Mini HTPC option

Redgirl82

I am looking at option for HTPC but not 100% sure if I will fully utilize so I dont want to spend huge money

Current have standard android box which I purchased via a friend and use this to run Kodi but looking at something better

Really have looked at options and not 100%, I have got down to Pipo X7 or Mele PCG03. Both are available from UK

The pipo is coming in around £84 and Mele is £99.99

So really just wondering if anybody have idea which would be best placed to start off with?

Reviews on both seem to be good but the Mele comes with a full windows license and the Pipo has Windows with Bing and seems to be a bit of confusion around Microsoft actually pulling these licenses?

Any help would be great....

Praetorian

I setup an Intel compute stick for my brother at the weekend and it seems to be a great solution. Windows 8.1 is included and I installed Kodi. I have kodi set to start as soon as the pc boots up. I've setup their phones to be able to control kodi. I also installed the netflix windows app and that works well.

You do need a little tech knowhow but not a whole lot. It's a good cheap solution.

captain_boycott

http://thepihut.com/collections/raspberry-pi-kits-and-bundles/products/raspberry-pi-2-media-centre-kit

Chrizfitz

Redgirl82 wrote: »

I am looking at option for HTPC but not 100% sure if I will fully utilize so I dont want to spend huge money

With htpc's you got to ask yourself what you are going to need it to do.

Do you stream everything from the net or do you play everything off a NAS or PC? Or a usb drive?

If your home streaming do you have a wifi network capable for HD streaming or ideally a cabled network?

Or do you need a hard drive in this htpc to store files?

Whats your budget?

I am currently using the intel NUC as my htpc. It has both linux and W7 and a 500GB HD. All my media plays from the nas in my office through kodi and it streams my games from the steam client on my office pc.

Redgirl82

Chrizfitz wrote: »

With htpc's you got to ask yourself what you are going to need it to do.

Do you stream everything from the net or do you play everything off a NAS or PC? Or a usb drive?

If your home streaming do you have a wifi network capable for HD streaming or ideally a cabled network?

Or do you need a hard drive in this htpc to store files?

Whats your budget?

I am currently using the intel NUC as my htpc. It has both linux and W7 and a 500GB HD. All my media plays from the nas in my office through kodi and it streams my games from the steam client on my office pc.

To answer above, at the moment I stream everything but this is due to lack of capacity. My plan would be to invest in mini HTPC and then next stage buy a NAS device to sit on network or a USB harddrive to store files.

I have UPC so no issues with performance. I currently connect direct into router so dont use wifi for streaming....

My current budget is circa 150 euro max.

I had looked at the Raspberry PI before but this was more about getting back into programming than using as a streaming box.

Really I was looking at windows as I want to have option to email/etc off TV. Also paid services like Netflix etc to run on the box. Currently the box I have won't run Netflix as cheap android thing.

Chrizfitz

Redgirl82 wrote: »

To answer above, at the moment I stream everything but this is due to lack of capacity. My plan would be to invest in mini HTPC and then next stage buy a NAS device to sit on network or a USB harddrive to store files.

Do you have a spare 2.5" sata hard drive lying around?

Redgirl82

Chrizfitz wrote: »

Do you have a spare 2.5" sata hard drive lying around?

Nope

Chrizfitz

Redgirl82 wrote: »

Nope

too bad, here is the model I use:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Barebone-Graphics-Bluetooth/dp/B00I60Z8Q2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1434445698&sr=8-7&keywords=nuc

Here's another cheap alternative:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Brix-BXBT-2807-Ultra-Compact/dp/B00L2C3VAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434445821&sr=8-1&keywords=brix

Add a hd and ram(make sure its the low voltage), stick ubuntu on it and you're away.

degsie

Another alternative complete with Win 8.1...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CX-W8-Windows-Streaming-Player-Z3735F/dp/B00WU6NST2

Redgirl82

degsie wrote: »

Another alternative complete with Win 8.1...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CX-W8-Windows-Streaming-Player-Z3735F/dp/B00WU6NST2

Found reviews of this box, says the windows is not licensed on it, that it is only a 30 day license so you either have to do something dodgy to get it working and then have no update

Or buy a windows license which is costly to say the least.

The Mele PCG03 comes with full windows license which was why I was looking at it...

Redgirl82

I ended up going with the Mele, the price jumped to 107 delivered to UK but I had asked the company a question so they said they would sell at the original 99.99GBP so bought it this morning

Will see how it goes, thanks for all the info

patrickowens1

How'd you get on with the Mele Redgirl82? deciding between that and the Pipo X7 myself....

Redgirl82

patrickowens1 wrote: »

How'd you get on with the Mele Redgirl82? deciding between that and the Pipo X7 myself....

really love it, very stable and everything I have thrown at it works perfect. I use Kodi 99% of the time and I had tried a number of android box, from the cheap China ones to Minix

The Minix actually cost more than the Mele. But they always had buffering issues and crashing of Kodi

No such problems anymore. It plays perfect and I can finally use auto play.

I did have some minor problem when Windows automatically downloaded Win 10 and filled hard drive which took a few hours to fix.

Would really recommend

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Does it play 1080p files from an external hard drive fine?

Redgirl82

Techmaster wrote: »

Does it play 1080p files from an external hard drive fine?

I have a number of different file types running off direct connected USB HDD, these include 1080p. No issues so far with playing them,.