Apologies if this is the wrong instance for this.
Is there a best option for HTPC streaming solutions besides throwing Linux on an old desktop? Plugging in a desktop for streaming doesn’t work too well for wall mounted televisions. My options are mini PCs or a 3rd party streaming stick. Even a RasPi stick running OSMC should do the trick.
These 3rd party sticks online are extremely tempting for power and features but I’m concerned about embedded malware. Best option would be to wipe it and load OSMCor raspbian to ensure its clean. Anyone have experience with this?
Care to share your setup?
$14.41 | DQ06 ATV Mini TV Stick Android12 Allwinner H618 Quad Core Cortex A53 Support 8K Video 4K Wifi6 BT Voice Remote Smart TV Box | Link
Runner up: $12.90 | Orange Pi Zero 2 W 1GB RAM DDR4 Mini PC Allwinner H618 Orange Pi Zero 2W WiFi Bluetooth SBC Single Board Computer Zero2W | Link
Update: My ideal solution would be $20-$50 for a replacement to several fire sticks in my home. For a solution around $100 I’d just go with a old refurbished mini pc from ebay/amazon and throw full Linux on it.
Setting up Kodi via the linux OSMC distro or even Android TV both work. Might stream games with steam link. Eventually going to setup jellyfin in my home
Current Plan: Get a mini pc and mount it behind / near my television. Ideally I would prefer just a stick for a cleaner / cheaper solution.
$100 MiniPC - HP EliteDesk 800 65W G2 Business Mini PC Desktop Computer/Intel Quad-Core i5-6500T up to 3.1GHz/ 8GB DDR4 RAM/ 256GB SSD/WiFi/Bluetooth/USB 3.0/ Windows 10 Professional OS(Renewed) | Amazon
Photo of mini pc mounted behind a TV.
Update2:
Finally researched about the Orange Pi (rasp alternative) and the darn thing comes with full hdmi! Orange Pi 3B Full HDMI and SD / eMMC / M2 (sata3) slots!
Orange Pi 3B 4GB RAM Rockchip RK3566 Mini PC Quad-Core 64-bit WiFi+BLE Gigabit Run Android Linux OpenHarmony OS SBC Single Board https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805733558464.html
I went this route in my teardrop trailer. Installed Linux on it, and now it’s a very capable little media rig.
MeLE Mini PC Stick
That product is about 10x the price. At that point I can pickup an old mini PC and mount it behind the tv.
1 in 4 households spend more than $75 a month on streaming services. That device will last you much longer than 2-3 months.
I’m going to guess that almost everyone here is in one of the 3 households that spends less.
If you need 4+ of these devices that already have streaming methods that’s quite an investment
How’s the performance?
It’s a bit pricey to this crowd (me included), but if it solves the problem well, then it’s a good value I’d say.
Are you running a media player client on it (Jellyfin/Kodi/Plex)?
Does your TV remote control it (via the hdmi connection)?
Thanks!
My use case is fairly particular, since I only have one TV in my travel trailer, and I use it while boondocking – meaning networking is mobile data only. The path of least resistance is often just to store all media locally. Unless I’m in an area with a solid 5G signal.
Kodi works a charm on it.
However, I also use it for light computing, and even light gaming, so I typically just boot into a tiling windows manager and use MPV to watch videos.
I can’t comment on remotes. I paired it with a keyboard trackpad combo, again, given the use case of it being a multi-use travel trailer PC.
EDIT: Before I used this, I used a Pi 4b, and it constantly got bogged down. This is infinitely zippier and more capable.
RV and Boondocking are excellent use-cases to really narrow requirements down. Limited power and space make you rethink what you “need”.
Did you follow a guide for installing Linux?
I just used a mid-weight Debian distro I’m pretty familiar with, and it installed like any other time. No issues. Though if I had to redo it, I’d maybe choose a lighter and more barebones distro.
Neat.
Thanks for the info… Though we’ll see if the house finance office approves the purchase! 🤣