1. Consider the Roku / Playon setup I discussed last month. It's cheap, stupid simple to use, and versatile. I'm all about simplicity and not having to mess with something when I just want to kick back with my beverage of choice and a bag of Doritos. This setup will run you about $100 (software & hardware) and while the Roku uses almost no electricity; the PC sucks it down like an alcoholic @ Oktoberfest.
2. The next option: XBMC - This one is pretty exciting! XBMC doesn't need a PC to work. It's basically a dashboard with a slick interface that runs directly on your device. I'm going to link the setup instructions for a PC / Laptop. If you'd like it on another device: Google is your best friend. I also want to make you aware of the fact that you can get pre-built / modded devices right off eBay. So, if you're not really tech savvy or don't mind spending $100-150 for the better ones - Grab a pre-modded Apple TV 1st gen with the crystal video and XBMC already installed or a pre-modded Apple TV 2. The Ouya game console is also an excellent option and adding XBMC is pretty easy. I picked those devices out of the bajillion out there b/c they are the most reliable and well supported by the community. The fact of the matter is: you can get any old quad core android and it'll probably work for the most part. I'm saying quad core b/c a lot of the dual cores just can't cut the video rendering.
XBMC PC SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
XBMC SUPERREPO
XBMC ADDING THE ADDITIONAL REPOS
XBMC PC SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
XBMC SUPERREPO
XBMC ADDING THE ADDITIONAL REPOS
NOTE: I purchased this android unit from Amazon for testing:
MINIX NEO G4 Android 4.0 Dual Core RK3066 DDR3 1GB RAM / 8GB ROM Google TV Box Mini PC Dongle Wi-Fi / IR Remote
It worked very well with the exception of the keyboard functions in XBMC. IDK if it was something I wasn't getting right or if it just hated the remote this thing comes with. You can snag this keyboard/remote:
Hausbell ® Mini H7 2.4GHz Wireless Entertainment Keyboard with Touchpad for PC, Pad, Andriod TV Box, Google TV Box, Xbox360, PS3 & HTPC/IPTV (Black)
or this one:
Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 with Built-In Multi-Touch Touchpad
Either of these work on standard PC's and Laptops
Or if you're like me, you'll just say screw it and use a USB mouse or keyboard for the initial setup and forget about it afterward b/c you don't need one after the initial settings. I added a Start-up manager APP from the Play Store and set it to load XBMC on boot after I finished my testing.
MINIX NEO G4 Android 4.0 Dual Core RK3066 DDR3 1GB RAM / 8GB ROM Google TV Box Mini PC Dongle Wi-Fi / IR Remote
It worked very well with the exception of the keyboard functions in XBMC. IDK if it was something I wasn't getting right or if it just hated the remote this thing comes with. You can snag this keyboard/remote:
Hausbell ® Mini H7 2.4GHz Wireless Entertainment Keyboard with Touchpad for PC, Pad, Andriod TV Box, Google TV Box, Xbox360, PS3 & HTPC/IPTV (Black)
or this one:
Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 with Built-In Multi-Touch Touchpad
Either of these work on standard PC's and Laptops
Or if you're like me, you'll just say screw it and use a USB mouse or keyboard for the initial setup and forget about it afterward b/c you don't need one after the initial settings. I added a Start-up manager APP from the Play Store and set it to load XBMC on boot after I finished my testing.
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