Simple, reliable media centre

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  • Martyn
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2006
    • 380

    Simple, reliable media centre

    Hi, guys.

    I've been considering buying a Vortexbox for use as a Linux-based audio streamer for streaming flac files to my Squeezeboxes (http://www.vortexbox.org). I'm thinking of adding some kind of HTPC sometime in the future, but now I'm wondering whether I should jump to that now and use it to stream audio as well. I know that some of you guys have been building HTPCs for years, so I'm hoping you can give me some sound advice.

    First, am I right in thinking that I can use this seemingly complex piece of equipment just like a networked PC for streaming flac files to a Squeezebox? I guess this question will alert you to my level of knowledge!

    Assuming that this is correct, here's what I would want to do:
    • I don't have cable or satellite TV, so I don't need (I think) a tuner or a DVR function.
    • I do want to be able to stream movies from DVD, and movies and home videos from a hard drive, and to rip and stream audio files.
    • I would like to be able to stream Netflix movies (I have yet to try this service).
    • I would like to browse the web and watch Youtube clips on my 50" TV.
    • Look at digital photographs and run slide shows, either from the HTPC or via Photoshop on my primary PC.
    • Escape from the clutches of Microsoft and its eternal efforts to get me to keep paying for replacement operating systems and other software, i.e. use Linux (of which I have no experience).
    • Have a pleasing user interface that my wife can use without feeling intimidated.
    • Be able to build, configure, and maintain a reliable device without the need for heroic efforts or expert knowledge.
    • The whole thing should be quiet and low power (and be left on 24 hours a day).
    • It should be visually attractive. I suppose the hard drive(s) could live in the basement if that would help.


    Does all this sound feasible? If it does, my next round of questions will be aimed at getting you to help specify the system for me, but I need to be confident that I'm not biting off more than I can chew first. Thanks for your wisdom,

    Martyn

    Oh, and the budget has to be reasonable too!
  • TommyRocker
    Junior Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 4

    #2
    I would say build an HTPC and it will do everything you ask. If you have a good HTPC you won't need external boxes to do anything. Obviously you could have a separate server room but you would just stream everything to your HTPC/TV. It works very well for me. Between my HTPC and my PS3 I have all my media anywhere in the house. Boxee has free Media center software. XBMC is also free and very nice(boxee is based on XBMC) XBMC is very pleasing to the eye and easy to use. Click on music...your music library pops up. Click on Movies... so on.

    1) Build the HTPC without a tuner. Add one later if you decide you want it.
    2) A BD drive in your HTPC will play all your BD/DVD/CD's straight to your TV/Stereo. The HTPC will be connected to your network, allowing you to stream all your media to any device connected to your network, and from any device on said network.
    3) An HTPC will stream Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and whatever else you decide.
    4) ^
    5) ^^
    6) This is a more difficult one. I was running Karmic Koala. I had a LOT of issues with drivers. My HDMI out wouldn't work on my HTPC. Finally got that working, but then I had a hard time getting high res video to display. Et cetera et cetera. Updated to Lucid Lynx. More problems. Spent months trying different drivers, research, more updates, research. Finally broke down and gave Windows 7 a shot. I'm VERY glad I did. Linux is NOT for people who want things to "just work", linux is for people who like to tinker. A LOT.
    7) XBMC is free, works in Windows and Linux, and can be absolutely beautiful and easy to use. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQlahjowAcU
    8) Linux kind of rules this one out. You WILL have to be able to compile from source code and so on.
    9) A good HTPC can be extremely quiet and efficient. You don't need over clocked quad-cores or multiple graphics cards or anything. Most modern motherboards with on-board graphics cards can handle HD video just fine. Many have HDMI outputs and so on. A good Dual-core CPU will handle HD just fine. On-board GPU won't need a big extra fan, and a stock clock reasonable speed dual core won't make enough heat to need super fast fans. Most good HTPC cases have provisions for big slow quiet fans.
    10) A good HTPC case will blend in and become just another part of your system. It will look like any other component.

    Comment

    • Hdale85
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Jan 2006
      • 16075

      #3
      Well I'm going to disagree with you about the linux not just working. If you're building an HTPC and plan to use Linux it's pretty easy to get a setup that'll work with a pre-built distribution just for that specific hardware (ie: An Nvidia ION platform). So really you can get it to where it'll just work, does it take some learning? Yes it does. But it's still relatively easy, of course the more you know about linux the more you'll be able to trouble shoot issues if you have them. I have a friend that has never used linux though and he did an ION based setup and installed linux and XBMC and loves it, hasn't had an issue since he built it a few months ago.

      One thing to note is that brand new versions of Ubuntu operate quite a bit differently then previous versions when it comes to remotes and what not. So I would stick with something 10.04 or older.

      One thing I'll add to the ION comment, it uses an Intel Atom dual core CPU, which isn't extremely powerful, BUT the onboard GPU has HDMI out and supports hardware video acceleration (which by the way looks and performs better then software decoding). So because of the hardware acceleration you don't need a crazy powerful GPU, and if you go this route you could probably have it completely fanless, and if you use an SSD for a hard drive, or a high speed usb flash drive then there won't be anything other then the optical drive (if you have one) to make noise.

      Comment

      • Martyn
        Senior Member
        • Feb 2006
        • 380

        #4
        Sorry for going quiet for a while there - I've been rather overtaken by events. While specing a modest HTPC, the HDD on my primary computer died. Since this computer is at least six years old, and because I don't seem to be able to function without one these days, I replaced it with something based on my HTPC spec.

        The key component is the Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 board. This is a socket AM3 board with the AMD 890GX/SB850 chipset (all of which meant nothing to me a few weeks ago). I chose this board for its on-board Radeon GPU, HDMI output, USB3 and eSata ports, and so on. It's a standard ATX board that seems to be capable of doing just about everything well. I put an Athlon II x4 645 CPU in it and buried the whole lot in an Antec Sonata III case. With it standing beside my desk, it's barely audible. I haven't done much with it yet other than set up my 50" plasma as a second monitor, but so far I'm pleased with it.

        I was planning on using Linux, but the pressure of the sudden death of my primary PC carried the day and I ended up with Windows 7. It's taken nearly a week of my spare time to get the thing set up on my home network and operating with my peripherals and XP software. Window 7 might be an improvement over Vista (which I avoided), but in my opinion it's still typical dysfunctional Microsoft junk. I had to get a high-powered colleague to sort out the wireless and network ideosyncracies for me, and I still haven't figured out why all my digital photographs and video files didn't copy over cleanly, or how to get Photoshop to find them.

        I'm going to rebuild my old machine as a Linux box and use it to explore the Linux world of open-source applications. Thus when my wife's machine dies (which won't be long), we might be in a good position to break the MS viscious circle and become independent.

        Thus I think I will meet most of my objectives other than the "heroic efforts or expert knowledge" thing and the Linux part which will come later. The machine is certainly cool, quiet, and sufficiently powerful for my needs.

        Comment

        • mjb
          Super Senior Member
          • Mar 2005
          • 1483

          #5
          Originally posted by Martyn
          Window 7 might be an improvement over Vista (which I avoided), but in my opinion it's still typical dysfunctional Microsoft junk.
          lol, I couldn't agree more
          - Mike

          Main System:
          B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
          Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100

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