My HTPC build - OpenELEC XMBC

  • Thread starter Pako
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Noob616
So my parents are looking to ditch their satellite TV this summer, and my dad asked me to pick out parts and build an HTPC for them. wondering if you had any ideas or tips to share from your recent build? It'll mostly be used for Netflix and playing downloaded movies and TV through a home theatre set up.

Looking into something similar to yours, AMD processor for the value, might drop in a cheap cheap GPU depending on how good the integrated graphics look. I can probably just cannibalize an old PC for RAM and pick up a blu-ray drive.

I noticed you used something called an OpenELEC XMB OS on the build, is that a free OS? Just wondering what the alternatives to Windows are, my mom isn't too computer savvy and would probably do better with something more intuitive than a full Win7/8 install.

Thanks,
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First off, yes. OpenElec is a free OS specifically for HTPC using XBMC at it's core. OpenElec is a light, 70mb install that's fairly straight forward to setup.

Advantages of this is a dedicated interface for the Home Theater. The way I have it setup is pulling files from my NAS (Network Attached Storage) where I have 8TB's of storage made available for all my digital backups of my DVD's and BluRays. For this purpose, it works very well. For my setup, I opted not to use a Bluray drive as I archive all my disc's to digital formats anyways for the sake of my movie library. I have not tested Bluray Disc playback due to the my lack of drive, but it will play 1080p without error, and it plays it well.

You could use local attached storage for this, but could quickly run low on space depending on your media collection.

If Netflix is important, OpenElec is not for you. Currently, there is no way to stream Netflix through OpenElec due to Microsoft Silverlight licensing for Linux not being available. In light of this, you may look at XBMC on a windows install or have a secondary box for Netflix streaming.

I think the AMD A6/A8 processors work great for this application with their integrated graphics being more than enough to process full 1080P without so much as a hiccup. It is a cheap alternative to an Intel build and a secondary graphics card.

As a nice little bonus, XBMC has apps out for Android and iOS that lets you control your XBMC movie navigation and play controls right from your tablet or smart phone. Pretty cool stuff.

You can check it out here: http://xbmc.org/

I hope that answers some of your questions.

Think of XMBC as a light version of Windows Media Center that works.
 
I'm looking at doing another HTPC build, and this time, it's going to be Mini-ITX! Ordered myself the ASRock FM2A85X-ITX, just because I want to play around with it some, and its CIR header. Am planning on getting a Richland APU once these are out. Also am currently considering a passively cooled system, like the Streacom FC8 EVO, though I may go for one of the cheaper non-passively cooled variants. Trying a passively cooled system is very tempting, though. They also have reasonably small Micro-ATX cases, like the Streacom FC9, but these are quite a bit dearer again. Naturally, power will be supplied by a picoPSU with external power brick, which should be more than plenty.

And yes, I'm still extremely happy with my current HTPC, it's just that my current case looks bigger and bigger to me, the more I come across these beautifully designed Mini-ITX cases. :crazy:

Edit: I've just ordered two of the Streacom F1C cases, one in black, and one in silver. At least the AMD ITX board I've ordered will fit in that case, it's not compatible with the passively cooled variant. Plus, the passively cooled variants are simply too expensive, would have cost me more for one case than what I've now paid for two. The F1C actually has enough room for a decent low-profile CPU cooler if you don't need the ODD tray, though it may need some holes in the top for venting. I'll figure it out once I'll start building. :)
 
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