Jump to content

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B as TV media box

Frankieanime158
By Frankieanime158
in Hobby Electronics
 Share
Posted

Hey, I've got no experience with the raspberry pi, so I don't know what to expect. But you can find the 3 on Ebay for 55$ and was curious how it would work as a media box for movies, netflix, etc. I'm getting a new 1080p TV tomorrow, so my hope is it'll handle 1080p movies through netflix, or playback of movies I'd store, or stream from my main system. 

If it can handle it, my next question would be OS. I've only tried Ubuntu one time years back, didn't like it, went back to Windows. What sort of OS should I expect to load on it? Or in the least, is there any homebrew software that would support all these things I need it for? 

Thanks :)

Ryzen 7 2700x, MSI Gaming X RX 480 8gb, Asus ROG X470 Gaming, 2x8gb Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000, 120gb Kingston SSD (Boot) + 1TB Seagate Barracuda.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Netflix, won't work, i tried last week, well it worked but it ran at 5fps, it was a slideshow, awful.

What you can do however is get something like libreelec: https://libreelec.tv/

It's basically kodi with just enough extra software so it runs properly on the pi.

That's how i'm using mine right now and it's not that bad actually.

 

It does require your media to be available for the pi, i did it with a network share, works quite well.

It can handle youtube btw and twitch with lower bitrates.

If you want my attention, quote meh! D: or just stick an @samcool55 in your post :3

Spying on everyone to fight against terrorism is like shooting a mosquito with a cannon

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Yes, they are great media boxes, for x264 content anyway. For OS, you could run linux or something like openelec even, then it boots straight into kodi for your file playback. If you're only wanting it for media playback then that's the best in many ways IMO, used it for years before getting an nvidia shield. I still have my pi2 model b, but don't use it for media anymore as mostly use x265/HEVC now, which the pi can't decode.

Please quote my post, or put @paddy-stone if you want me to respond to you.

Spoiler
  • PCs:- 
  • Main PC build  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/2K6Q7X
  • ASUS x53e  - i7 2670QM / Sony BD writer x8 / Win 10, Elemetary OS, Ubuntu/ Samsung 830 SSD
  • Lenovo G50 - 8Gb RAM - Samsung 860 Evo 250GB SSD - DVD writer
  •  
  • Displays:-
  • Philips 55 OLED 754 model
  • Panasonic 55" 4k TV
  • LG 29" Ultrawide
  • Philips 24" 1080p monitor as backup
  •  
  • Storage/NAS/Servers:-
  • ESXI/test build  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/4wyR9G
  • Main Server https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3Qftyk
  • Backup server - HP Proliant Gen 8 4 bay NAS running FreeNAS ZFS striped 3x3TiB WD reds
  • HP ProLiant G6 Server SE316M1 Twin Hex Core Intel Xeon E5645 2.40GHz 48GB RAM
  •  
  • Gaming/Tablets etc:-
  • Xbox One S 500GB + 2TB HDD
  • PS4
  • Nvidia Shield TV
  • Xiaomi/Pocafone F2 pro 8GB/256GB
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

 

  • Unused Hardware currently :-
  • 4670K MSI mobo 16GB ram
  • i7 6700K  b250 mobo
  • Zotac GTX 1060 6GB Amp! edition
  • Zotac GTX 1050 mini

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

raspberry pi 3b is only $35 retail, dont spend 55 on one...

 

they work okay for media, but dont expect 4k content, and netflix "works" but its takes some effort to do it.

as far as what OS, rasbian is probably the best place to start.

 

dont forget to check out /r/raspberry_pi on reddit, its a great source of information

How do Reavers clean their spears?

|Specs in profile|

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

As Tsuki pointed out, it works fine in general for media, but Netflix is a waste of time which is one of the reasons I don't employ them in that fashion anymore; they simply exist for projects and game emulation.

While I have several Pis, one of the better options is grabbing an Xbox 360 for cheap and utilizing the apps available: Plex for local media, Netflix, Youtube, as well as Twitch, Crunchyroll, and Crackle if those float your boat.

My Classifieds Thread

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

They are a decent cheap solution in this sort of space. I would suggest Kodi with the obvious array of repositories...

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

im trying to replace ther 100 dollar tv subscription with possibly kodi anything else i can use?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
8 hours ago, Nipplemilk909 said:

my parent s are old school can kodi simulate a tv, with ther channels ?

I don't think that you will get a specific answer to that here, one should be mindful of the CoC. Go and do your own research and answer your own use cases, there's more than enough information here to make a start.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

If you would like to get a media server or media box with a raspberry pi, tell me and i will help you out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Check on amazon.com, if you live in the UK, they are £35 on the amazon.co.uk store.

 

It is extremly easy to setup a media center with a raspberry pi instead of buying a £100 tv box.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
7 hours ago, DarkPlatinum said:

Check on amazon.com, if you live in the UK, they are £35 on the amazon.co.uk store.

 

It is extremly easy to setup a media center with a raspberry pi instead of buying a £100 tv box.

For a little more one would be far better of buying a RK3399 based solution these days.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
42 minutes ago, DarkPlatinum said:

Pine64 sells a single board computer with a rock chip, but 1. They take a long time to deliver, 2. There CPU is underclocked.

You can find a lot of these in various flavours on Amazon if you look around, they pretty much succede the Amlogic S912 based boards (another superior board to the Pi for this context).

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing Hobby Electronics

×