Best way to stream media to your TV?

[Wryel]

I've been thinking about the best way to do this for some time. I'd like to buy a NAS and retire my desktop PC so I was hoping to use that to stream to my TV. I've seen this (http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=181205&se=1435) but it doesn't have a huge number of formats on it. Anyone used one of these? Thought it might be a simpler alternative to making a media centre PC.

[Psymonkee]

Popcorn Hour A-110 (http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore/index.php?pluginoption=catalog&item_id=6&main_id=0&category_id=) looks the business and has been recommended to me by a co-worker :)

Chuck an HDD in and it'll even do Bit Torrent (runs from Linux :D)

Downside is the price (nearly 200 in the UK :()

[Jhadur]

Do you have an xbox 360?if so then just download Tversity and use that.
WMC on the Windows 7 RC works for streaming to the xbox as well.

[Peige]

I'd also recommend the Popcorn, when you cost in all the bits you need for a media pc then your really no better off.
I tried to use my ps3 to do the job the compatablily was a pita, my popcorn just does it.. converting dts to stereo if your telly doesn't support it as well as a host of other features to fiddle with

[Del Lardo]

I have a Popcorn rip off that I'm pretty happy with but in the process of replacing it with a HTPC running XBMC based on the new NVIDEA ION platform.

Something like http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/9606798/Acer-Aspire-Revo-Intel-Atom-N230-1-6GHz-1GB-8GB-SSD-Linux-Desktop-PC/Product.html should do the job properly so long as you don't want to run the more advanced XBMC skins

[A Place of Light]

I heart my XBMC.
That is all.

[Wryel]

Thanks guys! The popcorn sounds great as I can chuck one of my hard drives in and then use as a NAS, I can then keep the other for backup in my desktop. I like the idea of the PC running XBMC but it just means I'd still have to fork out for a NAS or keep my desktop on all the time (which is the main point of this exercise).

[Toby]

Also have a look at the WD TV - very similar concept to the Popcorn Hour but you attach your own USB hard drive to it. Comes in under £100 too.

[Pumpkinstew]

An NMT like the Popcorn Hour looks like a good solution.

I've been eyeing the selection at digital era for a while.
http://www.digitalera.co.uk/catalog/Media_Players-119-1.html

[Wryel]

Might have changed my mind. I have a Dell Optiplex 745 SFF PC and I'm thinking of sticking a wireless card and a half decent graphics card in it. Obviously I'm losing out on the NAS functionality but if I dismantle my main PC I can use the hard drives from that if I want to. Anyway, how does this (http://www.advancetec.co.uk/acatalog/Sapphire_ATI_Radeon_11141-05-20R_512MB_HD4550_DDR3_HDMI_DVI-I_VGA_PCI-E_Low_Profile_Graphics_Card.html) look? Seems to cover all the bases for under £40, would it be worth spending more cash?

[Flibster]

You could spend £10 on an original xbox and then hack it to have XBMC on it - add in a couple of quid for a remote and RGB/Optical cable and you're sorted.

Got one of them in the bedroom and it rocks. Accesses everything on the network and plays 99% - doesn't manage HD being effectively a 733mhz celeron, but audio and divx/xvid/mov etc work perfectly. Especially outputting the audio through the optical port into the amp.

[Joe 90]

yeah, get an xbox;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microsoft-Xbox-Exc-Cond-Console-Games-and-Accessories_W0QQitemZ150356637880QQcategoryZ112848 QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m212QQ_trkparmsZalgo %3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DSI%252 BUS-BWR%252BUCI%252BIA%252BUCC%252BPSS%252BCRS%252BIT% 252BUA%252BIEW%26otn%3D3%26ps%3D56
£20 that one :)
I've got a modded xbox which I picked up about 6 years back for £110, still going strong, just recently reformatted to update it as i'd not used it in a few years. lovin it again.

[Del Lardo]

Might have changed my mind. I have a Dell Optiplex 745 SFF PC and I'm thinking of sticking a wireless card and a half decent graphics card in it. Obviously I'm losing out on the NAS functionality but if I dismantle my main PC I can use the hard drives from that if I want to. Anyway, how does this (http://www.advancetec.co.uk/acatalog/Sapphire_ATI_Radeon_11141-05-20R_512MB_HD4550_DDR3_HDMI_DVI-I_VGA_PCI-E_Low_Profile_Graphics_Card.html) look? Seems to cover all the bases for under £40, would it be worth spending more cash?

Do you want to play HD content?

[Wryel]

Do you want to play HD content?

Eventually, yes. I'm thinking about getting a slimline Blu-Ray player for the PC too at some point.

[Del Lardo]

Eventually, yes. I'm thinking about getting a slimline Blu-Ray player for the PC too at some point.

Radeon should be OK if it fits in the case. One thing to bear in mind is noise, while a fan might be OK in an office environment in a living/bedroom you tend to notice them a lot more so a passive cooling solution would be better if possible.


If you want to do HD then the xbox really wouldn't suit. Have a look for XBMC for a good Media center program.

[LeperousDust]

I have a Popcorn rip off that I'm pretty happy with but in the process of replacing it with a HTPC running XBMC based on the new NVIDEA ION platform.

What have you got? I'm looking at all the popcorn competitors myself trying to find something cheaper maybe...

[Del Lardo]

iStarHD tbh the platform has aged badly in the last few months and for the moment you are far better to invest your money in the Atom N230/Nvidea ION platform that I posted on page1.

£150 for a box that will blow the Popcorn out of the water

[Glaucus]

easist way is to uild a htpc.

This can be done extremely cheaply or very expensive depending what you want.

I built one out of old parts I had lying about amd x2, 939 mobo 2GB ram. All I had to by was a ATi HD3450, blu-ray drive and a wirless keyboard.
Works great and cost about £100.

although if your willing to spend now get a dual core atom and ion setup up. In a nice tiny box.