Media Centre Software

[Murph7355]

Am currently using XBMC on a couple of devices and Plex on a couple more. Primary use to date has been to watch movies and listen to music stored on a NAS. It all works very nicely and passes the wife and parents usability tests well. So all's good.

I'm now starting to think a Netflix subscription and perhaps other video on demand services might be interesting.

Have tried to get Netflix working via XBMC (using Netflixbmc) but with limited success. Only elements of Netflix work properly and the control interface starts to get clunky (as effectively you're no longer in XBMC but are in Chrome in kiosk mode - I'm testing this out on a Mac).

Is anyone using any media centre software that can cover the above, and perhaps add things like PVR functionality, but with a nice, straightforward. consistent interface (preferably one that needs little more than a simple remote (4-way direction, OK, back, esc etc buttons)?

[Bullett]

Reverse approach.

I use an Amazon fire TV. It runs Netflix and Amazon Prime and iPlayer natively (among others) as it's essentially a chrome device. It will also run PLEX.
I then run a side loaded version of xbmc on it as well and music comes via a Squeezebox client (my prefered player for music).

My version of xbmc just launches as an app and it's actually possible to launch everything except Amazon from within xbmc so it would invisible to users.

I think the big problem with stuff like netflix is that it requires silverlight for DRM so Linux based clients like a lot of the standalone media centres won't support it.

[onlynik]

I use a Amazon Fire Stick.

It was £19, runs a Plex app so I can stream of local content, plus access to Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

I've stopped using XBMC now as the Fire Stick is just better.

[boxst]

onlynik said:

I've stopped using XBMC now as the Fire Stick is just better.

Assuming you don't want to watch American TV series that are not currently in the UK and don't want the hassle of downloading and then Plex converting on the fly.

[onlynik]

boxst said:

onlynik said:

I've stopped using XBMC now as the Fire Stick is just better.

Assuming you don't want to watch American TV series that are not currently in the UK and don't want the hassle of downloading and then Plex converting on the fly.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean, I run Plex app on the Fire Stick, Plex installed on Mac Mini, which happily does all the transcoding I need.

The Fire Stick comes with it's own remote, so no faffing around with XBMC remotes on phones or tablets, coupled with iPlayer, Amazon Prime and Netflix, it makes it a far superior product to XBMC/Kodi.

[Murph7355]

Cheers guys.

Just done some reading and the techradar review seems to suggest the Amazon interface is geared to, well er, Amazon So things like Netflix and Plex are buried under an "apps" tab?

This would fail the wife/parents test and leave them bemoaning a lack of Sky (which I've never had and intend never to have).

I guess what I'm looking for is something that simply presents "movies", "tv" or "music" etc options and then perhaps gives a choice of searching home content or third party subscription services.

Anything that needs more explanation than that fails.

Right now I have a std TV remote. They press input 4 and get XBMC (or Plex) and get said menus... Though only for internal content of course.

If I have to start explaining you use Plex for local stuff, another app(s) for external content after pressing input 4 then I've lost...and that's before I start having to explain where the apps can be found

[Bullett]

Not buried.

It's on the main menu in mine. It will also appear in recently used.

My 4yo can do it.

[Murph7355]

Bullett said:

Not buried.

It's on the main menu in mine. It will also appear in recently used.

My 4yo can do it.

My own 3yo is more adept at these things than the target audience The challenge is making 35+ yr olds who are ingrained with Murdoch's magic wand get it

I'll take a further look...

[onlynik]

Murph7355 said:

Cheers guys.

Just done some reading and the techradar review seems to suggest the Amazon interface is geared to, well er, Amazon So things like Netflix and Plex are buried under an "apps" tab?

This would fail the wife/parents test and leave them bemoaning a lack of Sky (which I've never had and intend never to have).

I guess what I'm looking for is something that simply presents "movies", "tv" or "music" etc options and then perhaps gives a choice of searching home content or third party subscription services.

Anything that needs more explanation than that fails.

Right now I have a std TV remote. They press input 4 and get XBMC (or Plex) and get said menus... Though only for internal content of course.

If I have to start explaining you use Plex for local stuff, another app(s) for external content after pressing input 4 then I've lost...and that's before I start having to explain where the apps can be found

You can just leave the Plex app running. So all they'd have to do is press 4 and assuming you've connected the Amazon stick to the same HDMI port they'll get Plex.

You don't have to quit the app when the TV is turned off. The stick does need an external power source. The USB ports on my TV didn't provide sufficient power.

The difficulty will be explaining how they get to Netflix or Amazon streaming, but for local content from Plex you'll be fine.

[Brigand]

I've used Media Portal in the past and was fairly impressed by it. Works on Windows but can be set so you boot into it, hiding Windows altogether. Although I've tried XBMC in the past and enjoyed it, the media centre I plan on making soon will be on Windows, so Media Portal is easiest in my case.