0-20k Suggestions for a budget HTPC build

[KnightstarK]

I have absolutely no idea about HTPC building. (fairly comfortable with building a gaming PC)

My use case is very basic: hook up to my TV and use chrome to watch videos and movies.
I want to spend as little as possible (<15k)

Which components would fit my requirements? Am I better off buying a cheap pre-built online?
All ITX mobos and cabinets online are very expensive. Any pro-tips here?

 

[gourav]

At that budget, look for a used NUC. That would be your best bet.

Or you can get something off OLX, lots of cheap used servers floating around. Dell Optiplex type machines are quite compact and should fit your usecase.

 

[Psycho_McCrazy]

If the ONLY use is streaming videos from the interwebs on OTT services and the tube, I was suggested to use something like an Amazon FireStick or a Mi Box.
Much more cost effective, and also does not run into the fullHD / 4K DRM shenanigans that the OTT sites have on PC web browsers.

reference: my own HTPC thread and vyral's post

 

[KnightstarK]

If the ONLY use is streaming videos from the interwebs on OTT services and the tube, I was suggested to use something like an Amazon FireStick or a Mi TV 4K.
Much more cost effective, and also does not run into the fullHD / 4K DRM shenanigans that the OTT sites have on PC web browsers.

I personally find the youtube experience on the firestick a bit lacking - playlists/recommendation system isn't good. (also, ads - although there are a few workarounds for those)
Hotstar and sonyliv apps were terrible and buggy.
Plus, I won't have easy access to my pirate streaming sites for apple tv and hbo max series.
Finally, navigating and typing on those tiny remotes is the 9th circle of hell.

 

[vaibhavyagnik]

Affiliate links
Motherboard - https://www.amazon.in/ASRock-A320M-HDV-Motherboard/dp/B06XNRWM3C
Processor Athlon 300G - https://amzn.to/3lRWRU5
SSD Crucial BX300 - https://amzn.to/3E08WN4 or
1TB HDD - https://www.amazon.in/Seagate-BarraCuda-ST1000DM010-Desktop-Latest/dp/B01LNJBA2I
RAM HyperX fury 3200Mhz - https://amzn.to/3lV0lFh * 2
450W Antec Powersupply - https://amzn.to/3G1Znz4
Case of your choice.

I have written the models numbers or they are apparent from the link so feel free to buy them from any website or locally if you find them cheaper.

 

[vyral_143]

If not media players like Mi Box/Firestick, your options are NUC, PC sticks. There were some options of ITX mobos built in with Intel Celeron/Pentium processors - like Asrock J5005 ITX.

 

[Psycho_McCrazy]

I personally find the youtube experience on the firestick a bit lacking - playlists/recommendation system isn't good. (also, ads - although there are a few workarounds for those)
Hotstar and sonyliv apps were terrible and buggy.
Plus, I won't have easy access to my pirate streaming sites for apple tv and hbo max series.
Finally, navigating and typing on those tiny remotes is the 9th circle of hell.

Ah! a man after my own heart! I too hate not being able to navigate with a mouse, or clearly and decisively get rid of the ads and stuff.

In that case, my suggestion is based on my recent (& limited but increasing) experience with a tiny Celeron J1900 board that I got on this forum itself. I am running Fedora 34 on it and it can handle Youtube and Diney+Hotstar (yes, on Linux, in fHD).

Thus, based on your use case and budget, something like this would be suitable:

VAMAA C1867 Series Mini Desktop Computer (Intel Celeron 3867U Dual Core/4GB/60GB SSD/Windows 10 Pro/Intel Integrated Graphics) Black : Amazon.in: Computers & Accessories

VAMAA C1867 Series Mini Desktop Computer (Intel Celeron 3867U Dual Core/4GB/60GB SSD/Windows 10 Pro/Intel Integrated Graphics) Black : Amazon.in: Computers & Accessories

www.amazon.in

I am not aware of this brand, and am not advocating using this specific part, but suggesting to explore something like this and make it work.