Looking for low power, 4k video capable, ubuntu pc

hwfkwr

hwfkwr

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
120
Hi, I am looking for a solution that is low power (sort of like raspberry pi 4), can run Ubuntu, and can play 4k videos using mplayer or such. Here's what I have ruled out:
  1. nVidia Jetson Nano: This is what I currently have. It meets all the specs on paper, but support is extremely poor and there is no GUI video player that can play 4k videos (you can use gstreamer for command-line, but leaves much to be desired)
  2. Raspberry Pi 4: Also ruled this out since it isn't capable of decoding 4k videos using H.264. It can do some 4k videos as far as I can tell, but that's not really a good solution
  3. An old laptop: Does everything I need, but consumes a lot of power and I need this thing to be on 24/7
I am out of ideas, any suggestions are welcome. Again, the key requirements are:
  • Can run Ubuntu
  • Can play most 4k videos using a GUI video player in Ubuntu
  • Low power consumption
  • Low Price
Please correct me as well if I'm wrong about the Pi 4. My conclusion is based on reading around.
Thanks in advance.
 
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Pi 4 is correct, everything I saw about it stated it can not actually play 4k content properly, even YouTube 4k videos stuttered. Sad, as they claim it as a 4k device..You may need to build a Pentium or low end AMD system.
 
kniwor said:
  1. An old laptop: Does everything I need, but consumes a lot of power and I need this thing to be on 24/7
Click to expand...
I imagine there is and low power consumption (are we talking a solar panel type of scenario ?).

Laptop seem to use around 20-50 watt depending of the workload, I imagine minus 5-8 with the screen off.

If we say 30 watt in average 365 days 24/24, 7/7 that 262 kwh a year, that $30 at 12 cent the kilowatt hours, not really cheap but if you buy something and if the old laptop would be wasted otherwise, it could take a long time to reimburse a $80 raspberry pi device, even if it is one running under 7.5 watt during 4K playback, at least I would try to do the math, if the Laptop is a 60 watt type and it is a many years display than yes it could be worth it to buy a low watt affair.
 
10 watt intel was something I had in mind (elegant and powerful solution), but that good example that it take a lot of watt to pay it back at $200 + tax, if you have around 12 cent a kw you need to save quite over 2000 kwh to make it worth it, if you are getting a very nice 50 watt less than your old laptop with it that will take nearly 5 years, if it is just 20 watt less that get to 12 year's.

It is not like a conversation about buying a new wattage desktop i3 or using a laptop to replace your old always on old Xeon system that do consume a lot, the comparison point being a Laptop you are already on the quite power efficient side of hardware usually.
 
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Thanks, yeah I guess I should have mentioned that I was looking for something under $100. Otherwise it just feels like a bit of an overkill rather than just using an old laptop with screen off (i.e. headless) like LukeTbk suggested.
 
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