Looking for low power, low cost, XBMC Frontend with NextPVR backend

[dinki]

I'm looking for a low cost, low power consumption XBMC Frontend that can integrate with a NextPVR backend and play 1080i broadcast MPEG2 streams. I thought I found it in the OUYA, but sadly MPEG2 hardware decoding is not available on the OUYA. I do have a raspberry pi, but the performance navigating menus and processing JSON data is really slow.

Does anyone have any ideas? I am open to either Linux or Android OS. I'd really like to keep it under $100. I know that boxes like the GBox Midnight exist, but I'm trying not to buy yet another device only to find it doesn't perform like I'd want. Any help is appreciated.

[ccihon]

The newer mx2 will do all you ask and can do so with android or Linux right at $100

[dinki]

Thanks for the reply. I actually bought one and got it in yesterday! Haven't tried it with NPVR yet, but am glad to see someone recommending the device I just purchased.

[Safetybob]

Dinki, I am a new member of the forum (although I have lurked here for years). I have had a wonderful SageTV setup running pretty much continuously since 2003 with the original MVP in every room to "extend" my Sage experience. My ONLY hangup right now is what to use as an extender. Since I started reading about the GBox Midnight MX2 on Amazon this morning, I am just about ready to order one too. It appears all the old Popcorn boxes are being used or are very few, even on ebay, not many old boxes for sale.

I will come right to the point. Please post back here how this MX2 works. I would also like to ask you exactly what your setup for NextPVR is. Your hardware would be nice to know, but specifically what extras did you add to NextPVR? I assume you will be using the XBMC add on for the MX2 to "stream" and find your way around all your recordings.

I have read the NextPVR setup guide, read most of the forum posts that I thought would be fitting for me, and have concluded that NextPVR will be my next setup. My only problem is or was what to use around the house to get to the recordings and have the same (or close) experience I did with SageTV. From what I can gather, other than using a real PC at each TV location around the house (just like all the MVPs I have around here) to get the same exact NextPVR GUI, the only other perhaps easy way would be with XBMC acting as the front end of the NextPVR box and XBMC on these MX2's. Could you comment on this, do I have this about right.

I need maybe not simple, but I certainly don't need a huge pain in the butt. So far, I have three of the original HD Homeruns (thank you eBay) up and running and giving me outstanding OTA recording on a mini-itx computer I use at a kitchen desk. If I don't view it in the kitchen (think pain in the butt again), DNLA allows me to get to it somewhat easily on my smart Panasonic HDTV in the master bedroom. I am absolutely hooked on high def TV. The results are night and day compared to my standard def SageTV setup.

I have 6 TV's I need to stream my recorded stuff to here at the house. As many of you have discovered, once the wife discovered how nice it was to watch stuff she didn't have time for at the time over Sage, I am obligated to keep Sage alive until I get NextPVR setup and going.

Bob E.

[ccihon]

I can chime in - I have the original GBox Midnight as well as the new MX2 - both used as mainly clients via XBMC for NextPVR - my server is running NPVR on Win7, and I also have a windows NPVR client and another windows machine used occasionally as a client via XBMC.

All work well as TV clients - recordings and live TV furnished via HDHomerun Dual and a Hauppauge card for analog stuff.

The original Midnight is not great with XBMC under Android, but great with Linux as a dedicated XBMC client. The MX2 runs XBMC better under Android, but warning on both if running Android - 720p 60Hz mpeg2 .ts streams (US ABC, Fox etc) lose audio sync. You need a Linux build to solve it, although the bug is being worked on, if I trust the bug tracker at matricom.net. 480 and 1080 content is great, as is 720 if you install a linux build - but you lose some functionality that you can get via android apps - for instance, I can play back 720p recording .ts files even under Android if I navigate them with nDroid and play with the built-in video player (outside xbmc)

Another caveat - I use wired ethernet with these - performance via wifi is iffy unless your AP is very nearby these. With a fast connection recordings and live tv are easily navigated and played via xbmc - not as easily navigated as the same in NPVR windows app, but still very good.

I am actually selling the Midnight via Ebay right now, and await the next firmware build for the MX2, which Matricom says will be capable of 1080p xbmc output ( under xbmc it's all output at 720 now) and hope to fix the 720 mpeg2 issue.

One other quirk for my setup - if I set up my recordings folder as a share and play the files as "TV Shows" comskip works under xbmc - but if i play them back via the "Live TV>Recordings" xbmc menu. they don't auto skip - I may need to reconfigure comskip so they skip either way.

Only other cheap stand-alone clients I am aware of that are as functional might be the Raspberry Pie - linux (not sure if it can play everything) or maybe if you already have a Samsung Smart TV or BD player you can try the software offered elsewhere on this forum.

[Safetybob]

Ccihon, thank you so much for being so specific with your setup AND how you use it.

Could you clarify what you mean specifically with the mx2.....running XBMC better under android? I thought that's what the thing ran on. Are you saying that there is a linux add on for the mx2?

I would 99% be running NextPVR on Windows 7 (most likely Pro not Home), I will have 3 old HD Homeruns as tuners all OTA (turning off cable 99% sure), and use XBMC as the front end in order to use the MX2 as my "extenders" to 6 TVs around the house......I do not have and Samsung products at the house. Mostly Sony BD players with a mix of Panasonic and AOC HDTVs. I do need to "upgrade" around 2 TVs in the next year and have pretty much decided Panasonic, Samsung, and maybe LG TVs and that's it. Right now the DNLA on the Panasonics is great for testing HD recordings from my "test" setup running Windows Media Center.

Bob E.

[mvallevand]

AMLogic and i.MX6 devices do have full native linux XBMC clients just like the RPi

They biggest problem with the market is the disposible nature Vendors don't even commit to a year of support and who can blame them when the next gen just keep getting better and better.

Martin

[dinki]

@safetybob, Our setup is very similar. I've got an HD Homerun for local HD (QAM) as well as several PCI analog capture cards for cable SD channels. I'm also using one MVP extender. This all works great with Sage, but it is showing it's age. I've run GBPVR years ago before switching to Sage mainly for using the MVP as at the time GBPVR did not support the MVP. I have been trying to switch to NPVR for quite a while now (check out my post history), but have been having a heck of a time finding a suitable alternative to the HD200 I'll be replacing. I've tried the RPi (too slow), OUYA (no MPEG2 hardware decoding), and now have moved to the MX2. As ccihon stated, I've also found that the the MX2 has issues with playback on 720p HD MPEG2 recordings. I'm testing by playing some of my Sagetv recordings. Once I find a way around for this -- be it the 1080p firmware upgrade fixing 720p OR switching to the linux version -- I'm fairly confident that the MX2 will be a nice replacement for the HD200. I'm wanting to run XBMC rather than the native GUI for a couple of reasons, but the most obvious one is that XBMC just looks fantastic! The addons are also really nice. It does everything I want.

@ccihon, Thanks for the info and confirmation that 720p works well on the linux version. Are you speculating that the 1080p rom update will have a fix for 720p or has Matricom said that it would fix it? I'm guessing there's no concrete release date or ETA? Any chance you could post a link (here or PM if links are not allowed) to the version you are using and any installation steps that might be required? I looked a bit into this the other day and was a bit confused as to what version should be flashed. I'm fairly comfortable with flashing roms on my android phone/tablet and it looks pretty straightforward.

[ccihon]

If you visit the forums on matricom.net, you can find some linux builds for the Midnight and/or the MX2 - on Midnight, I have tested builds from "Jinx" - google "Jinx hackable", there are also newer builds for 12.2 xbmc by user "STTV"
http://matricom.net/forum/index.php?topi...74#msg7174 (MIDNIGHT not MX2)

I think the pick for the MX2 if it is linux you want is found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=241802

Make sure the version you pick is specific to your device - there are at least 2 hardware revisions for the Midnight, and for the MX2, the partition scheme varies for the Android setup for firmware 1.1.5 vs 1.1.6 and that matters when you flash over to linux. There are versions to flash coming from either one.

As for an update coming from Matricom for Android/MX2 that solves the 720p issue, I entered it into their bug tracker and it got assigned, escalated to severity "high", and is said to be slated for next firmware revision - if you believe such things.

[dinki]

@ccihon, thanks again for the information. I did see that xda-developers link you posted but was confused as to which to select. I see it says to ssh into the box and check the /proc/mtd file's contents. At that point, I guess you decide whether to download the MX_LINUX_v1.00-RC1-G18REF_MX2REF-update.zip or MX_LINUX_v1.00-RC1-NEWMTD-G18REF_MX2REF-update.zip versions. I don't see what's in /proc/mtd that leads me to choosing one version over the next. They do give an example saying 'mtd0: 00400000 00200000 "ubootenv" or "bootloader"' .. What version would someone choose if they see this line?

Sorry to ask what may be a boneheaded question, but I don't want to brick my device 'upgrading' it!