HTPC Help

Kris Thomson · 21 Dec 2020 at 06:38

I'm looking to build a new HTPC and I'm looking for some help please.

My current build is pushing 10 years and uses the Asus AT5IONT-I Atom D525 ITX mainboard.

Ideally I'm looking at keeping my new build in an ITX form, so it can go where my current build is.

The mainboard will need to have an optical out for audio, HDMI and I wouldn't mind the case having room for a blu-ray drive.

Other than this I want the system to run super quiet the Asus board I now have doesn't have a CPU fan, due to its heat sink size and this makes it really quiet.

So that's me done and I will hopefully have some replies with some suggestions and I can then start looking at what's about.

Grimley · 21 Dec 2020 at 15:45

Hello
If you are looking for a small HTPC, I'd suggest these:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x Intel NUC NUC6CAYH Celeron J3455 "Arches Canyon" Quad Core Micro PC= £155.99
1 x Asus External USB Blu-Ray Rewriter (SBW-06D2X-U)= £99.95

Total: £271.84 (includes shipping: £15.90)

It should playback almost all 1080p media. You might need to add RAM & Storage as I don't know too much about Intel NUC's. Bear in mind that mainstream blu-ray playback software, is chock full of DRM bloatware that's designed to put off piracy, & try to tie you in to paying out for new versions frequently. Been there done that. That money is better off buying a stand alone blu-ray player.

Eliagon · 21 Dec 2020 at 16:48

Grimley said:
It should playback almost all 1080p media. You might need to add RAM & Storage as I don't know too much about Intel NUC's. Bear in mind that mainstream blu-ray playback software, is chock full of DRM bloatware that's designed to put off piracy, & try to tie you in to paying out for new versions frequently. Been there done that. That money is better off buying a stand alone blu-ray player.

I don't mean to hijack the thread and wouldn't ever buy Blue-Ray media, when I can DL it, but won't libbluray play BRD?

Grimley · 21 Dec 2020 at 18:01

I have heard of this for linux, thing is I don't know how up to date it is or whether it would play back Blu-rays with AACS, BD+ or Cinavia DRM copy protection. There are ways to 'digitise' any optical media, but discussion of that is against the forum rules that are posted here.

Recommended Links & Rules (DVD Recording & Discount eVouchers)

Kris Thomson · 23 Dec 2020 at 05:58

Thanks for the info, storage is already sorted and I use LibreELEC as my operating system. I only want the Blu-ray player to play some DVDs and the odd Blu-rays that I have, or for those films you can't find online