Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
When you go through the signup, it takes you to a point where you do need to enter card details, but at that point simply close the browser, the account is created, just not with a subscription.
[Edited on 12-08-2013 by Brett]
|
willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
User status: Offline
|
Thanks guys appreciate the tip.
|
willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
User status: Offline
|
just a follow up, did as Brett says and all worked fine.
I got this device for a friend who wanted a media box for his TV and for the money it has done a fantastic job. I've never played with Plex before but from what I saw on his PC when I was installing it - fantastic free program.
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
 I was getting well pissed off first try thinkin I had to enter card details to use the damn thing. Closed the browser in a rage, went back later and saw it was signed in  lol
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
I like what it does with tv shows btw, how it arranges all the seasons and plays the theme tune in the background 
|
willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
User status: Offline
|
yeah man its quite awesome
|
AdZ9
Member
Registered: 14th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
Would you recommend this for my situation, my current set up is:
Downstairs Living Room:
- SkyHD+ (normal usage plus iPlayer etc as it's connected via phoneline and ethernet)
- Xbox 360 (using TVersity on my PC to stream 720/1080 films and any DVDs, connected via Homeplugs)
Upstairs Main Bedroom:
- SkyHD Multiroom (no +, just normal function)
- PS3 (again, used to play DVDs and stream through TVersity on PC connected via Wifi)
But I want to move my Xbox into my Office so I can play it more, but I also don't want to lose the streaming functionality in the living room as we use it a lot. The PS3 is also gash with Cinarvia on some films so I'd ideally like to replace that in the bedroom and keep a streaming functionality.
Would you recommend getting one of these to replace the 360 downstairs for the streaming? Although I'd obviously lose a DVD player, so i'd perhaps move the PS3 downstairs and also get a box in the bedroom for streaming.
I've been wanting to get a proper set up sorted for months, now we own the house I can obviously do what I like and don't mind running wires etc if needed, but I want a good setup with minimal fuss. I also have a MacBook that I sometimes download on, so ideally something that can work with that streaming to the boxes as well would be ideal.
|
Rob_Quads
Member
Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: southampton
User status: Offline
|
I would not replace a 360 with one of these. It lacks the power to be a real replacement. Its also only 720p.
If your wanting something cheap, a XBMC running on a Raspberry Pi may well do the job
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
I'm using one over my 360? The interface is a million times better. This also plays things the 360 won't. This is assuming there hasn't been some amazing 360 update, guessing not. 360 is also about 10 times the size and makes noise where this doesn't? This is also a tenner delivered so it's hardly worth the effort writing lots of questions, just check it out and judge for yourself. I got two originally, showed people mine setup then ended up ordering 4 more RPi will end up 5 or 6 times this cost of this also.
[Edited on 13-08-2013 by Brett]
|
Dom
Member
Registered: 13th Sep 03
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brett
RPi will end up 5 or 6 times this cost of this also.
Four times at most. Either way, both are completely different - ones a media streamer that requires a backend server, the other is a media player.
|
Cavey
Member
Registered: 11th Nov 02
Location: Derby
User status: Offline
|
So in conclusion. These boxes would be fine to replace the 360 and PS3 for streaming. As said, it eliminates cinavia which had been pissing me off on a few downloads. And its tiny and silent.
They are wireless only though. So make sure you're wireless reaches wherever you want to put it. Also the audio out is stereo, so not sure how the surround sound works if you care about that.
[Edited on 13-08-2013 by Cavey]
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
Could you link me to one with everything required including remote for £40 delivered? Was dearer than that when I looked but I feel like we've been on this topic before. No doubt a properly setup RPi would own both tho.
Back to 360 vs Roku, i'd still choose the Roku. Downside as mentioned is needing the server running but it's no biggie, ran my 360/TV the same way.
360
Notice how Corpse Bride isn't listed on the 360, because it can't play that format.
Plex
[Edited on 13-08-2013 by Brett]
|
Dave
Member
Registered: 26th Feb 01
Location: Lancs
User status: Offline
|
Is it possible to use Netflix on these or would you need the "proper" Roku?
|
LeeM
Member
Registered: 26th Sep 05
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
|
just these http://www.strayed.co.uk/2013/07/29/now-tv-box-full-list-of-available-channels/
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
Can do channels through Plex also, but not Netflix. Had 4od on there up until recently whilst they work on it (so I read).
|
Dom
Member
Registered: 13th Sep 03
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brett
Could you link me to one with everything required including remote for £40 delivered?
Already went over costs and where to purchase the needed parts and as for a remote control, you can either use CEC (most modern TVs support this) and your TVs remote; use your smartphone as there are plenty of really good XBMC apps; spend £2 and put together an IR receiver and use a compatible remote or splash out £10 for a USB device.
Unfortunately it sounds like you just looked at the expensive packages and took it that that was the cost rather than actually following what was said. 
Anyway, there's pros and cons to both setups so it depends on your situation i guess.
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
Probably, I want the numpty 'ready to go' package, not something where I have to dick around. I also want its own remote, my daughter doesn't have an amazing TV or a smartphone. I've got one in 3 different rooms now. I've got every room connected for £30, where as I couldn't sort one room with an RPi for that. Come on, bang for buck you can't really beat these NowTV boxes imo.
[Edited on 13-08-2013 by Brett]
|
willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
User status: Offline
|
For ease and no fucking about, the nowtv is fanastic.
|
Dom
Member
Registered: 13th Sep 03
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brett
Probably, I want the numpty 'ready to go' package, not something where I have to dick around. I also want its own remote, my daughter doesn't have an amazing TV or a smartphone. I've got one in 3 different rooms now. I've got every room connected for £30, where as I couldn't sort one room with an RPi for that. Come on, bang for buck you can't really beat these NowTV boxes imo.
It's a great solution if you don't mind the 720p limit and have a Plex setup/server running or you have a server or decent spec'd NAS box, for transcoding, to install the Plex server software on. Unfortunately, not many people do.
As said, different solutions to different problems and what works for one won't work for someone else et cetera, et cetera.
|
Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
|
My Plex server runs on a decade old machine worth about £15 that's sat in the garage, not really a big deal imo.
|
Eddie.2k
Member
Registered: 4th Dec 06
User status: Offline
|
Any mac/bthub 3 users?
Got my hard drive plugged into the back of the hub.
Windows lets me access my files fine but my mac gives me this error
The operation can’t be completed because the original item for “USB_Disk” can’t be found.
|
Simon
Member
Registered: 24th Apr 03
Location: Oxfordshire
User status: Offline
|
Just got mine and got the basics setup. I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this but is there any way I can play a DVD in my computer through this?
|
willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
User status: Offline
|
quick google suggests only if you rip the DVD first.
|
Simon
Member
Registered: 24th Apr 03
Location: Oxfordshire
User status: Offline
|
Yeah assumed I could do it that way but be good if you could play it directly. Not Ripped a dvd for yonks! What's good software these days?
|
Cavey
Member
Registered: 11th Nov 02
Location: Derby
User status: Offline
|
Usually easier to just download a copy from somewhere than to mess around ripping it
|
