[mythtv-users] Thoughts on this pico pc?

[Nick Rout]

On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 10:15 AM, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 9:45 AM, Dave MythTV <dave.mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 12:10 PM, Karl Newman <newmank1 at asme.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 1:11 AM, Joseph Fry <joe at thefrys.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 3:57 AM, Joseph Fry <joe at thefrys.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box/pp_134110.html?currency=USD&gclid=CjwKEAiA5qOlBRDAn8K5qen65joSJADRvlbqblHfMdGK5RZZOy1bOh6wGTsO04j-6sa044K4ZvviBxoCpgLw_wcB
>>>>>
>>>>> Apparently there is an 8% off + free shipping code on RetailMeNot... but
>>>>> since this only charges at ship, I'm not sure if it will actually work and I
>>>>> read that they have a $5 "local return" option so you don't need to ship
>>>>> overseas in the event of a dud... didn't see how to request it though.
>>>>>
>>>>> So overall, for $93, it may be a great frontend?
>>>>>
>>>>> Before I pull the trigger, I wanted folks who have tried mythtv on a Bay
>>>>> Trail SOC to chime in... I like the idea of the stick in another thread, but
>>>>> without LAN adapter, I think I would rather just tape this on the back of
>>>>> the TV and have reliable bandwidth for any media I want to play.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Found another site that gave me coupon code "PipoX7LM" that brings the
>>>> price down to $89.98.
>>>>
>>>> Geek Buying has it at $97, and they don't say its a preorder... might be
>>>> a safer bet?  They have local return option for $2.99 during checkout, and
>>>> 3-5 day shipping via DHL is only $10.
>>>> http://www.geekbuying.com/item/PIPO-X7-Windows-8-1-Smart-Mini-PC-TV-Box-Media-Player-2G-RAM-32G-ROM-Intel-3736F-1-8GHz-Quad-Core---Silver-339668.html
>>>>
>>>> I really want to order a couple... but would love to hear your thoughts!
>>>
>>>
>>> The ECS Liva that has been discussed actively on this list in the last few
>>> weeks is also a Bay Trail based system. It's very similar to this one,
>>> except this one appears to be a quad core 3736F which is a step up from the
>>> dual core N2807 in the Liva. It also has 2 more USB ports which is important
>>> to some people, but they look like they are all USB 2.0. It appears to have
>>> 32 GB flash in addition to the MicroSD slot. The power appears to be
>>> somewhat higher, though (12V 2A compared to 5V 3A) but that could be
>>> primarily to support the additional USB ports. It's missing a VGA output if
>>> that's important to you.
>>>
>>> In short, it should work. You might have to do some research & work to get
>>> the WiFi operational (assuming there's a linux driver). Be aware that you
>>> may not have luck with the Bluetooth, though.
>>>
>>> Karl
>>>
>>
>> I'm not sure I would say the quad-core Z3736F is a step up from the
>> N2807....  The PassMark CPU benchmark averages for the N2807 are 925
>> multi-threaded and 444 single-threaded, and for the Z3736F are 982
>> multi-threaded but only 368 single-threaded.   The Z3736F also has a lower
>> maximum graphics frequency (646 vs 750 MHz).   TDP is within 0.1W (higher
>> for the Z3736F), so no gains there.   So which processor is better may
>> depend entirely on the task...
>>
>> One thing is for sure - these low power x86 mini PCs are popping up
>> everywhere!    These next few years should be interesting!
>
> Isn't the problem the lack of audio drivers for linux? That is
> certainly the case for other Z3736 SOC based machines like the
> Meegopad Stick computer.


You guys might also be interested in this

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Petition-Started-for-Intel-Atom-Bay-Trail-Tablets-64-bit-and-Linux-Support-458872.shtml