Libreelec on the Intel NUC5PGYH

Hi all,

New to the forum (and to Libreelec). I've been running Windows on a NUC5PGYH but recently decided to switch to Libreelec and use it as a home theater PC. (A Better Fit for the NUC5PGYH – Techster's Blog)

I regularly post about Intel NUCs, and do a lot with them as HTPCs. I just learned about Libreelec and so far am very please with it.

Happy to answer any NUC-related questions.

Thanks!

Quote from drhendrix

Hey techsterweb, I'm considering a NUC5PGYH for Libreelec only use in the bedroom, but I'm concerned about noise from the CPU fan. Do you ever hear the fan while watching videos on the NUC?

I've run across some reviews on Amazon and Newegg where owners complain about fan noise. I won't be playing anything over 1080p.

Thanks for any info!
Dennis

Hi! So the fan noise question actually comes up quite a bit. I'd like to give you a solid, definitive answer, but the truth is it's subjective. In my experience, the lighter the CPU, the quieter the fan. I still have the PGYH in my bedroom and I never notice fan noise. There have been multiple occasions where I forgot to put it to sleep and didn't realize it. Libreelec is a pretty lite OS, so that has something to do with it as well. As you go up to the more powerful CPUs, the fans get activated more frequently. I have an i7 workstation and mostly it's quiet enough that I don't hear it (it's mounted on the back of the monitor). But when it's under heavy load the fan kicks in and I definitely notice it. All NUCs are much quieter than a typical desktop fan, just by the nature of such a tiny fan. I've never had the PGYH fan kick into overdrive, and the same holds true for the NUC6i5SYH I have as the HTPC in my living room. I just never hear either of them.

Having said all that, when I had a DN2820 in the bedroom my wife complained about a high-pitched sound coming from it, even when it was completely off. After much trial and error we figured out the high pitch was coming from the NUC when the power adapter was plugged in. I ended up getting that unit swapped and the replacement didn't have that issue.

Back to fan noise, I'd think the only time you'd notice the fan on a PGYH would be if you were standing right next to it. If you're using it to watch movies, that seems unlikely.

If you know anyone who has a NUC, you might ask if you can stop by and listen to it running in a quiet room. That might give you an idea of what to expect.

I hope this helps!
[hr]

Quote from durkheim

Hi,

I have a nuc n3150 and I don't know how to make a remote control working with it (I have a harmony 700 and also a wetek play remote, don't know which one is better)

I tried to unload/reload the driver (modprobe -r nuvoton-cir), then ir-keytable -t to test events but nothing happens.

Any help wery welcome.

I also have troubles with resume after suspend but I will explain this later on.

Sorry for the late reply. I wasn't subscribed to my own thread so I didn't realize there were any replies here.

I don't have any experience with the harmony remotes, but I've used remotes under Linux. I would start here: Getting the IR receiver to work with Haswell NUCs – The NUC Blog

Let me know if any of the suggestions there work for you!
[hr]

Quote from vibe666

I have the cheapest i3 NUC (the 1.5Ghz first gen one with the red top), 4gb ram and a 120gb ssd and it flies, but like you say they're not cheap, even the older ones now.

i got it with a plan on if it worked out i was going to make a little lab server farm for VMware with a few of the i7 ones, but never got round to it in the end, so i've been using the nuc with win7, win8 and now win10 and it's an awesome little box, particularly as we don't have tv reception where i am and it'a australia, so i'm loathe to pay through the nose for foxtel. even with my crappy 5Mbps broadband, it's still okay for most streaming, although it is struggling with some newer H.265 content at 1080p, and as I was thinking of moving exclusively to H.265 going forward, I need something that can manage decoding of 1080p content in that format.

I haven't tried LibreELEC yet on it, but I've used OpenELEC on the original Raspberry Pi and an Acer Revo and I've been playing with XBMC since the old days when you had to mod an original Xbox to run it on. I actually thnk I still have one somewhere!

It will be interesting to see how much of a difference it makes to the box not having the Windows OS overhead to worry about and if it will mean it's powerful enough for 1080p H.265 content.

It will also mean that I'll have a half decent excuse to add a CEC adapter to the NUC and ditch my mele f10 pro air mouse and just use the one from the TV to control everything.

Sorry about the late response. I really need to remember to subscribe to my own threads!

The i3 units (haswell and newer) really do make great HTPC systems. If you're looking for a CEC module, I reviewed the PulseEights from GoRite and they are awesome. They have internal and external options. Here's my review of the external one: Review: The Pulse-Eight USB CEC Adapter from GoRite – Techster's Blog

I've tried running Windows as the OS for an HTPC and just wasn't happy with it. Too much messing with drivers. Openelec and Libreelec are nice because they work with no need for extra work.

Quote from MacNB

I have NUC5PPYH. Currently use an XBOX remote. This is not ideal as the XBOX is also connected to the same TV and interfere when using KODI.

Apart from gorite CEC device, do you have any other good recommendations for a remote that works with NUC ?
Thx.

Not to be too terribly self-serving, but have a look at my post about remote options: The Intel NUC: Revisiting Remote Control Options – Techster's Blog

I've never worked with Logitech Harmony remotes, but I hear they're popular with NUC users. I don't have an XBOX, but does it use any RC6 remote? If so, CEC might be a better way to go. The NUC's receiver is RC6, so any RC6 remote will work it, but if that's the case with the XBOX then I can see lots of frustration in your future.

You could always go for a non-RC6 remote that uses its own receiver, or a bluetooth remote. Either would eliminate the cross talk with the XBOX.

Quote from MacNB

The XBOX is RC6 compatible. The only real issue with the xbox remote is the xbox-button which switches on/off the xbox but on KODI it's the home button. The other buttons do not interfere (unless the got switched on).
Thx for the link to your reviews. AUGUST remote looks interesting.

The August remote is pretty darned cool, actually. It's the Swiss army knife of remotes...something for every need. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's kind of a blocky, wide design so it's not as comfortable in the hand as other remotes. But for functionality it's awesome. And if you've ever played a Wii, the air remote will feel familiar.

Quote from MacNB

One question about the August remote: when holding the remote with up,down, left, right, and Ok keys facing up and the keypad/character underneath, what happens if you accidentally press the character keys underneath (do they transmit) ?

They do. That was one of the first things I thought when I got it. I was sure I'd be accidentally typing on it all the time. In reality, it's never actually happened. The keys need enough pressure that just holding the remote, you won't press them. But I've tested it, and the keyboard works regardless of position.

Quote from pawnthep

Just curious, does Intel Braswell support hardware decode for hevc h.265 format?

I've read about it here and there that it does. But on my Zotac box mini pc (Intel N3150), I tried LibreELEC and It got only software decode on hevc h.265 content.

I think this should answer it better than I could: HEVC Decoding in Linux for Braswell – The NUC Blog