Advice sought - External USB Media Player 4K

[dellsam34]

That part I couldn't remember, but the OP may not need this feature though.

[usually_quiet]

I never liked Roku,Apple TV or Chromcast as media players they are to restricted expensive and low performance vs chinese boxes who are cheep very compatible and high performance s905 ( and it variants) s912 soc can all play 4k h265 hdr10 VP9 divx,xvid,even AV1 and they cost from 40-50 $ come with android tv or custom roms and can use any service amazon prime netflix and so on plex or Kodi so you can play any file https://www.androidtv-guide.com/streaming-gaming/av1-androidtv-players/
many come with spidif or optical out so you can connect to your audio systems ( many can decode atmos) so I will suggest them like jack_666

Most cheap Chinese Android boxes are not approved devices for major streaming services and the custom ROMs can stop working for those. It is better to get a box that has official approval for the streaming services that one wants to use.

The S905X4 SOC and S905Y4 provide AV1 hardware decoding to allow playing 4K 120fps AV1. Earlier S905 SOCs don't provide AV1 hardware decoding.

I couldn't find any reference that says the S912 SOC or some newer variant of it provides AV1 hardware decoding so I'm going to say that it too lacks that feature.

I have a Chromecast With Google TV. For $50 it is a pretty good media player. It doesn't have AV1 hardware decoding but does have VP9-2 hardware decoding. The Chromecast With Google TV isn't an approved platform for AMC+ but is an approved device for Amazon Prime and virtually everything else I'd want to watch. Its main limitations are no connections other than 1 HDMI and 1 USB C but I'm streaming my media files wirelessly via SMB and don't have an audio receiver or sound bar. I guess if I were interested in watching streaming sites that don't allow US residents I would need a different device but I don't want to do that.

[mammo1789]

Most cheap Chinese Android boxes are not approved devices for major streaming services and the custom ROMs can stop working for those. It is better to get a box that has official approval for the streaming services that one wants to use.

The S905X4 SOC and S905Y4 provide AV1 hardware decoding to allow playing 4K 120fps AV1. Earlier S905 SOCs don't provide AV1 hardware decoding.

s905x is the most popular variant and no it doesn't have av1 hardware decoding (but the op didn't ask for it) that's why I sad variants and yes s905x4 and s905y4 have hardware decoding of av1. As far as Netflix is concerned it does work on some ( on mine it does I have two boxes one in living room one in bedroom one is HK1 X3 s905x3 with and added AI engine 4gb ram 32 ssd and 256gb sd card and custom Android tv 10 rom does Netflix to 1080p ( some 4k videos but most not ) the other is M8 s905x with 2gb ram 32gb ssd no sd card put in it (bedroom) custom Android tv 9 and Netflix 1080p. In Kodi 18,9 there is also Netflix plugin which works to 1080p or 720p I mostly use kodi on it but also some LiveTv apps (because I don't use TV provider) which are giving me all the tv channels that my cable is offering and more. I use Netflix for movies and series from streaming and MX player for my personal files ( it can play almost everything) and then there are plugins for Kodi which can even play ut lossless avis. I hate the remotes on this boxes so I use old Samsung android phone ( the app is available even for ios)as Android tv Remote ( yes It can even use the voice command) and there is Kore app ( Kodi remote ) which has nice feature as to see the files and plugins directly on your phone ( and play them from there ) so you don't have to be in the same room when you use the box ( ideal if you have kids) I don't think Roku is nowhere near that flexibility or power. Nvidia shield is very nice but it is more expensive. I used couple of this boxes over the years and did crazy sh on them they seem indestructible I even bricked the box ( easy if you use custom roms) and used the physical hack ( paper clip short on some legs on the ssd chip itself ) and it resurrected couple of times both are connected trough wifi and I have one nas hdd that has my videos or my pc files from my pc connected through the same network. I don't see why not recommend them

[usually_quiet]

Most cheap Chinese Android boxes are not approved devices for major streaming services and the custom ROMs can stop working for those. It is better to get a box that has official approval for the streaming services that one wants to use.

The S905X4 SOC and S905Y4 provide AV1 hardware decoding to allow playing 4K 120fps AV1. Earlier S905 SOCs don't provide AV1 hardware decoding.

s905x is the most popular variant and no it doesn't have av1 hardware decoding (but the op didn't ask for it) that's why I sad variants and yes s905x4 and s905y4 have hardware decoding of av1. As far as Netflix is concerned it does work on some ( on mine it does I have two boxes one in living room one in bedroom one is HK1 X3 s905x3 with and added AI engine 4gb ram 32 ssd and 256gb sd card and custom Android tv 10 rom does Netflix to 1080p ( some 4k videos but most not ) the other is M8 s905x with 2gb ram 32gb ssd no sd card put in it (bedroom) custom Android tv 9 and Netflix 1080p. In Kodi 18,9 there is also Netflix plugin which works to 1080p or 720p I mostly use kodi on it but also some LiveTv apps (because I don't use TV provider) which are giving me all the tv channels that my cable is offering and more. I use Netflix for movies and series from streaming and MX player for my personal files ( it can play almost everything) and then there are plugins for Kodi which can even play ut lossless avis. I hate the remotes on this boxes so I use old Samsung android phone ( the app is available even for ios)as Android tv Remote ( yes It can even use the voice command) and there is Kore app ( Kodi remote ) which has nice feature as to see the files and plugins directly on your phone ( and play them from there ) so you don't have to be in the same room when you use the box ( ideal if you have kids) I don't think Roku is nowhere near that flexibility or power. Nvidia shield is very nice but it is more expensive. I used couple of this boxes over the years and did crazy sh on them they seem indestructible I even bricked the box ( easy if you use custom roms) and used the physical hack ( paper clip short on some legs on the ssd chip itself ) and it resurrected couple of times both are connected trough wifi and I have one nas hdd that has my videos or my pc files from my pc connected through the same network. I don't see why not recommend them

It is misleading to simply make a blanket recommendation for cheap Chinese Android boxes. Some specific models of the Chinese Android boxes are worth recommending but many are just poorly-made crap, marketed with claims that they don't live up to.

I have been using the $50 Chromecast For Google TV for over a year. It is very reliable hardware and reasonable versatile. It can hardware decode MPEG-2, H.264, and H.265 in addition to VP9-2. It can run Kodi and VLC, which are available from Google Play. If there is no Kodi plug-in for a service, the official Google TV/Android TV apps for many streaming services are available from Google Play. I have even sideloaded a few Android apps intended for phones on mine, although not all the Android phone apps I have tried are usable.

[mammo1789]

It is misleading to simply make a blanket recommendation for cheap Chinese Android boxes. Some specific models of the Chinese Android boxes are worth recommending but many are just poorly-made crap, marketed with claims that they don't live up to.

I don't know what more do you want I put a link of av1 capable android boxes I sad what I use and the model and brand that don't have av1 but can be usefully for anything else If you compare dongle with 512 mb ram with full blown android box you must be kidding and comparing the spec Amlogic soc blows chromcast ( only ultra comes close ) out in the water but ok that's your recommendation.

I understand the hate against china but lets be real Netflix and Amazon Prime and many many services like DAZN work on Chinese boxes and that is what you tried to dispute and in the end op can google a bit and see whats available and for what prices

[mammo1789]

Just to be more precise i will recommend Mecool MK9 Pro, A95x max, Xiaomi box ( in that order) is that enough for you

[usually_quiet]

It is misleading to simply make a blanket recommendation for cheap Chinese Android boxes. Some specific models of the Chinese Android boxes are worth recommending but many are just poorly-made crap, marketed with claims that they don't live up to.

I don't know what more do you want I put a link of av1 capable android boxes I sad what I use and the model and brand that don't have av1 but can be usefully for anything else If you compare dongle with 512 mb ram with full blown android box you must be kidding and comparing the spec Amlogic soc blows chromcast ( only ultra comes close ) out in the water but ok that's your recommendation.

I understand the hate against china but lets be real Netflix and Amazon Prime and many many services like DAZN work on Chinese boxes and that is what you tried to dispute and in the end op can google a bit and see whats available and for what prices

You brought up AV1 but your post did not make it clear which specific SOCs support it or that Android boxes with AV1 support are still uncommon. I have only found a few.

If you check the user reviews, some of the cheap Android devices that claim they have Netflix support can only deliver Netflix at SD resolution. That would be very disappointing.

As it happens, the Chromecast With Google TV is the replacement for the discontinued Chromecast Ultra. It supports 4K streaming, HDR, and even 4K video file playback as long as the bitrate is not exceptionally high. There is no Ethernet port but WiFi is more practical for me anyway. If I did need Ethernet someday it can be added via an adapter. Specs for the Chromecast with Google TV are here: https://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1617965369

I don't know if DAZN is supported. I'll have to see if it is.

[usually_quiet]

Just to be more precise i will recommend Mecool MK9 Pro, A95x max, Xiaomi box ( in that order) is that enough for you

I think that those Android TV boxes are Google certified for Android TV.

Maybe the Kodi plug-in for Netflix that you mentioned works for The Mecool MK9 Pro. I don't think that Netflix has approved it for the official Netflix app but it appears Amazon Prime officially supports it.

If you mean the Xiaomi Mi Box S, it is a little older and not quite as good as the Chromecast With Google TV but I think it does have official support for Amazon Prime and Netflix. If you mean Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Pro, I can't find much info about it yet but it should be better than the Chromecast With Google TV. I can't find a US source for it. It may need to be ordered direct from China.

[mammo1789]

If you check the user reviews, some of the cheap Android devices that claim they have Netflix support can only deliver Netflix at SD resolution. That would be very disappointing

I know many of these boxes are officially not supported for the res more than 720p (some even more than sd res ) but that's where custom roms come in handy the community is very strong ( I don't know If I am allowed to post some links to forums where there are custom roms most of them are Chinese) https://www.atvxperience.com/ ( for almost any generic Amlogic box) the biggest difficulty are with Wifi chips, bluetooth and remotes ( most stop working after installing the custom rom but can be solved with backing up of the original remote inf into the new rom ) luckily I had couple of minor problems but solved them. As I sad i did some crazy modifications on some of my boxes ( custom cooling, antennas, overclocking even firmware for "hdd" to make them run faster or up the read write speeds) and they look very durable.

As it happens, the Chromecast With Google TV is the replacement for the discontinued Chromecast Ultra. It supports 4K streaming, HDR, and even 4K video file playback as long as the bitrate is not exceptionally high. There is no Ethernet port but WiFi is more practical for me anyway. If I did need Ethernet someday it can be added via an adapter. Specs for the Chromecast with Google TV are here: https://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1617965369

I checked yesterday after the "debate" the newest chromcast uses Amlogic soc but lower performance one D and it has only 2gb of ram ( older ones had 512 and ultra had 1gb) so I don't know how well it performs in multitasking.

I understand that chromcast is the official google device and will have all the official support but as I sad chinese community for these boxes are humongous and well experienced. Its like buying Dell or HP ( you can make your own pc lot more powerful or cheaper if you do it your self but you will lack the support) Anyway I think a little enthusiasm is what brings us all here so If OP is ready to experiment will have a blast.

The Netflix plugin that I talked about for Kodi is not officially one you have to dig into unofficial repositories ( and almost any major streaming service is supported in Kodi Disney+,Sky,DAZN,Amazon and so on and so on) I use DAZN ( Italy ) plugin daily and it supports even the uhd channels without hiccup but my subscription ( and the box ) doesn't allow to watch the 8k ( test ones that they started somewhere around new year) I don't use Amazon or Disney so I cannot confirm but on the forums they say they are working perfectly.

S912/S922 and it variants are the more powerful version of the s905* it is octa core soc.

Yes Mi box 4s pro friend has it and it is great but Mecool and MXQ brands have very large fun base and very active software development

[usually_quiet]

If you check the user reviews, some of the cheap Android devices that claim they have Netflix support can only deliver Netflix at SD resolution. That would be very disappointing

I know many of these boxes are officially not supported for the res more than 720p (some even more than sd res ) but that's where custom roms come in handy the community is very strong ( I don't know If I am allowed to post some links to forums where there are custom roms most of them are Chinese) https://www.atvxperience.com/ ( for almost any generic Amlogic box) the biggest difficulty are with Wifi chips, bluetooth and remotes ( most stop working after installing the custom rom but can be solved with backing up of the original remote inf into the new rom ) luckily I had couple of minor problems but solved them. As I sad i did some crazy modifications on some of my boxes ( custom cooling, antennas, overclocking even firmware for "hdd" to make them run faster or up the read write speeds) and they look very durable.

As it happens, the Chromecast With Google TV is the replacement for the discontinued Chromecast Ultra. It supports 4K streaming, HDR, and even 4K video file playback as long as the bitrate is not exceptionally high. There is no Ethernet port but WiFi is more practical for me anyway. If I did need Ethernet someday it can be added via an adapter. Specs for the Chromecast with Google TV are here: https://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1617965369

I checked yesterday after the "debate" the newest chromcast uses Amlogic soc but lower performance one D and it has only 2gb of ram ( older ones had 512 and ultra had 1gb) so I don't know how well it performs in multitasking.

I understand that chromcast is the official google device and will have all the official support but as I sad chinese community for these boxes are humongous and well experienced. Its like buying Dell or HP ( you can make your own pc lot more powerful or cheaper if you do it your self but you will lack the support) Anyway I think a little enthusiasm is what brings us all here so If OP is ready to experiment will have a blast.

The Netflix plugin that I talked about for Kodi is not officially one you have to dig into unofficial repositories ( and almost any major streaming service is supported in Kodi Disney+,Sky,DAZN,Amazon and so on and so on) I use DAZN ( Italy ) plugin daily and it supports even the uhd channels without hiccup but my subscription ( and the box ) doesn't allow to watch the 8k ( test ones that they started somewhere around new year) I don't use Amazon or Disney so I cannot confirm but on the forums they say they are working perfectly.

S912/S922 and it variants are the more powerful version of the s905* it is octa core soc.

Yes Mi box 4s pro friend has it and it is great but Mecool and MXQ brands have very large fun base and very active software development

I know that in the past, the biggest attraction that Android TV boxes had was that they allowed using apps (sometimes pre-installed) that made it easy to obtain "free stuff" (warez). Yes, there were (and still are) plug-ins for Kodi that could do that too, although Kodi's developers don't approve of them or allow them in official repositories, or provide support if someone installs them. Yes, those kinds of topics are off-limits for discussion at VideoHelp too.


Finally. most people who buy a device for playing media files just want a reliable appliance. Very few want to tinker with them in the ways you describe. If someone really wants to tinker and have the best possible support for media file playback, I would advise them to get an HTPC. I have one of those as well as a Chromecast With Google TV. I should also point out that Android TV Boxes that come with more than 2GB RAM, more internal storage than my Chromecast With Google TV, and faster processors with 8 cores will cost more than $40 or $50.

[mammo1789]

I know that in the past, the biggest attraction that Android TV boxes had was that they allowed using apps (sometimes pre-installed) that made it easy to obtain "free stuff" (warez). Yes, there were (and still are) plug-ins for Kodi that could do that too, although Kodi's developers don't approve of them or allow them in official repositories, or provide support if someone installs them. Yes, those kinds of topics are off-limits for discussion at VideoHelp too.

I know they still have but I was talking about legal subscription ( Netflix from repository), I will never install them because those are dangerous and illegal and who knows where their servers are no thank you