I have been using an old laptop to run Kodi as a media player to my TV. But it's a shitty old laptop so it crashes a lot. So I'm going to get a mini PC to replace it. But I'm pretty lost when it comes to what specs I need.
Basically I just need it to be able to handle 4K video files and some light game emulation. Probably just N64 and Gamecube games.
What's a good option for under $600 or what specs would I need in a mini PC? Any advice is appreciated.
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They don't support HDR or HDMI 2.1, meaning signals are limited to 4K 60HZ, no color. You unironically need to spend big bucks to have a good media player that does 120 HZ 2160P with HDR.
Ok. No 4K isn't a dealbreaker. I just figured I'd probably want it to handle 4K in the future.
kodi crashing like the heap of shit it is has nothing to do with hardware
At the minimum it's something like an Odroid N2+ but AFAIK you'll probably be switching between the emulation OS for emulation and Android for 4k. Not all N64/GC games work great.
youtube.com
Some Ryzen or not terribly old i3 with like 6GB RAM will probably do the trick if you want to be more on the safe side.x
yeah Kodi's not great but there's an add-on for it called PseudoTV Live that takes your media library and makes it into customizable channels that you can flip through like cable TV and it's great. So unfortunately I'm pretty much stuck with Kodi.
Get an android tv box for $50-$100
They have different SoCs so watch out, some of them are really slow. I bought a S905X4 which was a mistake because CoreELEC doesn't support it.
I'd just get a firestick or an android box. Most android boxes are around ~$100 and can handle most video pretty decently. But honestly the lower end firesticks work great. If you dislike amazon get a cheap android box from china. Stream the videos from your laptop with something like plex or kodi over ftp/samba/folder sharing
to stream your legally backed up or purchased and downloaded movies of course.
ASRock 4X4 w/ Ryzen 4x00U
I use mine as a 4K60 Steam Link, works like a charm.
I'd like it to run windows
This seems like it could be a good option although I wonder if 64gb RAM is overkill for what I need
It is a dealbreaker if you want to watch movies. 4K and HDR make them more aesthetically pleasing. Most cinematic experience possible.
Look at used mini pcs on ebay
Am I becoming an ignorant boomer if I seriously think that using 4k is a complete waste of bandwith? At least for the current state of technology I mean.
Huh? Intel's integrated graphics can decode 8K60 AV1 in realtime, since they have hardware support for it now. Just make sure you're getting an Iris Xe and it'll probably be fine.
I don't know why you'd be watching 120Hz videos anyway. Do they even exist?
Yes. 4K is much more aesthetically pleasing and captures all the details of a film. It is wonderful and artistic.
4K is a meme, but the HDR and increased color gamut isn't (you have to have a good display to take advantage tho)
Unironically Mac mini with student discount.
I want the signal coming from HDMI 2.1 OUT to be 120HZ so the display will be constant. Movies are 24fps but the display will still be refreshing at the output signal no matter what. Prolonged 60 FPS isn't pleasant, especially on an OLED.
Shitty HDR, limited to 60HZ, and color depth is limited. You need the M1 Studio for 120HZ out and it isn't worth it for $2000.
>Intel's integrated graphics can decode 8K60 AV1
Misread that, thought you said 4K60. Didn't know that. Interesting.
Anybody have any experience with Beelink PCs? Reviews seem mixed but think they are ok if you get one with decent hardware?