Really Inexpensive Media Streamer/HTPC - XBMC

[adwilk]

I'm sure a lot of you have read about or at least heard of the little computer called the Raspberry Pi. Its an ARM GNU/Linux platform in a credit card sized package. It can be used for lots of things including a ported version of Debian- Cost- $35

Blah blah... I had been looking for something to replace a WDTV Live in a second room and it turns out that XBMC has been ported to the Pi and Openelec runs as an operating system. It runs PRETTY well. The interface isn't flawlessly responsive but neither is the WDTV. It is a superior streamer and plays 1080p on my network without a fuss. I MUCH prefer the interface and layout of XBMC and the app support for my tablet/phone/pc. I would have no problem using this device in my main system. There's currently work being done to port Android 4.0 which could bring Netflix, Hulu+ and other apps to the party.

Raspberry Pi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[TLS Guy]

I'm sure a lot of you have read about or at least heard of the little computer called the Raspberry Pi. Its an ARM GNU/Linux platform in a credit card sized package. It can be used for lots of things including a ported version of Debian- Cost- $35

Blah blah... I had been looking for something to replace a WDTV Live in a second room and it turns out that XBMC has been ported to the Pi and Openelec runs as an operating system. It runs PRETTY well. The interface isn't flawlessly responsive but neither is the WDTV. It is a superior streamer and plays 1080p on my network without a fuss. I MUCH prefer the interface and layout of XBMC and the app support for my tablet/phone/pc. I would have no problem using this device in my main system. There's currently work being done to port Android 4.0 which could bring Netflix, Hulu+ and other apps to the party.

Raspberry Pi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm really interested in this. Please can you provide more details of the hook up and connectivity and if possible post pictures of the set up.

I'm particularly interested to know if this is a set up that could stream H.264 via HDMI to a receiver of pre/pro. Does it support flash player and HTML 5?

I'm looking for an easy and economic way of streaming HD content and high quality audio to people's AV systems. It must support flash player and HTML 5. It must be able to be set up and used by individuals who are not computer geeks and widely and easily implemented.

I have been considering a mod of Xbox, but this looks as if it might be simpler and easier.

Thank you for this post. If you think all of this might not be of interest to the general membership, then you can PM me. I guess I want to know ALL of the blah, blah, blah. Remember I'm now officially geriatric and stated with a spring wound up gramophone.

When you say the interface is not flawless, that concerns me. I need a stable widely applicable solution easily useable by the non technically inclined.

As you can probably guess, I'm getting deeper and deeper into what may prove to be a pivotal and vital project to the musical arts community. I have to get my research sound, and know we have something like this that is stable before the next phase.

[BoredSysAdmin]

Pi has model B which now supports 1080p video and as you mentioned, XBMC 12 supports the Pi ... this maybe quite easy project from where I sit

[BoredSysAdmin]

Just found interesting comment from Ars Tech:

bilditup1Smack-Fu Master, in training

reply2 days agoignore user

Raspbmc is not a build of XMBC. It is a stripped down Linux that includes XBMC, but is not simply a custom build of XBMC itself (XBMC is not an OS). Other options include OpenELEC (updated constantly, used to build it myself for a while) and Xbian (built on Debian). The extent to which each of these distros customize XMBC under the hood differs. OpenELEC in more recent builds has integrated their OS options as something easily selectable via the UI, for example. I'm not sure what other distros do.

One thing that's left out of all this talk of audio is the fact that while some developers, like dom on the RPi boards, have said that while it is technically possible, the Raspberry Pi does NOT currently output multichannel PCM as multichannel (5.1, 6.1, 7.1, what have you). This means: when you use the Pi itself to decode multichannel streams of any codec (AC3, DTS, the hd versions thereof, aac, whatever), they are downmixed to stereo. Other new features of AudioEngine, like bitstreaming AAC to compatible receivers, and bitstreaming DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD, are also disabled on the Pi.

This is reflected in some #ifdef code for the GUI settings screens, on lines 487-496:
https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/blob/maste ... ttings.cpp

Quote:
#if !defined(TARGET_DARWIN) && !defined(TARGET_RASPBERRY_PI)
AddBool(aocat, "audiooutput.passthroughaac" , 299, false);
#endif
#if !defined(TARGET_DARWIN_IOS) && !defined(TARGET_RASPBERRY_PI)
AddBool(aocat, "audiooutput.multichannellpcm" , 348, true );
#endif
#if !defined(TARGET_DARWIN) && !defined(TARGET_RASPBERRY_PI)
AddBool(aocat, "audiooutput.truehdpassthrough", 349, true );
AddBool(aocat, "audiooutput.dtshdpassthrough" , 347, true );
#endif



(Interestingly, the same seems to be true for Darwin/iOS targets - not just portable devices but probably also the Apple TV. I'm not actually sure though since I haven't looked into it.)

Unfortunately this information is difficult to come by except by stumbling upon obscure threads in the RPi forums (often enough they won't answer you directly, to say nothing of the devs on the XMBC forums). But this is not really a great step forward for Raspberry Pi users who want a full functional XBMC. Bugginess abounds.

Onboard decoding of audio while playing video remains a bit screwed up - it gets distorted, sort of like the sound when a record makes when you increase speed on a turntable that allows some pitch control, for the first second or two after beginning playback from pause. There is no real seeking - fast forward and rewind controls do not respond and simply cause crashes. The kludge is to use the direction keys, with which you could jump in 30 sec or 10min increments (editable increments, yes, but not via the gui). After changing chapters (if your file has one), video will appear blocky, white, and distorted for several seconds. (My hypothesis is that it's not beginning playback on a keyframe, but someone should have cared enough to do something about this, as it's not an issue when using the 'seek' kludge. I would myself, if I knew anything about coding audio or video playback.) Lastly, scraped thumbnails of media appear distorted in certain views (not consistently). These are longstanding issues that have not been solved in months, and it is hard to believe the XBMC people are making Pi development any kind of priority (especially based on the responses I received at their forum - not rude, but a bit nonplussed). Not to say there hasn't been progress at all. For example, the GUI is more stable, and movie info related photos - JPEGs of covers and episodes and such - no longer appear hopelessly distorted (a regression introduced when the MyVideos db was reorganized earlier this year).

Still, I wish more media outlets (really any) would cover these issues; I love my Pi and it is in many respects much better at playback (especially, interestingly enough, SD playback) and more versatile than commercial players with a network playback function (like BD players, at least the one's I've used), to say nothing of the gangbusters power efficiency. But the lack of polish is sometimes tiring, and sometimes I still have to use my PS3 (180W draw sometimes) to stream (mp4 files with multichannel AAC). People should be made more aware of these issues so that they can make better decisions about their purchases. (I have other uses for the Pi; others probably don't.)Last edited by bilditup1 on 29 Jan 2013 23:29

[TLS Guy]

Just found interesting comment from Ars Tech:

Thanks for that. It sounds Geeky and not ready for prime time and wide market.

I need a reliable and small streaming device, that would reliably output HD video and audio. Multichannel is not a game changer right now as flash does not support it anyway. I need at least 1080p from H.264, and we have H.h265 announced now for 4K. Two channel audio at least 350 kbs and AAC is the bare minimum.

HDMI to receiver or pre pro, and it must work for people with limited IT skills without a ton of glitches and futzing.

Any ideas would be welcome. This would need to interface with a dedicated streaming site.

Any ideas are welcome.

I do not really rule out having to have some programming and customization. I think I could get at least 10K from donors for a feasibility study.

[BoredSysAdmin]

I'm looking at my next media streamer and so far PCH-A400 is most likely candidate as it has biggest user (and modders) base

[Grador]

I'm looking at my next media streamer and so far PCH-A400 is most likely candidate as it has biggest user (and modders) base

I would venture to say that XBMC has a larger user and modder base, but I would agree with TLS Guy that it is most certainly a geeky solution and will likely never be ready for "prime time market" as that's really not what it's aimed at.

[TLS Guy]

I'm looking at my next media streamer and so far PCH-A400 is most likely candidate as it has biggest user (and modders) base

Thanks for that. It might do the trick. The price is right. However after a quick read of the menu, it does not look as if you can just go to the NET and run a streamed (not downloadable) program easily.

It looks to me that you have to go through the Apps market. That I think means that they would have to agree to add an app for our site, at least I think it would. Would it be possible to write and program the app for the device? This is a problem for other devices, such as Boxee Box.

May be I should try and contact them.

[Grador]

Thanks for that. It might do the trick. The price is right. However after a quick read of the menu, it does not look as if you can just go to the NET and run a streamed (not downloadable) program easily.

This is going to be the case for most set top boxes, which is one of the main reasons I've stuck to HTPCs.

[TLS Guy]

This is going to be the case for most set top boxes, which is one of the main reasons I've stuck to HTPCs.

Yes, that is why I built an HTPC and love it. However that is not a solution that is applicable to my plans.

I think the XBOX 360 with Gold membership might do what I want. I understand it now can Browse the Net with Windows 8 and Internet explorer.

I think this was supposed to happen coincident with the release of Windows 8.