Way back in April of last year, I told you about getting Verizon FiOS and setting up a NextPVR server and a Kodi client on a Raspberry Pi. I never did get that timeshifting problem fixed. It works when using NextPVR on the server, but crashes on the Raspberry Pi Kodi client. I think it has to do with the TV tuner I’m using. It’s a Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCI. It’s an old tuner that uses some proprietary system to interact with recording software. Because of that, it’s only compatible with Windows Media Center (RIP 😥) and NextPVR. I’d really prefer to use an HD Homerun device with a Linux based server, but they aren’t selling any cable card tuners right now. Anyways, I think that Ceton driver junk is hampering the timeshifting.
Since I’ve been back at school, I’ve been noticing the enormous number of Lenovo business computers around campus. A light bulb lit up in my head the other day. Why not replace the Raspberry Pi with a tiny Lenovo running Windows? So I did. I bought a decommissioned M72e Tiny from eBay for about $20. It’s a tiny computer, as the name implies. It’s about the size of a typical hardcover book. The listing said it worked before it was pulled from service, but functionality wasn’t guaranteed. Turns out it works perfectly.
For my $22.50, I think I got a pretty good computer. It’s got a Core i3 3220T it’s a dual core with hyperthreading running at 2.8GHz. I added 8 GB of memory I had laying around and an older 120 GB SSD. I also applied some new thermal paste to the CPU cooler for good measure. I’m really impressed with the performance. Even though it’s nine-years-old, it boots up in seconds. If I didn’t need a more powerful computer for gaming, I’d be very happy to use it as my normal desktop computer. It has one small fan, versus the Raspberry Pi’s fanless design, so it’s a tad louder than I’d like. I’m going to see if switching some BIOS settings helps that.
As for software, I installed Windows 10 and Kodi. Timeshifting works perfectly, so I’d call this mission accomplished. I ordered a used wifi card to add AC wifi and Bluetooth to the machine. I’ll install Steam so we can stream games from the living room or office into the bedroom and use a PS4 controller to play.