Ok LH wants to leap into the 21st century (or to put it more precisely I think he should, given disposable income and current lack of tech at his).
I have a friend who has a full 30tb personal nas.. I asked

Wotcha, looking down from on high in your nas like ninja-ness, I don't suppose you (or others) have a better (more up to date-as most of the actual reviews are 12 months old) top 5 than this for router +H.D. combos.. for a couple of noobs who've just moved and want nas-lite of 2-4tb ish. http://reviews.cnet.com/2733-3243_7-568-5.html

His response

Haven't looked in a while, but if they don't want anything too fancy, it might be worth looking at the "network ready HDD" type offerings from Seagate, Western Digital and the like..? Basically an external hard disk with an Ethernet port that they can plug into their existing router (or ISP provided router I they're starting from scratch).
I would think that would be the cheapest option. I'm pretty sure that I didn't just dream that such devices exist...
Otherwise, I'm a big fan of Draytek in terms of reliability and their recent routers offer the ability to attach USB hard disks to provide some limited network functionality.
What to get probably depends on exactly what they're looking to do with it - e.g. do they just want to share files to multiple PCs within the home or do they want fancier features like streaming their videos within the house or streaming their music to their smartphone while out and about, etc, etc

and then got bored (and deluged his wall with macro pics he'd taken of insects antenna).

Basically I think he wants something 2-4TBs always on (or wake on simple packet), connected to a simple router.(Not an always on base unit PC) To stream audio/visual around a fairly large property (possibly using internal electric loop to extend range) to a combo of windows PCs, smart TVs and android devices inc possibly their raspberry pi media dongle thingy knockoff for XBMC (Not sure if apple is in there.. but I think the faff of formats (e.g. smart on the fly recoders makes that a silly) . I, currently, don't believe they'll want external (off site) access.

Opinions? backstories? Product recommendations..
The main nightmare I have is above friend bought endless combos of routers and HDs that said they'd work together which didn't (I profited on the trickle down of that, but If I'm recommending stuff I can hardly steal it when it doesn't do what it says on the tin ).

Ok, I'm getting there!

After finding out that my new house has a massive 2 phone lines in (none anywhere near where I'd like a telly), I've invested in a powerline ethernet solution, which is working fine with my BT vision box (despite BT claiming it wouldn't).

I've also found a decent old belkin wireless connecter with ports which is now next to my TV so that the bluray & BT vision boxes have internet connections. So I got Netflix too.

Got that working on the laptop through HDMI into the telly, but an ungainly solution at best. I tried porting through my bluray player, but the controls are so clunky and the screen load times so long that it's unworkable.

So I thought I'd power Netflix through my (now redundant) X-Box. However, Microsoft want me to pay another £15 per month to get a gold subscription to watch another Microsoft product that I'm already paying £6 per month for. So FU Microsoft, back in the drawer goes the X-Box.

I pull out the Wii, and that's got everything working, but the picture is crap (no HD for you Mr Wii). I could spend money on better cables (and a wired internet connection that's less flakey), but given I can't get better than 480p out of a Wii no matter what I do - what's the point?

So, the question:

What're my options here? What I want is effectively an XBox that I don't have to pay gold subscription to watcvh Netflix on. I want the following:
1) Internet in
2) HDMI out
3) A very simple thing where I turn the box on & it has Netflix on it, I don't want submenus & the like (so not a windows PC realistically) - I want the kids to be able to use it on their own, and they're 5 & 3.
4) A simple control mechanism (an X-Box controller would be fine)

I keep hearing about Rasberry Pi - will this do the job? Or can I go to PC world & just buy "a box what plays Netflix onto your telly"?

Thanks in advance.

Go to geeky IT site,nobody knows about IT

"a powerline ethernet solution" You mean the network running through your homes electrical loop, yeah those are great.
"X-Box" coincidentally if it was *just* an Xbox you could run a rather cool media player called XMBC, but it doesn't work on 360s.
Also NOBODY pays £16 a month for gold.. thats just what the suckker parents get punched with when they let their kids use their credit cards and don't cancel in a timely manner.. On average its about £3-4 a month.. e.g. this current deal of £24 for 12 months.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/xbox-li ... de-1633556
MS run a punitive offer system, e.g. most months they'll offer a 1 month free, if we get your credit card details.. so if you don't cancel immediately we get 16 for the second month out of you system.. once you understand thats how they're price geared (punish the stupid reward the anally retentive)..its quite simple.. I still am too tight though.

Netflix is available for android, but it requires too much gumph for pi ("Content decryption module".html 5 stuff plugged in to chrome.. basically complex stuff that techies are getting headaches over)..
e.g. http://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/qu ... on-raspbmc

If you JUST, want a box that plays netflix you're probably best off with an off the shelf product (a quick peruse comes up with Roku,but they require you reg with them as well and apprently you have to make V sure you don't gethe US model)..also http://www.wdc.com/en/products/homeente ... iaplayers/ and http://store.apple.com/uk/ipod/ipod-acc ... s/apple-tv I don'tknow anything about the above.. to much cash for messing around with casually.

For low key checking stuff..I've started messing around with XBMC.. it works on EVERYthing (apple, android, pc and Pi etc) so its easy to check whether stuff will work before buying your custom android media box.
http://xbmc.org/download/

This is the secret special way you set it up to actually work( as in my brother in law got passed it on the back of a beer matt in scribble and I had to work out what everyone was talking about).
http://www.xbmchub.com/blog/2012/04/24/ ... -for-xbmc/

The downside.. its all about how you configure the addons, do you add the adult channel bundle (basically Xhamster websites etc).. do you add all the naughty pirate ones that basically just stream stuff similar to how megaupload used to..
Or do you use configs, tools etc to get the channels you specifically want.
But,it is techy setting it up.. http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Ad ... te_control

Once you've done that the thing is incredibly easy to use.. you're welcome to bash mine around when your free this sat if you wish.. but mine is just trialling it stuck on a pc to help out the noobs who were demanding I found out what it was.

I know above I've said, Pi can't do netflix, pi can do xmbc, xbmc can do netflix..
I don't have a subscription so can't test the above but its what the web says..
* and caveat emptor I haven't got netflix on my xmbc so again.. the web says.
I've only been fiddling with it a for a few hours thus far.

I understood very little of that. But I did come away with this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ne ... le_devices

Which is exactly what I was after. You are a very useful person to know - I knew this must exist, I just didn't know how to find it...

Now I need to whittle down to the best one.

basically
Xbox- much cheaper than you say- s'up to you whether that makes it more viable.
Android.. has a netflix app
Additionally you can come and have a bash with the front end/program peeps are raving about whenever at mine.. and whilst its the cheapest most tailorable solution it may be too much faff for you to setup.

Hmm XBox gold option, that is far cheaper than a new box... Might just do that...

Ok, new query!

I need a new phone. It can only be on a Vodaphone contract (as that's the only provider I've seen that has a reliable signal in my house).

What do I get? What's the best tarriff? Bear in mind that I don't need the newest shiniest thing - it only needs to make calls & texts, go on the internet & play a few simple games apps. And I'm very tight - I don't want to pay more than £25 per month, and I won't pay more than £30.

Mobile phone contracts bore me!

I'm afriad to get a good deal, you either have to be
a) Mr shouty up front, throw toys out pram and scream " Don't get done get domm'ed" (like my brother in law who spent 2 hours haggling over a TV got it down to 1/3rd label price then walked off because they woulnd't throw in a lamp to show they liked him.He likes the game.
b) be boring and stare at stuff/do the knowledge.

Fortunately..Internet (even if nobody here has a mobile phone???)

Renewel time with Sky and with mobile phones is your only hope of getting out of sucker £16 a month for xbox bracket)
This place used to be ok.. just slidey scales of what you want.. gives you a list of whats avilable and how it funds..
http://www.omio.com/

Generally;
>If you're ready to, the best deals generally are ones where you get your contract and a wodge of vouchers you must send back on specific dates to reduce your bills, I've done that 1.5 years in a row with S3 giant bundles of stuff at approx £15 a month.
> paying more upfront and getting a lower monthly rate comes with slightly better deals..
>(Its worth looking into just straight out buying a handset and taking out a contract separately, although hurdle jumping vouchers are generally cheaper as they like banks rely on stupid heads to make up your savings)..
> If your willing to get locked into a 2 year contract or greater someone should be offering you a discount the likes of which god has never seen.Year ones have pretty much ceased to be. You pretty much shop for an 18 month one, or something without any ties (which requires you buy your handset separately)
>Orange can still be ok on from start contracts but are now possibly the worst to 'upgrade within' (not sure why, even their disconnect people say it)

Handsets- everybody has a side and they stick to it pretty much.
Blackbury still have those actual keyboards, london business type friends love them, because they can write really long documents on the train.. but its going through a financial meltdown as other handsets gain access to their chat and kids flock to the newer cooler things.(literally meltdown its ditching nearly half its staff over last year http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24214301 )
HTC- My personal Fave- went through total melt down at the start of this year, making it impossible for me to get the new new version of the "one" because traders didn't want to handle their stock..(also the whole new new.. in the 18mths of my htc desire HD they released 36 or so other models C+ HD alpha X+ aweome mk2.. their software product support therefore is very diluted).
IphoneMy view hipster gash which charges £550 for a handset you can't use emulators or fun stuff on without breaking it, the amount of people cryin on FB because Itunes reset and deleted their music..I lol.I never get it when I see techies with them.
Huawei new kids on the western block, chinese phone company, which are getting quite a good rep quite quickly.
Sony know nothing about them the new one is Xperia Z1 its quite expensive.
NokiaI got burned by their old operating system (symbian) so generally rant about them, but they are now bessie mates with microsoft..so my rant is totally outdated..however I also don't like windows 8.. Lumia 625 is cheap.
Samsung Is anybody not suing them for being cheeky? My current one is an s3, just because at the time the S4 (which other dave has) was going to set me back a further 180.
In your office I'm betting its a mix of blackbury, samsung3-4 and Iphone4s/5.

Prices slightly out, link long because for some reason I had to use the google cached version
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a

Gone for the Xperia Z for £29 per month (+ £87 cashback)

Thank you for your help!

@ KMB - hipster gash - ! I refuse to get an iphone for pretty much the same reasons you gave.

@ LH - I have the Xperia T as the Z had not been given a release date, and I was too impatient to wait another few months. I love it. Great screen, solid software and really easy to use. Also, works well when paired with a Sony TV, or with the smart-tags. Plus, mine has all the Bond bonuses - which I love for the nerdiness!

Also - why XB? Why not a PS3, which has netflix and no annual fee to use the internet?

XB. he has a biege ancient one (pre ps3)..
I have a black one that cost too much, because kinnect is the most awesome thing for kids.. a game where they can't lose a controller or break it= a billionity pounds saved

Yeah, it appeaers to be pre HDMI as well which has kyboshed things at the moment...

Sticking to the WII at the moment, as it's easier for the kids to use.

Really like the look of the Roku! Can't justify the expense to the wife (especially when the WII & XBox are sitting around doing nothing!)

Ljundhammer wrote:(especially when the WII & XBox are sitting around doing nothing!)

Sell your eggbawkz.. its not like you actually like it. Ebay 30-50 squid.It will get the higher end if you can convince people that its the only beige one left in the universe that hasn't red ring of deathed.

Ok, what's the deal with this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Android-Bluetoo ... art+CX-919

Looks like a smart TV without the smart TV?

Not a great review, but I don't trust amazon reviews of anything really, never mind electronics.

What are thoughts of the assembled neerds, geeks, and hipster anti-hipsters?

I don't know what it is to be honest. A tv receiver that plugs into your pc or something?