$89 PC w/Intel CPU - works right off the bat with Channels

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVVFF6TK

Intel GPU(Intel HD Graphics 500) is supported by Channels so hardware acceleration is included.

1 Like

In my ignorance I set up my initial system on a RPi4 a year ago. When it dies, I’ll be going this route.

That's not the worst that can happen. I was in the same boat for a while. Some people purchased AMD based PCs ...

“Super MiNi and Wisdom” :joy:

1 Like

Lol, from the description:

Color: Intel Celeron J3455 6GB RAM 64GB SSD

Who knew?

That's a great price for a mini PC even if it is a Celly. The raspberry pi 4 is a joke compared to that especially given today's inflated prices.

1 Like

Hardware from 2016, and ddr3 ram....meh. $89 feels too high for that. I see slightly newer gen name brand mini pcs, like Lenovo ThinkCenter for same price or $10 more.

Edit: I have personally compared Channels running on a Pi4b (OC to 2ghz and using a Samsung T7 SSD) to it running on a Intel 12th Gen 6c/6t system, and noticed zero difference in everyday, normal Local home based usage. Menus still load the same, tuning time still the same. Only thing more powerful hardware does is boost comskip processing and remote transcode ability...which, don't matter to me. The channels i record from, comskip processes in just a couple min, or uses that other process that does not use cpu. I also don't remote stream.

I really enjoy the rock solid reliability and simplicity of Channels dedicated Pi image. Would be cool if they had such images for other SOCs, or for bare metal PC hardware (Like how DietPi has images for tons of hardware)

1 Like

My experience is similar. If you happen to have a Pi4b not doing much and a Samsung T7 available, for one or two local users it would be hard to beat if you could get a Pi4b for under $50. I don't have any real need for transcoding. And I would trade-off comskip speed for comskip accuracy any day as timeshifting is more my use case. My spouse is running off the PI4B (which also runs her plex library) and she is happy :slight_smile:

1 Like

Yea....THAT been the issue for the last couple years. They very very slowly recovering though.
Fond memories of just walking into Best Buy, grabbing a CanaKit 8gb model with case and bunch of kit for around $70. Or the bare board at MicroCenter for under $50

1 Like

Given a barebones NUC11 is $155 and a Beelink 5905 is $139 now, why pi unless you have one already?

Pi4 kits on A$ are $200-275... crazy. https://a.co/d/56WcIFj

There have been lists and Gdocs of suppliers where you can buy them at normal prices. Existed even since the pandemic. Requires constant monitoring and fast action, but people been getting them at fair prices all the while. Just, not easy. Amazon/ebay, always goona be scalper prices. Also, buying kit is dumb right now. Those parts, case, etc, can be found cheap separately. The raw boards, are around $140 - $180, depending on where you look on amazon/ebay.

RPis have a tendency to lock up. Not suitable for a remote solution unless you buy

Great Power Switches though expensive but worth it that is what I use.

Never experienced a single issue like that and I have several of them in service.
If your pi's are "locking up", that is a software/OS issues, not hardware. (unless u have poor OC or weak psu, or cooling issues)
I run DietPi and have have had nearly a year of sustained up time.

Also, why spend that excessive amount of money on a fancy surge protector? You can just buy a cheap smart plug to remote power cycle something

1 Like

Great, you love pi. It WAS a good platform until the supply situation got out of hand, but any <$100 mini PC w/Linux will run rings around it with minimal extra power usage. All pi has going for it are the hardware extensibility that most don't care about and the form factor. That's it.

I'm still a fan of the platform btw, but they shat the bed with the value equation and it's time to move on.

Even hardware extensibility is a joke. You can buy USB-2-I2C for $6.50

1 Like

Pi is the only fully controlled/made by them, custom dedicated image / dedicated appliance Channels DVR officially supports. (unless Channels have released some new image for a new platform/device I have not seen in the last year or so)

Your ardent support of the RPi4 led me to keep mine a year ago. While I’ve commented that I’d switch to a higher-end processor when the Pi dies, what if it doesn’t? It’s been flawless since I paired with a Samsung SSD.

2 Likes

Pi's are rock solid hardware. I have setup some in industrial settings, high heat and dust. Still running strong.

Even have a 3B still running a small outdoor digital display. It survived a hurricane. (the pi survived, the display did not.)

Don't get me wrong. Yes, i do love the pi. Mainly the dedicated appliance aspect, and its KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) idea.

But, if Channels devs ever make a dedicated image for some other more powerful hardware, i for sure would jump on it, wanting to compare and test it out.

I do sometimes get an itch...to want to "upgrade" my Channels DVR server, off a Pi to a mini pc, but, then, i keep asking my self WHY?. It would not gain anything. The Pi is more than enough for me, a single user.
Comskip speed, the shows i record on OTA, it finishes minutes after the show ends. TVE, takes maybe 20 min, but, most often, i don't watch recordings until the day after, long after comskipp is done. (And some long programs, like On Patrol Live, I have disabled com skip.)
If anything, a change over to a mini pc, it more a downgrade, as then can't use the dedicated Pi image, and thus have to deal with a separate OS and Chrome install, having to keep that up- to date, and worry about less reliability.

1 Like

Why would you want a dedicated image to run on higher end hardware wouldn't that be overkill? to have high end hardware only to run Channels DVR ? What would be the point to have a dedicated image for high end hardware ?