so i would like to put together a htpc using something like the raspberry pi, or beaglebone black.
from the sounds of it, the raspberry pi is the winner with the higher resolution video, and two USB ports. but i like the embedded memory for the OS, and faster processor of the beaglebone black.
i know at least a few people here have played with the raspberry pi, but anyone with the beaglebone? i know there are some other boards too, should i look at one of those instead?
The raspberry pi grabbed my attention awhile back, but I never got around to getting one. My intended use was the same. I'm interested to hear more on these.
-Garry
On my todo list for some time, maybe now is a good time to play!
from the sounds of it talking on the beagleboard IRC, it is not suited for htpc use. either that or they just feel like trolling.
they seem to not be able to comprehend wanting to build an htpc to get to know these boards a little
was told like 5 times to try win 3.11...
I have played around with both, the raspberry pi is definitely going to be the way to go for that stuff. It has much better support, and plenty of guides are available on how to install XBMC on it and from what I've heard the raspberry pi has much better support for high resolution video. IMO the raspberry pi is better as a portable computer, while the Beaglebone black is better for things where you are going to use the available pins.
You may want to check out this article from MAKE:
http://makezine.com/2013/04/15/arduino-uno-vs-beaglebone-vs-raspberry-pi/
Also, just to through this out there, an Arduino is also a lot of fun and much easier to use as far as programming goes, I've already managed to set mine up with an ethernet shield and a mosfet so I can remotely turn on or off my C9000 LED (acting as lighting for a room), however it definitely is not as powerful as either of the 2 you mentioned, it is more for things where you don't need that kind of power.
yeah i originally wanted a arduino, for some time actually. then the raspberry pi came out and i wanted one... both got put on the back burner.
now my interest has came back, an figure setting up an htpc would be a good start, and justification to buy one... then i can play around with it for a while doing other things
from my take, the audio and video are not suitable on the beaglebone for an htpc. i was thinking i will get a rpi for for a htpc, and maybe get a beaglebone black and set it up as a media server... that way i will end up with both to play with 
i dont really have any specific projects to do with them, but once i get them i can follow some how tos, and get a feel for them and what can be done.
another idea i had, is setting up a media center in my car with one. got some ideas for one, but im a slacker so probably wont get around to it
happen to have any boards you dont want that you may let go of?
No, all of mine are currently in use in some form or another, sorry. :(
figured, but thought id ask 
may i ask what you are using your rpi and bbb for?
edit: they are not all that expensive anyway... considering what they are
Yeah, considering what they are they are extremely cheap. Currently my Raspberry Pi is functioning as a VPN server, this means I can route all of my network traffic from all my other devices through it. This works surprisingly well, and I can still get decent speeds out of it. I also use it just as a SSH server that I can easily SSH into for any thing I need to do on my network. I also have used it as a file server in the past (but now I have a Pogoplug running arch linux for that).
As for the beagle bone black, I don't actually have one but my friend does and I had been helping him set it up as a file server. IIRC we installed Debian wheezy on it and used that in conjunction with lighttpd, from there we installed Owncloud on it.
The Pi is good as an HTPC, but ONLY if you’re going to use audio over HDMI. The analog audio output is not very good in terms of quality, and some time ago there was a strange bug where the darn thing “plopped” every time you started a video or when it changed songs.
My Pi is currently in a music venue, driving the TV which displays upcoming acts and gigs.
Hey, don’t buy raspberry! It is slow and expensive!
Buy something with RK3188(quad core) (I recommend imito QX1) or even RK3066(dual core) might satisfy you. If you would like to play with linux then choose gk802 that has freescale mcu and is a bit better supported. These are great little devices that play full HD movies and work like a charm! You can even stream video to it, play network files, control it with your android smartphone, use it as a server… These will satisfy a hacker and even a common user.
It is easy to choose the TV stick but it is not easy to choose remote that will fit you. Just watch some reviews on youtube. I’m happy with fly mouse (with accelerometer) but not everyone is comfortable with it, so you might want a touchpad. Some remotes (esp. ipazzport) have universal IR remote on one side so you can use only one remote for TV and HTPC.
I have imito MX1 + measy RC11 remote and I can’t be much happier. I modded it by adding a thermal pad and external antenna and flashed it with custom rom.
It runs really smooth, you can install anything you want on it (XBMC, Internet radios, games, download managers - just anything! You can connect webcam, usb sound card (to play internet radio without having the TV turned on), external drive etc. to it. It has low power consumption so you don’t have to turn it off. Really, I recommend these android sticks.
And all this fun for from $45(RK3066 + regular keyboard and mouse) to $100 (RK3188 + nice remote). I really don’t regret my choice! 
Are these Android TV sticks easy to use by non-techy people? And do they support flash video? I'm looking for something easy to use that I can play just about any video from the web on my TV (Hulu as well as TV Network websites that stream their shows -often flash video). I assume you can use a wireless keyboard & mouse (like I planned with a Raspberry Pi).
I'm a bit of a techie, but my experience is restricted to Windows and NAS's that run an embedded Linux thru a browser interface. I just don't have the time to do anything real involved. I just want something I can plug in, plug in peripherals, and go. Oh, and the cheaper the better. I have no Android experience and no experience with Android apps, but I suppose that's no big deal.
-Garry
android is pretty easy, and there are even a few networks that have apps to watch their shows through.
those little android stick look cool, but i have other plans for the raspberry pi also
I’ve been using Pi for quite some time (with raspbmc) and I’m very happy with it.
I’ve been using Pi for quite some time (with raspbmc) and I’m very happy with it.
Yes, they are easy to use, low-cost, hi-performance (way better than raspberry) devices with ability to play flash video Not all peripherals are supported (not every webcam or sound cards) so just take a look to which one to buy before you do it.
If you are into electronic projects, you may use UART (some of them have solder pads on mainboard. And most likely you could use USB/UART dongle (not confirmed) I think that with linux, there will be no problem with UART communication (i.e. with arduino) 
You should give it a try, you will not regret! And if so, you can sell it anytime. But I’m pretty sure that you will not.
It will cost you just 40 bucks and an old PC mouse to try…
PS: If you really plan to mod it and use linux then make some research which models are best supported. you can check freaktab.com for example
So driveX, what do you think of this one from FastTech? Is the only advantage of this one that it has bluetooth (which I likely don't need)?
-Garry
im also looking at the cubieboard now too. cubieboard has an SATA header.
i been thinking about running two seperate OS's on it, one for media, and one for retro pie. once was in to emulation, and still have a buttload of roms... like all of them for all the major systems up to GBA.
got an old snes downstairs that i was thinking i can mount a board in. but maybe i will be better off getting a non working unit offline. maybe a super famicom...
Sorry for the late reply. I think that both should be fine, they are very similar. Bluetooth is nice for pairing with phone/mouse/headphones/PS3 controller… I have damaged BT on my imito and I don’t miss it much. You can check for custom ROMs on http://blog.geekbuying.com or http://www.freaktab.com. From what I have found, MK809II should be compatible with ROMs made for imito(which is quite supported).You don’t really need the custom rom though.
PS: What are you going to use as an input device?
me? if i put it in a old snes, i will use a bluetooth keyboard/touch pad combo, and wire up the snes controller ports to use as usb gamepads. i also have a good usb gamepad, cant remember the brand/model, but was quite pricey when i bought it