Free OS for HTPC

[Leros]

Seems like most people use Windows for their HTPC. I'm not too keen on paying for a Windows license.

What's the best free OS for a HTPC?

Is there anything Debian based? I use Debian or Ubuntu on all my machines, so I'm already familiar with it.

 

[Alan G]

The chief reason for using Windows is because most Cable Card tuners required for getting premium TV shows only seem to work with Windows Media Center.

 

[frowertr]

Are you just wanting to watch ripped movies/tv shows/pictures/music from your own collection? If so, all you need is Openelec on a USB stick.

If you are wanting to record live TV then it gets much more tricky and you will probably need WMC.

 

[Scheeringa]

I have a buddy using Linux. XBMC works with it, and even Ceton makes Linux drivers for their Cable card tuners

 

[Scheeringa]

Oh, but he can only watch Clear-QAM channels. So no HBO, Showtime, etc on anything except Windows (due to cable licensing and regulations)

 

[Leros]

Don't need a cable card. Just need a way to play local media, stream internet content, and possibly run some game emulators.

 

[AE-Ruffy]

Game emulators will be your problem. I personally think its a pain in the ass to set up all emulators in linux, not even taking into account bluetooth adapters, wireless controllers and so on.

Meanwhile in windows it took me a few hours.

you can try openelec(free) with retroarch which aims to make it easier
http://openelec.tv/forum/128-addons/64970-retroarch-addon-32-64-bits

There is also an XBMC fork with emulation built in called Retroplayer. Tried it briefly
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=164725&pid=1336026#pid1336026

I gave up and went the windows route.

 

[semicycle77]

I currently run Ubuntu/XMBC on my bedroom HTPC. It's modest hardware (E5200 cpu, 4gb ram, ATI 5450) but is rock solid. I'd say download the current build of Ubuntu and give it a try. If it doesn't work out, you only lost time, not money. XBMC is a piece of cake to install (4-6 lines of code in the terminal). You'll spend most of your time configuring it (skins, etc). As for emulators, just type "linux game emulator" into youtube, there are TONS of guides.

...and yes, i'm a Long time lurker on these forums, and you made me post today . Take care.

 

[ultimatebob]

I wonder if SteamOS is going to be good for this purpose. I would hope so, since it was basically designed for HTPC's.

 

[Knavish]

Oh, but he can only watch Clear-QAM channels. So no HBO, Showtime, etc on anything except Windows (due to cable licensing and regulations)

The cablecard tuners like the HDHomerun Prime and Ceton cards do not work with ClearQAM. They allow you to see the "normal" encrypted-QAM cable channels (i.e. Discovery, ESPN, etc), just not the "movie" channels (HBO, Showtime, etc).

Clear-QAM is an unencrypted signal over cable and being rapidly phased out across the US due to a recent FCC regulation change. Things get more complicated when you have Switched Digital Video channels. I'm not sure if these are supported by any PC based tuners.

 

[ussfletcher]

The cablecard tuners like the HDHomerun Prime and Ceton cards do not work with ClearQAM. They allow you to see the "normal" encrypted-QAM cable channels (i.e. Discovery, ESPN, etc), just not the "movie" channels (HBO, Showtime, etc).

Clear-QAM is an unencrypted signal over cable and being rapidly phased out across the US due to a recent FCC regulation change. Things get more complicated when you have Switched Digital Video channels. I'm not sure if these are supported by any PC based tuners.

Cable card tuners do allow you to see movie channels depending on your provider, like Comcast for example.

 

[Alan G]

+1 to what ussfletcher said; Verizon FIOS cable card lets me watch HBO just fine. You do have to run Windows Media Center however.

 

[el-Capitan]

I wonder if SteamOS is going to be good for this purpose. I would hope so, since it was basically designed for HTPC's.

I doubt we will be able to watch encrypted channels on SteamOS. Gabe is already butthurt about closed environments from MS and Apple - him entering the world of protectionist cable companies and their licencing from the big publishers will be an even bigger bag of hurt.

Not going to happen.

WMC is the only way at the moment. Unfortunately I don't see that around for too long anymore...

 

[IGemini]

I use XBMC via Mint 15 right now. Only gripe is that the latest Mint requires a repo subscription workaround to get nVidia HDMI audio to work. Not that it's hard, the change is right on their main release notes page, but it's a strange change from the function working mostly out of the box for the last 3-4 versions.

 

[tential]

Seems like most people use Windows for their HTPC. I'm not too keen on paying for a Windows license.

What's the best free OS for a HTPC?

Is there anything Debian based? I use Debian or Ubuntu on all my machines, so I'm already familiar with it.

Use XBMC and OpenElec.

That's what a LOT of people use for their HTPCs.

 

[country2]

Use XBMC and OpenElec.

That's what a LOT of people use for their HTPCs.

Yep, I also use openelec with plex server plug in to all my other pc's.

 

[glugglug]

For CableCARD, your only option is Windows Media Center, which MS is doing their best to kill off in Windows 8/8.1.

The big hurdle is that to get a CableCARD license, there needs to be a DRM encrypted video path approved by Cable Labs. Up until December of last year, the approved DRM was MS WM DRM.

December of last year, they approved DTCP-IP as a 2nd accepted DRM solution, which is a proprietary standard maintained by the DLNA group. The next firmware of HD Homerun Prime is going to support this. Also, it looks like the commercial version of the InfiniTV6 PCIe supports it: http://cetoncorp.com/commercial-products/.

As do some recent Cyberlink products. I suspect the DTCP-IP licensing is probably a lot less of a hurdle than WMDRM, so Linux may become a good solution for a CableCARD DVR this once some third party with a DTCP-IP license creates a good DRM encrypted storage and streaming library for it. And Playstation 3 is a certified DTCP-IP receiver to act as the extender. Not there yet, but I suspect it won't be that long with the butchering of Media Center in Windows 8 and active Windows 7 support officially ending in 15 months. (I would bet against the latter happening as 8 is really not viable).

 

[richaron]

MythTV?

 

[glugglug]

The cablecard tuners like the HDHomerun Prime and Ceton cards do not work with ClearQAM. They allow you to see the "normal" encrypted-QAM cable channels (i.e. Discovery, ESPN, etc), just not the "movie" channels (HBO, Showtime, etc).

Clear-QAM is an unencrypted signal over cable and being rapidly phased out across the US due to a recent FCC regulation change. Things get more complicated when you have Switched Digital Video channels. I'm not sure if these are supported by any PC based tuners.

CableCARD tuners will allow ClearQAM tuning if no CableCARD is inserted (but why pay the higher price for one if that is what you are going to do with it?)
And with the exception of the old ATI cards, they pretty much all support SDV.

 

[glugglug]

Oh, but he can only watch Clear-QAM channels. So no HBO, Showtime, etc on anything except Windows (due to cable licensing and regulations)

Actually it is if the channel is flagged "Copy Freely" as opposed to "Copy Once". With crappy cable companies like TWC, that basically just means the local unencrypted stations. With FIOS, that is everything but HBO and Cinemax (surprise surprise, HBO is owned by TWC. HBO also has issues with some video drivers because of the frame rate constantly switching between 29 and 59). Even Showtime and Epix are copy freely on FIOS.

 

[SheHateMe]

I think its worth it to just get a Windows license.

 

[atm743]

OpenELEC
http://openelec.tv/

or xbmcbuntu
http://xbmc.org/download/

 

[Doomer]

Can you use OpenELEC on a regular PC or is it just for devices like the Raspberry, etc.?

 

[ravana]

Can you use OpenELEC on a regular PC or is it just for devices like the Raspberry, etc.?

Both.

It's been a while since I've used it on a PC, but if I remember correctly, it has a live mode for you to try it out. If you like it, you can move on to persistant(installed) version of the OS.

 

[all4freedom]

This guy has a decent website about HTPC stuff and this link is a list of HTPC software. http://mymediaexperience.com/top-10-most-popular-media-center-software-for-your-hdtv/

I just built an HTPC and am still trying to decide what to use. I am running Windows 7 Pro so I think I am going to use WMC for dealing with watching live TV and recording it and then use either XMBC or PLEX for everything else.

I think I am going to get a Roku box for my kid's room so they can access Netflix, Hulu, etc and Plex is the only one that works with Roku so I might go that route.

I am also considering making my HTPC boot into both Windows and Linux and running two different platforms.

The good thing is that most of this software is free so you can experiment and see what you like best and what meets your needs.