Building a HTPC

Discussion in 'Technology' started by ali_f, Oct 5, 2014.

  1. Apple TV is no more of a closed ecosystem for media use than any of the others. You're not required to use content that you purchased through iTunes. And the "we support every device" angle for Plex is a plus and a minus at the same time….jack of all trades, master of none. If an OS update on one of the platforms breaks some of the functionality, it's anybody's guess as to how long you'll be waiting for it to work again.
     
  2. That's nothing more than an internet meme. Plex doesn't do anything for free that iTunes doesn't do, and there are plenty of gaps the other way around.
     
  3. ITunes sucks balls
     
  4. Still unable to do anything except troll when it comes to Apple products, eh? Tsk, tsk.
     
  5. The latest iTunes update made it run terribly. It locks up and hangs in the store constantly for me on my PC. It's a shame too because for the last year or so, I actually found iTunes very usable after hating it for years.
     
  6. Torrent Sites + XBMC = The top choice of pirates and thieves the world over

    Anything else is just letting misplaced morality get in the way of a superior experience.
     
  7. What's your setup like? Do you run torrents on HTPC itself or have a separate one?

    Chromecast is really the only advantage I saw with Plex vs. XBMC. Apple TV's are a $100 a pop, I could setup 3 CC TVs for that price...
     
  8. Isn't xbmc called kodi now?
     
  9. Front end: AMD A6 APU HTPC with XBMC
    Back end: Core i7 gaming PC with a 4TB HDD for movies, tv shows, porn, etc
     
  10. Codec shmodec. AirPlay Mirroring and VLC will get all of your Putin approved pirated MKV files to play on Apple TV...no jailbreaking, converting, remuxing, or PC building required.

    So difficult!
     
  11. Thanks. I actually have an extra power supply for use with that thing. I could probably build a separate HTPC + fileserver for fairly cheap with extra parts. Would an SSD really help it in any way other than fast boot?

    Now that I remember, the whole reason this PC was under the TV in the first place was I wasn't happy with a bunch of streaming box options I had tried.

    Haha. If you download Kodi, you'll find nothing works and help forums recommend the final version of XMBC.
     
  12. Looks like MediaBrowser3 will send XMBC stuff to Chromecast, making Plex & Airplay moot.
     
  13. Hmmmm....a discontinued version of XBMC + software that relies on community help to "step up" and improve their code/functionality at random...what could go wrong?
     
  14. Anything that might go wrong can be remedied easier because it's a freakin PC. I could switch to VLC playback of local files, and explore some slick overlay if XMBC takes a dump. I could always get Plex & AppleTV later.

    So far free has delivered! This discussion only started due to a hardware failure. Seemed like a good time to evaluate options.
     
  15. I haven't paid a penny for any of the software I'm using for media streaming. It's all free too. I could also run Windows if I wanted. There's nothing easier about using a PC when it comes to media streaming.
     
  16. I vaguely recall having this discussion on the old forum. I think I tried no less than 6 set top boxes (not Apple TV).

    Having a PC connected just worked better for me. Awesome DL, IMDB lookups, Facebook. All faster with a m/kb. I also have a decent videoCard to play Steam games on the TV.

    Of course, I would only spend that kinda money on one TV. The rest will have to get a cheaper set top box. I usually chromecast stuff from my iPad in the other rooms now.
     
  17. I'm just posting to clear up the MANY misconceptions about media streaming with Apple tech. It's not closed. It doesn't prevent you from using obscure codecs. There aren't any functional limitations vs. PC.
     
  18. I pre-ordered the Amazon Fire TV stick when they had it for $20. I'm thinking it will be a good replacement for Chromcast on one of my TVs. Chromecast is great but sometimes I don't have my phone on me and I just want to watch Netflix.
     
  19. Is there a minimum ram or graphics requirement for 4K video? Will a dual core celery with 8GB and intel graphics work?
     
  20. Dual core celery works best with 8OZ of cheese whip.
     
    • agree agree x 1