Build a XBMC Media Center with a $35 Raspberry Pi [Xbmc]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5929913/build-a-xbmc-media-center-with-a-35-raspberry-pi

At Lifehacker we're big fans of the XBMC video player and home entertainment hub. Combine the awesomeness of XBMC with a Raspberry Pi, the $35 low-power computer board with a built-in SD card reader, USB ports, ethernet port, and HDMI output and we have the makings of a powerful-but-cheap home media solution.

Credit goes to The How-To Geek for putting it all together. Older PCs are typically used for XBMC rigs but they often come with a lot of fan noise. Another popular option is to purchase an Apple TV, jailbreak it, and install XBMC but in that case you still need to purchase a $99 Apple TV.

Combined with the Raspbmc media center distribution for XBMC on the Raspberry Pi you likely have most of, if not all the items you need to use with a $35 Raspberry Pi board to make a service home media center:

• HDMI cable
• SD card
• Micro-USB charger
• USB keyboard or media center remote
• Raspberry Pi board case (purchased or DIY)
• Raspbmc Installer

Except for the Raspberry Pi board case, I have all of this on hand. My Xbox 360 remote control works out of the box with this setup. The only tricky part is that since the Raspberry Pi is in such demand right now you'll have to wait 4-5 weeks to get the $35 board delivered. If you're in a hurry you can pay a few more bucks and get it now from eBay. Once you get the system setup you can use almost all of the standard XBMC tweaks and tricks.

The only downside is that due to licensing restrictions you can't play MPEG-2 videos on a Raspberry Pi, so if most of your video library is in that format this setup probably won't work for you.

For full details on how to setup your Raspberry Pi-based XMBC media system check out the source link at The How-To Geek below.

Build a $35 Media Center with Raspbmc and Raspberry Pi | The How-To Geek