Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with xbmc

Explain NAS and file servers to me like I'm five years old. And dim.

DirtyOldTown — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:00:00 -0800

I currently have a tangle of external drives hooked to my HTPC. Serving that stuff via UPnP is okay, but I'd like to move my files to a separate device that would then be able to make them available to a motley assortment of devices. Thing is, I'm woefully ignorant about networking and file sharing, having never so much as set up a shared Windows folder. I need help coming up with a game plan. Is an NAS device what I am looking for? Or would I be better off with a file server? I honestly don't know what precisely the former is (except that people keep suggesting it) and I have a vague concept of the latter, but not in any practical, knowing where to start kind of way.

And what the hell does Samba mean? What does sexy Latin dancing have to do with network file sharing?

What are the various options for a person who wants to put all of their files onto one networked device accessible throughout the house? Pros and cons? Caveats?

My HTPC is running Win7 with XBMC. I also have a Raspberry Pi running OpenELEC, a WD TV Live, and a smart tv that can play DLNA/UPNP stuff, with some limitations. There are a mess of other tablets, smart phones, netbooks, etc. in the house, too, but it's mostly the HTPC, the pi, and the WD TV that actually matter, with bonus points if I can include the smart tv. (Though I'd be willing to spring for another Pi for that one, if need be.)

XBMCbuntu: How can I troubleshoot HDMI audio issues when I can't hear the speakers?

even butter — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:25:25 -0800

XBMCbuntu: How can I troubleshoot HDMI audio issues when I can't hear the speakers? I set my mother up with a nettop (Foxconn nt330i) running XBMCbuntu. After an apt-get update/upgrade, it's suddenly having issues playing audio out of the TV over HDMI. I am on the other side of the state and can't hear the speakers, and she is not savvy enough to troubleshoot herself. I can SSH into the box and can start/stop videos remotely.

I may have totally hosed the audiooutput section of the guisettings.xml file trying to get it to work.

Is there a Linux util that will show me the actual output levels of the HDMI audio device? Does anyone have this box and know what the audiooutout section of the guisettings.xml should look like?

I would prefer not to make my mother sit on the phone with me and try every combination of settings under System > Audio.

The box: Foxconn nt330i

Running XBMC 11.0 Eden in XBMCbuntu. Trying to get 2.0 audio.

Serving media since a few weeks from now.

Smegoid — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:51:47 -0800

If you could start your HTPC set up all over again, what would you choose? I'm gifting everything (from tv to htpc to router) to my partner and starting from scratch. Tips and suggestions are welcome! I built my current htpc setup in 2009 to replace an aging XBOX1 with XBMC. I'm now gifting all of it to my partner who is taking a job in another city. So I get to start from scratch. New TV, new HPTC and/or server, new router. Been doing a lot of reading and have some ideas, but would love other people's insight since the last time I looked into this was 2009....

Currently I have an old 720p HDTV w/ a mini ITX, Intel core 2 duo (e7200), 2 GB of ram and 2TB of storage which I regularly rsync to an external 2TB USB drive (I never learnt RAID). Running XBMC under Win 7. Originally built it as an HTPC for watching movies and light couch web surfing. Tablet has utterly replaced the couch web surfing so now it just plays media. I recently tried Plex on it and am impressed with the media server side (having access to all my media on the ipad is great) but find the client is of lower quality than XBMC. Still, I like the convenience.

So, hive mind. I now have the option to start over. Completely. What would you do if you could rebuild it all?

I'm currently considering a NAS as server (probably Synology 4bay Diskstation) and a separate HTPC running Plex server to serve media from the NAS. Upside: separate NAS allowing for smaller HTPC. Downside: 2 devices that must be on 24/7 (maybe some WOL options here).

Other option is a single HTPC with 4 bays (I'd like the option of up to 8TB) which serves media via Plex but also acts as media client for the TV. Downside: big, possibly louder box. Harder to manage than a NAS. Upside: Only one box has to be always on, can choose any TV I want (doesn't have to have a Plex client).

And a final option. Single headless media server computer which I stuff in a closet and buy a HDTV which supports Plex (Samsung has a plex client, Any TV with Google TV should have a plex app) or get a Roku box with plex channel. Downside: requires a TV that has a Plex app or some kind of Plex box. Upside: Seperate server, but can do lots more than a NAS. Bonus points: Could turn it into my primary desktop and set it up with wake on lan so tablets and phones can wake the server if the computer is off.

If I go the full hog media server computer (either as an HTPC or in a closet), I was thinking of an Intel I3 instead of any Atom based computer. I'd like to keep it low power since it will be always on but worry that Atom won't cut it for Plex if I'm away and require transcoding for my mobile devices. If I built it so that it's both media server, NAS and desktop then I could put a more powerful CPU in it and worry less about power, especially if I get wake on lan working.

Open to any suggestions (OS, RAID suggestions, TVs w/ apps vs seperate box for client) or any experience with the single media server (either headless in a closet or as daily desktop) vs. media server and HTPC in one (too loud?) vs NAS plus seperate Plex server. Basically, what would you do if you could redesign? Budget is moderate, but I'd like to avoid 600$ NAS boxes.

Dist-upgrading Ubuntu when the PPA version of a package is newer?

jozxyqk — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:54:24 -0800

Upgrading Ubuntu: I am planning to finally dist-upgrade my mythbuntu 10.10 box which has fallen out of official support. I probably will take 3 steps to get it up to 12.04 LTS, but this question is just about the first step. What happens during a dist-upgrade if I have a ppa-sourced package that is newer than the new distribution? I am currently using the "Team XBMC" maverick PPA, to get the latest version of XBMC. So I am running XBMC 11 on my box right now.
If I do a dist-upgrade from 10.10 to 11.04, what will happen to my version of XBMC?

Will it remain at version 11 from the PPA?
Will it "downgrade" to the standard version included with natty until I reinstate the PPA?
Or will I get a scary error message mid-upgrade where it won't let me upgrade anything?

I just want to make sure that this part will go smoothly before I even begin the upgrade process.

If the upgrade process will complain at me, then what should I do before upgrading?

(I also asked this over on superuser.com but haven't gotten any eyeballs on the question there.)

television | rules the nation

tehloki — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:38:17 -0800

Setting up a media PC for my television. Already have all the hardware set up, just wondering what kind of software people are using to have a "reasonable television-like experience" with mouse only or wireless xbox360 controller (currently looking in to getting one of these) Currently thinking: windows 7, 360 controller, joytokey, and xbmc. Open to other suggestions, familiar with linux, probably not wanting to use windows media player but if you have an absolutely glowing experience to tell me I'll try it out. Might need help finding the "real" version of joytokey if anybody uses it... there seem to be a lot of "fake" forks / paysites trying to cash in on it.

Right now I'm just enjoying watching fullscreen 42" milkdrop visualizations *drool*

Is there a single Windows based media center platform that does it all?

BobbyVan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:58:30 -0800

What are the best ways to watch and record live, broadcast TV in a Windows environment without using Windows Media Center? For the last couple of years, I've made my Windows 7-based HTPC the centerpiece of my home theater system, and have been mostly satisfied. The most annoying aspect is switching between programs (Windows Media Center and Boxee) for watching Live or Recorded TV and then watching downloaded or streaming content, respectively.

Ideally, I would have a single program that does it all... and with my wife and a small baby at home during the day, WAF is a must.

What I'm looking for is a full-featured, ten-foot media center program (like Boxee) that also integrates Live TV and PVR functionality (but is not Windows Media Center). I've toyed with XBMC, and have also been hearing about Plex recently. Is there anything else I'm missing?

Living in a post-boxee america

jenkinsEar — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:15:40 -0800

Boxee is leaving the PC platform (Mac / Linux / OSX) after the current release (which drops a bunch of features). What should I migrate to? Boxee just announced they are withdrawing support for their PC platforms after the 1.5 version (OS/X, Windows, Linux). This latest version apparently doesn't support Pandora and Netflix, which we use all the time. I use an intel core2 duo Mac Mini attached to my TV as a boxee box- looks like I need to switch. Should I switch to Plex or XBMC? What are the pros and cons of each? Is there another option out there?

I can't hear you over how awesome XBMC is (I wish)

Strass — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:01:58 -0800

Background music and effects are way louder than voices in XBMC, so much so that I have to get up and turn the volume down every time theme song or music comes on during TV shows or movies for fear of disturbing neighbors (not to mention that they're uncomfortably loud). The volume normalization that's part of my sound card doesn't seem to do much. It seems to be a problem when I play the videos in VLC as well, so it must be the audio stream of the file itself.

I don't really get how equalizers work, could that do anything? It doesn't seem like XBMC has anything built in that could do this either, and google hasn't turned up any plugins.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? Is there anything I can do to fix it?

I Want the Pretty Shiny

joelhunt — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:26:27 -0800

What XBMC theme is this, and where can I find it? This is pretty straightforward. Here are some pics of an XBMC theme. I'd like to know which theme it is, and where I can grab a zip file of it. Anyone know?

Help me set up a wireless-wired spoke for my home network using existing 10+ year old parts

MCMikeNamara — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:34:31 -0800

Is it possible to use the wireless connection from my laptop to connect my hacked XBox (not 360) running XBMC to the network using a Ethernet cable? So in my old apartment, I used this set-up for playing media through my XBox?

Cable modem --> Wireless Router --Ethernet Cable 1--> Desk PC¹
--Ethernet Cable 2--> Xbox ²

¹ where media files are stored)
² for playing media files from the PC over Windows SMB and occasional Internet streaming

In my old apartment, this XBox was used in the living room and sometimes in my bedroom but it didn't matter because they were close enough that I could always use the same long Ethernet cable.

Now that we've moved into a bigger place, I would like to use the XBox occasionally in the bedroom without running the Ethernet cable (because it's not long enough)

I was hoping I could use my old mostly unused laptop (jacked up screen but can connect to the existing network wirelessly) and use an Ethernet cable to connect the Xbox to the network, creating a set-up like this:

Cable modem --> Wireless Router --Ethernet Cable 1--> Desktop PC
- --Laptop Connected Wirelessly> --Ethernet Cable 2--> Xbox

I've searched online for a solution but keep getting bogged down in solutions connecting XBox 360 to the Internet for Xbox Live (which is far newer than I need). I also realize that I could buy something to make the wireless connection but the whole point is to do this with existing gear to not spend any money.

If this is possible, please let me know what I need to do to the laptop, and what I should set the IP settings for in the XBox's network settings.

I feel like this could be really simple or not at all possible and I figured this would be a nice place to be told how to do it or that it can't be done.

Lend me your up-to-date media center knowledge

averyoldworld — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:57:07 -0800

What's the latest in small, cheap media centers? Recently, the future Mrs. veryoldworld threw up her hands in disgust
at our various patchwork tv solutions and still having to watch Hulu and anything we've downloaded on a laptop instead of our tv. I'm
interested in buying or building a nettop-sized media center pc that
would solve the problem. The optimal solution would include access to
Hulu and Netflix, incorporate a remote, and cost less than $250. We
could jettison Netflix if need be as we do have it via the Wii. We
don't have cable, and our antenna options are slim and uninteresting,
so we don't need DVR functionality or a tuner. I do need some
advice about hardware and software. I've heard good things about
XBMC, but I'm unsure whether Hulu/Netflix will reliably play on it. I
know there are Silverlight issues with Netflix depending on the
underlying OS, and possibly a plugin is needed for Hulu.

There's also this wrinkle: We presently have a standard def tube
television. It only has composite a/v and component video
connections. At the same time, I'd like to be able to seamlessly
upgrade if we move to HD in the next year.

I've read some of the media center posts in the last year, and have
particularly noted the links to Lifehacker's guides (many of which use
an Acer Revo, which doesn't seem to be sold anymore), and to mini ITX mobo/CPU/VGA combinations that rely on Nvidia Ion for graphics, but I'm still not entirely clear on what the latest in hardware is.

Summing up, I'm looking for guidance on what components or
hardware/software combinations will:
1) Play Hulu (and hopefully Netflix) and normal video files;
2) Via composite or component at present, and HDMI in the future;
3) Take a remote;
4) Be reasonably small and quiet;
5) Cost $200 - $250.

I'm spinning my wheels looking. Any advice, please?

Can I move a modded xbox classic's HD to another xbox classic?

srboisvert — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:02:56 -0800

My chip modded xbox classic is dying and i think the mod chip is part of the problem. If I buy a new-to-me used xbox classic can I soft mod it and use the HD that I installed in my current dying xbox? I would really like to be able to use my existing HD since it has all my media already on it (i do have a backup but it is a pain to transfer). On a related note what is the best (easiest) way to soft mod nowdays assuming I don't have the games needed?

I know I should really just buy a nettop pc but I am still using an old tv so the scart connector is stopping me.

XBMC

fizzzzzzzzzzzy — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:58:49 -0800

What can I use to synchronize multiple music libraries on one computer without overlap? A bunch of friends and I use a computer as and xbmc and a server. All of us have different music libraries. Is there a way to synchronize all of our music libraries with the music library on the xbmc without duplicates?

Will a spare receiver work with a different remote?

ChrisLSU — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:40:43 -0800

HTPC aficionados, I have a question about infrared remotes. Can a USB receiver be used by any other remote or is it "locked" to the one that came with it? I'm looking to replace my old Xbox running XBMC; it died several months ago. I currently have a WDTV Live but it lacks a lot of features that XBMC has (specifically, media libraries and downloading of movie info). I've already got a plan for a new one, but with one sticking point: the remote.
I have a Logitech Harmony and would prefer to use that. I also found an old USB infrared receiver at work that originally went with an old Toshiba media center laptop that was excessed years ago. Would I be able to plug this receiver into the system and have it work with the Harmony? If so, how?
I'd *really* prefer not to have to spend money on yet another remote for my living room.

What is the best external storage option for a PC running XBMC?

zcow — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:17:47 -0800

What is the best external storage option for a PC running XBMC? I recently set up an Aspire Revo 3610 with XBMC and absolutely LOVE it. It is connected to my TV via HDMI and I use it to watch movies and TV shows which are ripped to the HDD. Aside from using it for XBMC, the only other use that computer sees is Hulu and Netflix viewing. However, due to the ripped movies/TV shows, I'm running into hard drive space issues.

I'm looking to expand the hard drive with an external option to between 1-2 TB. However, I'm not sure which method of storage will be the best way to do this.

The only option I am really familiar with is plugging in an external hard drive via USB and having a redundant drive backing it up. This is one type I've been looking at.

I have found this product that seems promising but have zero experience with home servers. Can I plug that in, direct XBMC to that drive and be set with up to 2 TB of storage (including 2TB in backup)?

In searching AskMeFi, I came up with this question. I am aware of RAID but have zero experience. What are the pros/cons of such a setup? Is this feasible for what I'm looking to do?

Any experiences or suggestions would be great!

One Step Closer to Total Media Domination

joelhunt — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:14:57 -0800

Can I stream from a Seagate Dockstar to my XBMC-running Xbox? I'm getting a 1.5 TB Seagate external hard drive for my birthday (thanks Dad!). What I would like to do is pick up the Seagate FreeAgent Dockstar Network Adapter and hook it up to my wireless router. In this scenario, my XBox (running XBMC) would be in another room altogether, connected through my local wireless network.

Basically, is this possible? If I set up in this way, will my Xbox be able to stream all the media stored on the external hard drive?

I currently use SMB sharing to stream from my laptop to the Xbox, and I'd like to maintain that simplicity.

(Oh, and if there's a better/cheaper way to accomplish my goal, please feel free to school me.)

I need help picking media center software. What fits my seemingly simple requirements?

majick — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:27:24 -0800

I came into some hardware I have no other use for, so it's time to try some "media center" software! Yay! Difficulties: Spouse-friendliness is important, I don't know the media center scene very well, the hardware I have isn't all that fancy, and my patience for scouring all the different projects' forums to sort them out is somewhat limited. Can you help me sort out my options and pick something that's close to my requirements? The only non-negotiable requirements I have are that whatever I install absolutely must have some form of Hulu support, and absolutely must not require a hardware purchase (software I can get away with if it comes to it). The primary use cases will be playing movie files over SMB file sharing, and Hulu-watching, with occasional playing of the KEXP audio stream expected. Music browsing and playing over SMB would be nice, too. Being able to divert audio to an Airport Express would be kind of snazzy but I'm not hanging my hat on it. Other things like Youtube support would be neat but aren't required. Recording is not needed at all.

Hardware-wise I have a kinda old Toshiba that I just got for free. It's not especially fancy, from the P4 era, and has a pretty weak GPU (Intel 854). It has a VGA output and my TV has a VGA input. The TV expects to stretch 1024x768 SVGA into a 16:9 aspect ratio, so supporting that display method would be really nice. It will access all content via SMB over 100bT Ethernet.

So far the only thing I've done is try a live CD of XBMC. The default UI is pretty ugly and spouse-hostile due to the gaudy pictures of rendered sports cars and cheesy metal textures, but I assume that can be changed. It does seem to expect the VGA output to be stretched, which is good. Hulu support for XBMC appears questionable, third party, and possibly no longer functional depending on which forum thread you read. It most certainly isn't available out of the box.

I've read a little about Boxee, which seems to be an XBMC port of some kind, but last I heard they had dumped Hulu support which means I can't implement it.

I hear Microsoft bundles something like this with Windows 7 Ultimate, but I didn't run across anything like it when I played with my copy. I'm not a huge fan of those guys, but if they have something that works or if there's a Windows-based solution that's pretty good, I'm game.

What is out there that works? My ideal is to spend minimal time doing installation and integration, but I'm willing to do some gruntwork to make this go, I'm willing to build things from source as needed. I'm not above and would probably prefer running things that might not be officially sanctioned by the Television-Industrial Complex. It's just that the information quality out there is so bad -- mostly web forums full of people not getting answers to their questions -- that I don't really even know where to begin. Surely I'm not better off just installing a general purpose desktop OS on it and not doing the media center thing at all.

So tell me: If you were to recommend a really sweet media center setup, for maybe not the most awesome hardware, what would it be?

XBMC: to upgrade or not to upgrade?

srboisvert — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:46:00 -0800

XBMC on XBox Classic Users: It's been a long long time since I upgraded the XBMC on my XBOX. Is it worth it for me to upgrade to the latest t3ch version 2009-12-09? Any cool new features on the xbox build. I just can't bring myself to read through the change logs with every miniscule svn commit in it. The version I currently have (the folder dates say Feb 15, 2009 if that is an indicator) is closing in on a year old. It's adequate for my current uses of playing videos and music but a lot of things on it are slightly broken. The apple movie previews don't work, IMDB movie info is broken. There are also whole swaths of my mp3 collection that it won't play (I haven't figured out what distinguishes these mp3 files from others that work - cleaning it up is my end of holidays project)

I've never really done much with the library organization - i don't keep movie or tv files after watching them so I haven't set up any of the scrapers but I think I might do that as well.

Are there any cool modifications you have made? Useful scripts? Any tips or warnings for the upgrading?

Seeking the ultimate media center PC.

reductiondesign — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:27:07 -0800

Looking to build/buy a (maybe) Linux-based media center. Requirements: HDMI, YPbPr, and (bonus) standard RCA output (not all at once), region-free DVD/Blu-ray playing (physical drive[s?]), some sort of remote control, automatic boot into media center interface, small size (not a tower), and (of course) lots and lots of codecs: Blu-ray rips, H.264 .avi, VIDEO_TS folders, the works. Need to know: cost, upkeep, storage options. Short version: What's my best standalone media center PC option?

---

Long version: I'm thinking I'd run XBMC on this beauty, but I'm open to other suggestions. A main selling point for me would be how nice the UI looks (MediaStream looks gorgeous, but can I choose the posters/fan art that it displays?), but I'd also like minimal lag when going in and out of menus. Not sure if XBMC runs best on Windows or Linux, but I'm more keen on Linux since it's, well, free.

The computer I use for this should ideally be small—I have very little knowledge of the current desktop PC scene since I've only owned a laptop for years and years. What's out there, case/size-wise, nowadays? What sort of processing power would I need to play HD video? Blu-ray?

Storage is also a concern of mine. I currently have a little under 1 TB of TV shows and movies in .avi and .mp4 format, along with ~500 DVDs that I'd like to get copied onto a HDD of some sort. Should I go for internal drives or external drives? How often should I replace the drives in order to avoid failure?

If I could have this on my wireless network, that would be nice as well. Live TV would be nice, of course, but I'd be using it with rabbit ears of some sort if this were the case. Could I record live TV with this? Bonus: Could I integrate the rabbit ears into the case itself, or is this impractical?

This would need to have a remote control; what are my options there?

Thanks so much, and sorry for the length.

Best/Cheapest way to stream video/audio media from PC that also acts as HD backup?

bmilner — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:38:16 -0800

Best/Cheapest way to stream video/audio from PC that also acts as HD backup? (wants: Codec support, cheap, netflix support) My 1TB external HD crashed and since I'll need a replacement, I figured why not finally add the ability to stream content to my TV in the next room. There are so many confusing options out there. Here are my wants & what I know. Any opinions?

MUST HAVE:
1. 1TB or more storage space. I will use this as a backup drive for my Vista PC
2. Ability to play many codecs. I get videos from many places H264, Divx, WMV, Mp4 etc and I'd love to avoid having to convert them.
3. Play Mp3s from a library or folder structure
4. Wi-Fi support. I don't have ethernet by my TV

NICE TO HAVE:
1. Netflix/YouTube support.
2. Ability to handle large music collections I have 100GB of music so poor interfaces that scroll slowly will suck.
3. Variety of outputs so even though my TV is standard DEF component video now, I'll likely go HD in next year or two. (HDMI?)
4. No dependency on iTunes or Windows Media Player running on my PC. I hate those apps. I use Media Monkey.

NOT NEEDED (if adds to cost):
1. BitTorrent
2. Blu-Ray support
3. DVR functions (I have a TiVo series 2)

WHAT I'VE CONSIDERED:
1) Popcorn Hour A-110: Could put a 1TB drive in it. It would appear on network so I could use it as backup drive and media player. Cons: confusing, poor UI, netflix support is unofficial via $40 3rd party program

2) XBox 360: Plays games as a bonus. Means I have to run Windows Media Player on PC, yuck. Has Netflix. Also, limited codec support? Doesn't solve drive backup issue. Would need to buy separate USB drive for PC

3) XBOX w/ XBMC: I don't know how up to date this software is. Does it support netflix? Wifi? Needs seperate drive for PC backup

4) Mvix Ultio Media Player (http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/home-entertainment/bd4f/): Seems like Popcorn hour. Don't know which is better/easier.

5) Ps3 Slim: I've heard codec support's better than Xbox360. NO dependency on Windows Media Player? Netflix Support? Still needs an external drive for main backup

SO, any recommendations? Thanks!

Which 1080p HDMI media streamer should I purchase?

Perplexer — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:07:00 -0800

Which 1080p HDMI media streamer should I purchase? My Xbox with XBMC is starting to show its age. Which device should I consider as its replacement?

Requirements: Adequate processor for 720P, ideally for 1080P. Ethernet port for streaming MP3s and various video formats from a media server (Windows Vista/Windows7). Intuitive menus. Multi-format support. Should be under $200. (I'm not sure a Roku or AppleTV will meet my needs.)

These are on my comparison list:

WD Live TV Media Player (WDTV-2)
Brite-view Cinematube
Mvix Ultio

Have I missed anything, and what would you recommend?

Zero to HTPC in 700?

itesser — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:59:47 -0800

Going crazy trying to figure out my HTPC/media server options from scratch. Yes, I've been reading other threads but I'm a unique snowflake so there's My husband and I are a couple of nomads with a handful of computers (desktops and laptops, 3 Win and 1 Mac) who will be getting our first real TV/stereo/etc when we move into a new apartment late next month.

I want to...
- Stream Netflix to our TV
- Watch other internet video on the TV (and stream Pandora?)
- Play locally stored video / music on the TV/stereo
- Have all our music (~200 gigs) in one place, plus long-term expandability
- Keep important files in one location for frequent backing up to/from multiple computers
- I don't care to watch network or cable tv

My budget is somewhat flexible, but I'm aiming for solutions around $700 for the media-serving part of the set up.

After several hours considering my options (though I admit I'm not experienced at this, plus it's way past my bedtime), I think my current best bet is: xbox360 + XBMC on an XP system* + (Free)NAS. Would 3 machines be overkill?

* I like the iphone remote! and for a few other reasons

Or ditch the NAS and put a bunch of HDs in the XBMC system?
Or ditch the XBMC and stream directly from NAS to 360?
Or replace the XBMC with a MacMini+Plex?

How do I add media to an XBMC PC

midwestguy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:50:56 -0800

How do I add content to the hard drive running XBMC live on my new media center PC? I recently scored an older HP media center PC for free. The hard drive was wiped, so I installed live XBMC (the version that can boot from a CD, or be installed to the drive). It runs great--recognizes and plays thumb drives, portable hard drives, and DVDs. BUT...I can't for the life of me figure out how to add more stuff onto the hard drive that is inside the machine. Its not huge--200 GB, but that is enough room for all my music files and pictures, and I'd love to get them in there so that I wouldn't have to use the external drives all the time. How do I add music, pictures, or DVD rips onto the drive? Can it be done within this software?

Should I switch from Xbox XBMC to AppleTV?

obiwanwasabi — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:36:42 -0800

I have a 32" / 81cm enhanced definition widescreen CRT TV. I have an Xbox running XBMC connected via component to watch standard (ie not 720p) TV and DVD rips, letting the Xbox upscale to 720p. Will upgrading to an AppleTV and playing 720p rips dramatically improve the picture, or will I probably not notice any difference on such a small screen? Bonus questions - can the AppleTV actually play typical 720p TV / Blu-ray rips? Will my 802.11g wireless network be fast enough to stream 720p rips?

Best video codec for DVD ripping?

Otis — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:37:40 -0800

What are the best video compression settings (codec, bitrate etc.) for ripping DVDs (that I own)? These files will sit on a NAS and be streamed over a wireless G network for viewing on a standard definition TV with XBMC. I already have quite a few video files on the NAS that stream perfectly over this connection. Now I'd like to store part of my DVD collection on the NAS too to watch using XBMC. I don't have a ton of drive space, so I'd like something with good compression. (Not enough room for full isos of everything). What codec offers the most "bang for the buck" when it comes to compression? We are mostly talking 24 minute TV shows here. This is not an HD TV. Looking for something approximating broadcast TV quality. Any suggestions on codec, bit rate etc.? Should I do a two-pass encode? Thanks!