XBMC System for XMAS

[Bally12345]

Right I got £300ish budget and want to create a XBMC bundle including android remote for less than £300... Is it possible?

Looking at either the Revo, HP Proliant Micro Server or something else?

What would be the best solution? I was thinking if I go with the revo and stick my 60SSD in there with Win7 and run XBMC Dhamra or run linux and XBMC?

Important thing is the control, I need to have a nice easy way of controlling it, on, off, navigating through menus, pause, play forward stop etc...

Look forward to your responses

 

[hawkish]

your budget and requirements say "asrock 330" to me mate

ASRock ION 330HT Nettop PC (UK, 1.6GHz, 2GB, 320GB, DVD, Black) #ASR-ION-330HT/B - eXpansys UK

XBMC is now precompiled to work with the remote that this pc comes with, android remote will work too if you are feeling flash and the asrock can even wake on lan

 

[oneman]

Revo would be my choice but there is no optical drive if that is important to you. There are plenty of tutorials for gettting xbmc working with it using either windows or linux.

 

[Hejira]

I'm in the Revo camp, but I understand the optical drive n remote convenience of the ASRock.

I'd Map an Optical drive over the network if needed.
The xmbc android remote works very well on my htc wildfire.

For your 300 quid budget:-

Revo with same spec as ASRock: £195
Acer Aspire Revo R3610 Desktop PC - Desktops | Ebuyer.com

Orange San Fransico: £99 PAYG + Unlock ( I saw for $5)
San Francisco from Orange in grey | Pay monthly contract | Pay as you go| Mobile phones | Orange

I can't vouch for the San Fran myself but all I've read suggests it's a bargain for what you get.
Paul Reviews... the Orange San Francisco - Android @ MoDaCo

 

[Bally12345]

your budget and requirements say "asrock 330" to me mate

ASRock ION 330HT Nettop PC (UK, 1.6GHz, 2GB, 320GB, DVD, Black) #ASR-ION-330HT/B - eXpansys UK

XBMC is now precompiled to work with the remote that this pc comes with, android remote will work too if you are feeling flash and the asrock can even wake on lan

Would you say the ASRock is better than the revo and would it be possible to swap the drive for a blu-ray rom? Dont know whether to stick an SSD drive in there to speed up boot time either?

 

[Bally12345]

I want to get this sorted pretty quick I like the revo but the ASRock has the drive and remote however I have to take in to consideration the £65.90 price difference.

Hmm what to do?! I got the urge to do some impulse buying lol!

 

[Bally12345]

ASRock looks like the system to go for seeing as the remote would make life so much easier... later on I will try switching to android remote. Can anyone confirm the remote turns system on and off?

 

[Bally12345]

This takes me way over budget but anyone got any views on this
Archos 5 160GB Internet Tablet Android: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
as a remote

 

[skinz]

Just posted here by the cheeky monkey

HotUKDeals - HP ProLiant MicroServer / NAS 4 Bay £212.07 @ Dabs (+ HP Cash Back / Quidco)


full link there, please read the full post for info.

absolutley cracking bit of kit, runs linux / freenas or any OS you wanna chuck on it, as a starter for a NAS project you cannot beat it.

also availible and instock @ it247 for same price, use code MYVWIN25 for 2.5% off, plus quidco @ 1.5% quidco.

£3.99 delivery plus the £100 cashback from them.

nice price, this one from it247 comes with 1 gig ram and 1 160gig hdd as well

for the cash well worth it.
__________________
https://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/index.php?threads/252875/#post1870813

£105 after all discounts mate

 

[Bally12345]

Just posted here by the cheeky monkey

HotUKDeals - HP ProLiant MicroServer / NAS 4 Bay £212.07 @ Dabs (+ HP Cash Back / Quidco)


full link there, please read the full post for info.

absolutley cracking bit of kit, runs linux / freenas or any OS you wanna chuck on it, as a starter for a NAS project you cannot beat it.

also availible and instock @ it247 for same price, use code MYVWIN25 for 2.5% off, plus quidco @ 1.5% quidco.

£3.99 delivery plus the £100 cashback from them.

nice price, this one from it247 comes with 1 gig ram and 1 160gig hdd as well

for the cash well worth it.
__________________
https://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/index.php?threads/252875/#post1870813

£105 after all discounts mate

It will need a graphics card and memory upgrade no IR still very good price though

 

[Bally12345]

Iv only gone and done it!!

Just bought the ASRock ION 330HT for £242.50 used quidco code "QUIDCO10" to knock of £10.00 + 3% cashback which bought it down to £249.99 - 3% quidco cashback = £7.50 cashback. Next day free delivery so it should come tomorrow!!

@Hawkish get ready for a whole heap of questions lol... I think I will wait until next year until I get an android remote. Although the Orange Sanfran is tempting.

 

[hawkish]

nice deal mate, ill keep an eye out for a thread on it

you will find this usefull

 

[Bally12345]

Should be delivered tomorrow so shall see what I can do with it!

 

[zad]

I personally having got/had both,it would be second hand mac mini running plex...
XBMC is very good though,and I run it on an old pc put in an old av amp case..

If you are going ion then maybe look at the new laptops for around £250 with hdmi on etc best of both worlds then

And do I not recall you doing this ages ago any way?

 

[Bally12345]

I had a mini xbmc project early when the first lot of revos came out... got bored and sold it... Thats what I do, I buy things try it until I get bored and then move on... Hopefully with this it should be a keeper.

 

[Bally12345]

Hopefully will have this tonight when I get back home from work, will be downloading http://xbmcfreak.binkey.nl/xbmcfreak-1000-nuvoton-rc2.zip and seeing how it all works out of the box then for the tweaking!

For now will be accessing files from SMB share, then look at updating fanart as at the moment all my movies folders have folder.jpg and thats it.

 

[Bally12345]

ooh ahh had delivery today, at work until 7 2nite but will unpack and hook up to see how it works!

 

[ManofScience]

i use metabrowser for retrieving metadata/images (inconjunction with Media Browser/win7 Media centre), so a bit different to XBMC

http://themetabrowser.com/

didn't cost me owt so dunno why they're mentioning charging for it...

 

[Bally12345]

Looks likes it a trial version now and $29.99 for first year and then $19.99 for renewal or $66.72 for lifetime licence

 

[ManofScience]

i might have the original file i downloaded at home. will check tonight and post it if i do.