XBMC - Best practice for a newbie?

Dennis · 16. August 2014

Hi Guys!

A few weeks ago I read a german article about XBMC. Well, I knew earlier, that it's somewhere out there - but I never tried it until an hour ago on my Celeron-NUC. At this time I see a PVR-UPnP-Stream of "Black Sails" (TV-recorded). Long story short: I want a XMBC-Client at every TV-Screen (so I need one more peace of hardware) and I want a separate OMV-Box for storage.

A few questions to get it right from the start:

I got some old (Original-Media: Super8 8|) family-videos on DVD. And I got some newer MiniDV-Videos. To with format I should convert video-files to get best balance between file-size and quality?
I'm thinking about a second NUC, because I like those tiny boxes. What do you think about this i3-4110U-NUC. I think, the higher case and an 256GB-SSD will be good, so I can store some things on the second NUC and don't have to power-up the separate OMV-Box 24/7. And it's capable to play 1080p-Files with VP9 or HEVC - witch should be important for future use (if I get it right).
Planned OS: "Linux Mint 17" or would you recommend OpenELEC instead? (Why?)
For OMV I'm thinking about another HP-Gen7-Microserver.

Oh, I've to check if XBMC is capable to play my PVR-TS-Files. That's very important.

Like "Johnny 5" says: "Input, input, input!"

Holzlenkrad · 16. August 2014

Ich antworte mal auf deutsch, das ist einfacher für mich und du wirst es dann auch besser verstehen

1. Also, der H.264 Codec ist einer der effizientesten, die es zur Zeit gibt. Gleichzeitig kann er von eigentlich jedem Medienspieler wiedergegeben werden, der in den letzten ca. 3 Jahren hergestellt wurde. Anders als viele vielleicht denken, beschränkt sich die Verwendung definitiv nicht nur auf HD-Filme. Eine Alternative wäre xvid. Wenn du H.264 nutzt, dann wird das Zielformat mkv oder mp4 sein. Software ist vermutlich handbreak zu empfehlen, allerdings habe ich das noch nie benutzt, ich kann dir also nicht sagen, mit welchen Einstellungen genau der Encoder dann rechnen soll.

2. Wieso kein Raspberry Pi? Reicht völlig aus für XMBC. Optimierungen und Limits sind in der c't genau beschrieben. (z.B. solltest du die CPU auf 1 Ghz übertakten und etvl. kleine Kühlkörper verwenden; 3€)

3. OoenELEC. Vorteil steht auch in der c't. Eben, dass es auf leistungsschwachen Geräten durch die Optimierung und Reduzierung auf XBMC schneller läuft, direkt ins Mediacenter bootet usw.

4. Wieso noch ein N54l? Du kannst deine Filme doch auf dem speichern, den du schon hast.

Kleiner Tipp noch, wenn du wirklich mehrere Clients bei dir nutzen willst. Du kannst die Einstellungen auch in einer MySQL Datenbank speichern (Plugin für OMV vorhanden), sodass alle XBMC-Installationen immer gleich sind.

davidh2k · 16. August 2014

1. h.264, don't waste your time with mpeg2 or xvid.

2. The celeron NUC would be fine too.

3. OpenELEC, auch auf dem NUC.

4. You know how to protect your data, I won't argue against that.

5. XBMC MySQL Database of course like Holzenkrad suggested.

And it should be able to play your dvr/ts files just fine.

Greetings
David

Solo0815 · 17. August 2014

For a dedicated XBMC-Box i'd use openelec also. It is easier to install and faster ...

Edit:
Zum konvertieren benutze ich Kdenlive unter Kubuntu

Dennis · 17. August 2014

Zitat von davidh2k

2. The celeron NUC would be fine too.

Hi guys!

Thank you for your imput. Keep it up!

I'm not really thinking on Raspi, because I think I prefer a normal PC. Maybe it changes my mind if you can raise some good point. Main-Reason for me: I'm faithful to my hardware. Before I swap a system, it has been typically used seven to eight years. I got an iPad2, my PC is four years old, my Notebook is eight years old - all devices in daily use. So I need a device, that last some years more or less "up-to-date". And I feel, that the Raspi will be overstrained for that use in two years. And what I like on that NUC - I can add a local storage. So I can store some files on it to watch them without running OMV.

Zitat von davidh2k

3. OpenELEC, auch auf dem NUC.

IIRC OpenELEC's downside is, that it has no package-repository and not a desktop. Is this right? So I can't get Firefox up and running. That would be nothing for me. I'm a Feed-Yunkie (around 170 including this forum ) and I want to access my Fever°-Installation from every device. So - if you use OpenELEC - how do you browse the web?

Zitat von davidh2k

4. You know how to protect your data, I won't argue against that.

My N40L is a archive for personal data. For example: There are family-movies from the early '70s converted from Super8 to AVI, newer movies, thousand of images, scanned documents and many others things. That N40L runs only on demand, is not connected with the internet-router and my Win7-PC has no direct connection to the web. Only VMs get connected to the web. When I'll install XBMC, I would build a new OMV-server that could be connected with the web and the router. So I can use it on every device.

Zitat von davidh2k

5. XBMC MySQL Database of course like Holzenkrad suggested.

That's not a small tip, it's a huge! Do you got experiences with that installation? It's marked as "Experimental". And if I got it right, I can switch between OMV and local by profiles?!

Zitat von davidh2k

And it should be able to play your dvr/ts files just fine.

Checked that. Works really fine! And even better: My PVR is streaming live-TV and recordings via UPnP. My "Smart"- -TVs can't pause steams. Even VLC has problems with that. Within XBMC I can pause, resume, search in the streams.

Question: There is software out there, witch an pull/save/import movies from my PVR streamed via UPnP (Example). Is this possible with OMV too? Usage: Import a film recorded from TV with my PVR. Copy that file via UPnP to OMV to archive it there?

In the meanwhile I'm following my advice: I'm setting up one OMV- and two Mint-virtual-systems for testing and own experiences, before I make some decisions.

So: More input, ideas, hints and warnings are highly welcome.

Dennis · 17. August 2014

Oh, nice "Feature": VMware-Workstation is not capable, to show a video in XBMC within Linux Mint 17. Hmm, sometimes I'm playing "Flightsimulator 2003" in Workstation. Strange!

To the MySQL-Feature:
I tried to sync some things via path substitution - but XBMC crashes. Does someone use that feature?

Holzlenkrad · 17. August 2014

Ich habe gar keinen Fernseher, deswegen sind meine Tipps bezüglich XBMC leider recht begrenzt; obwohl ich mich natürlich doch mit dem feinen Stück Software beschäftige.
Aber ich habe mir XBMC mal unter VMware installiert, damit ich die Verzeichnisstruktur meiner Filme gleich so anlegen kann, das XBMC damit klarkommt. Falls ich mal wieder einen Fernseher haben sollte

Filme abspielen ging in der VM ohne Probleme, allerdings habe ich XBMCbuntu (http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMCbuntu) genommen. Tastaturbedingung ist allerdings nicht so komfortabel, eine Fernbedingung oder App zur Steuerung ist Pflicht.

davidh2k · 17. August 2014

Zitat von Dennis

IIRC OpenELEC's downside is, that it has no package-repository and not a desktop. Is this right? So I can't get Firefox up and running. That would be nothing for me. I'm a Feed-Yunkie (around 170 including this forum ) and I want to access my Fever°-Installation from every device. So - if you use OpenELEC - how do you browse the web?

Get used to it that you don't. Use OpenELEC and you will get the best experience you can have with your MediaCenter.

Zitat von Dennis

That's not a small tip, it's a huge! Do you got experiences with that installation? It's marked as "Experimental". And if I got it right, I can switch between OMV and local by profiles?!

The only problem you have with that, if the Database is not reachable your XBMC takes 5 minutes or so to boot into GUI. A good profile switcher automatism on shutdown would prevent that ofc. Yes you can switch between profiles. Because of the mentioned Problem I'm at the moment only using a local Database and no MySQL Database, but I only use one active Media Center.

Zitat von Dennis

Copy that file via UPnP to OMV to archive it there?

I don't think UPnP works in that direction/that way.

Zitat von Dennis

In the meanwhile I'm following my advice: I'm setting up one OMV- and two Mint-virtual-systems for testing and own experiences, before I make some decisions.

Try OpenELEC too.

Zitat von Dennis

Oh, nice "Feature": VMware-Workstation is not capable, to show a video in XBMC within Linux Mint 17. Hmm, sometimes I'm playing "Flightsimulator 2003" in Workstation. Strange!

OpenELEC.

Zitat von Dennis

I tried to sync some things via path substitution - but XBMC crashes. Does someone use that feature?

You don't use that feature anymore since XBMC 12 if I remember correctly. I mean its only thumbnails that are stored locally, which is really what you want these days to have a smooth GUI, trust me!

Greetings
David

Dennis · 17. August 2014

Zitat von davidh2k

The only problem you have with that, if the Database is not reachable your XBMC takes 5 minutes or so to boot into GUI. A good profile switcher automatism on shutdown would prevent that ofc.

Is that a plugin? Name or Link?

Zitat von davidh2k

I don't think UPnP works in that direction/that way.

Oh, you should give it a try. Take a look at that video (German only) and grab the trail-version of DVR-Studio. I'm using this software for (most of the times) automated add-elimination of my TV-Recordings.

Zitat von davidh2k

Try OpenELEC too.

Download started. The x86-ISO is around 150 MB?

Zitat von davidh2k

You don't use that feature anymore since XBMC 12 if I remember correctly.

Don't understand.

davidh2k · 17. August 2014

Zitat von Dennis

Is that a plugin? Name or Link?

It's an Idea. Nothing more, nothing less.

Zitat von Dennis

Download started. The x86-ISO is around 150 MB?

OpenELEC is based on on Linux from Scratch. Thats why it is so small.

Zitat von Dennis

Don't understand.

The Feature is depracted and is no longer suggested to use since XBMC 12. Keep the thumbnails locally, faster and better than storing them on the NAS.

Zitat von Dennis

davidh2k wrote:

Dennis wrote:
Copy that file via UPnP to OMV to archive it there?

I don't think UPnP works in that direction/that way.

Oh, you should give it a try. Take a look at that video (German only) and grab the trail-version of DVR-Studio. I'm using this software for (most of the times) automated add-elimination of my TV-Recordings.

Alles anzeigen

Okay ... thats technically not saving it via UPnP but I'll accept that... it's just that you pull it via UPnP - you save it via CIFS/SMB/NFS or whatsoever to your NAS, but not via UPnP.

Greetings
David

Dennis · 18. August 2014

Hi there!

Today I ordered an N54L and one 64GB-SSD. Some old HDDs are at home. Now I can try a good setup and can switch HDDs later if needed. I don't ordered another NUC or a Raspi. There is one NUC in my living-room (see first post), which I would use for first steps.

I tried to install OpenELEC and failed. How do I install an IMG-Image within VMware??

davidh2k · 18. August 2014

'Burn' it to a spare USB Stick and boot the NUC with it.

Greetings
David

Dennis · 18. August 2014

I wanted to install OpenELEC to VMware...

davidh2k · 18. August 2014

No need. Put it to a USB stick and boot it with the NUC.

Greetings
David

Dennis · 19. August 2014

Uhhh, XBMC 12.x with openELEC. Did not try update, because of my WLAN-Password - too heavy to type it for one test.

I'm waiting for my N54L an then I check it with my NUC and Mint 17. That's the best solution for me at this time.

BTW: Did anyone know, if there could be problems with the new 6GB-WD-Reds?

davidh2k · 19. August 2014

Zitat von Dennis

Uhhh, XBMC 12.x with openELEC.

You probably choose the wrong image. Grab the latest.

Zitat von Dennis

I'm waiting for my N54L an then I check it with my NUC and Mint 17. That's the best solution for me at this time.

Zitat von Dennis

BTW: Did anyone know, if there could be problems with the new 6GB-WD-Reds?

Yeah, the prices (price/TB) for the 5 and 6TB versions are still too high compared to the 4TB version.

Greetings
David

CaNsA · 20. August 2014

Righto, I'm late to this party but never the less...

I have Raspbmc running on my R-pi (model B) overclocked to 1ghz.
It boots from SD Card and xbmc runs from a 4gb Sandisk cruzer.
Any media is served to it over NFS because SMB has stupidly high network overheads that chew the very limited bandwidth available to the pi and NFS has the smallest overheads of all network transmission protocols.
The Network port on the pi is just a USB > Eth adapter.
My R-pi does hook into an A/V Receiver for DTS decoding
I can watch 35gb 1080p movies with a single DTS-HD audio track and the pi doesn't even flinch.
Shared MySql database is on the same box as the media, that being a N54L.

A bit more info on my setup and its stability over on STMlabs.
http://forum.stmlabs.com/showt…=453&pid=101492#pid101492

Dennis · 20. August 2014

Do you share more than the DB via the NAS, for example playlists? I had trouble, when I tried it (See above.)

@ David:
What protocol Are you using for XBMC?

WastlJ · 20. August 2014

Zitat von CaNsA

The Network port on the pi is just a USB > Eth adapter.

May I ask why? The Pi B already has a Ethernet Port..?

CaNsA · 20. August 2014

Zitat von WastlJ

May I ask why? The Pi B already has a Ethernet Port..?

I think you have mis-read or mis-understood mate.
The Eth port is a usb to eth adapter, it's on-board but still a usb>eth adapter.

Taken from http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Zitat

The Ethernet is attached via the USB 2.0 bus, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

From Wiki

Zitat

On the model B the Ethernet port is provided by a built-in USB Ethernet adapter

HTH.

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