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Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

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Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#181

Post by pickettd »

sfjailbird wrote: post #120
pickettd wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I picked up a $50 Nexus Player (Android TV OS) last month for this purpose. It replaced a first generation Raspberry Pi B that was actually pretty decent as a Kodi box (I used the Xbian distro). So far I'm really happy with the Nexus Player. I like that it gets Android TV apps (like Kodi and Moonlight for game streaming from my desktop) and also supports Google Cast. It also has a usb port that supports things like k…

Why did you leave the Raspberry? Also, I have similar requirements as you (mostly want to play media off my NAS through XBMC or any other player with sufficient format support), but I want to use a remote rather than mouse and keyboard - is this possible with the Nexus Player or is there another good solution for this?

My first generation Pi was significantly slower at Kodi (things like menu traversal, library updates, API consumption, etc) than a second generation Pi (I tried a friend's). So I was already considering $35-40 for a new Pi when I saw the sale price on the Nexus Player. But the bigger deal for me was Google Cast support. I wanted a single device that could run Kodi and also that the family could cast Youtube, Soundcloud, etc using phones.

Regarding remote - the Nexus Player comes with a simple, bluetooth remote (as does the Shield TV now apparently). It works great for simple Kodi interactions but doesn't work for everything (the biggest one that I've noticed so far is the lack of a context button). But as thoughtpalette mentions - I use Android and iOS remote apps when I need more control over Kodi (Yatse is what I use on Android). Also there is an Android TV control app for Android phones that has the same buttons as the simple Nexus Player bluetooth remote.

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#182

Post by yefim »

scott_karana wrote: post #177
hyperpallium wrote: post #68

More specs at anandtech http://www.anandtech.com/show/9797/asus-launches-the-chromeb... Its Mali T764 GPU seems more powerful than an xbox360: the T760 has 326 GFLOPS; xbox360 xenos GPU has about 240 GFLOPS. Not sure what difference the 4 in 764 makes. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_(GPU) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenos_(graphics_chip) These PC sticks have been around for years... I wonder if the killer a…

> downloading 40GB takes too long; whereas streaming is popular Um, what? If you can stream 4K media in real time, by definition you are able to download the file in at least the media's run time. That is: you're only spending ≤30 minutes to download a 4K TV show episode if you can also stream it.

Pretty sure that's what he or she meant by "too long." Not many people want to wait 30 minutes to watch something for 30 minutes.

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#184

Post by aagha »

trarman wrote: post #143
make3 wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's x86/x86_64, it has a major advantage imho

It is, but it's also only got intel graphics. You won't be doing any 4k work on it. I have one and it's great for office work, but good luck getting a game to run even 1080p.

How do you use it? What's the advantage of having it?

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#185

Post by Jedd »

xigency wrote: post #163
Jedd wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To answer your EDIT2 - I suspect it's because your main / original post was somewhere between not-funny, and not-useful. That is, you described a device that already exists (a mobile phone) in a roundabout way, and seem to be demanding that this device should be yet another mobile phone -- rather than considering the features of this particular device as delivered. It's possible that neither ASUS or Google considered…

This isn't slashdot. Why should posts be funny or useful to receive karma? This is a discussion forum. Furthermore, Google is in the phone business so why shouldn't they provide this when it is essentially the same cost on the market.

  > Google is in the phone business so why shouldn't they
  > provide this when it is essentially the same cost on
  > the market.
I shall politely observe that I believe you have managed to squeeze two false premises into one sentence.

I own a 'google phone', and it has 'LG' carved into the back. Yes, a couple of years old now, but wikipedia[1] will advise that: "In 2011, 96% of Google's revenue was derived from its advertising programs." Maybe the 'phone business' has improved markedly for them in recent times, but I suspect not.

The other is 'same cost' -- it most certainly is not.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google#Advertising

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#186

Post by bduerst »

ant6n wrote: post #168
bduerst wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has Netflix/Chromium worked out a way to play on linux-based ARM devices yet?

Netflix works on the ARM Samsung Chromebook

That's with the chrome (not chromium) DRM, right?

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#187

Post by xigency »

Jedd wrote: post #185
xigency wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't slashdot. Why should posts be funny or useful to receive karma? This is a discussion forum. Furthermore, Google is in the phone business so why shouldn't they provide this when it is essentially the same cost on the market.

> Google is in the phone business so why shouldn't they > provide this when it is essentially the same cost on > the market. I shall politely observe that I believe you have managed to squeeze two false premises into one sentence. I own a 'google phone', and it has 'LG' carved into the back. Yes, a couple of years old now, but wikipedia[1] will advise that: "In 2011, 96% of Google's revenue was derived from its adver…

Given that ASUS manufactures this device, what Google has provided here is the software. The main thing they've contributed here is the name of the piece, being 'Chromebit' for 'Chrome OS.' Perhaps the original commenter was stating that he would rather see an 'Android bit'.

As for the cost, it's possible to get Android phones in the $20 range from a cellphone boutique store without a contract.

More to my point, I would never buy one of these.

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#188

Post by scott_karana »

yefim wrote: post #182
scott_karana wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> downloading 40GB takes too long; whereas streaming is popular Um, what? If you can stream 4K media in real time, by definition you are able to download the file in at least the media's run time. That is: you're only spending ≤30 minutes to download a 4K TV show episode if you can also stream it.

Pretty sure that's what he or she meant by "too long." Not many people want to wait 30 minutes to watch something for 30 minutes.

For anyone currently downloading non-4K media, with pipes fast enough to stream live 4K, it's likely a non-issue.

For people not currently downloading media, the discussion is irrelevant:

> downloading 40GB takes too long; whereas streaming is popular.

Streaming the media would take (at best) just as long as downloading it.

Re: Google and ASUS Launch the $85 Chromebit, a Chrome OS Desktop on an HDMI Stick

#189

Post by anonbanker »

jsmeaton wrote: post #22

What I'm after is something that can run Kodi (xbmc) which links to a NAS for its media. Running Netflix is a nice to have. What devices are out there that I can use for this purpose? At the moment I have a fairly heavy htpc running Windows, but I have more tvs that I would like to use for similar purposes. Edit: Bonus if it can do 4k video, but 1080p minimum is a must.

if you're looking for ARM/Android, look for a unit with a Rockchip RK3288 processor, and 2GB Ram. that'll be plenty to run Kodi without problems.

if you want Intel, go for one of those Intel NUC boxes, they're small, cheap, and can boot OpenELEC (Kodi distro) if you modify the bios.

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