[mythtv-users] Thoughts on this pico pc?

[Mark Perkins]

> On 5 Feb 2015, at 8:09 am, "Nick Rout" <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> 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
> _______________________________________________

In theory that can be worked around. Precisely how varies a bit from device to device. It is one of the issues I am working through on a Teclast x98 Air 3G (Bay Trail) tablet at the moment.