To also answer the transcoding issue, Jellyfin should be able to handle it. I have had issues where the client thinks it can play a media stream so the server serves it, but the client fails to play it. I usually either download a different file or manually transcode it to a different filetype that I know the client can play. I wouldn’t think a celeron processor would have issues playing media. Those issues were on like firetv or roku embedded system boxes, not full pcs.

Ok, I’ve been checking out some older ones for half the price (possibly used as well), the main requirement I’ve been checking is just hardware decoding, with a light weight Linux setup I think it should be sufficient.

The remote is worth considering, I might look into Bluetooth or RF based approaches as they are a bit more flexible than IR with positioning. Or even phone app based methods are possible

Yea, with a full pc setup and OS I don’t think you’ll have a problem with watching media. Even if hardware isn’t available for your cpu (unlikely) software will be. In the jellyfin client you can change your player to vlc if you have any issues playing video.

Some extra options you might want to consider:

• Having the device act like a DLNA renderer. You still need it to run a graphical stack and a DLNA app, but you can control it with a DLNA controller app on your phone, and tell it to fetch content from your Jellyfin server if you activate the DLNA plugin so it will act like a DLNA server. DLNA needs network broadcast so it will work if the stick/phone/server all all on local LAN but typically can’t cross VLANs.
• Having the device run a Tailscale client alongside Kodi or connecting to Jellyfin with a browser or client. If you also put Tailscale on the server you will be able to securely connect to it even on vacations (hotel TV for example).

I have one of these, and it sucks as a portable PC. As a jellyfish client, it might do fine. One thing you should know, while the power is USBC, it only works with its own usbc, and that adapter is 24v.

Interesting, did you have windows on it, or did you throw a real OS on it? If so, what distro/DE?

It came with windows 10, and claimed to be upgradeable to 11 (it wasn’t). I used it with lmde, though, so the upgrade lie, while was a shite thing to do, didn’t really affect me.

Interesting, I assume lmde would be comparable to a say fedora based plasma bigscreen install resource wise. It’s not like you were using a super lightweight distro. I’m actually surprised the plasma bigscreen devs haven’t made a super light weight install guide based off alpine or a pared down debian or arch for lowend hardware like OP is asking about.

I’m hoping the BigScreen install would be better as a settopbox, but I wanted a portable PC lol

It was smooth enough, just slow. A bit expected for how intensive lmde is, but I really wanted it to work with that. Maybe I’m judging too harshly

I’ve been looking into these PCs as a replacement roku box since responding to the thread. I have a shield, and its fine, but I don’t think it’s worth the price. It’s glitchy and the 3rd party launcher sometimes flips out. It also keeps wanting me to up the refresh rate, but whenever I do, it breaks. My TV doesn’t like it despite it being supported.

It might be fine for that, I’m not sure. It kind of sucked playing HD video (hadn’t tried 4k), but it was trying to do so under a full lmde environment lol

Hmmmm good to know. I’m sure the N100 models could handle it fine. Still tempting to pick up one of the cheap ones to play with. Kind of like a raspberry pi.

For sure! I don’t consider it a wasted purchase. It’s just not what I expected it to be.

I use a vero 4k. They've since dropped support (after seven years) and put out a new model with av1 support. It stills works incredibly well as a jellyfin client box.

Ohhhhhh, that looks like a better option. Interesting an rf remote control? Hmmmmm I wonder if that’ll work with my sofabaton universal remote.

It's got IR built-in too.

Ah, nice.

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