[GTALUG] best choices for tiny mlinux media centre in 2016?

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: Matt Price <moptop99 at gmail.com>

| I'm looking to replace my  desktop-based xbmc movie playing box with a much
| smaller and more energy-efficient ARM-based DIY project.  II'd love to hear
| what other people recommend for specs.  I'd like to build a system with:

- XBMC is now called Kodi

- it has become semi-mainstream

  - it will run under Linux, Windows, Android.  I don't know about OSX
    or iOS (google surely knows)

  - there are tonnes of cheap chinese-brand sticks and boxes that even
    come with it pre-installed.

- From what you said, the amount of storage is going to be an issue.
  Roughly how much storage do you need?

  - Raspberry Pi 2 is great in many ways but adding storage isn't so easy

    + is USB 2 fast enough?  If so, an external drive would work (but
      that requires another box)

    + do you have a network file server where stuff could be stored?
      (but remember that the Pi's ethernet goes through the USB bottleneck)

  - typical chinese boxes don't have internal store either.  Some have
    native ethernet (faster than the Pi).  Few if any have USB 3.

Some local optima:

- Raspberry Pi 2.  
  + Well support by community
  - slow expansion storage
  - guess: no hope for proprietary streaming sources like Netflix,
    Shomi, etc
  + Linux!

- cheap chinese-brand TV stick or box (Android)
  + cheap, comes with Kodi
  + can choose models with ethernet
  + some models have a community of modders (creating other ROMs)
    but they are limited since key device drivers are closed source.
  - manufacturers very soon stop releasing new firmware
  - parts of chips are secret and hence hard to support
  - Really important: check if Kodi has native drivers for the video playback.
    I don't really know how to do that (lots of googling).
  + you can select cost vs features.
    - 32 vs 64 bit ARM
    - 1G vs 2G RAM (an anagram of ARM!)
    - 4G, 8G or 16G flash memory
    - cheap brand or one with a community

- Nexus Player.  Currently on fire-sale ($70) meaning it is a dead product.
  + runs latest Android (Marshmallow)
  + run Kodi and is well-supported
  + runs Netflix including HD (only a few Android devices do HD (for
    some reason that Netflix hasn't explained))
  - won't run Shomi app (for some arbitrary reason)
  + can accept google "casting" from a phone or tablet

- a random (but carefully selected) Android tablet.  Pretty much the
  same as cheap chinese-brand stick or box.

- a fair number of Windows-based choices that are like the sticks,
  boxes, or tablets.

  For example, right now, Newegg offers this for $139.99 + 4.99
  shipping (- $10.00 if you use Visa Checkout and a coupon):
  <http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883722001>
  It comes with Windows but should be able to run Linux instead
  (not enough "disk" for dual booting).

- some little PCs.  Deals come and go.
  Here's one that's almost sold out:
  <http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=7_1203_1157&item_id=069768>
  This is a real PC and will run ordinary Linux distros just fine.
  It includes a 500G HD.  And a power switch.  And probably a remote.
  Takes real power, but nothing like a desktop.
  If you want control, this is the easiest path.

- cheap bare ARM boards from chinese brands.  Too much of a circus for
  me to recommend.  Surely there is good value somewhere there (Banana
  Pi?  Cubie Board?)  but likely too much adventure if you only care
  about the result (TV!).

| - relatively simple and manageable OS (Raspbian has been nice on my old RP
| rev b)

If you want to be in control, it is hard to beat the Pi without going
to a full PC.

| - some kind of hobbyist board, raspbi or beaglebone or whatever seems best;

That sounds like you want control.  Lots of these ARM things have
pain-points.  For example, the beaglebones didn't do FullHD (hardware
limitation).  Most have closed drivers for video.  Codecs are a pain.  
Bootloaders are all different so that a generic Linux distro cannot work 
(yet).

| - cheapest possible large ssd drive

Most don't take SSDs (or hard drives) except as externals (USB or NAS).
If you find your media collection grows, SSD is bound to be too small
or expensive.  SSDs are great for the OS but don't really have an
advantage for videos.  Since videos are accessed mostly-sequentially,
the seek time of a hard drive is not a problem.

Some little PCs come with room for a 2.5" drive.  You can get 2.5"
hard drives up to 1TB.  If you need more than 1TB, you need 3.5"
drives, something little computers don't accommodate.

| - a power button (!)

Not really needed for the really low power ones.

| - a wireless keyboard or other control device

Easy to add via USB or bluetooth.

| - HDMI out

At FullHD.  Too early for good UltraHD support.

| - some kind of a box to hold everything together (likely self-designed out
| of some very cheap scrap materials)
| - power source that can drive all these pieces
| - as little cost as possible