Looking for advice on a specific AIO build for local media only

    So this is a hardware recommendation/question thread, but I'm looking for something specific.

    My mother is old and not too tech savvy, but can get around a bit.

    She lives on the other side of the country and I'd like to give her an easy way to watch movies locally (old tv shows, movies, etc)

    Her internet is not the most reliable so something self contained and basically never have to touch would be perfect for her. She is familiar with directv dvr's and stuff like that, so kodi shouldn't be any more difficult than that. Server/client is not an option due to distance, so a small self contained local media player is the ticket.

    So I was thinking maybe a rpi4 with a 2 or 4tb hdd or maybe one of those mini desktops similar to this one:

    Refurbished: HP ProDesk 400 G2 Mini Desktop PC, Intel Core i3-6100T 3.20GHz, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, WiFi, Win-10 x64 Grade A - Newegg.com
    Buy Refurbished: HP ProDesk 400 G2 Mini Desktop PC, Intel Core i3-6100T 3.20GHz, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, WiFi, Win-10 x64 Grade A with fast shipping and…
    www.newegg.com

    My media is a mixture of mostly mkv, some mp4, mostly 1080p with some 4k, both H264 and H265.. I'd REALLY rather not have to transcode all that stuff down so libre can play it.

    (I don't think I'd have to, but can anyone clarify that?)

    Which do you think would be the better choice? can a rpi4 (assuming I can find one in stock) really reliably handle 4k@ 60fps with zero problems? Even if that media is being played from a local hdd?

    Or would I be best served with one of the smaller pc's, and use the intel IGP and beefier processor to do the same with an internal hdd?

    also for remotes, I was looking at the firetv remotes so she wouldn't need to use a keyboard, is flirc still a thing, and still supported with libre?

    Sorry for the long post, but I'd really love to get something like this done.. easy, small and self contained solely for local media.

    Thanks for any advice/comments in advance.

    I wouldn't spent 250 $ for such an old box.

    I would recommend a (relative stress free running LE) Intel NUC, a NUC10i3FNH is about 340 €, see link

    be aware: you need

    - RAM (2x 4GB: ~40 €) and

    - storage (500 GB NVMe, Samsung EVO Plus: ~75€) or a HDD (be aware: the disk high: 7 mm => see the NUC spec's)

    - maybe the OS

    remote admin with anydesk (the flatpak version when running a linux distro) or native for windows, not for running LE.

    in germany:

    Intel NUC 10 Performance Kit NUC10i3FNH - Frost Canyon (BXNUC10I3FNH) ab € 339,20 (2022) | heise online Preisvergleich / Deutschland

    Edited once, last by GDPR-7 (January 27, 2022 at 9:00 PM).

    Quote from marty575

    can a rpi4 (assuming I can find one in stock) really reliably handle 4k@ 60fps with zero problems?

    In my experience with the latest nightlies an RPi4 can handle 4k60 H.265/HEVC/HDR videos fine, but it struggles with 4k60 H.264/AVC and quite a few other codecs like VP9 and VC-1 etc. What I'm trying to say is that an RPi4 has potential, but it's still a bit rough around the edges and nothing I'd consider running 24/7 in someone else's home yet.

    Compared to an S905X3 box running CE, it's no comparison really, that SoC will chew through anything you can throw at it pretty much.

    Don't overlook something like an Nvidia Shield TV, think about how it's going to be switched on/off and general ease of use etc.

    Edited once, last by powerarmour (January 28, 2022 at 12:01 AM).

    A problem with those HP and Lenovo SFFPC’s is they don’t have HDMI ports so you’re forced into the dark world of DP to HDMI adapters and finding one that’ll do 4k60 isn’t easy.

    In my view go with a pc with a known HDMI 2.0 port or the RPi4. Be aware that the Intel builds for LE don’t yet support HDR.

    Quote from powerarmour

    In my experience with the latest nightlies an RPi4 can handle 4k60 H.265/HEVC/HDR videos fine, but it struggles with 4k60 H.264/AVC and quite a few other codecs like VP9 and VC-1 etc. What I'm trying to say is that an RPi4 has potential, but it's still a bit rough around the edges and nothing I'd consider running 24/7 in someone else's home yet.

    Compared to an S905X3 box running CE, it's no comparison really, that SoC will chew through anything you can throw at it pretty much.

    Don't overlook something like an Nvidia Shield TV, think about how it's going to be switched on/off and general ease of use etc.

    that's what I was afraid of with the rpi4. Thanks for confirming. I will look for an S905x3 box. I had considered a shield, but it would be kind of a "waste" as this thing is just gonna be an offline local media player. I like the idea of a simple gui with Core or Libre that goes straight into the content.