Raspberry Pi2 Model B Desktop (Quad Core CPU 900 MHz, 1 GB RAM, Linux)

I've had a collection of RaspberyPi's for several years. I've used 'em for simple music players (running Raspbian Linux), simple low-power dedicated use servers (4watts is darn cheap to operate annually), even gave one to my ten-year-old to play with.I'm a big fan. Cheap computing! (and getting cheaper, they reportedly have a $4.99 stick-of-chewing-gum sized one out).But the new Raspberry Pi 2 Model B is a whole new animal!Now, with a gigabyte of ram, and a faster processor, I've stepped it up to being a primary Home Theater box!To get there, I added a nice aluminum Flirc case, and a USB remote interface, along with a Class 10 memory card. And to make it run efficiently I went with an OSMC Kodi home theater image.Yes, used this way it is a 'Linux' operating system, it's not your standard Windows, but A) It's free! and B) It's just about a turn-key prospect.OSMC Kodi comes as a simple image, that you stick on a card, and pretty much boot it up and you're off to the races for a home theater box, that can play local media. The nice thing about running a hard-ware targeted option like OSMC (or OpenELEC) is that the image knows how to use and configure itself for the hardware, which gets you up and running without a lot of monkeying around.I've been running it via HDMI into my tv, and using it to play content on my Synology NAS box. So far it's played every format I've thrown at it (avi, mp4, mkv, in mpeg2, divx, Xvid & h264), with SD and HD resolutions (up to 1080p). I couldn't see any real bogging down during playback.UPDATE 1/5/2016: OK, I have found one specific area that the RPi2-B does bog down as a KODI media center, for video playback: Highly-compressed hi-rez h264-encoded files. I've seen it several times in the last week from both mkv & mp4 files. Yardstick: Any content in the 60min range, that's less than 200M is a candidate for bogged down frame-rates. It'll play, it's just fairly annoying. I When I've checked these they're in the 720 or higher res level; In a pinch I could certainly unpack and re-encode them with a less extreme compression level, so far I've simply shifted to a less compressed file, eg a file that's 220+ (if like myself you're not a stickler for high-res).Note: mpeg2 hardware decoding is a sub five dollar license addon from the raspberrypi site.No I'm not going to try to run a 4K interface on an RPI - frankly I don't even have a TV in that range, let alone consider streaming that kind of bandwidth off the net. :P But for 720 & 1080 or less resolutions, I'm happy as a clam with the results & cost.If you've got a collection of phone videos, or other local content, this may just be all you need..For streaming content, out of the box, you can easily add a Youtube plugin. Unfortunately, the biggest hurdles, when compared to my Roku stick or WDTVLive box, is that you aren't going to be able to find native Linux plugins for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc, for aany Linux-based box. But, there is a common work around for that option as well: A component calle Playon, will let your linux home theater leverage a Windows pc's ability to run a native component for those services. Not free, but also not very expensive either (haven't gone that route myself; I own a Roku et al).I also own a WDTVLive box, which until now has substantially occupied this 'play local media' niche. Yes it plays just about every format known to man, and it has functional Netflix, and several other commercial components. But the fact is, the WDTVLive is fairly flakey as well. It's well known that using some of the service plugins can require a manual reboot after use. And it's media management and scanning functions are a pain (takes several minutes on startup to complete a fresh scan, before the Interface is ready to use).So all things considered, combining an RPI running OSMC\Kodi, with a Roku or other streaming box (for commercial services) is rapidly moving me into final 'cord-cutting' territory.

***Update***I said that I would do it, and indeed I did... ;-)Since I wrote this review I have gotten 2 more Pi's. I now have one on each tv. I use them all.They are all working great, and they are going to make cutting the cable tv cord bearable. :-)*********************************************************************************Man, I LOVE this thing! Love, love, love!I was looking for a media player which would work equally well for streaming from the internet and playing videos (avi, mkv, mp4) from a flash drive. This bargain priced little computer fits the bill nicely. It is also small. Very small. In it's case, it is roughly the size of a deck of cards. It hooks up to your TV via an HDMI cable.I looked at regular streaming media players, and while many were good for streaming, they weren't good for playing local files, or vice versa. The Roku looked interesting- but you have to give them your credit card # to use it? Thanks- but no thanks... Some other players worked well for doing both- but the prices for some of them were just utterly ridiculous. $400 for a media player that does the same thing a $40 Raspberry Pi does. I don't think so.The Pi takes a bit of work to set up. It does not come with an operating system, you have to add your own. You install your choice of OS onto a micro SD card (class 10 is best- I use a 16GB PNY) and that's what the device boots from and uses. I use an OS called KODI (used to be called XBMC). It is an open source OS based on Linux, designed to be a media center and nothing else. It is lightweight and fast. You can also install Raspbian, which is Debian based and is a more "complete" OS. It depends on what you're doing with this device. For my needs KODI is more than sufficient. It also boots up in under 10 seconds and so far has been relatively stable.You need to buy a case, as all you get is the circuit board. It does not have wifi, so you need to buy a wifi dongle if you're not using ethernet. I bought one of the Edimax nano ones, and it works fine although I now have it hooked up with an ethernet cable. Ethernet is best for streaming, although to be honest I didn't really have any buffering issues with either one.You may or may not need a remote. The Pi has an IR sensor, and it is HDMI-CEC compliant. What this means is that if you have a modern flatscreen tv that is also HDMI-CEC compliant- you will likely be able to use your TV remote with the Pi. I did not know that when I bought it, so I also bought a FLIRC usb receiver which allows you to use other remotes and program them to your liking for use with the Pi.The advantage of KODI is that it's simple to use, and there are thousands of addons available that allow streaming from websites all over the world. Some of them are geo-locked, so you can't stream them in the US, but many more are not. There are literally thousands to choose from. You can watch tons of stuff you never thought possible- and I'm only talking of the LEGAL stuff right now- that you can't get from your cable or satellite provider.THIS is why people are "cutting the cord" with cable. This device makes it easy to watch quality, legal, commercial free programming for free.I plan on cutting the cord soon myself, and I am so happy with the Pi I plan on buying several more to attach to other TV's around my house. I'm just waiting for hubby to get some free time to run some cat6 for me.For the price, and the functionality of this device, you can't go wrong. If you are able to install the OS and install the board into the case (easy peasy) you're good to go. For the pleasure I am getting from the Pi in being able to watch what I like, with no commercials, legally- this thing is worth it's weight in gold. My WDTV Live, which was always a PITA and very restrictive- is going to my mother, to be replaced by another Raspberry Pi.You can't go wrong with this, in my opinion. I love it.