Android Box

[Seeker47]

What the tv supports may be irrelevant, as long as you have the right and necessary dongle for the remote.

The remote may end up controlling multiple devices (BD/DVD player, TV, etc.) For example, often one wants the remote to control audio volume on the TV (not the media player) and many TVs only support IR remotes.

Hey, since you have a Nvidia Shield, can you try playing some of these Hi10P (10 bit h.264) videos on it:

https://www.koi-sama.net/files/hi10/

Relative to the discussion here:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/407633-Bluray-player-that-supports-modern-codecs

Would you happen to have any info on current ASRock mini-PC models, for possible HTPC use ?

Sorry, I haven't been keeping track of that.

Would be glad to try that and report back. However, two factors may impinge here: first, my Panasonic plasma TVs "do not speak" the HDR (or 10 bit ?) dialect, and then I have deliberately not updated either Nvidia Shield from its previous Android TV OS level to the current one that was released earlier in the year. Nor was I likely to in the very near term, until I had a chance to look into some other things. The WHY of that is a longer conversation, but I don't get the impression that I was seriously missing anything important (in terms of my normal usage of the device) by not having done so when most Shield owners were upgrading. The prior operations still work, as before. I don't know whether either of these factors happens to be relevant here.

[usually_quiet]

What the tv supports may be irrelevant, as long as you have the right and necessary dongle for the remote.

The remote may end up controlling multiple devices (BD/DVD player, TV, etc.) For example, often one wants the remote to control audio volume on the TV (not the media player) and many TVs only support IR remotes.

Hey, since you have a Nvidia Shield, can you try playing some of these Hi10P (10 bit h.264) videos on it:

https://www.koi-sama.net/files/hi10/

Relative to the discussion here:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/407633-Bluray-player-that-supports-modern-codecs

Would you happen to have any info on current ASRock mini-PC models, for possible HTPC use ?

Sorry, I haven't been keeping track of that.

Would be glad to try that and report back. However, two factors may impinge here: first, my Panasonic plasma TVs "do not speak" the HDR (or 10 bit ?) dialect, and then I have deliberately not updated either Nvidia Shield from its previous Android TV OS level to the current one that was released earlier in the year. Nor was I likely to in the very near term, until I had a chance to look into some other things. The WHY of that is a longer conversation, but I don't get the impression that I was seriously missing anything important (in terms of my normal usage of the device) by not having done so when most Shield owners were upgrading. The prior operations still work, as before. I don't know whether either of these factors happens to be relevant here.

I downloaded 4 of the 8 samples onto my laptop. (2 were 1080p and 2 were 720p.) There is no HDR, according to MediaInfo. Windows 11's Movies and TV app and Media Player couldn't play them. VLC, PotPlayer, MPC-HC, and MPC-BE all played them.

[jagabo]

Yes, the three I downloaded (1, 6, 8) were all standard dynamic range.

[kyrcy]

I am looking for an android (or other) media player for playback of x264/x265 video and AC3/E-AC3/DTS/DTS-HD MA audio, mostly in an mkv container on an external USB hard disk, that has an A/V (TV) out port. Any recommendations?

[Tom Saurus]

kyrcy: I did consider this and one thing that stopped me from buying it was it doesn't look like it has play, pause, fast forward and rewind buttons. Please read through the reviews to learn from actual buyers of the product before you buy.

https://www.amazon.com/Player-Digital-Coaxial-Control-Keyboard/dp/B07WPY8VKL/ref=sr_1_...1zcF9hdGY&th=1

I have an Aptek Media Player that does have the playback buttons on the remote but it doesn't play .h265 but the interface is nice and it remembers where I left off in a video and such. I also found the 2 TB limit to be something I don't like.

When it comes to Android Boxes please be careful. I have bought ones that have phone OS instead of the official Android Operating System and though you can play so much in Kodi I found them limiting in upgrading and also getting all the apps you want to install and also they lose functionality such as upgrading for certain apps.

[Tom Saurus]

I got an email from Amazon and I am supposed to have delivery of the mini desktop PC and the wireless keyboard with trackpad by Thursday. I am of course wary of Windows 11 but I hope I can get it to work and tinker with it to make it more functional.

My Windows 7 HP Desktop continues to be a wonderful machine. However it freezes up fairly often these days especially with multi tasking and web browsing. It may be a ram issue as 4 Gb isn't much these days. I might try a little video encoding with the new computer but just short clips to see how well it does.

[usually_quiet]

I am looking for an android (or other) media player for playback of x264/x265 video and AC3/E-AC3/DTS/DTS-HD MA audio, mostly in an mkv container on an external USB hard disk, that has an A/V (TV) out port. Any recommendations?

Android boxes with A/V (TV) out ports are not hard to find. Support for MKV files and H.264 and H.265 decoding is also common (although some encoding profiles may not be playable) and I think it is possible to find an Android media player with support for decoding AC3/E-AC3. The rest of what you want is going to be hard to find. There may be a few high-end Android boxes that support decoding DTS but even those probably only support streaming DTS-HD MA audio to an audio receiver.

[Seeker47]

When it comes to Android Boxes please be careful. I have bought ones that have phone OS instead of the official Android Operating System and though you can play so much in Kodi I found them limiting in upgrading and also getting all the apps you want to install and also they lose functionality such as upgrading for certain apps.

My admittedly imperfect understanding is that straight up Android should not be confused with the Android TV OS, as they are not the same thing. There are plenty of devices that run the former, but not so many that ship running the latter.

[kyrcy]

I found this (https://www.amikostb.com/product/352-amiko-a6), but its hardware seems a little outdated.

I believe x264/x265 is supported, but audio is a little confusing.

Is DOLBY the same as AC3 and DOLBY PLUS as E-AC3?

What about DTS 5.1 and 7.1?

I also see an AV port in a photo (https://www.amikohome.com/api/file/i/1018/amiko_a6_rear_left_rgb_300dpi-jpg), but I read only about a digital video output.

Aren't these two different interfaces?

[usually_quiet]

I found this (https://www.amikostb.com/product/352-amiko-a6), but its hardware seems a little outdated.

I believe x264/x265 is supported, but audio is a little confusing.

For some reason, the page you linked to won't load for me.

Is DOLBY the same as AC3 and DOLBY PLUS as E-AC3?

Yes and yes.

What about DTS 5.1 and 7.1?

DTS supports up to 5.1 channel audio. DTS-HD and DTS-HD MA support up to 7.1 channel audio. DTS-HD MA is a lossless audio format that contains a lossy DTS "core" which can be decoded by a box that can only decode DTS or DTS-HD but the supplementary data that makes it lossless won't be decoded.

I also see an AV port in a photo (https://www.amikohome.com/api/file/i/1018/amiko_a6_rear_left_rgb_300dpi-jpg), but I read only about a digital video output.

Aren't these two different interfaces?

I can't tell you. Malwarebytes blocked this page due to malware activity.

[jagabo]

I found this (https://www.amikostb.com/product/352-amiko-a6), but its hardware seems a little outdated.

It's probably one of those counterfeit Android TV boxes. The problem with those is that they are based on a smartphone or tablet version of Android. A lot of the apps you might want to install won't work properly without a touchscreen. Even the pre-installed apps often don't work right.

Look for a certified Android TV devices. Google originally had very onerous requirements for Android TV licenses. They would only license it to very large corporations that agreed to produce very large numbers of devices. Because of this there were only a few standalone true Android TV boxes (and lots of TVs ran Android TV internally). About a year ago they finally reduced those requirements allowing smaller manufactures to license Android TV. So there are a lot more available now.

[Tom Saurus]

I got my mini-desktop today. It is taking a while to get used to but so far Windows 11 is not as bad as I feared. I have more to learn but I will be testing the machine out soon to see how it does when it comes to media playback and downloading excetra.

[Julia234]

I've just found this thread (haven't looked through all of it yet), but I didn't find any info about firestick. I finally decided to cancel a cable TV and thought that exactly firestick would be the best option (mostly because many of my friends have it, also this info sounds good). But now I see that the choice is much wider than I expected. Does anyone use a firestick? Will it be a good option for me?

[Seeker47]

I've just found this thread (haven't looked through all of it yet), but I didn't find any info about firestick. I finally decided to cancel a cable TV and thought that exactly firestick would be the best option (mostly because many of my friends have it). But now I see that the choice is much wider than I expected. Does anyone use a firestick? Will it be a good option for me?

I have a very early version of it, which I never used. IMO, even the later stick versions (not limited to Fire, because I believe competing vendors like Roku have offered compact devices with this 'flashdrive' form factor) were puny in hardware terms (features and capacity), not up to what I was looking for. But you'll have to field any dissenting views from other users. Roku has generally won on streamer Ease of Use, though perhaps the Firestick has by now copied that ? I did not much care for Roku either; didn't like their policies, for starters. Your choice may be influenced by how much you prize extreme portability, in opting for a stick type solution.

[jagabo]

firestick? Will it be a good option for me?

It depends on your needs and wants. Firestick is basically designed as a way for Amazon to sell you more stuff. Just like AppleTV.

[Julia234]

Thanks for your replies! Still haven't made the choice, but it is great to learn from others.

[Tom Saurus]

Julia234: There is a Fire Cube as well. It is more money but gives you the option of ethernet and hooking up at least one USB device. The price is so much more though you could get a cheap mini desktop for around the same price. I would imagine though if you want more options for the Firestick you could get a dongle. Perhaps you should you watch some YouTube reviews of Firesticks and other devices and see what others have experienced.

[Hunk91]

I have a firestick since 3 years and it is fantastic !
I use it to watch Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+. I also installed VLC so I can watch videos from my Nas server. I added an OTG cable so I can plug a USB stick or USB hard drive and am able to play videos from them.

And I also installed Retroarch, so I can play old video games.

For the price it is really competitive and safe !
Maybe one day I will upgrade to a firecube but I'm so satisfied with firestick !

Best regards

[Tom Saurus]

Hunk91: Thank you for posting your experience with the Firestick. Could you post a link to the type of OTG cable you bought to add USB hard drives to the Firestick? Does it also add ethernet capability as well?

[Seeker47]

Hunk91: Thank you for posting your experience with the Firestick. Could you post a link to the type of OTG cable you bought to add USB hard drives to the Firestick? Does it also add ethernet capability as well?

Cable ? Sounds like some sort of a hub might be required for that -- maybe even a powered one.

[usually_quiet]

I've just found this thread (haven't looked through all of it yet), but I didn't find any info about firestick. I finally decided to cancel a cable TV and thought that exactly firestick would be the best option (mostly because many of my friends have it, also this info sounds good). But now I see that the choice is much wider than I expected. Does anyone use a firestick? Will it be a good option for me?

I don't have an Amazon FireTV Stick, but I do have both Chromecast With Google TV models so I am not a stranger to streaming services. The list of available streaming services varies somewhat by device, so my advice is that you should check to make sure that the ones that you want are available on a FireTV Stick. I have seen complaints about people being subjected to too much advertising on FireTV devices but some have the same complaint regarding Roku and Chromecast devices.

[netmask56]

This is my Android box, the Zidoo UHD3000 - https://www.zidoo.tv/Product/index/model/UHD3000/target/JslBV16DI5FKKmVViAFMcQ%3D%3D.html . It is designed for local or network playback and has it's own PLEX like home theatre interface. It is not a streaming device, so no Netflix and the like. I use Chromecast Ultra for that.

[Hunk91]

@Tom Saurus : Here is the OTG cable I bought ; https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00EJP5XR2/?th=1

There is an official firestick ethernet adapter : https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Ethernet-Adapter-Fire-Devices/dp/B074TC662N/ref=sr_1_1?c...s%2C202&sr=8-1

As seeker47 mentionned a powered USB hub is anbsolutly requiered s the firestick power supply is low. Or you must buy a ore powerfull poer supply but it is better to seperate power supply

[Seeker47]

I've just found this thread (haven't looked through all of it yet), but I didn't find any info about firestick. I finally decided to cancel a cable TV and thought that exactly firestick would be the best option (mostly because many of my friends have it, also this info sounds good). But now I see that the choice is much wider than I expected. Does anyone use a firestick? Will it be a good option for me?

I don't have an Amazon FireTV Stick, but I do have both Chromecast With Google TV models so I am not a stranger to streaming services. The list of available streaming services varies somewhat by device, so my advice is that you should check to make sure that the ones that you want are available on a FireTV Stick. I have seen complaints about people being subjected to too much advertising on FireTV devices but some have the same complaint regarding Roku and Chromecast devices.

As I probably mentioned earlier in this thread, the major beefs that I had with Roku were otherwise: starting with requiring a credit card registered with them in order to activate and use the device, an intrusive policy (*) that I don't believe the other vendors employ, and continuing on to their aggressive desire to sell you service subscriptions and their arbitrary dropping of certain popular services or apps, probably out of wanting absolute control over your Roku and a denial of anything they considered potential competition. I categorically reject all that. As a more seasoned user, I had no need for their simple, hand-holding UI designed for newbies, but instead looked for max capabilities and user options. So far, it seems to be the Nvidia Shield that is delivering this . . . although I remain curious about the Dune and Zidoo models. I may yet sample those, but this has been a fairly low priority.

[ * If this is old news and they have relented on that policy, perhaps someone will update this.]

[Seeker47]

@Tom Saurus : Here is the OTG cable I bought ; https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00EJP5XR2/?th=1

That looks remarkably like one I bought years ago -- possibly for something like the Rii+ mini-keyboards (or might have come with it ?), but at this point I'm no longer sure what it originally was intended for.

[Tom Saurus]

A new $20.00 Walmart ONN Google TV device:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w5yBOO3lpA

That hub looks really neat as I prefer Ethernet to WIFI.

[jagabo]

That hub looks really neat as I prefer Ethernet to WIFI.

That looks like the one I'm using with my older ONN box.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BDJN76M/

Mentioned earlier:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/386414-Android-Box/page12#post2669961

[Seeker47]

I keep wondering whether there is anything at the high end that can seriously challenge Nvidia Shield for supremacy ? For some reason, I keep getting emails promoting the Dune Media players, but haven't pulled the trigger on any of their models because: a) most are coming direct from places like Malaysia, b) ridiculous prices asked, like one recently at around 2 grand (!), & c) apparently, warranty issues and no reliable U.S. support infrastructure. [You spend some serious $$$, you don't want to risk throwing it away.]