Mini pc for netflix (and an OS)

ThalesSousa

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Feb 19, 2015
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Hi, I've been looking for a mini pc to watch netflix and youtube, preferably in 1080p. So, no heavy tasks, I just wanted something cheap, small and fast.

My primary choice right now is the Intel NUC Dccp847dye, it's got an Intel Celeron 1.10ghz, 2 GB of ram, and a 26 GB SSD, I have no problems with buying an external hard drive. (I'm not sure if it can do what I'd like it to do, but it's pretty basic stuff, so I guessed it would be alright).

The thing is, I'll be using it on my living room, so I can't have a wired mouse or keyboard, and I'd also like to avoid wireless versions of those. I mean, I'd like an easier way to control it, maybe an app on my phone.

I'd really appreciate suggestions on other pcs I could get, ways I could avoid a keyboard and mouse and what OS to install.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I've analyzed other options you guys suggested me, and I think a Chromecast is actually a much better option, since it's cheaper, doesn't need any cables and I would be using my phone to control it the whole time anyway. Thank you all very much.
 
Solution
Yeah, if all you're gonna do is stream Netflix and the like (Amazon, Hulu, YouTube), then a Roku or Chromecast or its equivalent is the best way to go. Those decode the video stream in hardware so they don't need to be very powerful to provide a good 1080p streaming experience.

If you're going to do other other computer stuff or stream movies from your media server in formats not supported by the above boxes, then you want a mini PC or HTPC. When you stream Netflix (or Amazon, Hulu, etc) to a PC, the decode is done in software,* which is why the CPU needs to be a lot more powerful.

*The reason for this stupidity is Hollywood and DRM. They don't want you capturing and saving the stream as a copy of the movie, so they layer it in...
Yeah, if all you're gonna do is stream Netflix and the like (Amazon, Hulu, YouTube), then a Roku or Chromecast or its equivalent is the best way to go. Those decode the video stream in hardware so they don't need to be very powerful to provide a good 1080p streaming experience.

If you're going to do other other computer stuff or stream movies from your media server in formats not supported by the above boxes, then you want a mini PC or HTPC. When you stream Netflix (or Amazon, Hulu, etc) to a PC, the decode is done in software,* which is why the CPU needs to be a lot more powerful.

*The reason for this stupidity is Hollywood and DRM. They don't want you capturing and saving the stream as a copy of the movie, so they layer it in DRM. On fixed hardware devices like the Roku, there's no way for the end user to mess with the DRM so they can't capture the stream, so they're free to use hardware h.264 decoders and the like. On generic computing devices like the PC, the user could capture the stream. So Hollywood requires the DRM decryption be run in software in an encrypted virtual machine (usually in Flash or Silverlight). Which takes a lot more horsepower to decode h.264 streams than dedicated hardware decoders.
 
Solution