Intel Compute Stick STCK1A32WFC

[HEXUS]

A quad-core Windows 8.1 PC in an ultra-compact form factor.

Read more.

[Jowsey]

Very interesting product.

Just a point to people who will be using this for media purposes. Unified remote is your best friend. Remote over wifi. Absolutely rock solid performance and has lots of remotes, including a Plex one. I think it's a couple quid to get the plex remote as it's in the full version only but worth the money IMO.

[Arthran]

USB Dongle for Xbox controller and then you have a wireless controller for media and for steam streaming. Very tempting for my media room

[cjs150]

As someone who uses both Kodi and windows media centre from the sofa using a very small bluetooth combined keyboard and trackpad, I feel MS missed a trick with not developing WMC. Combining WMC with MyMovies add on is a very good experience. Kodi is not bad but I have yet to find a Kodi skin that is as simple from the sofa as WMC+MyMovies

[shaithis]

As someone who uses both Kodi and windows media centre from the sofa using a very small bluetooth combined keyboard and trackpad, I feel MS missed a trick with not developing WMC. Combining WMC with MyMovies add on is a very good experience. Kodi is not bad but I have yet to find a Kodi skin that is as simple from the sofa as WMC+MyMovies

I agree on the WMC comments....I use it with MediaBrowser.tv (I assume it's much like MyMovies) and I am not looking forward to a WMC-less Windows 10

[Luke7]

Makes me even more excited for the ASUS Chromebit later this year.

[Percy1983]

Interested as a WMC user, as it is I use my movies and recorded tv HD (would recommend them both).

But also I use DVBLink which merges my Freeview HD/Freesat HD tuners but also makes them into virtual network tuners.

Currently my netbook and other PCs all use the network portion and then point at the the music/pictures/video/Tv folders on the main PC but the bedrooms use xbox 360s as extenders from the HTPC.

So in theory this could replace the Xbox but also have additional uses (browser, steam streaming) and of course leave more space for the wifes stuff on the side.

But what would be the cost of adding WMC as I guess it not already there?

[abaxas]

No mention of HDMI-CEC so maybe not as cool as first thought.

[Unique]

for less money you can get a linx7 tablet which is basically the same processor power plus a screen. ok it's a bit bigger, but who would need such a device in the dongle size that couldn't use the tablet instead?

the idea is great, but until the price comes down a fair bit, and/or the capabilities improve it's not such a great deal

[raven1001]

Intel overpriced as usual.

[TML]

Would like to know how it handles video streaming services. From my own observations something like HBO Nordic (not sure what other countries have this), Netflix, and of course high quality YouTube videos are way more resource heavy then some 1080p video file in Kodi or some other player.

[Brewster0101]

Be better off buying a windows tablet with HDMI out for similar price. Plug up a bluetooth or wifi keyboard/pad and away you go.

[TML]

Be better off buying a windows tablet with HDMI out for similar price. Plug up a bluetooth or wifi keyboard/pad and away you go.

...?

How is that even remotely as convenient when you are using the TV as a display?
Tablet hanging off the TV, long cable with tablet sitting there on the TV stand/table?

Completely different thing.
I imagine this stick, and the similar Android variants, to be something I have permanently sitting attached to the TV. Occasionally you can grab it with you to some trip and attach it to a TV there.

Just out of curiosity, what are these similarily priced windows tablets?

[Unique]

...?

How is that even remotely as convenient when you are using the TV as a display?
Tablet hanging off the TV, long cable with tablet sitting there on the TV stand/table?

Completely different thing.
I imagine this stick, and the similar Android variants, to be something I have permanently sitting attached to the TV. Occasionally you can grab it with you to some trip and attach it to a TV there.

Just out of curiosity, what are these similarily priced windows tablets?

you can place the tablet behind the tv or in a cabinet, out of site just like the dongle. if you are going on a trip, as well as plugging it into a tv you can watch stuff without a tv, such as in the car/train/bus/plane etc

i don't know about similarly priced windows tablets, but you can get ones like the linx7 for £60, which is a lot cheaper, plus it can do more, there's a similar one from another more well known brand at around the same price, it's pretty much the same specs and looks similar (samsung maybe)

[TML]

you can place the tablet behind the tv or in a cabinet, out of site just like the dongle. if you are going on a trip, as well as plugging it into a tv you can watch stuff without a tv, such as in the car/train/bus/plane etc

i don't know about similarly priced windows tablets, but you can get ones like the linx7 for £60, which is a lot cheaper, plus it can do more, there's a similar one from another more well known brand at around the same price, it's pretty much the same specs and looks similar (samsung maybe)

Well, yeah the tablet can be placed out of sight. However the USB stick is attached directly to the TV.
As for a wall mounted TV which is very common, such as mine and about all the people I know, then the tablet doesn't go anywhere there.

Yeah, you can probably get some China tablets or discount tablets from a while back for a similar price. Still I'd say you are paying for things that aren't necessary for the task the compute stick is performing.

Again, I think this is a device that is meant to be just the power for e.g. a TV.
So, in my own case I'd have this stick on my TV and a tablet separate for other purposes.

[Unique]

Well, yeah the tablet can be placed out of sight. However the USB stick is attached directly to the TV.
As for a wall mounted TV which is very common, such as mine and about all the people I know, then the tablet doesn't go anywhere there.

Yeah, you can probably get some China tablets or discount tablets from a while back for a similar price. Still I'd say you are paying for things that aren't necessary for the task the compute stick is performing.

Again, I think this is a device that is meant to be just the power for e.g. a TV.
So, in my own case I'd have this stick on my TV and a tablet separate for other purposes.

I don't know what kind of setup you have, but do you have any other items connected to your tv, such as a sky or virgin box or other pvr or bluray player or games console? where are those devices located? if those devices can be connected whilst remaining neat, then so can a tablet. some people will have hdmi amps so all the devices can be plugged into the amp and there is one output to the tv, so the tablet can plug into the amp (or a switch) so there is just the one cable running to the tv that carries picture and/or sound

remember your setup is your setup, and not the setup of anyone else, and other people will have different setups to you, so just because you may think it's not suitable for you, rightly or wrongly if you are unable to think about ways you can make it work, doesn't mean it's not suitable for others

as for paying for things that aren't necessary, well if you mean you are paying for the screen, then of course you are, but you get similar if not the same or even better performance and capability, for LESS money, so it's not a great argument. if the table cost a bit more and offered more, then you may have a better point, but when you get more for less money, which is the point myself and others are making, it doesn't make this seem such a great deal