An HD RasPi media centre on less than 200kbps

I’ve recently had cause to set up a media centre on a RasPi and deploy it at a remote location. It had to be fully self contained, easy to use and require little user input beyond selecting what to watch.

I’ll be going through:

• Distros – OpenElec vs OSMC (nee RaspBMC).
• Hardware – The reasoning behind a odd choices.
• Streaming – Just how do you deliver HD video when the “up to 2Mbps” actually delivers one tenth to one twentieth of that and often fails?
• Routers – Some are actually worse than a tin can and string!
• Further work to be done
• Questions – Would Android have been better? What did I get wrong? (Besides everything…)
• Ponderings – Why do companies hate freedom? Is broadcast TV dead?

Going to try the Organ Grinder for this, what with every other venue seeming to have a pub quiz, live music etc. I’ll be trying to get there early-ish to grab decent seating, look for the person in a flap because he left some important bit of kit at home! There may also be penguins.