's a giant pain with no light AND tiny keys. FWIW, we use one all the time in the dark and it's just muscle memory.
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Dec 29, 2016 19:29
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Thermopyle posted:FWIW, we use one all the time in the dark and it's just muscle memory. This. A K400+ is a standard sized QWERTY keyboard. If you can type on the forums without staring at your hands, you can use it in the dark for basic HTPC functions.
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Dec 29, 2016 19:59
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SpelledBackwards posted:The downside I see on that K400+ is it not being backlit when you're trying to use it in a dark room to watch a movie. I have a different Logitech mini remote-style keyboard thing (shaped like a little t-bone steak) and it's a giant pain with no light AND tiny keys. The K830 is backlit.
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Dec 29, 2016 21:47
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SpelledBackwards posted:The downside I see on that K400+ is it not being backlit when you're trying to use it in a dark room to watch a movie. I have a different Logitech mini remote-style keyboard thing (shaped like a little t-bone steak) and it's a giant pain with no light AND tiny keys. I switch between a K400 and Logitech Harmony remote. I'd use the Harmony 99% of the time, but I'm lazy and surf the net on my TV instead of going to my office PC, so the keyboard gets regular use.
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Dec 29, 2016 22:51
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I use this with my tablet, but I like to sit and watch TV or listen to music while also browsing the internet on my tablet so I have it with me all the time anyway. I also have an IR remote for KODI too. https://www.unifiedremote.com/
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Dec 30, 2016 02:22
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I just figured out that the Chromecast capabilities built in to the shield tv don't include the nearby devices functionality so people coming over can't cast to it unless I hand out my wifi password. That's quite unfortunate.
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Jan 3, 2017 02:03
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How do you guys control the Netflix Windows 10 app with your htpc remote? It doesn't launch full screen and the directional keys on the Harmony don't seem to do anything in the menus. Looks like this is one solution. http://www.howtogeek.com/254551/how-to-control-netflix-in-windows-with-your-tv-remote/
KingKapalone fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Jan 9, 2017 |
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Jan 6, 2017 01:35
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I can't view that link but I have a flirc and map the arrow keys to arrow keys and pause/play to space bar. With a harmony 650. I use a tiny bt keyboard and trackpad for searches and stuff.
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Jan 6, 2017 08:03
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Thermopyle posted:I just figured out that the Chromecast capabilities built in to the shield tv don't include the nearby devices functionality so people coming over can't cast to it unless I hand out my wifi password. Can't you do a guest network with your router? I've gone that route for years, given that visitors generally want to use my internet far more than they want to cast stuff. A decent router will allow you to lock out access to your local network with exceptions (such as to the Shield TV) and also control bandwidth. My Asus model does this for example. Also means I can easily change the password without jacking up my other devices that are on wifi all the time.
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Jan 8, 2017 09:38
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Ixian posted:Can't you do a guest network with your router? I've gone that route for years, given that visitors generally want to use my internet far more than they want to cast stuff. Yeah, my guests are all on the guest network and after enough complaints I fixed it up so the Shield could see their devices. I just didn't know that the Shield doesn't support full Chromecast capabilities and I was reporting it to people who might care.
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Jan 8, 2017 16:24
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What's about the lowest I could effectively run Windows Media Center and a HD Homerun on? I've kept my current computer on Windows 7 just because I use it as a Media Center PC and my Xbox 360 as an extender, but I need to upgrade soon and have to accept Windows 10 into my life. I was thinking of getting a low power PC just to use occasionally as a Media Center PC, and since that would literally be it's only purpose, I would like to make it as small/cheap as possible.
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Jan 24, 2017 01:58
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Medullah posted:What's about the lowest I could effectively run Windows Media Center and a HD Homerun on? I've kept my current computer on Windows 7 just because I use it as a Media Center PC and my Xbox 360 as an extender, but I need to upgrade soon and have to accept Windows 10 into my life. It runs pretty well on modern atom processors. I have an ECS liva in my guest room (N2807/2gb and external USB drive), but probably wouldn't go lower than that.
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Jan 24, 2017 02:07
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Medullah posted:What's about the lowest I could effectively run Windows Media Center and a HD Homerun on? I've kept my current computer on Windows 7 just because I use it as a Media Center PC and my Xbox 360 as an extender, but I need to upgrade soon and have to accept Windows 10 into my life. I used to run it recording 2 tuners on a zotac AD10 which has a super slow E350 amd cpu.
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Jan 24, 2017 05:30
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Anyone else with a Harmony Hub and a Windows htpc? I'm assigning different programs to launch by using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Pinned to Taskbar commands. Problem is that they don't have 4-0 as an option in the command list. There's a way to add missing commands through Harmony but not for a Computer. Any ideas? Maybe a way to change the hotkeys for the taskbar to a command Harmony recognizes?
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Jan 24, 2017 22:13
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Ideally I'd like to build an all in one box to handle all my video playing/streaming needs and also double as a PC because reasons. I want to build a Windows HTPC and plunk a bluray drive in there. I'm vaguely aware that in order to not worry about 4k content (DRM/HDCP) I need a KabyLake proc/mobo and GeForce 10-series (1080/1070/...) From what I see there's really not a lot of options for hardware. Would I just be better off getting an Nvidia shield and separate Bluray player? Is what I want even this a feasible thing yet?
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Jan 25, 2017 03:52
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Don't buy a PC for Blu-ray playback. Buy an Xbox one s.
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Jan 25, 2017 04:23
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As far as I'm aware only PowerDVD is still under active development, and it does not currently support 4K Blu-Ray. They received certification in December so its likely that there will be support in an upcoming version soon, but that's not now. If you insist on playing spinning media in a PC and want to be ready to support 4K you'll need it to be running Windows 10 and have one of the following GPU families: Intel Kaby Lake (7000 series) AMD Polaris (RX 460-480) nVidia GM206 (950, certain 960) or Pascal (10xx) You'll also need a drive capable of reading triple-layer BDXLs, but that's pretty easy on a new build. As far as I've heard playing legit blurays on a PC has always been a pile of pain and 4K makes everything more strict. I'd run a standalone, or if you have any interest in one an Xbox One S isn't much more expensive than the dedicated 4K bluray players and then you get a game console along with it. Why Sony skipped supporting 4K bluray on PS4 Pro I'll never figure out. They let their competition scoop them on their own drat format.
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Jan 25, 2017 04:49
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Sony's reading the writing on the walls that digital distribution is the future.
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Jan 25, 2017 05:06
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Blu-ray on PC is an absolute trash experience from start to finish, by design. Turn back! Turn back!
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Jan 25, 2017 15:01
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Well that answers that question. gently caress Bluray then. That's actually great news for me because that means I can just leave my current desktop in the living room and build myself a new desktop for my desk 
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Jan 25, 2017 19:09
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