Best XMBC Box

trentlad said:
So basically, Fire TV owners only use theirs to watch Amazon media...
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1.) Are you able to attach a thumbdrive and play your own movies?
Only with root

2.) If so, how does it handle bluray rips from small 8GB to large 25GB?
Will play anything like that fine, however you'll start to explore the limits of wifi for very large rips.

3.) Is it possible to root the device or enable the installation of unofficial apk files?
Rooting is a little complicated as it depends on what version of software is installed on the FireTV. Naturally Amazon don't want people doing this so its hard with more recent firmware versions.
You can install (sideload) most apk files, but they won't appear on the homescreen with the other apps, you'll have to access them in via the settings menu. There are a couple of workarounds though (search for FireTV utility).

4.) If so, have you tried to install the TVMC* app?
No, but it should work just like Kodi does.
 
trentlad said:
S/PDIF is just a method to transmit audio digitally, that (still today) can be either from an optical or coaxial connector.

Seems silly to need another interface when HDMI is able to transmit audio digitally. There's still people out there that will turn red in the face trying to convince you that HDMI cannot transmit audio, it can and has been able to for years now but not all equipment can decode/encode the audio signal.
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Having both HDMI & SPDIF on the FireTV is fantastic, especially as it outputs both simultaneously.
It allows me to have HDMI for my TV in one room, and then the SPDIF to an AMP for sound in another (the AMP doesn't have HDMI input), and I can switch music between rooms without having to touch FTV or Kodi settings.
 
cokecan said:
The Pi 2 looks interesting but I'd rather have hd audio passthrough than faster menus :( the fact it's using the same GPU as the previous pi suggests this still isn't an option.

However, rob77's post about the most recent drivers for a Celeron NUC for hd audio passthrough is very interesting!
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Pi2 does audio pass through. I run openelec on mine and pass through DTS, ac3 DD etc to my receiver.
 
Is anyone running a Pipo X7. Looks like a great bit of kit that includes Windows 8.1.

PS. is there anything comparable that comes without an OS, already have a copy of Win 7 and looking to stream from my Windows 8.1 HTPC. Pi2 or Amazon Fire look like they'd fit the bill too running Kodi from what I've read.
 
Thinking of buying a 2010 2.4ghz 4Gb Mac Mini for a htpc as well as a place for my photos/music. How well would it handle 1080p bluray rips? I had a 2ghz Sony vaio previously and it couldn't handle them.
 
shadow_boxer said:
Is anyone running a Pipo X7. Looks like a great bit of kit that includes Windows 8.1.

PS. is there anything comparable that comes without an OS, already have a copy of Win 7 and looking to stream from my Windows 8.1 HTPC. Pi2 or Amazon Fire look like they'd fit the bill too running Kodi from what I've read.
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I ordered my X7 4 weeks ago, still waiting on it! There were stock shortages then Chinese new year meant even more delays.
 
shadow_boxer said:
PS. is there anything comparable that comes without an OS, already have a copy of Win 7 and looking to stream from my Windows 8.1 HTPC. Pi2 or Amazon Fire look like they'd fit the bill too running Kodi from what I've read.
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Stream files? You don't need windows on the client. In most cases it should be avoided as it's far too heavy for a media player.
 
Scottland said:
I've just spend a little more time with the Pi2, it's definitely a better experience than the FireTV - solely on the basis that I think OpenElec is better than the Kodi android builds at the moment.
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What have you noticed as the differences?

I've gone from a PC running Openelec to a Fire TV and notice no difference at all? Other than the reduced number of options in the power menu, I couldn't tell them apart?
 
Skeeter said:
What have you noticed as the differences?

I've gone from a PC running Openelec to a Fire TV and notice no difference at all? Other than the reduced number of options in the power menu, I couldn't tell them apart?
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I found it quicker to load up libraries, and LiveTV/PVR is leagues ahead. The codecs for playback are better too (IMO).
 
andy_mk3 said:
I ordered my X7 4 weeks ago, still waiting on it! There were stock shortages then Chinese new year meant even more delays.
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Mine arrived last Friday. Very impressed so far. The only thing I had any difficulty was streamed acestream content which was fine on my pc at the same time

I also can't work out how you would reinstall it
 
Been offered a fujitsu Q900

Model number = MPC-D1007
i3 2nd gen intel processor Intel® Core i3-330M processor 2.13ghz
DVD drive (might be DVD-R)
Built in wireless WLAN (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n)
320 HD
Built in HDMI socket
2Gb of Ram.
external power supply

for £50. Do you think this will be suitable as an xbmc box?
 
I recall an issue using i3 on chip gpu with 24p playback. No idea if that was resolved at any point

I would imagine it would handle kodi well though
 
ArchAnGeL said:
I recall an issue using i3 on chip gpu with 24p playback. No idea if that was resolved at any point

I would imagine it would handle kodi well though
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It's a minor glitch present on all 1st/2nd/3rd gen Core i-series HD Graphics. Outputs 24Hz rather than the correct 23.976Hz. Means you get a single repeated frame every 40ish seconds. Anandtech.com explained it quite well IIRC.

Using a 2nd Gen i3 running Windows 7 I've not seen any sign of it with Kodi other than a handful of skipped frames in the stats after a long movie. I've got a hunch the motion processing on my TV works around the glitch if there is one.
 
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