[GTALUG] Recommendation for a media center front end?

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

> From: Michael Galea via talk <talk at gtalug.org>

> The latest software upgrade of my MythTv Frontend dropped support for my video
> card, so I guess its time to go shopping.
> 
> I would appreciate any recommendations for small form factor or mini PC style
> hardware.
> 
> I'm currently looking at a Beelink Mini S12 Pro Mini PC, Intel 12th Gen Alder
> Lake- N100(up to 3.4GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM 500GB PCIe SSD  which is going for
> $329 on Amazon.  Has anyone had experience with this brand?

That seems expensive for an N100 system.  This listing is currently
$255.30 (still expensive):
<https://www.amazon.ca/Beelink-U57-Processor-256G-Performance/dp/B0879KKTCB/ref=sr_1_5>
This is another brand from the same company ($249 - $30 coupon):
<https://www.amazon.ca/TRIGKEY-Mini-PC-Generation-Processor/dp/B0C15GD3V8/ref=sr_1_4_sspa>

I'm kind of spoiled by bargains I got last year.  For example, I got a
Bee-link N95 system for something like $120 + tax.

An N100 should be fine for this purpose, but remember that it is kind
of a successor to the Atom microarchitecture.

I'm kind of inclinded to Ryzen Bee-links, but Amazon doesn't seem to
have bargains at the moment (they did have some yesterday).

How much do you care about video resolution?  Do check, but I suspect
that the limit of the N100 is 3840x2160 @ 60 Hz with 8 bits per colour
in each pixel.  Lots of video devices support High Dynamic Range,
meaning more bits of colour per pixel.

If there is a Myth frontend for Android, there are cheap boxes that
have better video features: lower power, better video, CEC.