PCH-A100 finally went south ... the future ...?

[jksmurf]

I found a post from when I bought it 26 Jan 2008, almost exactly 8 years ago. It has served me very very well. Unfortunately, whilst it is still functional, it started singing recently, or rather, a high-pitched electronic whine, which doesn't go away and annoys the dog.

So I am glad I bought the PCH-A110 about 5 years ago (mid-2011), as a replacement, as all this time I thought I will never use it when I stumbled over it searching amongst my pile-of-old-and-once-useful-but-now-useless-electronic-gadgets-from-day-gone-by.[URL="http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?30857-Popcorn-Hour-A-100&p=253781#post253781"]

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...post253781[/URL]
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...post411277

It started me thinking, I would probably need a new backup; so the perenial question

• Get another PCH-A110 off ebay for ease-of-drop-in-replacement [I like the quiet box under the TV and that it has a remote]?
  
• Go to the next-Gen Media Box? But what?
  
• Move to one of those small but quiet PCs and spend a bunch of time finding a way to make it work with a remote?
  

k.

[ACTCMS]

When I started using GBPVR in 2007 I took the 'Server in the attic and an MVP at each TV' route and have never had a moment's regret...

I am currently using 3 A110s sourced from ebay and I have 3 A110s and an A100 sitting up in the attic - all tested and configured ready to go as spares.

Actually, I still use MVP remotes and I have a few spares too...

Thanks to sub and Martin's support for these devices I have always had a 100%+ WAF...

Alex

[psycik]

I had a PCH-A100 - actually I still do, that probably still works - as our bedroom media centre. But now tend to use a Gigabyte Brix (AMD A6) running windows 10. It could be my server rather than just a client since I have a home run.

But with all these XBMC/Kodi type machines I'd be tempted for one of those if they came with a remote - and use the kodi interface with a Nextpvr backend.

[mvallevand]

Kodi fan for playback. If you need the NextPVR interface on a Kodi supported device try x-newa web client. Next month I am retiring so will have a more time for NextPVR and will be continuing on some more custom Kodi builds that likely support emulation mode better.

Martin

[jksmurf]

Is there a list of Kodi compatible devices for NPVR somewhere? I did check the WIKI.

k

[stustunz]

Device:Rpi2
Operating system openelec/kodi
Addon xnewa

its a great combination
So cheap and so good
Video playback is ridiculously good most people don't believe me until I show them.

[BrettB]

Device:Rpi2
Operating system openelec/kodi
Addon xnewa

its a great combination
So cheap and so good
Video playback is ridiculously good most people don't believe me until I show them.

That's what I used to replace my A-110 that died. Works quite well.

[martint123]

I also started off with a headless box in the loft and MVP's - It was so ahead of it's time (for me anyway).
Went to a couple of PCH-A100's at the same time as moving from big old CRTs to LCD.
Currently playback & schedule with the Samsung client, dabble with Kodi / xnewa on Rpi2
Do most scheduling/searching either VNC'ing into server or PC npvr client.

Once again, many thanks to sub, martin and fred (and all the others)for creating and keeping alive this wonderously versatile system.

[jksmurf]

Hi, back again :o,

Thanks for all your inputs, much appreciated.

Been reading a lot on the RPi2 and have orderd an RPi2+ case to play with, already got the SD card with OpenElec 6.0.0 loaded, just need the device [and a low power Keyboard/Mouse...]. Excited by the new Project .

Back in Oct 2014 Martin was not sold on the RPi - presumably improved with the RPi2?

To me the RPi is kind of like using the lowest end PC you can imagine with a reasonable h/w accelerated video card. Almost everything works just slower than I'd like. Not just just CPU, memory, network etc are all bottlenecks. You also need to consider how you want to control it, I've bought a few mini USB keyboards that I use for most devices. Installing an IR receiver isn't hard but you have to be a hobbyist so if that is fun for you it can be rewarding. For NextPVR recording that aren't h264 you will need the mpeg2 decoder. Martin

No problem getting the decoder and I might get my wife to solder in an IR header (if that is still possible on the new model) and try to use the familiar PCH remote with it - will this work? CEC will be my first "go to" though.

Martin seems to favour the Chromebox quite a lot. Does this device show the comskip black lines when using Kodi?
If Martin liked the older ones, I guess the latest one of these Chromeboxes is fantastic :-).

I am however still really interested in feedback on other client replacements that have the look and feel of my old (and to be it was) trusty PCH NMT (and also have no noisy fan) but will play everything better and faster [AND show the comskip black lines**]. Be interested in feedback on all the options:

• ASUS Chromebox - Martin like it for most things ...
  
• FireTV (FTV) - Martin likes it but not for sports ... poor deinterlacing.
  
• Intel NUCS
  
• Brix and other small fanless or light PCs [need Windows OS I assume]
  
• Multidude of Android Boxes with Kodi Installed - forum threads on these suggest not as great as the specs might suggest?
  
• RPi2
  
• Pivos
  
• Other?
  

With all the small Windows devices, if you are using these as servers, I guess all your internal PCI cards need replacing with Boxes;
e.g. my Hauppage Colossus Card would have to be replaced with a Box of some kind, seems to be the HDPVR2 (doesn't need to be gaming version).

Cheers

[psycik]

Hi, back again :o,

Thanks for all your inputs, much appreciated.

Been reading a lot on the RPi2 and have orderd an RPi2+ case to play with, already got the SD card with OpenElec 6.0.0 loaded, just need the device [and a low power Keyboard/Mouse...]. Excited by the new Project .

Back in Oct 2014 Martin was not sold on the RPi - presumably improved with the RPi2?



No problem getting the decoder and I might get my wife to solder in an IR header (if that is still possible on teh new model) and try to use the familiar PCH remote wth it - will this work? CEC will be my first "go to" though.

Martin seems to favour the Chromebox quite a lot. Does this device show the comskip black lines when using Kodi?
If Martin liked the older ones, I guess the latest one of these Chromeboxes is fantastic :-).

I am however still really interested in feedback on other client replacements that have the look and feel of my old (and to be it was) trusty PCH NMT (and also have no noisy fan) but will play everything better and faster [AND show the comskip black lines**]. Be interested in feedback on all the options:

• ASUS Chromebox - Martin like it for most things ...
  
• FireTV (FTV) - Martin likes it but not for sports ... poor deinterlacing.
  
• Intel NUCS
  
• Brix and other small fanless or light PCs [need Windows OS I assume]
  
• Multidude of Android Boxes with Kodi Installed - forum threads on these suggest not as great as the specs might suggest?
  
• RPi2
  
• Pivos
  
• Other?
  

With all the small Windows devices, if you are using these as servers, I guess all your internal PCI cards need replacing with Boxes;
e.g. my Hauppage Colossus Card would have to be replaced with a Box of some kind, seems to be the HDPVR2 (doesn't need to be gaming version).

Cheers

I have a brix, with my usb-uirt from my old server in the lounge connected. But tbh, I find it easier to use my roku/plex for a very little that I watch that's recorded. The brix remote works with kodi and nextpvr, but I actually find it easier to run a wireless logitech k400 keyboard. Especially if I need a browser etc.