pr3dict 33 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 This has probably been discussed in detail but I have a friend that keeps trying to pull me over to kodi but I am just loving the capabilities and org of *EmBy* and wan't to keep it as in house as possible. I am trying to switch the entire family over to the htpc realm and so far I have the server running well with live tv and I just tried the roku stick with the mediabrowser channel. While it was super cool that it actually worked, it is in no way a STB replacement. my friend is running one of those chromebox's running kodi and it looks and feels just like a STB. Do we have anything like that or should I be doing what he did and running that setup with kodi installed and maybe Emby as an addon? Any other ideas? I want to bring the MBC/MBT look and feel to a living room device that isnt a full computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macburp 109 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The chromebox is a 'full computer' - your friend will have hacked a copy of Linux onto it so he can install kodi. It will take a lot of work to get that STB look and feel. Best option right now for an MBC/MBT solution is a NUC. Possible alternatives are - an android box running kitkat. Plenty of these on the market and not too expensive. However the interface is designed for touchscreen and so you would need an air mouse. Not a seamless STB experience - chromecast with an Emby-equipped phone or tablet - A device running Android 5.0 with a 'laidback' app for TV viewing. So that's either a Google Nexus Player, Razor Source Forge, or Nvidia shield. Android TV is designed for the living room so a properly designed app will have necessary stb feel. The Emby client for this is in beta right now, and my nexus player is on order - I'm hoping to use this to replace an xbox360. I'm sure there are other options, but none better than a nuc right now I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chef 3745 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Xbox one media player with media browser DLNA from the server. Really amazing picture quality. It must be the Xbox graphics. Some of the best I have ever scene. And hopefully in the near future, an Xbox one emby app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
im85288 1493 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 In my humble opinion Kodi is the best player and Emby the best Server for your media. There is soon to be an addon released that allows the best of both worlds...so using Kodi as the player and Emby to serve the content. As for devices...if your budget allows you can't beat a Mac Mini running OpenElec. Cheaper alternatives are things like NUCs. My advice is get the best you can, things like 4K are on the way so power is king. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr3dict 33 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 I guess it's time to look at some full blown NUC's for the smaller TV's in the house. Personally I have my server, connected to my main tv via a 30 foot active HDMI cable and an IR receiver routed from the basement. I am setting it up now so that I watch all the content native on that, but I still need to solve for the other issues. As for Kodi, I have looked at videos of it but nothing really WOWed me about it, and it seemed like it works sometimes for people and not always for others. I have seen some skins and the way the food is served up on Emby and it looked "more impressive?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesegeezer 3086 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I guess it's time to look at some full blown NUC's for the smaller TV's in the house. Personally I have my server, connected to my main tv via a 30 foot active HDMI cable and an IR receiver routed from the basement. I am setting it up now so that I watch all the content native on that, but I still need to solve for the other issues. As for Kodi, I have looked at videos of it but nothing really WOWed me about it, and it seemed like it works sometimes for people and not always for others. I have seen some skins and the way the food is served up on Emby and it looked "more impressive?" I just bought an Intel NUC (D54250WYK) for the Bedroom to replace my Roku3. I love it. Have it set up with Harmony 1100 remote (as has built in IR receiver) and Logitech Dinovo mini for keyboard and mouse. I had to buy a HDMI to mini HDMI cable for it. Also added a MSATA 128Gb drive and 8Gb of SODIMM RAM (think it was either 1333 or 1600Mhz, the RAM needs to be 1.35V compatible) My reasoning behind it was so I could have a full blown MBC (emby for WMC) in the bedroom which is connected to the server over Wifi. Works a treat only thing is, the Intel NUC's (or at least the new ones) require you install Windows8 on them, i had a tonne of issues after installing win7 on it. So gave up and installed win8.1 and it runs like a dream. But for my main Living room setup I use an Intel i7 gaming rig. You can't beat a full on PC for a living room client (purely because you can tweak every aspect of your setup to suit the environment) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr3dict 33 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) I just bought an Intel NUC (D54250WYK) for the Bedroom to replace my Roku3. I love it. Have it set up with Harmony 1100 remote (as has built in IR receiver) and Logitech Dinovo mini for keyboard and mouse. I had to buy a HDMI to mini HDMI cable for it. Also added a MSATA 128Gb drive and 8Gb of SODIMM RAM (think it was either 1333 or 1600Mhz, the RAM needs to be 1.35V compatible) My reasoning behind it was so I could have a full blown MBC (emby for WMC) in the bedroom which is connected to the server over Wifi. Works a treat only thing is, the Intel NUC's (or at least the new ones) require you install Windows8 on them, i had a tonne of issues after installing win7 on it. So gave up and installed win8.1 and it runs like a dream. But for my main Living room setup I use an Intel i7 gaming rig. You can't beat a full on PC for a living room client (purely because you can tweak every aspect of your setup to suit the environment) What made you go emby for the client vs kodi... OTher then the fact that you are a developer lol. Edited March 27, 2015 by pr3dict 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesegeezer 3086 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 What made you go emby for the client vs kodi... OTher then the fact that you are a developer lol. I have tried XBMC(Kodi) so many times in the past and just never really got along with it. MBC has always delivered.... even when it was VideoBrowser!!! It's the most stable and feature rich "living room" client out there (probably because it's the original and has endured longevity for it's code) and has a good range of themes available for it along with some great plugins. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deathsquirrel 741 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Some folks love the Kodi UI. Some would rather give up on digital media than use it. Depending on which camp you're in, it may or may not be a good choice I'm not a roku user myself but it seems to be the most full featured non-pc client device at this time. A PC/NUC running windows 8.1 works well with a remote control once you get the keystroke software setup but it will never be a smooth stb experience. If you go down this route do yourself a favor and get a bluetooth trackpad of some sort. It's a lot more convenient than a mouse when you need to do something you can't swing with a remote control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicpa 552 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 One vote here for a PC of your choice and the Win 8 Emby app. It is the most feature rich modern client and with current and soon player enhancements playback is stellar. (In my opinion) It is also tough to beat Emby for WMC. I have one Emby for WMC client and a bunch of win8 clients Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr3dict 33 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Some folks love the Kodi UI. Some would rather give up on digital media than use it. Depending on which camp you're in, it may or may not be a good choice I'm not a roku user myself but it seems to be the most full featured non-pc client device at this time. A PC/NUC running windows 8.1 works well with a remote control once you get the keystroke software setup but it will never be a smooth stb experience. If you go down this route do yourself a favor and get a bluetooth trackpad of some sort. It's a lot more convenient than a mouse when you need to do something you can't swing with a remote control. The UPS guy JUST right now delivered a k400 logitech keyboard lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macburp 109 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Some folks love the Kodi UI. Some would rather give up on digital media than use it. Depending on which camp you're in, it may or may not be a good choice +1 for that. Personally I've never found a Kodi skin that really appealed, whereas MBC and MBT are good-looking clients. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chef 3745 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I have tried XBMC(Kodi) so many times in the past and just never really got along with it. MBC has always delivered.... even when it was VideoBrowser!!! It's the most stable and feature rich "living room" client out there (probably because it's the original and has endured longevity for it's code) and has a good range of themes available for it along with some great plugins. Video browser, my goodness it's been a long time hasn't it cheese? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesegeezer 3086 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) Video browser, my goodness it's been a long time hasn't it cheese? hell yeah..... gotta be 8 or so years ago, Win7 was just coming in then, i was beta testing win7 for M$ lol The ole crew... Sam, ST, Throg, ebr, Redshirt and Tikuf Edited March 27, 2015 by Cheesegeezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gthrift 57 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 hell yeah..... gotta be 8 or so years ago, Win7 was just coming in then, i was beta testing win7 for M$ lol The ole crew... Sam, ST, Throg, ebr, Redshirt and Tikuf It's got to be before that. I'm pretty sure I was running Video Browser on XP MCE2005. It was a big deal when they limited the install to Vista. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesegeezer 3086 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 It's got to be before that. I'm pretty sure I was running Video Browser on XP MCE2005. It was a big deal when they limited the install to Vista. Yeah it was well before 8 years ago, cos i remember the when vista came about too. Oh and the old old website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chef 3745 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Yeah it was well before 8 years ago, cos i remember the when vista came about too. Oh and the old old website I remember the old tracker. Good old bbcode. Memory lane. Video browser on vista. Things are so different now whenever u think about it. There was a whole different development team back then. What ever happened to Sam and ST. They're kind of like the godfathers of media browser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xnappo 1593 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) Some folks love the Kodi UI. Some would rather give up on digital media than use it. Depending on which camp you're in, it may or may not be a good choice Really don't get why you guys say stuff like that. There are tons of MBC skins that look like Kodi skins, and tons of Kodi skins that look like MBC skins. For a year, my wife didn't know I was running MBC on one device, and Kodi on another (This was Aeon Nox4 in Kodi and Destiny for MB2). What exactly in the UI do you not like that a skin variation doesn't address? Edited March 27, 2015 by xnappo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macburp 109 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Really don't get why you guys say stuff like that. There are tons of MBC skins that look like Kodi skins, and tons of Kodi skins that look like MBC skins. For a year, my wife didn't know I was running MBC on one device, and Kodi on another (This was Aeon Nox4 in Kodi and Destiny for MB2). What exactly in the UI do you not like that a skin variation doesn't address? The choice of skin is a very personal one - almost like admiring art. Who can explain that? All I know is that I like the chocolate skin in MBC, and have yet to see a skin I wholeheartedly approve of in Kodi (I'll never say never, though ). I know many are put off Kodi by its apparent complexity. I find it daunting. Set-up can be hard if you have requirements that require changes to the UI - I never had that issue with MBC. Personally I don't find the culture of providing youtube videos as tutorials at all helpful. But this is just me. Kodi is not really my thing. Maybe it will be in the future (I ran Xbox Media Centre on an original xbox for a good while, and it worked well), but not right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deathsquirrel 741 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Really don't get why you guys say stuff like that. There are tons of MBC skins that look like Kodi skins, and tons of Kodi skins that look like MBC skins. For a year, my wife didn't know I was running MBC on one device, and Kodi on another (This was Aeon Nox4 in Kodi and Destiny for MB2). What exactly in the UI do you not like that a skin variation doesn't address? I've tried a variety of skins. Skins aren't the issue. The basic user experience is my objection, not the icons they use. To each their own. As I said above, some people loathe using Kodi. Some people love it. Before buying hardware to run it as your primary client I suggest finding out which you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xnappo 1593 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) First - I am not trying to be abusive here - but with WMC on the ropes, I really want to understand the *exact* problems with Kodi as a replacement. I know many are put off Kodi by its apparent complexity. I find it daunting. Set-up can be hard if you have requirements that require changes to the UI - I never had that issue with MBC. Personally I don't find the culture of providing youtube videos as tutorials at all helpful. Yeah... Complex... Tell me again how to get MKVs to play in WMC? And how do you toggle subtitles with a remote? I am just pointing out that just because you have solved those problems doesn't mean it was easy - and with Kodi those two things are built-in. I do understand your youtube comment though - I have been tortured into watching a 10 year old explain how to install a minecraft mod to make my 8 year old happy .. That said - we have lots of non-youtube info in the Kodi forum. I've tried a variety of skins. Skins aren't the issue. The basic user experience is my objection, not the icons they use. To each their own. As I said above, some people loathe using Kodi. Some people love it. Before buying hardware to run it as your primary client I suggest finding out which you are. Again... Specifics. What *exactly* do you mean? Screenshots of UI enhancements in MBC that you want in a Kodi skin. Edited March 28, 2015 by xnappo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deathsquirrel 741 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Again... Specifics. What *exactly* do you mean? Screenshots of UI enhancements in MBC that you want in a Kodi skin. Not really relevant to this discussion. I have setup xbmc and kodi at various times, used them for a week or so, and absolutely hated using it day to day. I find most of the Emby clients to be far more user friendly in day to day use. If the OP is considering a nuc or other PC client I suggest they play with multiple clients to see what they like. I'm using MBT as it works well with remote controls and I get good video and audio results using it. The win 8.1 app is nice too but I get stuttering video when running it on the emby server...though I seem to be the only one. WMC and classic work well but the UI feels sluggish to me and if you don't use live tv it may not be worth your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swhitmore 781 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Does Kodi do Video Backdrops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidman 589 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Yes it does 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr3dict 33 Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Well this has been an insightful and fun discussion. Thanks all who posted. There will be light refreshments at the end of the thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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