Well, Hell just froze over... ;)

[heatlesssun]

Not from a purely hometheater perspective and not where a wife is concerned. I've tried BT keyboards/trackpads, all were a complete fail.

There are a number of these mini-BT keyboards on the market for use with a lot of different devices, I have one of these and works well: https://www.amazon.com/Rii-Wireless...ds=mini+bt+keyboard&psc=1&smid=A3QWGSX6ZYJIEF

A well set up HTPC integrates perfectly into the rest of the hometheater as a perfectly reliable HT device and from that perspective Windows was always a compromise in my experience.

Windows 10 works well for anything media I use with the exception of DVRing which is no longer in the box. If that's something one does there are options but that's more and more becoming irrelevant in the online would.

 

[BulletDust]

There are a number of these mini-BT keyboards on the market for use with a lot of different devices, I have one of these and works well: https://www.amazon.com/Rii-Wireless...ds=mini+bt+keyboard&psc=1&smid=A3QWGSX6ZYJIEF

I'm sure it's a capable keyboard/mouse substitute, but as a hometheater controller it doesn't hold a candle to a proper programmable IR remote that's capable of unifying the system and integrating all devices including TV's, projectors and receivers perfectly with correctly configured macro's and the like. If I was watching movies at my desk on my PC I may use that, but in the hometheater it would annoy the hell out of me. There is a difference between watching movies at a desk and relaxing in a correctly implemented hometheater.

Windows 10 works well for anything media I use with the exception of DVRing which is no longer in the box. If that's something one does there are options but that's more and more becoming irrelevant in the online would.

The built DVR functionality of W7MC was awesome, by far the best part of the software application. But sadly MS didn't see a future for their hometheater solution and I've since discovered vastly better alternatives that all run under Linux with little to no cost involved if you can dig up an old PC as a server for nothing. Windows 10 is great if you want to sit at your desk to watch movies, but I don't find it reliable as the basis for a hometheater appliance.

I'm also not interested in Netflix, I went off the solution when they were forced to implement region blocking.

 

[heatlesssun]

I'm sure it's a capable keyboard/mouse substitute, but as a hometheater controller it doesn't hold a candle to a proper programmable IR remote that's capable of unifying the system and integrating all devices including TV's, projectors and receivers perfectly with correctly configured macro's and the like. If I was watching movies at my desk on my PC I may use that, but in the hometheater it would annoy the hell out of me. There is a difference between watching movies at a desk and relaxing in a correctly implemented hometheater.

What it you wanted to use YouTube or Netflix or Amazon Prime Video? How does all of that work with a single IR remote under Linux?

The built DVR functionality of W7MC was awesome, by far the best part of the software application. But sadly MS didn't see a future for their hometheater solution and I've since discovered vastly better alternatives that all run under Linux with little to no cost involved if you can dig up an old PC as a server for nothing.
Windows 10 is great if you want to sit at your desk to watch movies, but I don't find it reliable as the basis for a hometheater appliance.

I'm also not interested in Netflix, I went off the solution when they were forced to implement region blocking.

With a smart TV and an optical player, who really wants or needs an HTPC these days? WMC was great before the explosion of steaming but it's time has passed. Something I used to be into just really worth it to me anymore and a lot of other folks that don't even have cable TV these days. So if Linux works for you in that situation great, I think the situation is much different than a decade ago.

And you may not care for Netflix but I imagine a lot of folks would be concerned about that these days that an HTPC.

 

[BulletDust]

What it you wanted to use YouTube or Netflix or Amazon Prime Video? How does all of that work with a single IR remote under Linux?

As stated, I have no desire at all to watch YouTube, Amazon Prime or Netflix in my hometheater and as far as I'm aware there's no hometheater derived front end that supports such applications under Windows either; If I want to watch Netflix I have to use the Netflix application which only works on limited hardware or in a browser and doesn't play well with an IR remote - I have a Nexus 9 that handles those duties just fine sitting up in bed. Most of my HT duties involve a projector and I've yet to find a projector that's a Smart Projector.

Even if I could find a projector that would support smart functionality, there's no way it would support TVheadend so it's effectively worthless to me as my hometheater/network isn't configured for it.

With a smart TV and an optical player, who really wants or needs an HTPC these days? WMC was great before the explosion of steaming but it's time has passed. Something I used to be into just really worth it to me anymore and a lot of other folks that don't even have cable TV these days. So if Linux works for you in that situation great, I think the situation is much different than a decade ago.

I prefer a dedicated machine and as stated a projector doesn't support what you find desirable in the dinky interface of a smartTV. Furthermore, when that smartTV becomes outdated, who supports it then? Once again I see smart solutions as a compromise as I don't have complete control over them as a proprietary product. I was using Windows 7 up until 12 months ago as the basis for my HTPC due to Microsoft's inability to support any form of media center under Windows 10, so I'm not too sure where the 'decade ago' comment came from?

Anyway, judging by the context of your posting it's obvious you're looking for a fight and I'm not interested in arguing with you. If Windows and smartTV's work for you, great! However, just like gaming, they're not the ideal solution for everyone and in my years of experience configuring HTPC's I get better results from Linux as opposed to Windows.

 

[heatlesssun]

Like I said, the easiest thing for probably for most people to use these days is a smart TV. The amount of people I know interested in HTPCs is much zero these days. What you're arguing here is an absolute that doesn't account for streaming and while that works for you, there's an awful lot of things in what you describe that would work for a lot of people. A lot of people that watch more YouTube than anything these days.

 

[BulletDust]

Like I said, the easiest thing for probably for most people to use these days is a smart TV. The amount of people I know interested in HTPCs is much zero these days. What you're arguing here is an absolute that doesn't account for streaming and while that works for you, there's an awful lot of things in what you describe that would work for a lot of people. A lot of people that watch more YouTube than anything these days.

I'm not arguing anything, not anything at all.

I made a statement that I find Linux better for HTPC solutions in comparison to Windows and I stand by that. Whether or not individuals still want to use HTPC solutions is irrelevant in relation to my original statement.

 

[bman212121]

What in the actual? You guys need to step away from the computer once in a while. I entered a thread about Ubuntu on Windows and there is a full page about HTPCs.... I think there was 4 posts in total that were actually about the topic at hand.

 

[heatlesssun]

I made a statement that I find Linux better for HTPC solutions in comparison to Windows and I stand by that.

Ok, it's just some narrow circumstances like no Netflix and other streaming and then you went on about stuff that supposedly doesn't work well like PowerDVD which has worked perfectly for me for some years now and under Windows 10.

 

[BulletDust]

What in the actual? You guys need to step away from the computer once in a while. I entered a thread about Ubuntu on Windows and there is a full page about HTPCs.... I think there was 4 posts in total that were actually about the topic at hand.

Discussion's evolve.

 

[BulletDust]

Ok, it's just some narrow circumstances like no Netflix and other streaming and then you went on about stuff that supposedly doesn't work well like PowerDVD which has worked perfectly for me for some years now and under Windows 10.

Hey,

Let it go. Discussion over.

I made a simple statement, nothing more.

 

[heatlesssun]

What in the actual? You guys need to step away from the computer once in a while. I entered a thread about Ubuntu on Windows and there is a full page about HTPCs.... I think there was 4 posts in total that were actually about the topic at hand.

On that front I've not gotten the Windows Store version to install on the latest insider builds running on my Surface Pro 3, the Store version of Ubuntu won't be officially supported until the Fall CU update I believe.

 

[heatlesssun]

Hey,

Let it go. Discussion over.

I made a simple statement, nothing more.

It's just that you're talking about things that you say don't work well that I've not had any problems with. If someone using Linux has a problem with something you don't shy away from making the point. That's all.

 

[BulletDust]

On that front I've not gotten the Windows Store version to install on the latest insider builds running on my Surface Pro 3, the Store version of Ubuntu won't be officially supported until the Fall CU update I believe.

Why anyone would want to do such a thing is completely beyond my comprehension, but whatever.

It's just that you're talking about things that you say don't work well that I've not had any problems with. If someone using Linux has a problem with something you don't shy away from making the point. That's all.

So I lie regarding Linux and I lie regarding WIndows, nice.

What part of discussion over are you struggling with here?

 

[heatlesssun]

Why anyone would want to do such a thing is completely beyond my comprehension, but whatever.

Well that is the point of this thread.

So I lie regarding Linux and I lie regarding WIndows, nice.

What part of discussion over are you struggling with here?

I just assumed that you've not used PowerDVD in a while. I can't help that it works fine for me.

 

[MrCrispy]

At the risk of reopening the topic, I'm going to agree with both heatlesssun and BulletDust I used to have a HTPC running Windows, it was just easier to get all the codecs, things like MdVr, LAV etc running on it for excellent output quality. I then switched to a cheaper, less power hungry Android box which happens to run OpenElec which IMO is by far the best HTPC front end. But I also need streaming services, Netflix, youtube etc. And when you have those, its necessary to input text (to search etc). Sometimes I can use my phone but the kind of mini-BT keyboards heatlesssun linked are perfect. You can use both those and a remote, no reason to pick one.

BD, out of the box Win 10 plays almost any media format these days (even mkv) with hw accel, its really not a bad media OS. As to why I would want the Ubuntu subsystem, why not? Its a pretty great thing that Microsoft is offering so much support and making it work well with Windows. Its pretty seamless and means I can use a lot of Linux tools on Windows without needing to bother with a vm.

 

[BulletDust]

I just assumed that you've not used PowerDVD in a while. I can't help that it works fine for me.

Interesting, so you can make such a claim regarding Windows and PowerDVD, but when it comes to Linux I can't as I'm not displaying an uncanny bias towards Windows?

Heatlesssun, at the end of the day my opinion regarding your issue still stands. For that very simple reason I do not care what you believe to be true or righteous, so believe whatever you want. If you believe I'm somehow exaggerating the truth I simply do not care as I'm well aware of the fact that I'm not exaggerating anything.

Let it go, you can't create an argument when I know only too well what you're trying to do.

 

[B00nie]

So says the guy posting in a web forum.

This is not social media, silly. Web discussion boards and social media are entirely two different things - and people post here anonymously for starters.

 

[B00nie]

I would blow chunks of bloody diarrhea if I had to use windows daily for entertainment. It would not be entertaining at all.

 

[Deleted member 245375]

Alright, enough of the circle jerking.