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this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2023
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How?
/partition will do), maybe have a homemade NAS ready tooCheers, I'm using this as a jump off point for a weekend project maybe. Would anything change if I was interested in casting content too?
I think Kodi does some casting... Not 100% sure.
Make sure
TearFreeis enabled in the graphics configuration (google it).The hardest part in my project was recalibrating the colors because my TV in HDMI-RGB mode (as opposed to YCbCr) displays everything below 10% brightness as black. The rest was done very quickly. I don't even need a sequential-chunk torrent software because I use FreeRapid Downloader and ulozto.net (can download fast enough to play while downloading at reasonable 720p/1080p bitrates, otherwise
ulozto-downloaderand a 10min wait is needed).Kodi supports DLNA, a media library sharing/casting standard.
Stremio on a old windows laptop is a good easy alternative
Could you use a pi ? Do you have any recommendations on ssd / hdd
You can use a relatively cheap Pi as a NAS (network-attached storage - there are ready-made solutions but expensive and don't get updates for nearly as long), and possibly add Kodi media server capabilities (useful for smart TVs). Check if that model supports a sufficiently fast disk interface (USB 3.0, SATA etc.) and Ethernet (100 Mb/s or better if 4K is required). Boot from an SD card and use a 2TB+ HDD (1TB could be enough if you barely store anything). Most disks from the past 10 years will be good enough to play 4K video from if no OS is running from them. Go for a lower-end one but not ridiculously cheap, and check that people aren’t frequently complaining about the model or product line.
I don't know which Pi models can smoothly play HD video without overheating, I don't own any. But those that can are likely a lot more expensive than old PCs you could use otherwise. I would just get a cheap one for a NAS and probably some other common network use cases (web server, Pihole etc.)
My RPi 2B plays HD vids without stuttering or overheating. 4K doesn't work tho, so if you want that, get a newer model. I don't think they even sell the 2B anymore because it's so old.
Are dedicated media-centered OSs (fast boot, remote control) available?
Yes, I'm using libreelec, I and friends control the display from our phones using the Kore app. Makes searching and typing easy, works great on my Pi. Fun game, which of you will select a movie first on your phones lol.
Note: pi3B can do 1080p but it struggles a little if the codec is anything other than h264, because Kodi decided to stop supporting closed source drivers. If you're playing anything above 1080 and anything other than h264, go for a pi 4 or better.
Yes just research how to install Plex or Kodi on your pi. I just did it this evening for an update. For that I used docker with Linuxserver/Plex. It takes some time to get all the settings but there are good YouTube tutorials on how to do it.
Great news. I have a pi I'm not really using. Be a good project for it.
You'd be better off with a used office pc, something with a 4. Or 6. gen Intel CPU is usually cheaper than a RPI and way more versatile. Only thing you lose on is size and power consumption.
I'll need to look into that then
OK I've tried in the past to make a decent streaming box from both windows media center edition and various Linux distros. But I need something that is simple, can be controlled entirely from a remote, and has the major streaming apps (Netflix, disney, etc). I haven't really found any solution that's easy enough for non techie people to use. I have a standalone roku box that works ok we also have a roku TV which is a giant piece of garbage, and I'm considering buying an external roku or nvidia shield as a streaming box instead, I do have a couple of raspberry pi 4s I could use one but again I'm faced with the same issues.
This may seem like a bit much, but it pretty much holds your hand to guide you through the install.
Have you tried Kodi?
Look into Plex servers, that should keep you busy for the next six months till you get it up and running.
Or Jellyfin. Because free.
Is jellyfin a better alternative?
Yes
Yeah, it's free and open source. I just pointed it at a few folders of TV, movies and music that I downloaded years ago, and it catalogued them all, downloaded all the blurbs and posters.
Like a mini Netflix that you host yourself.
Sounds great. I'll just need to take the time to actually do it
There are jellyfin, Plex and emby shares you can subscribe to for cheap, try it out before blowing money and time on a set-up that needs constant tinkering, it's easy to just download an app and connect to your remote library somewhere that someone else spends time on. I use a shield I got 6 years ago, but now also the Amazon fire stick 4k max on another TV and everything is just easy and seamless while using a Plex share that's 9 euro per month.
Yeah I have been meaning to look into it. It's just another massive time and money sink.
The Android TV app seems better too.
That will keep you busy for a full year.
What are you talking about. First time I set it up, had it running on my local network in less than 5 minutes. 5 more minutes for external (granted, already had the infrastructure for that in place).
Then maybe 20min going through the settings to personalize my account? And maybe another 20min looking if there are any plugins I wanted to use.
It's true, the setup with docker is easy and reliable. However, sorting and taking your media takes very long.
Not even docker, I just pulled it from the aur, lol.
And yeah, that's fair. Though not really Jellyfins fault if it's not sorted already. Same goes for Plex.
I don't think it's a year to setup the software. Rather a year to load it lol. I've spent probably close to 4 years loading content into my Plex server and I don't see any end in sight.
Radarr/Sonarr :)
It still takes time to download things, data only moves so fast and not everyones internet is the same.
My point was more that you can automate all of that.
And that doesn't change my point because even automated it takes time.
People pull shit out of their asses to feel superior about things they don’t actually know anything about.
It'll only take a few minutes to setup. Once you get hooked you'll spend a lot more time automating everything and adding more storage.