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XBMC Quick Setup Guide Updated 29-1-10

As highlighted with our previous XBMC introduction article,   I have been using XBMC since it's transformation from XBMP (Xbox Media Player) and was the sole reason I purchased the original xbox.  This day and age the focus is on High Definition formats and the original Xbox just doesn't cut it in terms of horsepower.

Why not create an XBMC powered HTPC?

I have done exactly this using a slipstreamed version of XP and old PC hardware.  Vista or Windows 7 will also suffice though I would recommend XP or Windows 7 if you are starting from scratch.  If you upgrade your main PC every now and then, why not put those old PC parts to good use.

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My current HTPC Build

This current setup achieves 1080p via XBMC without hardware video acceleration and think of this as a base model for un-accelerated Xbmc playback.

• Athlon XP 4400 CPU
• Old ASUS A8N Deluxe motherboard
• 2 gig DDR ram
• Azuntech HDA DTS Xplosion SoundCard
• ATI HD 4400 Graphics Card with HDMI
• Silverstone LC17 HTPC ATX case with remote.

Home Theatre Equipment

• Samsung 46" LCD
• Denon AVR 790 - Some Pics on my blog.
• 5.1 Subsonic Speaker System
• Zone 2 Outside speakers.

This article will be focusing on using the Windows platform as the OS of choice, the reasons are due to the HTPC also having multiple roles requiring a Windows environment - more on this later.   Linux is also a good choice with the benefit of having accelerated video playback for nVidia owners but the OS isn't suitable for everyone.  I will update this article as often as I can in order to keep it current with the speedy progress of XBMC.

At this stage I am assuming you are starting with a fresh OS install and have installed all the latest drivers.

Install and Setup XBMC

First we need to download the latest SVN or nightly build.  As of writing this, Windows now has a DirectX branch along with the old GL ports.  The DirectX build is now the default for Windows based platforms and the differences are minor.  On my system, DirectX seems far more responsive than GL for Navigation and playback is just as good.  A fantastic recent feature is that XBMC now has an automated nightly build mirror system which is a godsend. Download Here

Launch the executable and Install just like any other Windows App:

Before we launch XBMC a simple bit of preparation will help regarding playback Quality and stability:

• Enable vsync in your Graphics driver options.  This will eliminate video tearing.  This is also an option within XBMC but it helps to have this enabled via your ATI or nVidia Control Panel.
• Disable Triple buffering in your Graphics driver options.
• Copy the XBMC shortcut to Start up items so it starts with Windows if required.
• Set-up your graphics display resolution to suit that of your TV/Monitor

• Download the SVN Installer plugin.  This will allow you to install extra scripts, skins and plugins from within XBMC.  This should be included in Ikons SVN builds but it is here just in case. Forum.
• Download the Windows Automatic Update Client.  Developed by XBMC devs Kricker and Kay.One this can download the latest 3rd party build and update your local installation automatically.  It Also has the option to do the update without any user intervention. Forum. (Not currently working with the local build mirrors though will do in the future)

Now you should have everything ready to run and be able to setup XBMC without too much trouble.  Here is a quick rundown into setting up XBMC from the frontend, I will go into more details later but if you really want to go the HTPC route then it is good to get your hands dirty from this point, the important configuration options are as follows:

• Launch XBMC
• Go to Settings (system in Confluence skin) - Appearance - Screen and configure your Screen resolution.
• Enable Vertical Blank sync or set to let driver choose if you have done this in your driver panel.
• Go to Settings - Appearance - Screen Video Calibration and configure your Screen pixel ratio and overscan.  A clear flexible ruler helps with this one.
• Go to Settings - Video - Playback and enable Adjust Display Refresh Rate to match video This is optional and will require setting up your graphics card for each display type IE: 1080p 24hz, 1080p 50hz.  It will Eliminate pulldown judder and sync issues.  Make sure your TV or Display can handle these display modes before enabling.

Now we should have XBMC almost ready to go live on your HTPC installation.  From this point you can configure things like Media shares, Network settings, Sound options and Media scraping for info and thumbnails.  The default install now comes with the fantastic new Confluence skin as well as the old favorite, PM3 HD,  In the DirectX versions the GL based ProjectM music visualiser has been replaced with a build of Milkdrop (used in the original Xbox XBMC) which is DirectX based and was made open source a few years back, it is installed as default but must be selected in Music Options.  If you want me to go further into the Front End setup, post a message and let me know.

If you are feeling confident, XBMC for Windows now has DXVA GPU assisted video decoding in the form of the DSPlayer Branch by XBMC Developer tiben20.  The details on this can be found at this XBMC thread. The Boxee DXVA implementation may make it natively into the Windows branch soon.

The New Default Confluence Skin

You can find the home of XBMC Here.

Updated: 29th Of January 2010