HOME THEATER PC - How to Build a Silent 4K ready HTPC for less than $300 - PART 1
HOME THEATER PC - Build a SILENT 4K Ready HTPC for less than $300
Part 1 - What is a Home Theater PC or HTPC?
A home theater PC is a PC located in your living room, directly connected to your TV. Use the HTPC to play games or watch content while sitting comfortably on your lazy boy recliner or couch. Like a gaming console, with the added benefit of MUCH more functionality.
My HTPC serves the following uses:
- watching movies and TV series (Kodi, or my own library)
- storage server for all backups (mostly Timemachine and Macrium Reflect images)
- DVR for recording live television
- Library for all my music and movie DVDs
My HTPC currently is an old ugly tower case, sitting on it's side in a cabinet under my TV, open to the air so it cools better. But I'm ready to replace it if possible.
Because it's old, it's full of dust, I have to clean it several times a year to try to quiet it down. It's full of fans.. I want to miniaturize it, and make it quiet!
Instead of a remote control, I recommend a wireless keyboard with built-in touchpad.
MINI PC - QUIET!
Choosing a mini PC
I really like the new mini PCs with the J3455 CPU. Fast and inexpensive. This one by ACEPC, is less than $200, and should fit my needs (no games, just 4K video).
Comes with 32GB drive; you should replace it with a large SSD.
Most mini PCs today are Intel Atom based, but this one is Celeron based. Fast too, at 2.3Ghz.
Mini PCs from Lenovo and others can range from $500-1000, but this ACEPC does the job very well, according to reviews, for $200.
Very impressed with this little computer, we were looking for a small htpc to run on our 4K tv and this does the job perfectly. It's quiet and starts up very quickly. Anything that can be done with a Windows PC can be done with this lovely little box. And it comes with Windows 10 installed!
MINI-PC CPUs Compared:
Intel Celeron J3455 - https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Celeron+J3455+%40+1.50GHz
Compared to a new modern i3, it's half the speed, but keep in mind i3 is expensive and mostly overkill these days. Today's i3 chips are twice as fast as older i3s from 5 years ago..
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-7100U+%40+2.40GHz&id=2879
And for memory; I would say, NEVER RUN WINDOWS on less than 4GB of memory! (Ubuntu will run on 2GB)
SPECS of the ACEPC:
Hardware:
CPU:Intel Celeron J3455
GPU:Intel HD Graphics 500
RAM:4GB DDR3L
ROM:32GB eMMC
WiFi:Ac3165 Dual Band，2.4G/5G
LAN: Ethernet RJ45 10/100/1000M
Bluetooth: BT V4.0
Interface:
USB port:2xUSB 3.0;2xUSB 2.0;2xType C;support USB disk and USB HDD
Card reader: TF Card （up to 128GB）
HDMI Port :HDMI 1.4
Microphone audio: 3.5mm Microphone jack x1
More Support:
Support Decoder format : HEVC（H265@4Kx2K）,[email protected],SVC,VP8 1080P,VP8 4K,VP8 stereo，MPEG4 ASP/SP,AVS,BD2.4，H263
Support Media format :[email protected],VP8 1080P,VP8 4K,VP8 stereo,SVC,AVS,H263
Support Music format : MP3,WMA9,AAC,PCM（WAV）,AC3
Support Photo format : HD JPEG/BMP/GIF/PNG/TIFF
Mouse/ Keyboard: Support mouse and keyboard via USB;Support 2.4GHz wireless mouse and keyboard via 2.4GHz USB dongle
Package Include:
1 * AK1 Mini PC
1 * HDMI Cable
1*VESA bracket
Mount this mini PC to the back of your television if you like; which gets it out of the way and makes it invisible.
As a selection of SSD, I've been happy with the Samsung. Many other's I have had die on me, including Sandisk.
WARNING: always keep a Macrium Reflect disk image of your SSD available, in order to create a new boot drive if your SSD dies. I found out the hard way; I've had 2 SSD drives fail for me in 5 years. Each time, I had to rebuild my HTPC from scratch, including re-installing Windows.
What software should I run on my HTPC?
Choosing an operating system:
You can run either Ubuntu or Windows easily, and have all the software below running on either OS.
GENERIC SOFTWARE FOR HTPC:
- Kodi with Specto or Exodus
- Media Player Classic or VNC audio video players
- VPN of your choice (OPTIONAL: I like Private Internet Access, available on all client OS types)
- Chrome browser
WINDOWS SPECIFIC SOFTWARE (find your own solutions if you run Ubuntu):
Windows Media Center (If you run win 7 instead of Win10 and want regular cable TV)
Macrium Reflect - backup software - imaging and restore
Stablebit Drivepool - Optional
SECURITY:
Backup and make sure you are secure - keep installed apps to a minimum!
Do not install software you are solicited to purchase or download!
Never install any software you are not 100% sure is safe!
What Comes Next?
- Why a windows machine for HTPC use?
- Should I choose Win7 or Win10?
- What accessories will I want for my HTPC?
- In the future we will discuss installing Kodi, and some plugins for it allowing video streaming of TV shows and Movies. And we will discuss how to mount the mini to the TV, and how it is controlled, and using bluetooth devices with it.
Its single board computer right ?
with 200$ i guess you can get better than this one.
:)
If you can find better, for $200, please point it out. But it has to be silent.
I am actually a big fan of single board computers :)
there are tons of them out there at the moment.
prices starting from i think 30$ .. i won't mention anyone here. maybe if you create a video about yours
and compare with others. that will be more interesting.
Can't say the names, but there are tons of them
might not have cool casing like yours though ;)
They generally have Intel Atom chips; and mini pc with i3 cost at least $100 more, so it is something I'd looked into.. Celeron seems to be the sweet spot for performance/price in the $200 category.
I prefer this more than a laptop which is of course small in screen and while watching your favorite movies or TV Shows, especially Game Of Thrones, I would prefer to watch it on a big screen. I do have a laptop HP Inspiron X360 with 4GB RAM and i3 7th generation processor which I connect with my Samsung Full HD led 50''inches through HDMI cable.
One issue is this is a machine I will keep running full time. It draws 15w and I never turn it off.
So I will be very careful what software it is running; I'll take an image of it; I'll be able to restore it to that state, if I think I've been infected. It has to be an appliance in my house; not a computer I carry around.
I get most folks a laptop, and tell them all the things they can do with it. And I set it up so they can use it as an entertainment center.
In my case, I just want a server, that I use to watch movies sometimes. Zero footprint. Invisible.
Do you use the same HTPC for internet browsing, social media access, internet researching, or just simple computer work or do you have a laptop/desktop separate for that purpose?
That's what Macbook is for; everything else... I do.
HTPC is for home server, HD & 4K entertainment on big screen, DVR, storage, backups.
I got rid of my HTPC because Windows and Kodi is not the most stable. There will be times where you cannot watch a movie because something is wrong. Even if you don't run Windows but another OS the same applies. I went for the most stable solution there is.
I have a Synology NAS which stores what I want to want to watch. I have the latest AppleTV connected to a 4K receiver which is connected to a 4K HDR tv. You cannot get a more stable OS than tvOS on an appleTV. I reckon it's blazingly fast and responsive as well. Very hard to beat.
Of course the current AppleTV does not do 4K or HDR but their next one will. Of course AppleTV does not natively allow for files stored on a NAS but that's where the App Store comes in.
I have bought Infuse which is super easy to use and it looks great. Setup is so much easier than Kodi and offers all functionality you need natively as opposed to Kodi. Infuse connects to my NAS and plays nearly all content. It also allows for the HD audio formats so that native AppleTV limitation is also gone.
Also... you can't easily find a device smaller than AppleTV which so much other functionality, because of the App Store. Plus.. it is completely silent.
Being in the field of IT i can surely manage computers professionally but still, operating systems and especially Kodi updates sometimes do stuff that break or change something. I decided I no longer wanted to be fixing stuff at home.
My solution as stated above has saved me a lot of time. My time at home is very valuable.
It costed me way less than your $300 (pc, upgrades and accessories?) and I bought Infuse for about $10 or something.
I think that's why some say, run Win7, instead of Win10.
I find Kodi is fairly stable on both Mac and Win7. I use both.
Part of my reason to replace my HTPC, is I have a huge video card in my PC for 4K right now, with 2 fans.
I want to go silent with 4K now...
AppleTV, maybe by late Nov 2017 could be available with 4K, maybe. It won't come with a big SSD, for $300, and it won't do everything my little PC does. I use disk pooling software (StableBit Diskpool) and it's not available on Apple products, or Ubuntu.
So I'm a Windows fan, even on my Mac, I run Windows too. I go where the apps are I guess..
Those home theaters are really awesome. I wonder why it has not turned mainstream. You get so much functionality when transitioning to a home theater (mini computer) from an old fashioned TV-box or DVD device. The home theater is for some reason still mostly for techies although it is fairly easy to setup...
People are really happy to be spoon fed technology. My brother still uses sat TV. I can't watch TV, commercials, etc.
I like to show just how easy it really is; buy a $200 computer and add an SSD, install 5 apps. Mount on TV. Connect a keyboard.
It seems like you know how to work your way around to make a pretty sweet budget home theatre PC.
I'm terrible with computers so most of the time I get all in one setups but that probably worse than making a computer yourself.
Since you're using an Intel Celeron it probably would be a good idea to use Windows 7. The UI for windows 7 isn't too bad as well as (despite the fact microsoft has tried to optimise it) windows 10 has been known for its stutters and lag.
Is Private Internet Access good? I tend to use Zenmate or expressvpn but I haven't looked into many smaller ones.
Thanks for all these tips and suggestions @surfyogi. Followed.
Well, that's excellent advice, and I planned to cover that in part 2.
Win7 is better, and one reason is you can have Windows Media Center running, and use a Network Attached Tuner with it (HomeRun device).
Another reason is Win7 is far easier to control when it does UPDATES!
What about windows 10 ? @surfyogi
PIA is great. I like how many servers it has available.
But it's the only one I've ever used.
You should do an article on the VPNs you are familiar with, and I'll review PIA.
Nobody brings the info, content and details like you Yogi! Love your posts always, even if I am not interested I always seem to read the whole thing haha
Also, found you a logo :) Let me know if you get it haha
Thank you dear @surfyogi for your advices. Excellent device for this price. Thanks. Waiting for your next posts)
This is good stuff, man!
Thank you for the tips!
OK. Good info. Up-Voted and Followed!