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What would it take, if possible, to turn a Raspberry 3 into a HTPC to stream content, such as Net...


G+_Charles Griffin
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An HDMI cable, power supply, and SD card.

 

KODI is pretty cool and might be the way to go for your project. I'm not sure if it will handle Netflix though.

 

Unless you just really want to go the DIY route, the FireTV Stick might be a better option. The FireTV runs Android so has apps for Netflix, Hulu, Plex, etc.

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Microsoft released an IOT version of Windows 10 for the Raspberry Pi 2, but I've heard that it's very limited and command line only. I haven't heard anything about it yet, but suspect they'll do the same for the Pi 3.

 

Because the Pi is an ARM based processor and PCs are x86, the Pi wouldn't be able to run normal desktop applications.

 

There is a Chromium browser for Raspbian and it might play Netflix... I haven't tried.

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I stand corrected. The IoT version of Windows 10 does include a light Windows UI. It is available for the Pi 3 as well and can be installed from Noobs. I've seen some benchmarks in the past showing Win 10 IoT performing better than Raspbian, but I wouldn't expect there to be quite as much support. I'd be interested in trying it out just because I'm more familiar with Windows.

 

https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2016/02/29/windows-10-iot-core-support-for-raspberry-pi-3/

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I have no idea why one would need Kodi on a Fire Stick as FireTV includes a Netflix app natively.

 

The instructions posted at mymediaexperience.com relies on having a full sized Windows PC to stream the video to a Kodi Linux system. The transcoding will mean quality is not as good, which he admits. Seems a waste to use a Windows PC to do the actual work and send it in poor quality to a RasPi just to watch it.

 

I think a dedicated device like the Fire Stick or a Roku would probably be better options and cost you less in the long run.

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I'm pretty happy with Plex. I just got an OpenVPN server setup on my Pi so I can stream to tablets on my next family road trip. I wouldn't mind paying the $150 for the lifetime Plex Pass eventually, but this should work fine for now.

 

I've got 2 TVs at home: one with a Fire TV and one with the Stick. Both stream from Netflix and Plex very well.

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