Spec me: bedroom TV HTPC alternative

strumpusplunket · 2 Feb 2017 at 22:27

So we're just nearing the end of our loft conversion, and me and my wife will be moving our bedroom up to the new loft room. We don't use the TV in our current bedroom, but we're thinking now we've got our own floor away from the kids it might be nice to be able to watch TV and films up there.

We have a large library of BR and DVD rips of films and TV series that we watch on the HTPC downstairs, and we also use it for catch-up TV, Netflix, Vimeo, etc.

We'd like a solution for the bedroom that works in a similar way, but I don't want to build another HTPC. There's no space for one thing. I guess a NUC would be a decent alternative, but I'd like something cheaper.

Basically, we want something that can give us a nice interface for a library of films and TV series and allow us to use Youtube, Vimeo, Netflix, Amazon, iPlayer, etc.

I'm thinking accessing an external HDD would be best as we don't have a NAS, so if there's anything that could do that as well, that would be a bonus.

Budget would ideally not be much above £200. Any suggesting, OcUKers?

Irish_Tom · 2 Feb 2017 at 23:37

Amazon Fire TV box with Kodi installed would do the trick.

andy_mk3 · 2 Feb 2017 at 23:39

Irish_Tom said:
Amazon Fire TV box with Kodi installed would do the trick.

+1

I have one in my bedroom. It's the perfect 'no fuss' solution for the bedroom. I use Plex and Kodi and it runs very well. Plus with CEC control, means only the original TV remote is required.

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 10:47

The Fire TV box looks pretty good. I always thought Amazon TV was a stick-like device, like a thumb drive, but the box looks like it's got more features. Looks like I missed hearing about this.

However, reading up on it, it seems like it has a number of problems if you want to use an external HDD? Like requiring FAT32 formatting and never allowing the drive to spin down? Unless those issues have been fixed?

mid_gen · 3 Feb 2017 at 10:54

Do you use Plex on the HTPC?

I just have a Chromecast plugged into the bedroom TV and use Plex to stream to the TV, works a treat.

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 11:55

No, our HTPC runs Kodi and has our film library stored on its internal HDD. I've never used Plex.

TheMightyTen · 3 Feb 2017 at 12:14

Samba or NFS share the library and have the FireTV Kodi/SPMC install connect to that.

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 12:54

TheMightyTen said:
Samba or NFS share the library and have the FireTV Kodi/SPMC install connect to that.

Ah, you mean share the library that's on the internal drive of the HTPC? Would that mean it always has to be on? Is there an easy way to wake it and put it to sleep from the Fire TV box? If so, then that might well be a really good solution.

ubern00b · 3 Feb 2017 at 13:52

strumpusplunket said:
No, our HTPC runs Kodi and has our film library stored on its internal HDD. I've never used Plex.

If your HTPC is always on then a nice feature is to run a MySQL database for your library and connect all your devices (so the HTPC itself plus the FireTV or whatever solution you go for) to it so you have a central library. It gives you some nice features such as items you have watched (items with a tick) will show the same on all devices and if you watch something on the HTPC and stop half way through you can continue from where you left off on another device (and vice versa). Not revolutionary functions but quite a nice touch that once you have used you will find useful.

Edit: just saw your last reply above suggesting it isn't always on. Not sure about Kodi's ability to wake the remote system and I am fairly sure for the MySQL suggestion to work the device always has to be on.

TheMightyTen · 3 Feb 2017 at 14:26

strumpusplunket said:
Ah, you mean share the library that's on the internal drive of the HTPC? Would that mean it always has to be on? Is there an easy way to wake it and put it to sleep from the Fire TV box? If so, then that might well be a really good solution.

What OS is your HTPC?

You can set it to hibernate or sleep and set Wake On Lan which would wake it up when a request to access it's shared resources is made.

ssmacc · 3 Feb 2017 at 15:05

NVidia Shield TV is also worth looking at...

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 15:35

ubern00b said:
If your HTPC is always on then a nice feature is to run a MySQL database for your library and connect all your devices (so the HTPC itself plus the FireTV or whatever solution you go for) to it so you have a central library. It gives you some nice features such as items you have watched (items with a tick) will show the same on all devices and if you watch something on the HTPC and stop half way through you can continue from where you left off on another device (and vice versa). Not revolutionary functions but quite a nice touch that once you have used you will find useful.

Edit: just saw your last reply above suggesting it isn't always on. Not sure about Kodi's ability to wake the remote system and I am fairly sure for the MySQL suggestion to work the device always has to be on.

Yeah, I'd rather it not be on all the time. I mean I'm sure it's a low power system when idle, but still I'd prefer if it could power down when not in use.

I've no idea at all how to set up a MySQL databse, but I may well look it up now!

TheMightyTen said:
What OS is your HTPC?

You can set it to hibernate or sleep and set Wake On Lan which would wake it up when a request to access it's shared resources is made.

It's running Windows 8.1. My experience with Wake on Lan has been poor in the past - the PC seems to wake up constantly with that on. I know I can set it only to wake with magic packets, but can the Fire TV box send a magic packet to wake the HTPC?

ssmacc said:
NVidia Shield TV is also worth looking at...

Hmmm... not familiar with that. Googling now...

TheMightyTen · 3 Feb 2017 at 15:57

I believe, although I'll have to do some testing to confirm, that Kodi has WoL magic packets baked in. As I said though I'd have to test to confirm.

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 16:20

TheMightyTen said:
I believe, although I'll have to do some testing to confirm, that Kodi has WoL magic packets baked in. As I said though I'd have to test to confirm.

Excellent! Thanks. Would appreciate that!

Amp34 · 3 Feb 2017 at 17:03

strumpusplunket said:
The Fire TV box looks pretty good. I always thought Amazon TV was a stick-like device, like a thumb drive, but the box looks like it's got more features. Looks like I missed hearing about this.

However, reading up on it, it seems like it has a number of problems if you want to use an external HDD? Like requiring FAT32 formatting and never allowing the drive to spin down? Unless those issues have been fixed?

It's also a lot more powerful than the thumb drive versions.

As for the HDD, just plug it into your router. Most routers have a USB slot for external drives to turn them into pseudo NAS devices. That way you can watch films on both TVs without having to move the hard drive with the films on.

Once you point Kodi to the hard drive location it'll be like having it attached.

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 17:16

Amp34 said:
It's also a lot more powerful than the thumb drive versions.

As for the HDD, just plug it into your router. Most routers have a USB slot for external drives to turn them into pseudo NAS devices. That way you can watch films on both TVs without having to move the hard drive with the films on.

Once you point Kodi to the hard drive location it'll be like having it attached.

Aha! I've just checked and our router does indeed have a USB slot! I'd never noticed before, or at least never given any thought as to what it would be for.

Brilliant, so I guess I just need a new external drive and a Fire TV box and we should be good to go.

Cheers all!

Oh - I'm assuming the router USB slot should power a portable HDD?

EDIT: Ahhh... actually, it's a BT Home Hub 4 and I'm now reading it has all sorts of issues with drives attached to the USB port... hmm.

SKILL · 3 Feb 2017 at 17:36

The Nvidia Shield TV is much more expensive than the Fire TV, but better hardware, I think support for external drives is better as well.

For the FireTV to run Kodi/SPMC you need to 'sideload' it, not a huge hassle but not ideal either.

The Nvidia has the Google Play store (to get Kodi/SPMC) + an Amazon Prime application so will do everything out of the box.

dbmzk1 · 3 Feb 2017 at 18:07

Personally I'd go for Plex, but Kodi with a central database would work well too. Then any streaming device will do really, Fire TV, Shield, any cheap Android box, etc.

strumpusplunket · 3 Feb 2017 at 19:56

dbmzk1 said:
Personally I'd go for Plex, but Kodi with a central database would work well too. Then any streaming device will do really, Fire TV, Shield, any cheap Android box, etc.

I like the sound of Plex from what I've read and I think I'll look at it more closely. The issue is going to be the hardware, though, isn't it? As I don't have a NAS and don't want my HTPC always on?

My head's spinning a bit with all the hardware options actually. I'll try to order them:

1. Fire TV box using WoL to wake my HTPC when needed and stream content from there.
Pros: Cheapest option I think.
Cons: WoL sounds a bit flaky from what I've read; wouldn't be able to power down the HTPC from upstairs.

2. Fire TV box with a HDD connected to my router.
Pros: also cheap IF I don't need to buy anything else.
Cons: Home Hub is notoriously bad with USB HDDs, meaning I'd either need to buy a better router or something like a WD MyBook NAS drive.

3. NVIDIA Shield TV with external HDD
Pros: sounds like a powerful and versatile option. Should work with no hassle.
Cons: a pretty expensive option compared to the others (though not if I need to buy a NAS for the others, I guess).

Also been wondering about:
4. Laptop with Chromecast
I've been thinking of buying a mid-range gaming laptop anyway, but not sure how nice/user-friendly an option this would be. Also issues of how my wife would use it when I'm away with work (when I'd take the laptop with me).

5. Raspberry Pi with Kodi and an external drive.
I'm not sure how good an option this is. Not sure if it can really do HD content that well, and not sure how much it all costs once I've bought all the bits I'll need.

Guess I could try option 1 and see how well it works and if it's not satisfcatory, just buy a MyBook. But then I'd probably be frustrated I didn't get a Shield TV in the first place. Also curious how good an option 5 might be...

DataVampire · 3 Feb 2017 at 21:15

turn your htpc into a plex server then purchase one of the cheap now tv boxes, you know the ones that come with a free entertainment pass, or a second hand one. will stream fine to your tv in your bedroom. so long as its 1080. also bear in mind if you buy a new smart tv for your bedroom it will more than liekley already have a plex app, so will not infact cost you anything.