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namtih · 29th Sep, 2013, 05:31 PM

I want to talk a little bit about alternative XBMC hardware. The Rpi was a nice start, but I think we all agree that it's quite limited.
So do you see other alternative XBMC hardware?

There are many powerful Android sticks like the MK908 (http://blog.geekbuying.com/index.php/2013/04/19/tronsmart-mk908-another-rk3188-quad-core-mini-pc-tv-box-release-review/). But the XBMC video hardware acceleration is still in development and I couldn't find a MKxxx device with full Linux support.

At the moment this device looks most promising for me:
http://cubox-i.com/
Not as powerful as the MKxxx devices, but full XBMC and Linux support out of the box. Lot's it written here:
http://imx.solid-run.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34

As they are looking for active support, I already wrote a short email some days ago and suggested Xbian as an available option. The XBMC team and RASPBMC (Sam) will already get an development kit.
But I would recommend that someone of the Xbian team will also write a short email to them, if you guys are interested to work with this device.

Do you see other hardware alternatives for the future?

**IriDium** · 4th Oct, 2013, 06:41 PM

I was watching with interest Cubieboard2 - it has the connectivity, output and generally everything the RPi has but with a lot more power. Cubieboard2 However, it does fail on the H/W video decode so it's not a contender just yet.

brantje · 4th Oct, 2013, 07:57 PM

I want to see XBian for cubox, that device is really awsome.

**IriDium** · 6th Oct, 2013, 02:06 AM

I like the cubox-i, not too sure I like the price in the UK $119 in USA £119 in UK Angry

Looking at the different websites, seems to suggest that the UK site is a bit confused as it say it's running Arm6 whereas the US site says Arm7.

Considering it's running Ubuntu seems to suggest it's arm7 as Ubuntu doesn't run on Arm6 otherwise it would have been the default choice for the RPi.

As Xbian is for Arm6 I don't see a version of Xbian for Arm7, although once Beta 1.2 is finished, I'm sure @mk01 will have loads of time on his hands Tongue

and could rustle up an Arm7 version in an afternoon!!!!

Although if I was getting one, I'd just run Ubuntu with xbmc, the cubox has the power to do that - especially the quad core version.

brantje · 6th Oct, 2013, 10:54 PM

(6th Oct, 2013 02:06 AM)IriDium Wrote: I like the cubox-i, not too sure I like the price in the UK $119 in USA £119 in UK

Looking at the different websites, seems to suggest that the UK site is a bit confused as it say it's running Arm6 whereas the US site says Arm7.

Considering it's running Ubuntu seems to suggest it's arm7 as Ubuntu doesn't run on Arm6 otherwise it would have been the default choice for the RPi.

As Xbian is for Arm6 I don't see a version of Xbian for Arm7, although once Beta 1.2 is finished, I'm sure @mk01 will have loads of time on his hands and could rustle up an Arm7 version in an afternoon!!!!

Although if I was getting one, I'd just run Ubuntu with xbmc, the cubox has the power to do that - especially the quad core version.

The quadcore version is the one which i want.
If we find some XBian developers, maybe we can arrange something (see thread in crew section).

namtih · 7th Oct, 2013, 12:16 AM

(6th Oct, 2013 10:54 PM)brantje Wrote: If we find some XBian developers, maybe we can arrange something (see thread in crew section).

I don't understand it. Which thread?

**rikardo1979** · 7th Oct, 2013, 12:22 AM

(7th Oct, 2013 12:16 AM)namtih Wrote:
(6th Oct, 2013 10:54 PM)brantje Wrote: If we find some XBian developers, maybe we can arrange something (see thread in crew section).

I don't understand it. Which thread?

not sure what thread @brantje meant but Core section is not public and is available only to Core Crew so Im sorry but you would not be able to access this part.

namtih · 7th Oct, 2013, 02:42 AM

Ok, thanks for the explanation.
As I said before, the guys are looking for active support for their new device. Sam already got a developer kit. Decide as the XBian crew if you want to build an release for it in the future and write SolidRun a short email or write in their forum.
If CurlyMo will not return in the near future, I think it's mostly an decision of mk01 if he has time and the motivation to maintain a second device. And you must decide who should receive the development kit.

**IriDium** · 7th Oct, 2013, 05:25 AM

@namtih Not too sure why it would be necessary to develop Xbian on another device - especially as you could just install XBMC with the supplied Ubuntu. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Xbian was developed to fill a market that was missing on the RPi - a small light weight media player for what is just a little puppy. The quad core cubox is a rottweiler by comparison.

***f1vefour*** · 10th Oct, 2013, 01:38 PM

The cubox isn't actually as powerful as you think, the GPU is quite limited by todays standard. It shines in that it has hardware accelerated X windows capability.

Peter.Weyland · 30th Mar, 2016, 08:01 AM

(29th Sep, 2013 05:31 PM)namtih Wrote: I want to talk a little bit about alternative XBMC hardware. The Rpi was a nice start, but I think we all agree that it's quite limited.
So do you see other alternative XBMC hardware?

There are many powerful Android sticks like the MK908 (http://blog.geekbuying.com/index.php/2013/04/19/tronsmart-mk908-another-rk3188-quad-core-mini-pc-tv-box-release-review/). But the XBMC video hardware acceleration is still in development and I couldn't find a MKxxx device with full Linux support.

At the moment this device looks most promising for me:
http://cubox-i.com/
Not as powerful as the MKxxx devices, but full XBMC and Linux support out of the box. Lot's it written here:
http://imx.solid-run.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34

As they are looking for active support, I already wrote a short email some days ago and suggested Xbian as an available option. The XBMC team and RASPBMC (Sam) will already get an development kit.
But I would recommend that someone of the Xbian team will also write a short email to them, if you guys are interested to work with this device.

Do you see other hardware alternatives for the future?

Fast forward to March 2016 & latest XBian works quite nicely on Cubox. A grateful Cubox owner says much appreciated!

**atahualp4** · 25th Mar, 2017, 06:26 AM

I was wondering if I can send content from Xbian to a Chromecast dongle

***Nachteule*** · 25th Mar, 2017, 07:24 AM

(25th Mar, 2017 06:26 AM)atahualp4 Wrote: I was wondering if I can send content from Xbian to a Chromecast dongle

Enable UPnP server in Kodi

Skywatch · 10th Jun, 2017, 04:43 PM

This has me wondering if there is any point to update a pi2 to pi3 for xbian? Would there be any noticable improvements?

Only reason I am considering it because BD media seems to have very choppy sound now (played fine with K16.x). I have overclocked the pi2 to 1GHz, but still the problem is there (same files play OK on laptop so it is not the network that is the problem).

***Nachteule*** · 10th Jun, 2017, 09:12 PM

(10th Jun, 2017 04:43 PM)Skywatch Wrote: This has me wondering if there is any point to update a pi2 to pi3 for xbian? Would there be any noticable improvements?

IMO does not make sense. Pi3 has more power to decode HEVC vids, but when decoding 1080p HEVC (for some self transcoded videos RPI3 has enough power to play 1080p flawlessly), CPU becomes overheating very fast and video is stuttering.

Quote:Only reason I am considering it because BD media seems to have very choppy sound now (played fine with K16.x). I have overclocked the pi2 to 1GHz, but still the problem is there (same files play OK on laptop so it is not the network that is the problem).

RPi should not have any issue playing such media. Maybe your I2S sound card is culprit