Thinkpads Forum

Anybody using a X200 as a HTPC?

I have a X40 for couch surfing, running Linux Mint. Works great, but I recently got Netflix and want to use my laptop as a HTPC. How good does the Intel 4500HD graphics chip work? How much memory does it use from RAM?

I know the laptop also just has a VGA output (like the X40) but I just want to have decent quality for Netflix and be able to play full HD qualtiy YouTube videos.

I am not using an X200 but I have experience with a X61T that I think would apply.

I lost the screen off the X61t to another unit so it does not even have a display - it is attached directly only to the TV.

It works really well. Very very well.

I use

- a butchered X61t with an Ultrabase which makes things much easier. All cables are connected to the Ultrabase and I can lift out the laptop to use it with screens in other rooms.
- a Windows Media Center remote (it is very close to this one: has to have that external USB receiver bit else the PC has to be sitting out in the open. With the remote, you can tuck the laptop away out of view.
- XBMC on Ubuntu

The laptop uses wireless to connect to a WD TVLiveHub in another room to read media off the 1TB dribe in the MediaGate.

We can also watch TV using am XBMC plugin. It is not real time - it plays off the web, not off cable. But, there are no adds. I get about 7 HD channels in Toronto + a bunch of other stuff. Have never bothered to set anything else up but I know that there are a ton of other channels. The remote works really well and I have never had to use the keyboard apart from Ubuntu brought in pop-up messages about wanting to upgrade to a newer version. Those went away when I set up the software center not to show them.

All in all, set up works well. Kids like it and understand it (one is only 6) since it can show movie screenshots.

LOL, great use of a broken laptop!

Yes, I was looking at both the X60 and X200 series. Since the X200 has a slightly newer video chip, I will probably go for a base X200 instead of a souped-up X60. I can always add RAM or HD later.

Your experience with the laptop is exactly the kind of thing I was wondering about. I was tempted to get some ROKU / Apple TV device for my living room. Its mostly due to the fact that my HDTV is an older pre-Smart TV, so it does not have the streaming built in. But why spend $100 dlls on a media box, when instead I can invest it into a newer laptop.

The WD TVLiveHub looks nice, but seems to be a cable tv replacement. I'm getting basic cable with my internet bundle and really only need something better to watch Netflix on. I'm thinking the X200 will fit the bill.

Happy Holidays

The X4500 offered in the X200 can help offload HD decoding and lessens the load on the CPU. The X6x won't have this feature. My experience with my R60, which would be similar to the X60, is it plays HD content fine, but smooth Blu-ray playback is a no-go.

I think I saw somewhere, perhaps here, that audio via the displayport for some X200 does not work. If you were planning to do DP to HDMI that might be of interest. I'm not sure which models have it or not.

I have a similar setup as a HTPC: x301 (Intel 4500), connected to a TV with a DP to HDMI cable and have never had a quality problem. Also worked equally well with a VGA connection. Streams Netflix (via Ethernet) with no problems.

And yes, the first Display Port version did not pass audio so an audio cable is necessary.

I'd just caution that 1080p output might be shaky. I use my X200s connected through the ultrabase with DP to a 1080p monitor and 1080p video really drags.

I don't have Netflix but HBOGO is basically unwatchable. 1080p Youtube sometimes is smooth, it seems to depend on how much is going on.

720p you should be fine.

Atreides wrote:I'd just caution that 1080p output might be shaky. I use my X200s connected through the ultrabase with DP to a 1080p monitor and 1080p video really drags.

I don't have Netflix but HBOGO is basically unwatchable. 1080p Youtube sometimes is smooth, it seems to depend on how much is going on.

720p you should be fine.

---Well so long as 720p works, that is fine. I get 1,366-by-768 through the VGA port, so then it would be fine using that and getting a decent picture ? Really only want it for action pictures that would look better in my 37" HDTV than the computer I use right now. It is an older 19" widescreen.

My X200 played 1080 Blu-ray rips well, though it was not as smooth in low power mode. The X200s uses LV and ULV CPUs, which may or may not be be part of the problem.

ZaZ wrote:My X200 played 1080 Blu-ray rips well, though it was not as smooth in low power mode. The X200s uses LV and ULV CPUs, which may or may not be be part of the problem.

I'm far from an expert but I'd warrant the CPU plays a large part in HD output as both the X200 and X200s use the same Intel GMA 4500. I think there's a decent performance jump from the LV C2Ds to the "full" mobile C2Ds.

For all who want to use Core Duo or Core 2 Duo units for this, install one of these Broadcom MiniPCIe HD decoders, they are really cheap on eBay and make 1080p video playback perfect.

Atreides wrote:I'd just caution that 1080p output might be shaky. I use my X200s connected through the ultrabase with DP to a 1080p monitor and 1080p video really drags.

I have an X200s but have never noticed any lag when playing 1080p video on a 1920x1200 HP monitor.

smugiri wrote:For all who want to use Core Duo or Core 2 Duo units for this, install one of these Broadcom MiniPCIe HD decoders, they are really cheap on eBay and make 1080p video playback perfect.

The half size version could be a neat use of the empty half size MiniPCIe slot in the X200s

Pardon my ignorance, but is installing one of these Broadcom cards just a matter of tossing one into a free slot and ensuring it has drivers?

I have an X200 and multiple T61s.

Just install in a spare slot and go... with the possible caveat that you'll need a whitelisted BIOS mod (I had already flashed mine so I could add an Intel AC 7260 wireless adapter) and that it may not work in all slots - I decided to have a play and installed one in the half size slot.

You'll also need the drivers from the Broadcom site at:

http://www.broadcom.com/support/crystal_hd/

Thanks!

Already have whitelist-modded BIOS on everything (thanks to these forums).