Best way to stream media to your TV? - Page 2

Flibster · 12-07-2009, 12:53

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 · 12-07-2009, 13:15

yeah, get an xbox;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microsoft-Xbox...%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 · 12-07-2009, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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 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 · 12-07-2009, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Del Lardo

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 · 12-07-2009, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wryel

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 · 12-07-2009, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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

Del Lardo · 12-07-2009, 22:09

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 · 12-07-2009, 23:10

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.

12-07-2009, 12:53	#11
Flibster Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,388	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. __________________

12-07-2009, 13:15	#12
Joe 90 Absinthe Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chester Posts: 2,345	yeah, get an xbox; http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microsoft-Xbox...%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. __________________ 360 Blog \| Join GiffGaff \| Twitter

12-07-2009, 23:10	#18
Glaucus Absinthe Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,855	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. __________________

12-07-2009, 22:09	#17
Del Lardo Absinthe Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cambridge Posts: 2,539	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