Best media player to run XBMC exclusively?

StevieP

StevieP

StevieP

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I've got a WDTV Live at the moment but I really like the experience of XBMC so I'm looking for the best option for running it as my primary media hub in the house!

I've tried a Lenovo nettop but had issues with the boot up time (although I was using Windows 7 rather than XBMCbuntu!) and a graphics glitch and I've also tried a Raspberry Pi running Raspbmc.

The Pi is great.....except for the UI speed which I'm assuming is an inherent problem due to the CPU and RAM - don't get me wrong, the playback from my Synology NAS is flawless but navigating the menu's is painfully slow!

I guess what I'm asking is, are there any media players out there, at a reasonable cost (ie. sub-£150) that will run XBMC smoothly?

Ideally I'd like a dedicated remote that can turn the unit itself on and off too!

I've read about these Sumvision boxes but dont know enough about them to know if they are what I'm looking for!

Thanks for any suggestions guys...
 
I know what you mean, the Pi's playback is staggering considering the power and cost of it but the UI being slow and unresponsive is driving me mad! (it's probably my own fault for having XBMC on my i7 laptop and it being as smooth as anything!)

Ideally I want what the Pi gives me but with a bit more smoothness in the UI, which is why I thought one of these dedicated media boxes might be the way to go!

Is it generally XBMC that has the codec support or do I need to be loking for something specific in the box specs??
 
visibleman said:
Might be worth spending a few minutes with it (perhaps try USB install, keeping the metadata/imagery local and going with a 'lite' theme like Confluence-MOD) because it certainly isn't normal for the UI to be 'painfully' slow - granted it'll never be buttery smooth, unless heavily OC'd, but it shouldn't be painful to use - certainly mine isn't and that's with a fair few TBs of films and TV series in the library.

Otherwise another solution would be to use one of the Chinese 'special' Android devices running the XBMC app - certainly small, compact and relatively cheap and would give you access to Android for TV browsing etc.
Click to expand...

I really like the "Transparency" skin but I've no idea if it's a quick one or not!?!?

Maybe I'm being overly dramatic when I say "painfully" slow but it is the sort of thing that will really bug me!

I've been having a scout around and found a "Linux XBMC G-Box Midnight" which appears to tick all the boxes - small, silent, quick and running the Linux XBMC rather than the Android one that has problems!

I really don't need (or want) the unit to do anything other than run XBMC from my NAS so I'm thinking this might be the way to go!

Has anyone got any experience of this product (or similar)??
 
Hmmmm, a further update is I've had a look at "The Little Black Box" which looks to fit the bill of a dedicated XBMC hub for me!

Has anyone tried one yet and have any opinions??
 
Eulogy said:
Have you tried the official XBMC Remote App for your tablet/phone StevieP?

I find I use it more than the menus in XBMC at the moment, to simply start a show off I just browse into it on the app and the episode plays :)
Click to expand...

Fair point, I hadn't thought of that, although half of the point of having XBMC is showing off the browsing of the fan art etc! :p
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys - much appreciated!

I've tried Plex and maybe it's just me being dim but I just couldn't get my head around it!

I've considered the HP Microserver in the past but my problem is that it would need to be situated in the living room near the TV so the noise would be an issue (as well as the physical size of it as there isn't much space left with all of my other gadgets!)

I might look into the NUC (as I know literally zero about it!) but I'm inclined to lean towards either the Little Black Box or another dedicated Linux/XBMC unit such as the G-Box Midnight!

Decisions, decisions....
 
I've had a WDTV Live and while it was fine for the most part, the UI was a little uninspired imo! (although I never tried any custom skins etc!)

Besides, I really wanted XBMC!

Not tried a Revo but did try a Lenovo nettop which I believe is basically the same thing! Had issues with boot speed and the remote was a bit clumsy!

In the end I've gone for a Little Black Box and I have to say, so far it's looking to be the business!!
 
Another update on this - I've been playing with the Little Black Box and while it's quite impressive what they have been able to cram into a tiny box, it seems to me to be very much a work in progress so I'm thinking of returning it and looking into going down the NUC route!

Can anyone who has got one answer me a few questions?

1) I assume it's very much a standard PC in a tiny, quiet, low power box?

2) Can I install either XBMCbuntu or Openelec as the actual boot-into OS?

3) Are there any differences between either of these XBMC builds and the one that's currently running on my W7 laptop?

4) I've read that the Celeron is adequate and the i5 is probably overkill for just XBMC so I'm thinking that the i3 might be the way to go? (I want the best possible UI experience and flawless playback of 720p and 1080p MKV's)

5) I've read a bit about this "24p" problem - is this still prevalent in the NUC's?

6) Do I need an SSD for the OS? (I've read about running it from a USB stick!?!?)

7) I realise this route is more expensive than my original post but I'm starting to think it's going to be the only one I might be happy with!

Thanks for any help on this project guys...
 
Wow! Thanks for the quick reply!

OK, a few additional questions if that's OK?

1) What do you control your's with remote-wise?

2) Can you treat me like an idiot (not a stretch! :D) and explain to me what the CEC gadget is/does and how to find out if my TV supports it? (Sony 46EX723)

3) Can you power up the NUC remotely? (or is it something to do with the above and the unit going off or to sleep?)

As for the other uses, I doubt I'll use it for much else, especially since a) I've got a NAS that I use for torrents etc and b) I know nothing about Linux!!

Thanks for the continued help...
 
I did try the mobile apps but for me half of the appeal of XBMC is the showing off of the UI to your mates so I took a deep breath and splurged on an i3 NUC! :D

Fingers crossed that it ticks all the boxes for me and an added bonus would be if the CEC works so I can use my existing remote!

I'll update the thread with my progress once it lands!
 
Quick update on the thread, I've gone for an Intel NUC with the i3 processor, 8gb of DDR3 RAM, a 32gb Crucial SSD and a Pulse8 CEC for controlling it all.

Having tried a number of different options to get XBMC smooth on my TV, this looks to be just the business!

Don't get me wrong, it's not a cheap setup (see below) but I'm my opinion it's the best option out there if like me you want a smooth as silk UI and flawless playback through XBMC!

Eulogy said:
How much was the NUC in total out of interest?
Click to expand...

Roughly £350 all told for my setup!

All in all I couldn't be happier with the outcome!

Thanks again Ferretboy for all the help!!
 
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