This may be a long shot but there is a really nice alternative to the R-Pi called the CuBox-i series that are more home theater friendly. They are much faster than the R-Pi run the same software (openelec builds are available for it) have more codec support than the R-Pi, IR receiver built in along with HDMI-CEC, SPDIF optical out and HD audio bit-streaming.
Solidrun also make a version in the R-Pi form factor called the Hummingbird as well.
If anyone has the time and feels up to the challenge it would be great to see Rasplex on these very nice boxes, these units are very close to HTPC like features ticking all the boxes. The hardware these run on the Freescale iMX6 is being integrated into the mainline XBMC so once these are out of alpha stage they will quickly replace the R-Pi as the go to device. I've been using one for a while and it's as good as Celeron NUC.
If anyone feels like taking at stab as porting Rasplex the Solidrun forums would be a place to start I guess, it's beyond my means.
This may be a long shot but there is a really nice alternative to the R-Pi called the CuBox-i series that are more home theater friendly. They are much faster than the R-Pi run the same software (openelec builds are available for it) have more codec support than the R-Pi, IR receiver built in along with HDMI-CEC, SPDIF optical out and HD audio bit-streaming.
Solidrun also make a version in the R-Pi form factor called the Hummingbird as well.
If anyone has the time and feels up to the challenge it would be great to see Rasplex on these very nice boxes, these units are very close to HTPC like features ticking all the boxes. The hardware these run on the Freescale iMX6 is being integrated into the mainline XBMC so once these are out of alpha stage they will quickly replace the R-Pi as the go to device. I've been using one for a while and it's as good as Celeron NUC.
If anyone feels like taking at stab as porting Rasplex the Solidrun forums would be a place to start I guess, it's beyond my means.
There is already a thread in this forum for CuBox (although, why I don't know), why start another? Why not ask for a Plex client in the General section of Plex Forums?
I doubt whether these will replace the Raspberry Pi, can't compare on price, as for Rasplex - the 'Rasp' bit in the name reflects the Raspberry Pi. I'm sure some people will welcome a Plex client for these new boxes, do you want to start programming one?
The rasplex team announced in January that they were going to port rasplex to cubox-i, but it appears they've lost interest
I don't think it's about losing interest. They said it would happen after the release of 0.4.0, which has yet to happen.They also have to wait for a few upstream things to happen first.
*Current status of Rasplex on Cubox-I, as far as I understand it*
Rasplex is based on Openelec and Plex Home Theater. While Openelec is working (you can fiddle with early builds from the solidrun forums) the main holdup is PHT right now. Rasplex support isn't coming until PHT has merged the Gotham (or possibly Helix even) version of XBMC. Before this happens there isn't much Rasplex developers can do. Perhaps they might be able to shoehorn in some support now, but all that effort would be wasted once real support is added to PHT. So basically we're all playing the waiting game at the moment.
We're VERY interested in the cubox, and would love to support it. However, we can't do it until plexinc merges either Gotham or Helix, as the plexHT codebase is based on XBMC Frodo, which doesn't support Cubox.
XBMC creates a new branch for each release, alphabetically (frodo, gotham, helix)
PlexHT is based on XBMC, which is an enormous codebase. Merging from frodo -> gotham or frodo -> helix is a tremendous undertaking. PlexInc has planned to do this, and it was scheduled to be done months ago. Unfortunately, other priorities have come up.
This is why CuBox support has been delayed. It is not for lack of interest. We all have CuBox's sitting around gathering dust waiting to get the code on them.
Once the merge happens, we should be able to get something out it pretty short order. I can't offer any timelines as I don't have visibility into Plex's agenda. I can optimistically say it will happen before the end of the year based on what I've heard.
We're VERY interested in the cubox, and would love to support it. However, we can't do it until plexinc merges either Gotham or Helix, as the plexHT codebase is based on XBMC Frodo, which doesn't support Cubox.
XBMC creates a new branch for each release, alphabetically (frodo, gotham, helix)
PlexHT is based on XBMC, which is an enormous codebase. Merging from frodo -> gotham or frodo -> helix is a tremendous undertaking. PlexInc has planned to do this, and it was scheduled to be done months ago. Unfortunately, other priorities have come up.
This is why CuBox support has been delayed. It is not for lack of interest. We all have CuBox's sitting around gathering dust waiting to get the code on them.
Once the merge happens, we should be able to get something out it pretty short order. I can't offer any timelines as I don't have visibility into Plex's agenda. I can optimistically say it will happen before the end of the year based on what I've heard.
Has anyone given this a go on their cubox, or is it helpful for the rasplex team At all? My cubox is at my parents so I unfortunately can’t test it myself.
EDIT
Ah - this is for Plex server rather than a client. My apologies.
I'd like to throw my 2 cents in for Cubox support as well, even if it means changing the name to Cuplex (or Plexbox?). :)
The price difference is hardly anything if you need a Raspberry with IR, S/PDIF, HD Audio (which the Pi2 cannot do), Ethernet not tied to the USB bus, Bluetooth and WiFi. It even has a RTC. Add a case and other acce$$ories to a Pi then the Cubox looks like a no-brainer.
Hopefully OpenELEC 5.0 reduces those challenges and the Rasplex devs take up the torch. I'd happily pay money to help. There's no reason for the Raspberry Pi to be the defacto standard when almost every other microcomputer out there is better suited for HTPC use.
Add a case and other acce$$ories to a Pi then the Cubox looks like a no-brainer.
Hopefully OpenELEC 5.0 reduces those challenges and the Rasplex devs take up the torch. I'd happily pay money to help. There's no reason for the Raspberry Pi to be the defacto standard when almost every other microcomputer out there is better suited for HTPC use.
5 million other people disagree (not that they are all Rasplex users).
Who said the Raspberry Pi is the defacto standard, in terms of Plex clients I would say it has the least users, the defacto standard seems to vary depending on which sub forum you're in, Plex Inc seem to see the way forward is putting clients on Smart TV's and games consoles.
If you are really fixed with your hardware needs (or in fact trying to justify your purchase of the Cubox) then why don't you post a request for CuPlex in the General Discussion sub forum, someone may take up the challenge (although I doubt it).
Please see Dale's previous response, nothing has changed on that front.
Before you flame me back, this is my opinion, you are quite free to have yours.
5 million other people disagree (not that they are all Rasplex users).
Who said the Raspberry Pi is the defacto standard, in terms of Plex clients
I'm referring to the standard in small computers, not Plex clients. But as it's been pointed out, the Pi wasn't created to be a HTPC-type device. Some of those other boards were.
