HP Microserver +XBMC advice

[w1z4rd]

So I purchased a HP Microserver.

Specifically the HP Microserver G7 N40l

I had also purchased a LP graphics card to go into it, however I see that is a waste as there is a graphics cards with HDMI already on the device :/

Some questions I have. Which is the best version of XBMC to install on this Microserver?:

xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-AMD.iso 03-May-2013 14:51 677M Details
[ ] xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-NVIDIA.iso 03-May-2013 14:50 669M Details

I assume its the top one I bolded? (As it has an AMD cpu... not sure what GPU it has though).

Has anyone installed XBMC on one of these devices. What was your experience like?

Will the default card be able to play HD media?

 

[eboo]

So I purchased a HP Microserver.

Specifically the HP Microserver G7 N40l

I had also purchased a LP graphics card to go into it, however I see that is a waste as there is a graphics cards with HDMI already on the device :/

Some questions I have. Which is the best version of XBMC to install on this Microserver?:

xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-AMD.iso 03-May-2013 14:51 677M Details
[ ] xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-NVIDIA.iso 03-May-2013 14:50 669M Details

I assume its the top one I bolded? (As it has an AMD cpu... not sure what GPU it has though).

Has anyone installed XBMC on one of these devices. What was your experience like?

Will the default card be able to play HD media?

Hi

If you using the microserver purely as a media center my advice would be to install openlec. Its a stripped down version of linux that boots straight into xbmc. highly recommended!

 

[stevovo]

Hi

If you using the microserver purely as a media center my advice would be to install openlec. Its a stripped down version of linux that boots straight into xbmc. highly recommended!

+ 100

With openelec my little media pc boots up in roughly 3 - 5 seconds from a cold boot

 

[SauRoNZA]

They now have HDMI built-in? Awesome.

You sure you didn't maybe get one with a pre-installed card? Because the official spec certainly doesn't show HDMI.

 

[DJ...]

My N40L certainly didn't come with a preinstalled HDMI port.

WRT operating systems - I chose Openelec for a long time, but not being all that clued up on SSH and having to access the SMB shares remotely, it became a hassle. While I could access the folders from my Windows machines, if any machine was restarted for whatever reason, they'd stop picking up the SMB shares and I'd have to restart the main HTPC to get access again. I stream my content wirelessly from that main box so this was a problem. In addition, with a few power failures, the database corrupted easily and required complete reinstallation, a few times.

I have moved over to a Windows 7 installation that boots straight to XBMC with no password and I'm far happier. Boots in under 30 seconds which is perfectly acceptable for me. In addition I need to stream sport from Supersport's site which requires a browser, so that killed off Openelec for me.

But there are people who've had no issues with Openelec and I guess if you don't have the same needs as me and have some technical experience regarding SSH and the like then you'll be fine with it. Openelec is great - in the long run it just wasn't the right system for me...

 

[stevovo]

Strange... I had most of those issues as well but when I used win7 on the same machine with xbmc.

Oh well. At least we both happy now with our respective OS

 

[Soul Assassin]

It's not a HDMI port, it's eSATA.

 

[w1z4rd]

My machine came with a GF119 [GeForce GT 610].

I know when I bought it, it had been setup for someone else who had not collected it since august. Ill better let them know I might have scored a gfx card for free. It fits nicely so I dont mind paying for it.

I have also since learnt that the Intel-AMD is about GPU not CPU.. and downloading the intel-amd.iso didnt work. So I am busy downloading the Nvidia version.

xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-AMD.iso 03-May-2013 14:51 677M Details
[ ] xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-NVIDIA.iso 03-May-2013 14:50 669M Details

Im going to be install xbmcbuntu. I want something I can install all the bells and whistles on.

 

[Tinuva]

I used to run xbmcbuntu, and then one day a ubuntu update broke it, so much so that X didn't start up. Was too lazy to figure it out, so instead installed debian and the normal xbmc, had to figure out how to make it auto start into xbmc but that wasnt too hard. Very happy with it now.

 

[BeatBot]

I use ubuntu server on mine, got the no-recommends desktop, then xmbc on mine. Use the server version because i wanted to learn. Everything is sweet as a lemon. Using xbmc 11, ubuntu server 12LTS.