How do I make a parent-proof HTPC?

April 16, 2012 6:54 PM

Setting up a parent-proof HTPC (and stuff on usenet, sickbeard, VPNs, and more!)

I’m thinking about leaving my dad my ~3.5 year old desktop to set up as a living room HTPC. It can definitely handle any form of media thrown at it and it’s in a heavy ass case – I don’t want to lug that around with me because I’m moving across the country.

Anyway, I’d like to set up an HTPC with XBMC running on Windows 7 for him (or whatever is most recommended). I’ve used XBMC, but I’ve never set it up/tinkered with it, so I don’t know how “dad-proof” I can make it. I mean, he can get his computer on and check his bills and stuff, but I doubt he could figure out the intricacies of usenet and stuff.

So, what’s the best setup (using XBMC or something different) to make a parent-proof media center setup? I’d imagine this would be running atop Windows 7, so I could always remote desktop in and change things around, but an intuitive and easy-to-use interface is best.

Bonus question: I also need a VPN service. I’ve used strongvpn before and I really like them, but it would be awesome if there are VPN/Usenet packages out there. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!

posted by apip to computers & internet (16 answers total)

I really wish I could help you...I'll try. I just yesterday ordered my new home server and I'll be replacing my previous server with it. (A dell mini 10 being replaced with an HP Proliant N40L).

I *don't* use my server as an HTPC, rather I stream to a Roku (via plex) and a WDTV Live. I *don't* use XBMC since IceFilms became unpredictable.

I *do* use the snot of out sickbeard/couchpotato/headphones/sabnzbd+ and a few other bits and pieces. Currently I'm running Linux Mint, I'll be switching to either a straight Ubuntu server install or Nexenta, although I don't currently have the cash to drop on the hard drives to make Nexenta probably worth the work.

Anyway, my 2 cents:
*Anything instead of windows as a server, there's no benefit unless you're going to use the screen as a monitor
*Roku or Boxee provides a nice layer of protection between box and stream, and plays nicely with the aforementioned softwares, and gives a nice little remote
*Plex...just...plex. If you're allowing the user to control the entire PC over the TV screen, then maybe XBMC...but otherwise, Plex.
*Just VNC, man. VNC over SSH if you're ultra paranoid. Heck, teamviewer works too. Worst case set up a dynamic DNS server to make it easy (My DDWRT router does this for me, thankfully.)
*Sab/Sickbeard/Couchpotato/Headphones all ARE a webUI. I felt like 10 kinds of stupid when I bought mediadog for my android phone when I realized that the webserver is visible on the LAN, and if I'm remoted in then it's visible there too.
*Renaming conventions are the hardest thing to set up, especially to make Roku play nice.

I haven't yet sorted out how to make my sab client pick up my nzbmatrix bookmarks (it should be getting them, it's not.)
posted by TomMelee at 7:15 PM on April 16, 2012

I don't think any of those things you've listed are very parent friendly at all.

You might find it easier to get a Netflix or Hulu+ subscription for him, which has a pretty good selection and is easy to use.
posted by Strass at 7:15 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

An Apple TV or Mac mini would make a good parent-proof HTPC. You can jailbreak the Apple TV to run XBMC, or just run XBMC directly on the Mac mini, without jailbreaking.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:07 PM on April 16, 2012

@Blazecock That doesn't handle the downloading side of things though.
posted by Strass at 8:12 PM on April 16, 2012

@Strass, for the downloading, if you go the Mac mini route: http://tvshowsapp.com/
posted by heliostatic at 8:17 PM on April 16, 2012

I use TVShows sometimes but I don't think it's very parent-friendly. The choosing and automatic downloads are straightforward but you usually end up with a bunch of rar files rather than a file you can just open and play. Sure, you can teach your dad how to uncompress them but will he also remember to delete all the rars after he's done?
posted by The Lamplighter at 9:07 PM on April 16, 2012

re: VPN

Giganews is running a combo usenet/vpn service.. not sure how the pricing compares with the industry but I've got friends that have used them for *years* without issue... thinking about the same combo myself so I'm curious what you end up going with.
posted by anthroprose at 10:20 PM on April 16, 2012

That doesn't handle the downloading side of things though.

That was not a listed consideration in the original question, though.

Maybe it would be best to find out more specifically "what do you want to do?"

If it's just a matter of setting up a box where your dad can access a stored library of video files and watch them whenever he wants, then XBMC or AppleTV is the answer.

If you want him to be able to add to said library with paid content, then Apple TV is the answer.

If you want him to be able to add to the library with torrented or sickbeard content, then "parent-proof" is probably out of the question, without some tutorials.

XBMC is great if you want to customize the hell out of it, but if something gets screwed up, you're going to be doing full-time tech support for him. WDTV-Live is great, and pretty fool-proof, though obviously less customizable. It also integrates (fairly) nicely with Netflix and YouTube. It will play just about anything you throw at it. AppleTV very user friendly, though access to additional content generally has to come from the iTunes store, or by torrenting stuff on your own and putting it in your library, which probably rules out the "parent-proof" part of the equation.

So again, I think the question at this point is, what exactly is the end goal here?
posted by ShutterBun at 4:09 AM on April 17, 2012

AppleTV/Plex/XMBC on a standalone box are great for media you own or want to get from conventional sources.

Torrents add a layer of complexity. Personally, I wouldn't want my dad to get a nastygram from The Lawyers. Are you linux savvy? Set this up and adding media is easy. Only requires a couple clicks and insulates you quite a bit from The Powers That Be:

1) Browser home page is an RSS feed from a favorite private TV torrent tracker. Clicking the link downloads the torrent.
2) Win7 equivalent of Hazel for the mac automatically uploads the torrent to one of the few linux virtual private servers that allow torrents, preferably in a country with good privacy laws. Maybe Germany. Maybe with veeble.org's $25/mo plan.
3) Torrent automatically runs in Vuze.
4) Vuze moves the torrent to the "complete" directory.
5) Plex Media Server, running on the VPS, automatically adds it to its library.
6) Once it's in PMS, it can be streamed anywhere at very nice quality. Or so I'm told.
7) Viewed files can then be deleted from within Plex. Do this or you'll run out of disk space. That $25/mo plan only has about 150 gb of room.

Alternatively, skip step 1 and have it done automatically on the VPS side. Or do step 1 yourself from your own computer. You could also replace steps 5-7 with an hourly rsync between your media center and the VPS.

Plex is great. A VPS is great (3TB/mo bandwidth, >15 megabyte/second real-world download speed). You can set up a VPN on there if you want. You'll be able to ssh/VNC into it to manage things. You get free backups and in the event of something going haywire it takes just a few minutes to revert back to a backup. Multiple parties could use this server (Parents, you, siblings, whatever). You can create a domain name offshore (say, in the bahamas) under a fake name and pay for everything with a Visa gift card if you want another layer of protection. Plenty secure. You could be tracked down, but you're certainly not low hanging fruit.

I don't condone piracy, but this is how I would do it if I were the type of person that did. I'm also happy to come up with hypothetical ways to kill Hitler or steal gold from Fort Knox.
posted by pjaust at 6:13 AM on April 17, 2012

How about setting up the desktop to as the server where all the media sits.

Jailbroken AppleTV with XBMC (or Plex) hooked up to the TV.

Then you can train your dad on using the AppleTV, while you can remote in to the "server" to add/remove media at your leisure?

Of course you'd also be the one who would be acquiring the media, whether from usenet or other places, but your dad can have the seamless "it just works" experience.
posted by eatcake at 6:14 AM on April 17, 2012

Windows Media Center is about as idiot-proof as I've seen. Obviously, this doesn't allow you to play all the different file formats, but it works well for what it works for. That's what I use for mine: WMS for TV recording and Netflix viewing, and Hulu Desktop for my Hulu needs. I just set up buttons on my remote to spawn each app.

Or maybe buy an Apple TV for the front-end, and use the server for storage/downloading.

I can't think of a way to make usenet user friendly. Understanding the protocol and combining and unpacking messages is hard enough, but trying to teach someone how to tell what messages are bullshit/viruses? That seems really difficult. Your best bet might be to just go in once or twice a week and do the downloads for them.
posted by gjc at 6:35 AM on April 17, 2012

I'm not sure this will help other than to let you know that I've personally been down this road before, several times, with my parents. Two of the best HTPC setups I've done so far involved MythTV or Windows 7 Media Center. XBMC, like others have noted, can go horribly awry if they start to tinker or get lost in the UI.

There are some great Usenet friendly addins out there (not going to list them here due to the whole process of downloading shows and movies off Usenet being legally shady at best). But there are some nice HTPC friendly sites that work with NZBs and go as far as also supplying cover art.

I eventually settled on Windows 7 Media Center for it's overall ease and codec support (AutoRip n' Compress for DIY archiving DVDs and BluRay). There are Windows based NZB programs that can be used with WMC as well as remotely via the web. There's even a NZB player that can stream the Rar sets as they are being downloaded (requires a decent broadband connection).

All that being said however, I decided to give myself a break as well as keep it all above board. They now have a middle range Roku instead for new shows and movies, leaving the HTPC as a timeshifting recorder and music/media library. They pay $16/mo for both Netflix and Hulu streaming....and couldn't be happier.
posted by samsara at 6:36 AM on April 17, 2012

I'll elaborate some more:

I don't want to purchase any more hardware for this project. I'm going to buy a new laptop for myself and give my dad my old desktop.

I have a ton of movies and TV shows on my computer already that he'd like to watch on the TV in the living room, so that's mostly my reasoning for doing this. I was also thinking about getting an automated usenet service setup so he can have new TV shows downloaded. He has cable, but not all the premium channels. We also pay for Netflix, but he doesn't use that too often.

I think he'll be alright with XBMC, but I'll look in to all the other suggestions. Thanks for the help!
posted by apip at 3:41 PM on April 17, 2012

You're most of the way there in my opinion to making this super simple for him to use without having to "use" a computer hooked up to a TV.

An AppleTV or Roku will only set you back another $60-100.
posted by eatcake at 6:35 PM on April 17, 2012

@eatcake

"I’m thinking about leaving my dad my ~3.5 year old desktop to set up as a living room HTPC. It can definitely handle any form of media thrown at it and it’s in a heavy ass case – I don’t want to lug that around with me because I’m moving across the country. "

"I have a ton of movies and TV shows on my computer already that he'd like to watch on the TV in the living room"

It just seems like it would be easier to teach him some of the intricacies of XBMC instead of remotely troubleshooting a networking problem from a computer that nobody is using to a AppleTV/Roku. Plus, I'd rather not spend money on this -- I'm trying to set my dad up with something cool and put older hardware to a good use. DOWN WITH THE CORPORATE BLOOD MONEY FOR THE COMPANIES WE ARE THE NINETY NINE PERCENT.
posted by apip at 3:34 PM on April 18, 2012

Strangely enough, a friend just gave me a Roku box, so I'm going to go the Plex+Roku box streaming from the old computer. Thanks for all the help!
posted by apip at 4:34 AM on April 20, 2012 [1 favorite]