Raspberry Pi Media Centre

[Bings]

So, I've been wanting an excuse to get a raspberry pi for ages. I have a digital recorder that has "smart apps" including the BBC catchup app "iplayer". Annoying Samsung HQ sent a message down the internet to remove this app from my device in a digital slap in the face. So, I decided after some investigation to get a Pi because they are able to stream media good. So I ordered the following things:

Raspberry Pi 3b+
Power supply
Case
16gb Micro SD card
HDMI Cable.

Whole lot cost something between £50-60

Setting up the Micro SD was pretty easy. Just copy paste the noobs software onto an empty FAT32 partition (this case whole card). Put all the hardware together, which is clicking the board into the case and screwing the case together. Then plugging stuff in. I then powered up and it gave me a list of 2 OS to install Raspbian and Libreelec. I selected those with check boxes. I also connected the PI to WIFI and it gave a few more choices but I wasn't interested in that. Click ok, it installs it all in the world's easiest installation process and reboots with a boot menu.

Libreelec is a minimal OS for just running the KODI player on, which is what I wanted. It works really well, is very customisable and I now have iplayer running well on it. It can connect to everything with SSH and FTP and everything can connect back. There is a "web interface" so if you type the local IP:8080 you can control from it a web browser. Thing works pretty damn well on a 24" tv.

If you want a simple, quick and easy media centre, I'd say it's the way forward.

[GreyGeek]

Sweet!
Thanks for the report!
And Samsung thinks that slapping their customers in the face is a good business model? They just lost one savvy customer.

[woodsmoke]

GREAT write up!!

woodlikesitsmok

[Bings]

I don't know whether it was purely Samsung, it may have been by the command of the BBC to them because they now require a login to use their site. I did get a Samsung TV after but it's not a SMART, sorry, STUPID one so they lost money that way because it's cheaper not to have that crap on it. Either way, certainly not up for manufacturers remotely deleting stuff remotely. One of the reasons not to get a Kindle as Amazon have been known to delete books from people's libraries remotely.

[GreyGeek]

I....One of the reasons not to get a Kindle as Amazon have been known to delete books from people's libraries remotely.

Indeed!
I was one such abused customer. It taught me that I didn’t actually buy the digital book, I merely rented it.

Needless to say, the first time Amazon pulled a purchased sale from my Kindle was the last time. I haven’t used it since and restrict my literary purchases to books and paperbacks. I turned off its WiFi, let the battery drain dry and put it away. That was about 3 or 4 years ago.

[woodsmoke]

the only digitial books that I do are Project Gutenberg, or a school textbook. ( which BTW are NOT..."smart"... they are just pdfs in digital form, no crosslinks etc. nothing that we ALL THOUGHT that we should have now because of various Presidents from Clinton to Obama caving to the book companies who have to keep everyone on THEIR farm.

hey this has been a GREAT thread about the Pi, maybe make it a sticky ?

woodjustathoughtsmoke