pcDuino3 on promotion for $49

JimS said:
Here is one of the sites that was talking about xbmc software

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=165232&page=6&highlight=pcduino3
Click to expand...
Thanks for the excellent due diligence.  Looks like you found the actual smoking gun.  The good news for me is that it's "merely" XBMC's decision not to support anything  A10/A20 rather than a flaw in the pcduino3's design/implementation.  I'm comfortable with that. Allegedly the pcduino8 (an A80 octo-core) does support XBMC, but that's neither here nor there.
 
NeverDie,

So is it that xbmc just doesn't officially support the pcduino3 but others are figuring out how to make the acceleration (and xbmc) work? I didn't follow all the details on the link I posted. Are you not using this feature or is there some other reason it doesn't bother you?
 
Yeah I am impressed with the specifications.
 
I think too its too new and they are waiting for the users to figure it out.
 
That said that XBMC benchmarking stuff is relating to bragging rights and typically its if the Kodi folks decide to benchmark rather than the other way around.  It's just an interplay between documented hardware / kernel stuff and software. Typically the software emulation comes first.  They are so busy though with the changes from XBMC to KODI that this endeavor is probably not a priority right now.
 
Here I have yet to even try using XBMC with the RPi and being stuck in the Intel mode right now even while concurrently my irrigation system is running great on an ARM CPU.  I did try using a Mimo USB monitor on it and it worked well considering there was no video chips / using pure software via USB Video stuff.  Well like running Homeseer 3 on Linux or Windows; no video is necessary as all of the management is via the web gui.  I did overclock the RPi to 900Mhz and shifted the video GPU usage to nil as I don't use video with the RPi (well for fun did install xRDP on it).
 
It's an older ARM running at 1.X Ghz though.
 
JimS said:
NeverDie,

So is it that xbmc just doesn't officially support the pcduino3 but others are figuring out how to make the acceleration (and xbmc) work? I didn't follow all the details on the link I posted. Are you not using this feature or is there some other reason it doesn't bother you?
Click to expand...
From post #74 in the link you provided:
"The basic verdict is that no core XBMC dev has the desire to take up the task of porting the vidon.me code to XBMC.
A10/A20 being already quite outdated SoC's, it's just not worth it."
 
I'm taking that at face value.  I didn't attempt to verify it.  In answer to your question, it doesn't bother me, because I'm guessing an A20 is too underpowered for a satisfying XBMC experience.  A raspberry pi is just pathetically slow at even internet browsing, and so I wouldn't pick that either.  Perhaps I'm not doing them justice, but I'm afraid either one would be like the underpowered DVR boxes that the cable company cheapskates try to foist onto subscribers.  Yes, technically speaking, they do "work", but it's a sluggish experience that really wears on you after a while.    i.e. even if you could have XBMC on an A20, I'm betting you probably wouldn't enjoy it.
 
Thanks for the explanation. I am looking for a low power mythtv front end. My understanding is that the pi works but it may be sluggish - I haven't tried it yet. That's one of my winter projects. Any suggestions for a low power front end? I don't expect to be doing much else with it.
 
Here I utilize Aopen Digital engines connecting to my MythBuntu box.  They are very much like mini laptop motherboards in a very small case.  Mine are only utilized for XBMC.
 
Cheaper & lower powered are those tiny Android powered STBs with XBMCBuntu on them. Personally like wired NICs.
 
JimS said:
Thanks for the explanation. I am looking for a low power mythtv front end. My understanding is that the pi works but it may be sluggish - I haven't tried it yet. That's one of my winter projects. Any suggestions for a low power front end? I don't expect to be doing much else with it.
Click to expand...
This thread: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=129195&page=4&highlight=supermicro
convinced me that the best solution is to pile as much as possible onto one PC with lots of cores and lots of memory that's running Esxi.  At the time of that thread, there didn't seem to be a good "low power" solution to do that, but it looks like now maybe there is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182855&cm_re=supermicro_atom-_-13-182-855-_-Product
It's a supermicro moutherboard that comes with an 8 core Intel Atom processor, and it runs at 20 watts.
 
It's a different paradigm, but for myself that's the sort of thing I'm aiming toward.  I'm presently leaning toward that board, which is readily available, or possibly this one:  http://www.servethehome.com/Server-detail/supermicro-a1srm-ln7f-2758-review-awesome/
which is even newer.
 
Anyhow, I put the latest release of Debian for Beaglebone Black on my BBB this afternoon, and internet browsing using it was pathetic also.
 
I powered up the PcDuino3 into the Ubuntu that comes pre-installed and tried internet browsing in that.  It still lags what a PC would do, but it's useable.  It does make me curious as to whether an A80 board would eliminate the perceived performance gap.
 
JimS,
 
For an inexpensive to play with MythTV box; I would personally give the RPi a try.  It should be just fine with 720 stuff and an introduction into the use and configuration of XBMC. 
 
This related to a small footprint XBMC box that you can attach to the back of the LCD using no footprint.
 
I did purchase the Aopen Digital engines for some $30 each in bulk.  They are very simple and not fancy looking boxes.
 
Look here.
 
XBMC Best Hardware
 
Current here utilize VMs for testing Wintel, Linux and Android stuff,  There are plenty of folks too today configuring single boxes for automation using multiple VMs.  I also tried and used VMs for multiple instances of touchscreen consoles.  It was a hassle and not worth the effort.  Personally here run my security cams and mythtv box and NAS boxes and automation boxes on separate PCs.  Homeseer here uses more than 20 hardware interfaces and I have tested it in a VM using Digi stuff.  It works OK but not great. 
 
Relating to modifying a small footprint Arm based STB; I did a quickie search on Amazon and there are a bunch of them there.  I would also look on the XBMC forums as my personal preference for running XBMC is just that; nothing else on a Linux core (Android adds fat to the build of XBMC).
 
I will give the pi a try. This isn't for the main front end. I use a PC for combined FE/BE for that. This is just for a small tv in another area. Also need to figure out a good remote pickup. The TV doesn't have CEC so that is out. I have an HP USB MCE unit for the main box that works well but it is big and for the front end I need just a receiver (backend uses the transmitter) This is for OTA stuff although I might figure out other things to do with it.
 
Yeah the MythTV box here is headless and in the basement rack.  The XBMC boxes all stream live video fine from the MythTV box.  I have multiple HDHomerun boxes, Nexus Satellite tuner card and an older analog card connected to the MythTV box.  I did it mostly to see if it would work rather than watching television (if that makes sense?) I have inhouse NTSC channels rebroadcast for XBMC live streaming stuff.   That said its mostly for play as I do not watch much TV and prefer to watch movies and today its all streaming movies (I quite ripping movies a few months back).  I like that the MythTV box removes commercials.  I was recording one TV series a while ago; then found a web site that had the entire TV series to stream in chronological order which worked better for me.  I can still save what I stream live on XBMC but do not do that these days.
 
Let me know about doing that RPi XBMC box.  I have a small LCD TV in the kitchen nook and only room for maybe an RPi there.  I did run network cable to the inwall box for this.  I will post a step by step in the blogs sections here as it helps me learn stuff and I reference it.
 
Also need to figure out a good remote pickup.
Click to expand...
 
I do not understand.  Yup here went to using MCE remotes for the the XBMC boxes cuz they are cheap and plentyful and work.
 
The Pivos running with XBMC for Linux is supposed to run circles around the RPi.  The newest small footprint (tiny) intel based micro PCs also supposed to be really good for XBMC (you can find these for under a hundred but more than $50).
 
pivos.jpg
 
I just read too that overclocking the RPi to 800Mhz and using a network connection you can stream pretty well at 1080 with most current version of KODI.
 
Here will purchase a Pivos and another RPi to play with.  The Pivos comes in a nice little case and it has the IR stuff already built in.  I will need to add stuff to the RPi.  (just purchased an RTC clock for current RPi and it works well).
 
There is a bunch of stuff for Amazon's FireTV (rooted et al).
 
Personally here will look for the fastest STB (best ARM and memory in a nice box) that I can put Linux on in a nice little box and concurrently do the RPi thing. 
 
Found this article this morning.  My efforts though relate to running pure XBMC on linux rather than on Android.
 
http://lifehacker.com/whats-the-best-set-top-box-1586233576
 
Like this one called the Neo Mini 7
 
mini neo x7.jpg
 
pete_c said:
I do not understand.  Yup here went to using MCE remotes for the the XBMC boxes cuz they are cheap and plentyful and work.
Click to expand...
Just need to choose and buy an MCE remote, that's all. I have a JP1 remote, just need the USB receiver. I think if I stick with MCE remotes it will work with sbmc, lirc, etc without compatibility issues or complex setup. Any particular ones you can recommend? Things to watch out for and avoid that I may be missing?

Now I have a wireless IR repeater that takes signals from the small tv area (kitchen) and controls several things in the main, BE area. Once I have the myth FE in the kitchen I think I can have the front end send selected signals to the BE box (over the network) and use the MCE remote transmitter on the BE to control the local items, eliminating the IR repeater (which picks up some noise that causes minor problems).
 
Relating to just my XBMC boxes went to using HP MCE remote controllers.  Very cheap on Ebay these days.  I tested a few of them with XBMC.  (doing the manual stuff with Lirc et al).  I use a programmable Logitech for the family room stuff while wife continues to use the legacy remote controls (she is not into that whole LCD touch screen stuff for TV).
 
While I do not utilize any automation IR stuff I do blast IR via my still in place coaxial RG6 cables and RF.  Not much these days though. 
 
I do have three LCD TV's in the kitchen area.  One is under the counter, one is in the breakfast nook and one is in the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen.  They are configured for WAF such that she watches the same concurrent stuff on all 3 TVs sometimes (all recorded typically).  The all have cat5e going to them plus RG6 (multiples).  We use OTA, Satellite and Cable for TV (even though I do not watch TV).  Personally I like the streaming stuff a la carte these days and doing that stuff while WAF keeps the rest going in the house.
 
NeverDie said:
This thread: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=129195&page=4&highlight=supermicro
convinced me that the best solution is to pile as much as possible onto one PC with lots of cores and lots of memory that's running Esxi.  At the time of that thread, there didn't seem to be a good "low power" solution to do that, but it looks like now maybe there is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182855&cm_re=supermicro_atom-_-13-182-855-_-Product
It's a supermicro moutherboard that comes with an 8 core Intel Atom processor, and it runs at 20 watts.
 
It's a different paradigm, but for myself that's the sort of thing I'm aiming toward.  I'm presently leaning toward that board, which is readily available, or possibly this one:  http://www.servethehome.com/Server-detail/supermicro-a1srm-ln7f-2758-review-awesome/
which is even newer.
Click to expand...
 
i picked up a couple lenovo ts140 servers to replace my HA and media servers for around $250 each.  these come w/ haswell i3s and 4gb of ecc ram, and with an SSD, idle less than 20 watts.  they are standard server form factor so may not fit your needs if you're looking for a low profile box. both servers save a total of about 100 watts over the pentium dual core and core2duo boxes they replaced. they have a non standard power supply connector to the motherboard, so if the power supply dies and you want to use a standard atx power supply, you'll need a 24 to 14 pin adapter - which can be found on ebay.  there is a deal right now at newegg for $219 after rebate or $225 no rebate at amazon. occasionally they have the e3 xeon version for around $350.
 
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