Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with xbmc

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?

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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!

Another console purchase guidance question.

drpynchon — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:59:15 -0800

Can an PS3/Xbox 360 perform most of the media functionality found on an original Xbox with XBMC? So I have an itch to get back into gaming and as it is I'm torn between the PS3 and the 360. I don't much care for the BR player functionality of the PS3 or Netflix on the 360 so that's off the table, however I'd love whatever I pick to replace my original Xbox with XBMC.

Currently, I have XBMC attached to a DNLA-capable 2TB NAS with my media (straight DVD copies, and Xvid/DivX avis, MP3s/FLAC, some photos). I love it, but do wish I could run h264 HD video.

Can either of the new systems fill in for the XBMC, and if not, where are they lacking (in terms of functionality, ease of use, interface)?

I'm essentially down to basing my decision on this, online play, and any trends in exclusive games I may prefer.

HTPC + DVD ISO + automounting = WIN: Show your work

Ritchie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:36:44 -0800

Looking for a media center solution (not necessarily a Media Center solution), that will automount DVD images (ISO files) for playback. I stayed with my brother over the holidays, where he showed me a media centre he'd built running Vista and Media Center. I in turn showed him how to rip his DVD collection to his hdd so he could put his DVDs into storage. While we were tinkering, I wondered aloud if it would be possible to get Media Center to mount ISO files and play them as if it were a regular DVD.

Short answer: theoretically it's possible, but I couldn't get it to happen.

Supposedly, Webguide + Daemon Tools is one way of making this happen. I Installed both, but some piece of the puzzle was missing, and despite configuring and reconfiguring until I was blue in the face, there was no joy. My brother didn't care - he was overjoyed to find that Webguide would stream music and video over his network.

Anyway. I'm home now and looking to set up my own media center thingy. And I'd really like to be able to automagically mount DVD images just by selecting a movie from a menu - not for every disc, but definitely some of them. But I need to know if there's anyone out there who has actually succeeded at this. There are plenty of people who say on various forums, for example 'oh yeah, XBMC does this' but I'd like to hear from somebody who has really done it. Describe how you set it up.

XBMC + Xbox360 + Vista: Help me build a DVR.

iamisaid — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:41:23 -0800

Help make my own DVR. I have basic cable, an Xbox with XBMC, and an Xbox 360 in the living room, and a Windows Vista desktop machine in the bedroom. I want to be able to record shows on a schedule and watch in the living room. What's the best way to do it? More about my setup:

I have basic cable straight from the wall outlet and don't use any type of cable box. There is a cable outlet in the living room and in the bedroom.

The Xbox has the latest version of Xbox Media Center, while the 360 is stock. Both are on my wireless G network.

The Vista machine does not have any type of tuner card, although I am open to installing one if needed (if so, a recommendation would be great).

I want to be able schedule recordings either via the TV or computer (doesn't matter), and ultimately be able to watch any recording on demand via the living room TV.

I'm guessing I could achieve this with the 360 and Windows Media Center on the PC, but are there any other solutions available using the hardware I have at hand? Or is that the way to go? Any suggestions appreciated.

Pimp My Wireless Network

billtron — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:33:16 -0800

WirelessNeworkFilter: Please help me set up my home wireless network using two routers. Despite all the particulars of my situation, there must be an easy solution. I have a cold and my brain might be a little fuzzy. I have two routers, a WRT54G running DD-WRT v23 and a brand new WRT54GL that I haven't taken out of the box.

Here's my current setup:
In the back room of the apartment are the main computer, the cable modem, and the DD-WRT router, all hardwired.
On the other side of the apartment, in the living room, are a TV, a first generation TIVO, an XBOX that will soon run XBMC, and several wireless devices that are struggling to reach the signal being broadcast by the router in the back room, often failing.
There is an external hard drive housing the media connection. It can be put anywhere on the network.
The cable modem can be kept in the back room or moved to the living room by the TV.

How should I optimally set up my network, minding the following facts:
1. The most important connection in the house is the main computer. This is why it is the one that is hardwired.
2. The TIVO has no ethernet out capability. It's using a USB wireless thingamajig. The TIVO also will only recognize WEP. If possible, I'd like to work around that to increase security for the computers.
3. I have very basic cable, and the tivo isn't really capturing anything that can't be streamed over hulu.com or the basic channel websites.
4. I would like to watch said streamed videos on the TV in the living room.
5. I would like to access the external hard drive from any computer in the house, and watch its movies and listen to its music through the television.

What's the best solution for streaming HD media from a PC?

YoungAmerican — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:08:27 -0800

What's the best solution for streaming HD media from a PC? I just got my first HDTV. For a couple years, I've been using an XBox Media Center with a wireless adapter to watch downloaded video from my WinXP PC in the other room. XBMC, however, lacks the power for HD video.

What's the best, reasonably priced solution in 2008?

I do have Netflix, and Netflix "Play Now" would be neat, but isn't a requisite. I play video games sometimes, and that would be nice, but again, not required. BluRay, same deal. What is important is that it work really well, not require a lot of hacking on my part, and that it play all the stuff I download -- DivX, Xvid, MPEG, etc. I am not opposed to something with an HD I can easily access over my network, but I don't want any sneakernet. I'd rather spend $150 than $300 or $400, but I'd consider the latter if it was something really kickass.

These questions have some sorta answers, but they're also a year old. What's the latest and greatest?

GPS and XBMC

kenbennedy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:59:34 -0800

Can I open/run any old program I want from within Xbox media center (on my mac mini)? I have an Intel Mac Mini with Plex installed. I want to put this computer in my car and run a piece of GPS software (RouteBuddy). Can I launch and run this piece of software from within Plex? Is this possible with any variation of the Xbox media center? Do you have any other suggestions? I have not been using Plex for very long, but it is nice looking and that is something I am after when trying to run the Mini in my car.

Can anyone recommend a cheap universal remote that can learn one task that involves two devices?

ranglin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:49:22 -0800

Can anyone recommend a cheap universal remote that can learn one task that involves two devices? So, I've modded my xbox, installed xbmc and got it working as a media centre for the bedroom, including making it work on the wireless network. It's all working really well, except that we currently have to use two remotes to control everything! Since the only thing that the TV in the bedroom does is work with the media machine, it is very frustrating to have to use two remotes for it all the time!

In the main room we have a harmony 525 remote, which is excellent, but it seems like overkill for the bedroom, since there is only one activity we want to do on the bedroom machine. I've had a look at the usual suspects for cheap universal remotes, but I have two problems with most of them. 1. They usually only work with codes, and it seems most of them don't have a code for the xbox remote and 2. They all have buttons for "TV", "VCR", "DVD" etc, and I think it's stupid that I'd have to press "TV", then press on, then adjust volume, then press "XBOX" (or whatever) and then press play. I don't want to have to select the device, I want it to know that play goes with the xbox and volume goes with the TV.

I guess what I really want is a simple remote with all the usual buttons that will allow me to "learn" the buttons on the other two remotes by pointing them at it, pressing a button on the original remote and then pressing a button on the new remote to learn it. Does something like this exist? It would seem a sensible idea, but I'm struggling to find it.

BTW, I'm in Queensland, Australia if it makes a difference. I'd ship internationally, but prefer to buy locally if I can, since the Aus dollar has tanked against the USD in recent months!

Thanks all!

What's the easiest way to use my Mac to mod an xbox and install XBMC?

ranglin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:17:54 -0800

What's the easiest way to use my Mac to mod an xbox and install XBMC? I don't have access to any of the old games, and don't really want to have to buy a USB to memory card convertor for this. Suggestions? Just to clarify, I've been reading about all this for days, but the information seems a little all over the place. Things I've discovered:

1. I probably want to hotswap to mod it. I don't have access to the old games needed and I don't want to buy a USB to memory card converter anyway.

2. XBOXHDM is suggested as a good way to mod w/ a hotswap. It's basically a Linux LiveCD which is fine, but most tutes then tell you to download ndure and run the installer (windows-based) to install it into the ISO image before you burn it. This is obviously tricky for me. I have an old desktop PC, but it's not running XP and I'm not keen to install the whole OS just to run one installer!

3. Every tute I see wants you to change the dash, but from my reading I don't see WHY you'd do this. Can't you just install XBMC as an application running from the MS Dash somehow? If this is the case, do I even need to mod, or can I just get access to the HD via a hotswap and copy XBMC across somewhere.

Please help me AskMe. As you can see I am lost in a sea of forum posts, howto's and FAQ's, but nothing seems to give me an easy blow-by-blow guide to using my Mac to do this!

Thanks!

What's the best option these days for building a home theater PC (HTPC)?

twiggy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:09:48 -0800

HD-capable HTPC advice / help? I'm overwhelmed here... XBMC, Boxee, MythTV, Windows Media Center, CableCARDS, Popcorn Hour, Apple TV -- too many options! What should I build to fit my needs within a reasonable cost? I should start by saying I'm plenty tech savvy. I'm not overwhelmed by the terminology. However, I've been putting off building an HTPC for a long time now and the longer I do, the more crazy software/boxes show up that muddy my idea of what I should do!

So, in my ideal world, here's my needs:
- Absolutely HAS to decode 1080p video without dropping frames -- from what I've heard a Mac Mini can't handle 1080p. I'm guessing then that a hacked AppleTV (which I see you can now install XBMC or Boxee on) is also not an option?
- I'd like it to serve as a DVR - I have Comcast Digital Cable, so I may need CableCARDS for this, right? I do have a Comcast DVR, and could live with using that instead, but I can't "copy off" my programming and archive it which sucks.
- I'd like it to also serve as a great media player -- I use XBMC on an original Xbox and I love that...
- Assuming I build something myself - I have no idea what a good video card is that has HDMI output and is reasonably priced. I don't really have much interest in playing games on it, so I don't need the craziest card out there...
- While looks aren't super important (it'll be in a cabinet behind frosted glass), it should at least have a case that will keep it running quietly (unlike Xboxes, which are loud as crap!)
- Future expandability is a big plus, but not 100% necessary as long as it fits today's needs. I love that XBMC is continually updated, has cool plugins, etc, but I'm not 100% married to it.
- I have a Logitech Harmony 890 remote that I love. I've got to at least be able to hack something together to control it with that.

Basically, a machine that runs XBMC and can decode 1080p, combined with a DVR, would be perfect. I just don't know what the ideal way is to build that for a reasonable price.

Then the HTPC world gets more confusing -- there are boxes out there like Popcorn Hour, AppleTV, etc that look like they either do a lot of this, or are hackable to do this stuff.. am I better off going with one of these? I see Popcorn Hour will even act as a NAS and a BitTorrent downloader, which is fantastic, but it doesn't seem to have any recording capabilities.

Any help would be sincerely appreciated - the vast array of options has become too much for even the finest google-fu given my lack of available free time.

Wireless solution for Xbox and XBMC?

Otis — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:57:21 -0800

What's the best wireless solution for connecting an original X-Box with XBMC for streaming MPEG-2 video? I have an xbox in a back bedroom with XBMC. In the living room is a Linksys wireless G router. I'd like to stream MPEG-2 video that I have captured with a Hauppauge PVR-150. What's the best wireless solution for the X-box and XBMC? Linksys WGA54G Wireless G Game Adapter? Original Microsoft adapter? I'd like to hear what is actually working well for people (not really what would work in theory).

For what it's worth, I know streaming video over this distance will work. I have an old Gateway wireless DVD player that streams MPEG-2 content from this router (when it decides to work, which is about 50% of the time). Looking for a more dependable solution. Thanks!

How do i get my modded xbox onto my windows network.

lrobertjones — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 06:31:22 -0800

How do i get my modded xbox (ie xbmc) onto my windows network. I have a software modded xbox, running xbmc (build 1.1.0) trying to connect to my windows network to share files. I am using a Netgear dg834g router. Normal cat 5 cable running from xbox to router. DHCP turned on in router settings, but cannot get xbox to locate network. Also tried manually assigning ip on xbox but no dice

From the limited testing I have been able to do it does not appear that the Xbox is connecting to the router at all (limited testing includes checking attached devices in router diagnostics, pinging expected ip range of xbox from pc on network and using another prgram to share files from pc but xbox did not detect this).

i am pretty sure it is not;
windows network problem as other computers are able to connect to this network
cable problem as i have used this cable to connect another pc to this network and also tested the cable when i made it.

Is there something i need to do to get DHCP to work. or anything else i can do to get this connected. i am bored of burning dvds.