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new: custom media pc

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  • 24-05-2015 4:30am
    #1
    gagomes
    Registered Users Posts: 378 ✭✭


    1. What is your budget? circa [ <= 300eur]

    2. What will be the main purpose of the computer?
    Connect via HDMI to the telly to play movies. General house automation.

    3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [No]

    4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? [No, or maybe I can't think of any]
    Yes. 3TB hdd.

    5. Do you need a monitor? [No]
    No
    6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [Keyboard/Mouse/Speakers]
    Nope
    7. Are you willing to try overclocking?
    No
    8. How can you pay? [Bank Transfer/Credit Card/Laser]
    All
    9. When are you purchasing? [ASAP]
    ASAP


Comments

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    #2
    Serephucus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,180 ✭✭✭Serephucus


    Do you want it to have any sort of form factor/colour/noise levels?
    Are you going to be storing much stuff on it, or is the storage being handled by a separate machine?

    (Out of curiosity) what home automation stuff are you planning on doing with it?


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    #3
    gagomes
    Registered Users Posts: 378 ✭✭gagomes


    Serephucus wrote: »
    Do you want it to have any sort of form factor/colour/noise levels?
    Are you going to be storing much stuff on it, or is the storage being handled by a separate machine?

    (Out of curiosity) what home automation stuff are you planning on doing with it?

    Storage wise, I'll be putting a 3TB disk and an external usb blu ray and usb wireless nic on it which I already got.

    Usage, will be basically running Linux and xbmc. Ideally I'll use this host for just streaming video to the telly and as a general purpose server, to bridge the connection between skybox and the wireless lan. I currently use a raspbery pi which works well, but I would like it to be a little more responsive.

    An HDMI output will be required (though, I have no other requirements than the HDMI out. I don't intend to play games with it :)

    1. HDMI output requirement
    2. Preferrably Silent, but no specific requirements around this.
    3. Form factor I would love something like this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Dell_Optiplex_745_flat.JPG - if not anything else will do.
    4. 1x Ethernet


    Thank you for the help. I am writing this post by a computer that was spec'd with the kind help from the kind folks on this forum. :)


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    #4
    Serephucus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,180 ✭✭✭Serephucus


    I take it you've look at a Pi 2? 'Cause those things are a pretty massive jump from the first ones.


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    #5
    gagomes
    Registered Users Posts: 378 ✭✭gagomes


    Serephucus wrote: »
    I take it you've look at a Pi 2? 'Cause those things are a pretty massive jump from the first ones.

    I haven't had the chance yet. It's on my wish list. Should I get one?

    I was hoping to have something a bit more powerful, so I can have background tasks while playing videos, etc. :)


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    #6
    Serephucus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,180 ✭✭✭Serephucus


    I don't know to be honest. I tried XBMC on a Pi a while back myself, and while it worked, it was pretty damn slow. From what I understand the Pi 2 is about 4x as fast.

    Maybe something like a NUC then. Not much bigger than a Pi, but you could stuff a low voltage i5 and SSD in there.


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