Talk:Supported hardware

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uNiversal 07:51, 29 March 2014 (EDT)


 * For starters, the RAM requirement is wrong. The minimal RAM requirement for XBMC to run on linux hardware, even for v13 Gotham, on x86 systems, is still 256MB. The CPU requirement has been replaced with a recommendation.


 * If you want to update the GPU text, please do so, but don't format it using that table. That table is a big step backwards in formatting. -- Ned Scott (talk) 02:45, 28 March 2014 (EDT)
 * I apologize, I see that dual-core comment is in the old text as well. Sill, that table was a mess and just took up more space without being any clearer about the requirements. -- Ned Scott (talk) 02:48, 28 March 2014 (EDT)


 * YEs, things can always be improved, however you have left out the legacy stuff which is a must because the questions will be ask:ed.
 * You also left out the hdd/usb and add optional optical drive, you needs a usb a hdd or ssd cannot do without either, and in case you want playback optical media that should also be there. — Preceding unsigned comment added by uNiversal (talk • contribs)


 * Here. You don't need USB or an optical drive at all (plenty of people have installed directly to the drive and then installed that drive on the other hardware), but you would be hard pressed to find any hardware that is able to run XBMC that doesn't have a USB port. It's virtually impossible, and it's a given that you need some method of installing.


 * Same for optical drives. It's completely obvious that if you want to play a DVD then you need something to physically read a DVD. People aren't just setting bare DVDs on top of the HTPC case and expecting magic.


 * That being said, I would not object to a mention of USB (and ethernet, for that matter) in the context of being able to playback media. A lot of people do have the mistaken impression that USB 3 or gigabit ethernet is required for HD content, when USB 2 and 100meg ethernet will do just fine. -- Ned Scott (talk) 03:43, 28 March 2014 (EDT


 * For gpu acceleration yoou need minimum 512MB Vram in addition to the 256MB system ram, so we already at 700MB+RAM so ya 1GB minimum depending if shared or not.
 * Yes, unfortunately, we should do the obvious more often, not everyone gets the obvious, no matter how much we want to belive that. Yes ether port mim100meg is ok and usb2 is also ok, unless you streaming over wifi a 50mbit bitrate file, Ive added a few things above lookup from the uvd2.0 page and whatnot to add to the table when your done reformating it again ;)
 * The usb port I mean a USB drive you can installinux to a USB drive or Intall to hdd or install to ssd, I didnt means that you need a usb port, though its obvious ;) that most everything has one of those these days.uNiversal 04:34, 28 March 2014 (EDT)


 * I don't know who told you that 512 MB of VRAM was needed, but they're wrong. I run XBMC on an x86 Pentium M with 64MB VRAM and 256MB system RAM. Raspberry Pi is ARM, but it runs XBMC using 256MB on the model A, total, both VRAM and system RAM.


 * Even for 50mbit files, USB 2 and ethernet 100 is more than enough. There is no recommended gigabit ethernet. It's faster, but it makes zero difference for XBMC. BluRay ISOs don't go higher than about 40. Even then, it's not a requirement, just as an optical drive or an IR remote are not requirements. -- Ned Scott (talk) 11:31, 28 March 2014 (EDT)


 * What about the above I polshed it up a bit,


 * 1) RAM: Sure 256 is minimum but thats just system wise, video playback requires 512 dedicated vram for accelerated content, + system ram your already on 700MB+
 * 2) A video bitrate and the bandwith is not the same, a 100MB port maxes out at 12MB/s, but in wifi connections a 40Mbit bluray will suffer depending on newrok equipment/signal quality and strenght, though ok now we can fill buffers and whatnot.


 * Ive added more specific notes about legacy amd cards, we cant ignore these yet, they can run xbmc even with fglrx just no acceleration on video playback.uNiversal 06:22, 29 March 2014 (EDT)


 * Hardware video decoding does not require any additional RAM. None. My main HTPC hardware, which I have been using for the last three years on a daily basis, decodes every format that any other major VPU can, including MPEG2, VC-1, and more, and has a grand total of 320 MB of RAM (256MB system RAM, 64 MB VRAM). Whoever told you that XBMC ever needs 512 MB of VRAM is simply wrong.Ned Scott (talk) 22:08, 29 March 2014 (EDT)


 * As far as networking, that's not a requirement to run XBMC. Plenty of people run XBMC completely offline, so it's not accurate to put this down on this page.Ned Scott (talk) 22:08, 29 March 2014 (EDT)


 * There's already a big bright note for Ubuntu users about their older AMD cards. It specifically says that, for Ubuntu 12.10+, users need to use an AMD card that is 2.2 or higher, with a link to a list of cards, if they want to use hardware video decoding. The reason there are two sections, one for GPU in the UI context, and one for GPU/VPU in the video decoding context, already explains that the older cards can still be used for the GUI.Ned Scott (talk) 22:08, 29 March 2014 (EDT)


 * I don't see any point in listing arbitrary acronyms under the storage space requirements. As a requirement, it doesn't matter if the user is using a mechanical hard drive, SSD, nor does it matter if they connect with USB, Firewire, SATA, PATA, eSATA, mSATA, PCIe, Thunderbolt, SD, mSD, CF, or a custom eMMC module connector.Ned Scott (talk) 22:08, 29 March 2014 (EDT)


 * If the point here is to list suggested hardware, like what many threads do in the hardware forum, then that is different and should be done on a different set of pages than this one. Such a page should be marked as a community suggestion, and likely needs to be in context of the specific OS that is also being suggested. For example, a page could be called "Recommended hardware for Ubuntu" or "Recommended hardware for OpenELEC". -- Ned Scott (talk) 22:08, 29 March 2014 (EDT)

I wish you hadn't chopped up my comment like that, but whatever. Yes, any system, any motherboard, that is x86 based, can run without giving 500MB to VRAM and still use hardware video decoding. Not just my systems, but any system. There is no RAM requirement for hardware video decoding. None. Since you've been persistent about it I've even looked it up, and I can't find anything that backs up the claim that one needs 500MB of VRAM to use hardware video decoding. I'm honestly at a loss as for why you think this is a requirement.

Netbooting is mentioned as an example of how someone doesn't strictly require local memory for XBMC to work on a system. Then memory requirements are given, which can be local or networked. It's a given that you need a way to connect to a server if you decide to netboot. Just as it's a given that you need a DVD drive if you want to play DVDs. Anything with a USB drive can have wireless internet or wired ethernet added to it.

If we need to mention a specific driver version for a specific situation in Ubuntu then that's fine, but what version is it then? Although, specific software requirements for specific Linux-distros should probably be fleshed out on individual "how to install on X" pages. -- Ned Scott (talk) 06:22, 30 March 2014 (EDT)


 * idk what best version of amd drivers is, I dont use or care about AMD, and already get way too involved, but yes there is a specific version that has less problems, fritsch would know which. But yes there is and and that must be used with legacy cards but with all idk, depends. Ill ask fritsch about these two points.


 * the vram thing, http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=174854&pid=1632650#pid1632650 for e.g. again, you base yourself on what has been written in some docs, while there may be no limit set, the reason is obvious because it varies with setup/os and type of content (emphasis on type of content), in ION and some nvidia cards (for high porfiles and whatnot 512 or bust), and I think its key to mention, FOR BEST RESULTS... if for no other reason at all. And from personal experience, any less does make certain content choke or start having artifacts. Again we can ignore it, not say anything or we can say, for best results set X.


 * The network port I marked it as optional just like the optical drive, but I think its good to keep the note about wifi since that does seem to be cause for most issues and even is preferred by mnay to use powerline instead of wifi, though personal preferences are just that.uNiversal 06:48, 30 March 2014 (EDT)


 * I base myself in what I've personally used and seen with my own eyes, as well as what other trustworthy people have reported. Everything varies with setup, but the minimum requirement to run XBMC is 256MB of RAM. If a specific graphics card needs more VRAM then that is a requirement for that specific graphics card, not for XBMC. A CrystalHD card (VPU) has no VRAM and can be installed on any device with a PCIe slot, just like any other GPU, and is one of three major ways to hardware decode in Linux (and Mac OS X and Windows, for that matter). That alone means the minimum is indeed correct. "Minimum" is not the same as "recommended" or "will work for every conceivable demand".


 * Like I said, there is a difference between hardware requirements and hardware recommendations. If the point is "for best results" then that would be already covered by the line that says "Recommended: 1GB or more". That's why there is two lines. If someone wants "best results" then they sure as heck shouldn't be using a Pentium M, Android/ARM, or the Raspberry Pi, and yet those are on this page. What is listed on this page are statements of fact, not opinion. -- Ned Scott (talk) 07:28, 30 March 2014 (EDT)

so fritsch is not trustworthy? http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=174854&pid=1632650#pid1632650

and aside from him who I trust more than anyone when it comes to some stuff, I also happen to agreen and my EXPERINCE is also valid, as a matter of fact and because minimum something and what works best is indeed differnt. just because ppl use RPI and whatnot for XBMC that doesnt mean its best it is what it is, and if best results are best then I believe we should mention it, because it goes beyond theoretical and presets conceptions which are always being chaalenged at each tech breakthrough, yet ION wont work with less properly for any decent proper content. ya... idk, pointells to discuss this any further. use it if you like, I wont recommend PI or any less than a real HTPC. — Preceding unsigned comment added by uNiversal (talk • contribs)


 * That is a vdpau specific requirement. That is only one of three possible hardware decoding methods on Linux. And for your damn information, the Raspberry Pi has one of the the best picture quality outputs that you can find on an XBMC machine. You have some nerve accusing me of only thinking of specific setups when you are going off and ranting about requirements that don't apply to everyone. For the last time, this is not a recommendation page, this is a statement of facts. This isn't theoretical just because you don't get it. -- Ned Scott (talk) 20:20, 30 March 2014 (EDT)