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Making home entertainment and home computing work together

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  • 30-06-2013 4:22pm
    #1
    TenLeftFingers
    Registered Users Posts: 683 ✭✭✭


    I've decided to put all our media (movies, music, save-games) on a NAS so that reinstalling the PC operating system, or the computer being in use won't prevent someone watching a film or listening to music.

    I've also picked out a monitor for the sitting room. My question is - what's a small, quiet and cheap option to get said media to the display? I have an old PC with XBMC which is capable of the job but it's a big horrible thing for our spartan sitting room and it makes a lot of noise. I've considered the raspberry Pi but I'm not sure if it's up to the job and it seems to need a lot of cables.

    So I really want: quiet, cheap, small, wireless where possible and a nice UI.

    Is there a good way to go about this?


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    #2
    uberpixie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,864 ✭✭✭uberpixie


    TenLeftFingers wrote: »
    I've decided to put all our media (movies, music, save-games) on a NAS so that reinstalling the PC operating system, or the computer being in use won't prevent someone watching a film or listening to music.

    I've also picked out a monitor for the sitting room. My question is - what's a small, quiet and cheap option to get said media to the display? I have an old PC with XBMC which is capable of the job but it's a big horrible thing for our spartan sitting room and it makes a lot of noise. I've considered the raspberry Pi but I'm not sure if it's up to the job and it seems to need a lot of cables.

    So I really want: quiet, cheap, small, wireless where possible and a nice UI.

    Is there a good way to go about this?

    Load of options:

    1) Smart Blu ray player with the plex client installed on it (what is currently used in our house) Cost €100+ depending on the model

    2) A small media player that can read network shares such as a Western Digital TV Live (have used previously, did the job well and came with a remote) Cost: €50-100

    3) Raspberry pi (guy at work uses with one with the Openelec distro, said it took pretty much 20 mins to setup) cost: €50+ including SD cards etc..

    4) build a small media HTPC

    5) Use a small "stick" android PC on a stick powered off usb port, connected by HDMI and install xmbc on it.


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    #3
    ComputerKing
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 770 ✭✭✭ComputerKing


    I'd say a raspberry pi running xbmc (openelec, raspbmc, xbian) would be your best best cheap and very easy to setup.


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    #4
    TenLeftFingers
    Registered Users Posts: 683 ✭✭✭TenLeftFingers


    Thanks uberpixie & Computer King, I've just ordered an Raspberry Pi :)


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    #5
    zxce
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭zxce


    TenLeftFingers wrote: »
    spartan


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