Is an HTPC worth it?

[Indus Monk]

So I have a Sony x80j powered by google TV. Is there any point in making an HTPC for that TV? I just need a case and PSU for the HTPC.

 

 

what I want to do with the HTPC

• Lighter controller friendly games like Stardew Valley, Terraria
• Media consumption on Youtube, Netflix, Prime Video etc. (Youtube will be ad free, because of adblocker)
• HTPC will also be a Cold storage for Sony a7s3 footage

 

 

I initially wanted to make a NAS. But I got good enough hardware for an HTPC. So... why not both?

 

Also, Imma dualboot TrueNAS and Windows if I make an HTPC. Its a smol investment for me. (once I get a job :P)

[da na]

Well what do you plan to do on it? Just for watching movies it's not quite worth it

[Indus Monk]

6 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

Well what do you plan to do on it? Just for watching movies it's not quite worth it

Had to update the thread. Sorry about that

[BobVonBob]

If you want to do things that your TV doesn't have a native app for, like playing games, an HTPC is a great option. Other things to consider are consoles or remote desktop/display streaming from a computer you already have.

[OhioYJ]

I have an HTPC hooked to every TV in the house.

• Typically I use a steam link for my remote gaming so I can use the gaming PCs rather than one of the HTPCs. However the HTPCs do get used for emulation.
• Movies. I play some digitally, all my HTPCs have optical drives, so they play physical media as well.
• They are used for streaming, from web services, youtube, etc.
• Basic PC tasks, need to look something up real quick while we're sitting in the living room, easy enough to do it.
• The one in the living room has nice speakers hooked to it, so it plays music and such when needed as well.
• They all do actually serve as another location to backup data to as well.

I keep upgrading them, and passing parts down to my HTPCs. I definitely wouldn't want to go without one. However I can see how others might just be able to handle just using a smart TV I guess.

[Colty]

I'm a big advocate for Plex and a 10TB HDD. It handles all of my media consumption. Bought a Blu-ray? Rip it, use Plex to watch it. My Plex machine (Running Linux/Ubuntu) is also my network file share. Going Windows was the original route I took, but Plex on Ubuntu has intel QuickSync for HDR to SDR tone-mapping so it became necessary to switch once I didn't want to have 1080p copies of everything and I already had a 4k/HDR rip of.

That being said... if you want to have an emulation box and don't want to go the route of.... modding a PS3 for example - a Raspberry Pi will do most everything before the PS2/GameCube era. A Raspberry Pi can also handle Steam in-home streaming. And if you use that to its full potential, you can run PS3/WiiU/whatever emulation through that as well. 

So it being worth it is up to you. For me, it's not. But I'm deep into Plex already and I've got a PS5/BC PS3 to play games on my TV and I'm happy to move my gaming PC out to the living room to have some party fun with.... VR or whatever "couch co-op" fun I can't get on one of my Playstations. 

[Indus Monk]

thanks for all the replies. It seems like the worth of the HTPC depends on my use case. I am making a NAS anyways, so I might as well make an HTPC out of the hardware as well

8 hours ago, Colty said:

I'm a big advocate for Plex and a 10TB HDD. It handles all of my media consumption. Bought a Blu-ray? Rip it, use Plex to watch it. My Plex machine (Running Linux/Ubuntu) is also my network file share. Going Windows was the original route I took, but Plex on Ubuntu has intel QuickSync for HDR to SDR tone-mapping so it became necessary to switch once I didn't want to have 1080p copies of everything and I already had a 4k/HDR rip of.

That being said... if you want to have an emulation box and don't want to go the route of.... modding a PS3 for example - a Raspberry Pi will do most everything before the PS2/GameCube era. A Raspberry Pi can also handle Steam in-home streaming. And if you use that to its full potential, you can run PS3/WiiU/whatever emulation through that as well. 

So it being worth it is up to you. For me, it's not. But I'm deep into Plex already and I've got a PS5/BC PS3 to play games on my TV and I'm happy to move my gaming PC out to the living room to have some party fun with.... VR or whatever "couch co-op" fun I can't get on one of my Playstations. 

 

10 hours ago, OhioYJ said:

I have an HTPC hooked to every TV in the house.

• Typically I use a steam link for my remote gaming so I can use the gaming PCs rather than one of the HTPCs. However the HTPCs do get used for emulation.
• Movies. I play some digitally, all my HTPCs have optical drives, so they play physical media as well.
• They are used for streaming, from web services, youtube, etc.
• Basic PC tasks, need to look something up real quick while we're sitting in the living room, easy enough to do it.
• The one in the living room has nice speakers hooked to it, so it plays music and such when needed as well.
• They all do actually serve as another location to backup data to as well.

I keep upgrading them, and passing parts down to my HTPCs. I definitely wouldn't want to go without one. However I can see how others might just be able to handle just using a smart TV I guess.

 

10 hours ago, BobVonBob said:

If you want to do things that your TV doesn't have a native app for, like playing games, an HTPC is a great option. Other things to consider are consoles or remote desktop/display streaming from a computer you already have.