4k non-gaming htpc*

[joeterp]

I find myself in a unique situation. First I'll describe what I have, then what I am looking for.

Right now, I live with 3 other roommates, I have a 1080p projector in the basement connected to an xbox one(another roommate has his bedroom also in the basement), in the living room, I have a 65" 1080p tv with cable box and mac mini and next to it I have a 46" 1080p tv hooked up to a PS4 and cable box. In my room, I use an 11" HP Chromebook, but its a piece of shit, and I am looking to improve that situation. Right now, I just use it for browsing and occasional youtube clip, but it doesn't get the job done. The display flickers and it doesn't have the RAM that I would prefer since I like to have 75+ tabs open at any given time.

What I am thinking about doing is going with a 32-42" monitor connected to a 4K display (Philips BDM4065UC (unless I get a better recommendation)) with an arm mount coming off of my bedpost, and wireless keyboard/trackpad, so that I could add 4k netflix and other media to my life.

I don't play any computer games, but would like at least 4GB of RAM, and I would like to be able to bluetooth the audio to my wireless headphones so I can watch/listen without waking other people.

So I am hear looking for opinions on what kind of PC to go with. Chomebox? Windows? Android TV? I am not bothered too much about OS, although I am not a bid fan of Windows, so if I could avoid it, that would be great, but I don't hate it so much that I would sacrifice hardware quality or pay a premium to avoid it.

Do I need 60fps for what I want? I think yes, but I'm not 100% sure, and that means hdmi 2.0 or displayport 1.2. I do not see this as my "investment" 4K tv, those are too expensive right now, and there is still some standards to be settled, and there isn't a ton of content. But I also don't feel like investing any more money in 1080p. I would love to be able to get away with only spending $800-900, but suspect I'll end up having to shell out $1400-$1500. But then, I would have to consider a different play: going with a 1080p Chromebook with 4GB of RAM and then a 4K tv and just use the built in apps for netflix, and I could do that for $1100.

 

[kierwest]

I have seen tests done with integrated graphics computers. They ran horribly with stutters and low FPS. I highly suggest that you build an SFF computer over an HTPC and use a graphics card that is compatible. Nvidia has a 4k list and you can check that out.

 

[joeterp]

I have seen tests done with integrated graphics computers. They ran horribly with stutters and low FPS. I highly suggest that you build an SFF computer over an HTPC and use a graphics card that is compatible. Nvidia has a 4k list and you can check that out.

thanks for the reply. Can you give me a ballpark budget of what that build would cost considering what I am going to use it for?

 

[rhansen5_99]

Based off this http://www.trustedreviews.com/philips-brilliance-bdm4065uc-review
"The final setup option concerned DisplayPort. By default the Philips uses DisplayPort 1.1, which only supports 4K at 30Hz. To get 60Hz at 4K working properly, we delved into the OSD and changed the relevant option in the setup menu."

So I would look at the monitor carefully if you want 4k60, otherwise it looks pretty sweet.

As far as a decent setup I
if you are looking to go super small and pc:
maybe go with the Intel G3258 $50-$60, 4-8gb ddr3 (here if its still good)$50, itx mobo like this biostar(actually dtx not matx) $40

Then you would need an itx case and a gpu
there are some low profile Geforce 750's like this
That can do hdmi 2.0 but look out for the color scaling so you would get 4:2:2 color versus 4:4:4 (not sure if any tvs actually do 4:4:4 yet
But if you went this route you might be able to drop the cost on your monitor to a 4ktv

then a case
You could prob stuff that into an antec isk300 or 310

But you would need to get a lower profile gpu (1 slot and a different mobo)

just stuff to get you started, but you would be looking at $300 range assuming you have a hdd lying around

 

[rhansen5_99]

On second though you might lookout at the upcoming broadwell chip chrome boxes apparently they have x265 decoding enhancements and might help out your 4k netflix desires on the low cost front.

 

[joeterp]

On second though you might lookout at the upcoming broadwell chip chrome boxes apparently they have x265 decoding enhancements and might help out your 4k netflix desires on the low cost front.

any idea when these are expected to be available?

 

[defaultluser]

any idea when these are expected to be available?

Today, if you don't mind a NUC. Otherwise, it's going to be a couple months.

http://anandtech.com/show/8986/intel-nuc5i5ryk-review-a-broadwellu-ucffpc-for-enthusiasts

Only problem Broadwell has is, no support for HDMI 2.0. Not sure how they are supposed to support h.265 4k streaming without the new HDCP version. The h.265 decoder is also "hybrid," instead of a full hardware implementation, so this is really just a tweaked version of Haswell. If you don't mind being limited to DisplayPort for your high refresh 4k, or you don't mind being limited to 24fps, sure you can do this with Broadwell.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8355/intel-broadwell-architecture-preview/3

Skylake should support more of the essentials for 4k playback, if you wait a year

Also, 4k Netflix streaming is only supported on TELEVISIONS with the built-in app. Don't expect to see it on external boxes until HDMI 2.0 becomes more common, and I doubt we'll see it on PCs anytime soon (remember how long it took for PCs to get 1080p support - had to wait for the Windows 8 native app). JUST THIS YEAR they started supporting 1080p in their new HTML5 player - on select browsers and platforms.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742

Basically, if you're not using it for getting work done or gaming, a 4k monitor is a waste of money right now. You'd be better-served with a 4k TV that has Netflix support. You're not going to be able to get any legal 4k content anytime soon.

 

[joeterp]

I am so tired of waiting, but it seems like that may be the way to go for me.

I guess I'll just buy a 1080p chromebook to fix my current problem, and then wait a year or two and save up for my 70" 4k living room replacement tv. The amount of compatible stuff by then will be a lot more than now.