Best Standalone Client Platform for the money?

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I’m one of those somewhat early plex users that bought a mac mini primarily (who are we kidding, solely) to run plex. The combination of basically everything needed (gigE or wireless N + IR + DVI + optical out) in a tiny silent package was impossible to replicate via a homegrown PC (I tried) and there were none of the current slew of cheap standalone media players…



Since then though with all the tiny media boxes being released, I’ve wondered if there’s a better cost effective way to get the full plex experience without shelling $600 for another mac mini… I haven’t really been keeping up with the tech but is it buying one of those all in one tiny PC HTPC and running the PC Client on them? or is the jailbroken ATV2 the best?



I’ve tried running plex on a cheapo samsung BR player and the experience was not that enjoyable. I want the nice animations and silky smooth UI i get on my mac mini. Are other set-top appliances running plex similar?



Thanks,

2

Short Answer, No

Longer Answer, have a search around, this has been answered quite a few times - would also help to know exactly what sort of media you plan to use. Basically, this is still very much "you get what you pay for" thing. Depending on your media requirements there are boxes which may come close, but keeping the full prettiness and the flexibility = a PC.
3

My experience with jailbroken ATV2 and Plex client is that it is very smooth but unstable. I get ‘an error occurred’ when streaming shows via hard-wired ethernet connection on both the server and client. About half the time this can be remedied by exiting the Plex app, loading a different app on the ATV2, then going back into Plex, reselecting the server, navigating through menus to restart playback. The other half of the time this is inadequate and I have to reboot the ATV2. Very rarely even this doesn’t work and I have to stop/restart the Plex server.



For this reason I often resort to XMBC on the ATV2. Metadata is missing (although perhaps I have not set it up fully) but at least I don’t get the annoying ‘an error occurred’ daily.



Would be interested to know your mac mini specs and if you ever see these errors on your setup. I’m tempted to shell out the 6 bills for a mac mini setup and ditch both my ATV2 and win7 plex server for the mini - but don’t want to do it and then find out the same frustrations occur.



As an alternative I may dig deeper into the XBMC setup on ATV2 to try to get metadata and better displays. This may be preferable since it runs stand-alone: no server app is required.

5

If you play through the HDMI dongle from an iPad you won’t get 5.1 though correct?



I just sold my dedicated Popcorn Hour A-110 as my primary media streamer. The hardware was great but the UI (even with different skins) was too slow. I already have an Ouya on order but was looking for other streamers too.



What I really want is a hardware box that can stream 720 MKVs flawlessly without the need to transcode but using the Plex UI. Is anything out there that can do this?

6


like mannkind, I am also running a late 2009 Mac mini. I have it running both the Media server and Desktop client.

I use a headless windows home server running on an atom processor (Acer Easystore H340) and everything's connected via GigE. I have tried Wireless N but it can't sustain some of the high bitrate files I have.

the only problem with this setup is starting up the plex client reliably with a harmony remote. I sleep my mac mini when not in use so sometimes the plex client will start up behind the dock or sometimes fail to start at all via my harmony macros. the media server also has a tendency to crash (usually video channel plugin related). Oh, and I have to manually refresh my libraries when I add media since the mac is usually sleeping while the downloads complete.

All in all, the setup works 99% of the time without hassle.

I just did some research and a mac mini of similar generation still runs between $400-$500. Quite the price of a 3 year old computer.

I do wonder if there's a good DIY PC setup that can match that price but have better performing internals. I hide all my A/V equipment in a cabinet now so aethetics is no longer a big factor for me.
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I'm curious regarding how big the hard drive is on your Mac Mini, since you are using it as your server. I've considered using one for the same purpose, but I'm afraid it would eventually run out of hard drive space quickly.

Thanks!

Sam
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mannkind stated to be using a local FreeNAS server for storage.

9

Question for the 2 who have the late '09 mini. I have basically the same setup and I’m curious to know how you’re hooking it up to the tv. For the last couple of years, I’ve been using a mini displayport to HDMI adaptor and a digital out to toslink. I just bought a new TV and I’m trying to find a way to combine the 1080p video AND the 5.1 audio together through an HDMI cable. I just got this…



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BS2PFG/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00



but it failed on the first day. The unit won’t stay powered, but it does seem to work great when it does actually work. Monoprice is sending me out another but I’d sure like to know if there’s another way (short of biting the bullet and getting a new mini.)

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You probably got a bum unit. I had one of those on my C2D Mini for a year and a half, and never had a problem with it. However, my setup went from Mini -> Sony A/V receiver -> TV. I kept the Mini powered on all the time, but the Sony AVR would switch between inputs a lot. Still, I never really had a problem with it that I remember. I've since replaced that Mini with an i5 version, so I use the HDMI output and don't have a need for it.
11

I know this is an old thread and this solution isn't any cheaper than the mac mini, but take a look at the Intel NUC. There's now an i3, 5i and Atom version. NUC + RAM + SSD will run you about $400 - $600; but it is silent and will run your OS of choice (Windows or Linux).

12

Does anyone have an update to this?

I want to avoid buying another mac mini as well .

Roku is up to Roku 3 - does that make a difference?

Any Google TV boxes have the UI like a mac mini?

etc?

Thanks

13

I have a couple of Windows 7 HTPCs (no Macs), a Roku 3, a Roku HD, and 2 Sony NSZ-GS7 GTV boxes.

In my opinion, the Sony GTV box wins for Plex in terms of beautiful UI and ease-of-use vs. cost.  You get marginally "more" with an HTPC (essentially all codecs instead of nearly all, and some ability to change/customize the Windows PHT UI) but you pay 2x minimum.

I've only been using the GTV boxes for a few weeks, but so far everything I have tried (local media as well as streams from LetMeWatchThis and SSPlex) works.

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Does the Sony GTV box play 1080 content flawlessly? Is the UI the same as Plex on the HTPCs (mac mini)? I just looked at a video of the Roku interface and do not like it. We are used to the plex interface on Mac Minis so would want to replicate that

Also do the GoogleTVs have a IR input so that you could control it in a closet from a Home Automation system or centralized home audio/video solution?

Thanks

15

1080p:  I think so, one of the first movies I tried was a high bit rate copy of Avatar (over wireless N), I will confirm tonight

UI:  It's definitely NOT the same interface as the Windows client and (from checking a Youtube video) it's nothing like the Mac client interface either, but it's still a very good UI.  The only thing I have seen that looks anything like the Mac UI (and isn't on a computer) is XBMC Quartz, which you can run on some new Android boxes like the G-Box Midnight MX2.

IR:  As far as I know, the Sony GTV box does not have an IR input, control is via bluetooth; also the box has a strong IR blaster to control other equipment (like your TV) with the GTV remote

From what I have read, some of the newer Android (non-GTV) boxes work with many USB-wireless keyboards and remotes, so possibly an IR USB-remote would work.  Your questions make me think you are very particular about what capability you want from your media box though, so if you don't want to experiment you are likely stuck with an HTPC.

16

Update 1080p:  Hugo (1080p, overall bit rate 10.6Mbps) did NOT play smoothly, but it really looked like a wireless buffering issue; Avatar (720p, overall bit rate 6.2Mbps) played fine over the wireless.

I'm waiting for an adapter to wire my Sony GTV box into my network, when I have that (in a week or so) I'll update.

17

I have a distributed audio video system through a 4x4 HDMI switch to the 4 TVs in my house. I have 4 inputs right now - 2 Mac minis, a Bluray player and a DVD player. 

The mac minis are dying and I need to replace. I like the interface of the mac mini plex interface alot and would like to replicate if I can. I just dont want to pay for HTPCs

I need the IR control of the device as well as the units are on a rack in a closet and the control happens in the room, but the unit is on the rack. So if the Sony Google box does not have IR control, it doesnt work because my Control4 system cant issue anything other than IR commands to control the box remotely (I guess if there was a 2 way IP driver, could work, but dont know if that exists).

I basically trying to get as close to a mac mini (with IR input) with one of the other options without the mac mini price tag. Anyone know? How does those Android boxes stack up?

18

If you want to keep your spending down by avoiding HTPCs, I think you might end up as the guinea pig  :)

19

What is the best Android type box out there? Anyone know?

20

1080p final update:  no issues wired on the Sony NSZ-GS7

21

i'm looking at some of the faster arm boards-I have a raspberry pi & its not too bad but the cubieboard or 

OLinuXino A20 board are faster- I need to get one to test.