Build your own RasPlex he said... It will be cheaper he said...

[interwebtech]

The best laid plans of mice and men. So I get the itch to build a inexpensive Plex client to rival the $100 Roku ($85 when on sale) media player. These things are really inexpensive ($35 for bare Pi3 board) I thinks to myself. Should be a easy as Pi, right?

 

1. Buys Element14 Pi3 kit (board, clear case, 2 heatsinks) $50

2. uses a 32GB mSD card I had laying around $0

3. Load RasPlex OS image to SD $0

 

Boots up and works great out of the box and proceed to lose an hour fiddling with settings and getting Harmony remote set up to control it (had a USB IR receiver handy).

 

4. USB IR receiver for remote control $0

 

As luck would have it, I chose a VC-1 bluray rip for my first test. "unknown codec" flashes by and the thing grinds to a halt. Hmmm... not a good sign. Next I try a x264 remuxed Bluray MKV and that works perfectly. So far so good. Switch over to Roku using remote for a while. Then decide to go back to RasPlex... blank screen. No signal. Un/re plug the power cord on Pi3 and it boots back on. Hmmm... that's not going to work. Need a way to turn this thing on with the remote.

 

Google-foo ensues whereas I come across the "RemotePi Board for Pi 3". Daughter board adds both a hardware power BUTTON as well as a IR receiver that can control said button. Hmmm... need case with button cut out (yeah I could have cut mine but wanted OEM fit/finish). Interesting side note: Site takes payment in Euros but package ships from Thailand.

 

5. 1x Acrylic Case for RemotePi Board for Pi 3, Pi 2 and B+ for €7.90 each

6. 1x RemotePi Board for Pi 3 for €19.90 each

 

Today I find out the VC-1 error is not a hardware issue but rather a licensing issue. The Pi group in trying to keep costs down, offer licenses as an add-on. How conveeeeeeeeeeeeenient. Also MPEG-2 needs a license so might as well get that too.

 

MPEG-2 license key £2.00 GBP

VC-1 license key £1.00 GBP

Subtotal: £3.00 GBP

From amount: $4.48 USD

To amount: £3.00 GBP

Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.670981  GBP

 

That is where I leave off for now. Waiting 15+ days for RemotePi board and case. Will end up with an extra clear case. Could have saved $15 off the initial purchase if I had known I needed a special case for add-on board.

 

 

[interwebtech]

Overclocked the little beastie today. No glitches so far. Will post a Pros/Cons list once I have more time with this.

[hernandito]

Not to dis what you are trying to do but why not buy a cheap Amazon Fire Stick for $50 w/ voice remote and install plex on that. It will run Plex, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.

[interwebtech]

I have 2 Roku 3, Tivo Roamio and an HD Dune. All run a plex client. I just thought I would share my experiment and give a run down on cost. Frankly right now I can choose from any of 4 Plex clients connected to the same TV. lol

 

As for the Fire stick, I did not like its performance. For the short time I owned one (1st gen), it was laggy and finicky about Plex content. I exchanged that for FireTV box and while it was better performance than the stick, I decided to stay with the Roku 3 and returned it.

[hernandito]

I get the experiment thing... I myself want to test a Wetek Core as an htpc replacemement (w/ Opelec). Currently I have Intel Atom mini computers on each TV (which cost $250+ each). I only use Plex on my tablets when away from home. When at home, on my tv's, I use Kodi.

 

 

 

 

 

[ijuarez]

so at this point would it been cheaper to buy another roku?

 

nice experiment.

[interwebtech]

Roku or other streaming boxes are a better value play for a first "all purpose" box since it has all the other channels available in addition to Plex. And its plug and play, no fiddling (other than setting screen size & 5.1) to get it to run right. Its a perfect consumer product in that it is like an appliance. You plug it in and it just works.

 

The RasPlex is a superior Plex client in that it supports higher quality in a direct stream so it's more a value play with respect to players like HD Dune or other higher end media player. And while it runs great "out of the box" (credit to RasPlex team for that), there is lots of CLI tweaking and fiddling available.

 

And I must add that the RasPlex UI is superior to the Plex standard. Much more flexible and can take a 3rd party skin too. Plex is doing the MS thing of making all the clients across all devices look the same. That would be great if it weren't so um... plain. lol

[CHBMB]

I'm really interested in this as I've got a need for a Plex client and an unused RPi2, just trying to figur out the remotepi thing and how you actually learn the remote signals.  Don't suppose you know any good guides?

[hernandito]

OK, I have the Amazon Fire TV Stick.... I am going to install the Plex app and test it... I will report on the "experience" I have no major issues w/ Netflix or Amazon Prime using it.

 

 

 

[interwebtech]

I'm really interested in this as I've got a need for a Plex client and an unused RPi2, just trying to figur out the remotepi thing and how you actually learn the remote signals.  Don't suppose you know any good guides?

 

Depends on what you have for a remote. You can pickup inexpensive "media center" remotes off ebay/amazon that come with a USB IR transceiver. Those will work well. My Harmony hub based remote is another matter. While setting the Pi3 up as a "Windows Media Center PC" gives me basic button actions, it fills the little LCD with useless commands that have no bearing on a RasPlex.

 

Also RasPlex has some FAQ on remote control

http://www.rasplex.com/docs/faq.html

[hernandito]

OK I tried briefky Pex on the Amazon Fire stick (which has the microphone remote). The Plex interface experience was not horrible. It is slower than my intel htpc's but that is expected. I did not try playing media.

 

I am not a big fan of Plex to where I have to navigate to see "All Movie" or "recent Releases" like I can in Kodi.

 

Not great, and if I was on a budget,  the fire stick for Plex would do OK for me. But since I have had my dedicated Openelec htpc (without Plex) connected via ethernet to my network/server... whichI bought my htpc's long before Roku, or fire sticks ever existed.

 

You would have to pry my Kodi from my cold dead hands...!

 

 

[CHBMB]

I'm really interested in this as I've got a need for a Plex client and an unused RPi2, just trying to figur out the remotepi thing and how you actually learn the remote signals.  Don't suppose you know any good guides?

 

Depends on what you have for a remote. You can pickup inexpensive "media center" remotes off ebay/amazon that come with a USB IR transceiver. Those will work well. My Harmony hub based remote is another matter. While setting the Pi3 up as a "Windows Media Center PC" gives me basic button actions, it fills the little LCD with useless commands that have no bearing on a RasPlex.

 

Also RasPlex has some FAQ on remote control

http://www.rasplex.com/docs/faq.html

 

At home I'm using a LibreElec HTPC with a FLIRC and a Harmony Remote.  But Rasplex would be ideal for my parents, who couldn't get to grips with the FireTV and kept trying to buy stuff rather than launch Plex.... (It was on my Amazon Account and I had the foresight to put a PIN for purchases, as I kind of knew they'd try this at some point) 

 

What I'd like to do is get a RemotePi and use their existing remote which has different modes.  I'm guessing I'd need to set it up with LIRC but wondered if you had tried this yet.

 

Thanks for the link, I'd seen that and have scoured the site looking for info on using the IR on the remotepi as well.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention I've installed this on my Rasp Pi 2 and it's a nice snappy interface and the precaching is a great idea.

[interwebtech]

I'm really interested in this as I've got a need for a Plex client and an unused RPi2, just trying to figur out the remotepi thing and how you actually learn the remote signals.  Don't suppose you know any good guides?

 

Depends on what you have for a remote. You can pickup inexpensive "media center" remotes off ebay/amazon that come with a USB IR transceiver. Those will work well. My Harmony hub based remote is another matter. While setting the Pi3 up as a "Windows Media Center PC" gives me basic button actions, it fills the little LCD with useless commands that have no bearing on a RasPlex.

 

Also RasPlex has some FAQ on remote control

http://www.rasplex.com/docs/faq.html

 

At home I'm using a LibreElec HTPC with a FLIRC and a Harmony Remote.  But Rasplex would be ideal for my parents, who couldn't get to grips with the FireTV and kept trying to buy stuff rather than launch Plex.... (It was on my Amazon Account and I had the foresight to put a PIN for purchases, as I kind of knew they'd try this at some point) 

 

What I'd like to do is get a RemotePi and use their existing remote which has different modes.  I'm guessing I'd need to set it up with LIRC but wondered if you had tried this yet.

 

Thanks for the link, I'd seen that and have scoured the site looking for info on using the IR on the remotepi as well.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention I've installed this on my Rasp Pi 2 and it's a nice snappy interface and the precaching is a great idea.

 

you are probably aware, but there is well-documented (and Pi Foundation approved) overclocking settings for the Pi2. If you have the heatsinks on cpu/ram it will take a 25% or more bump (@1000mhz up from 800). I have mine running at 1300 (up from stock of 1000) and it barely is warm.

[CHBMB]

you are probably aware, but there is well-documented (and Pi Foundation approved) overclocking settings for the Pi2. If you have the heatsinks on cpu/ram it will take a 25% or more bump (@1000mhz up from 800). I have mine running at 1300 (up from stock of 1000) and it barely is warm.

 

I am aware, I don't have any heatsinks on my Pi yet, and still in the experimenting stage but it's a bloody good idea.  interwebtech have you configured the remotepi to receive any other remote commands other than power on/off.  Am I correct in assuming it's all done via LIRC? Or have you not got that far yourself yet?

[interwebtech]

you are probably aware, but there is well-documented (and Pi Foundation approved) overclocking settings for the Pi2. If you have the heatsinks on cpu/ram it will take a 25% or more bump (@1000mhz up from 800). I have mine running at 1300 (up from stock of 1000) and it barely is warm.

 

I am aware, I don't have any heatsinks on my Pi yet, and still in the experimenting stage but it's a bloody good idea.  interwebtech have you configured the remotepi to receive any other remote commands other than power on/off.  Am I correct in assuming it's all done via LIRC? Or have you not got that far yourself yet?

 

I don't have my remotePi board yet so no feedback for now.

[CHBMB]

you are probably aware, but there is well-documented (and Pi Foundation approved) overclocking settings for the Pi2. If you have the heatsinks on cpu/ram it will take a 25% or more bump (@1000mhz up from 800). I have mine running at 1300 (up from stock of 1000) and it barely is warm.

 

I am aware, I don't have any heatsinks on my Pi yet, and still in the experimenting stage but it's a bloody good idea.  interwebtech have you configured the remotepi to receive any other remote commands other than power on/off.  Am I correct in assuming it's all done via LIRC? Or have you not got that far yourself yet?

 

I don't have my remotePi board yet so no feedback for now.

 

Yeah, I'm torn between going for a remotePi or just using a FLIRC which is extremely easy to configure, I know it works but it's unable to do power on/off.

[interwebtech]

RemotePI board and case arrived today. I will cut to the chase and tell what I ended up using for settings.... suffice it to say a fair amount of the day was consumed with this and many expletives were uttered and finally an email sent requesting help before I stumbled across the right combination. I ended up sending another email telling them how I fixed it. Hopefully that will make it into their FAQ for future reference.

 

This pertains to the Harmony hub-based remotes on RasPlex. Regular IR only remotes may be slightly different.

 

My RasPlex install had and existing CEC config (does it automatically first boot even if no IR installed). That is a default remote control event framework and was the cause of most of my pain (I think). Once you have the RemotePI board installed, go into RasPlex Preferences (not settings, we go there next) and disable CEC under Preferences > Inputs.

 

Now go into System Settings > Services and enable RemotePI board support.

 

At this point I turned off the Pi3 using the RemotePI button. Wait several seconds until it settles down to a dull red glow on the button. Now its time to train RemotePi with your On/Off buttons on the remote. With remote at the ready (in my case on the Device screen for Windows Media Center device), hold the RemotePi button down for about 10 seconds until you get a red/green flash sequence. Now you have about 20 seconds to find and press the ON button. Light will flash green once, now press your OFF button. Light flashes green twice and you are done. Now that should work with most remotes especially if you have discreet on/off buttons and matches the instructions on the Mfg's site.

 

BUT... that didn't work for me. Would not power up. Remote button commands ignored. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. The fix was to train using the "Power Toggle" button for both on & off during the training session. Odd since Harmony software shows all 3 as valid options to control the device.

 

Anyway, I have RasPlex on/off capability from the remote. Now to watch some stuffz.

 

[gswarriorfan]

Thanks for the doing all the heavy lifting and writing about it.  My acer revo running openelec died last week and I need a replacement.  I've settled on a Pi3 running either rasplex or openelec.  Keep up the awesome work.

[CHBMB]

Thanks for the doing all the heavy lifting and writing about it.  My acer revo running openelec died last week and I need a replacement.  I've settled on a Pi3 running either rasplex or openelec.  Keep up the awesome work.

 

I'd actually recommend LibreElec over OpenElec now to be honest.  Most of the dev team for OpenElec left and joined the forked project which is LibreElec.  That's if you want to go down the Kodi route rather than Plex.

[gswarriorfan]

Thanks for the doing all the heavy lifting and writing about it.  My acer revo running openelec died last week and I need a replacement.  I've settled on a Pi3 running either rasplex or openelec.  Keep up the awesome work.

 

I'd actually recommend LibreElec over OpenElec now to be honest.  Most of the dev team for OpenElec left and joined the forked project which is LibreElec.  That's if you want to go down the Kodi route rather than Plex.

 

Thanks for the info.  I'll probably go LibreElec. 

[hernandito]

 

I'd actually recommend LibreElec over OpenElec now to be honest.  Most of the dev team for OpenElec left and joined the forked project which is LibreElec.  That's if you want to go down the Kodi route rather than Plex.

 

whaaa, whaaaa, whaaaaat???!! What happened?

 

This happened:

https://libreelec.tv/2016/03/lets-rock-this-gig/

 

[ijuarez]

hope new band does it better

[S80_UK]

It's pretty good so far.