Best way to watch 4K HDR content via Plex

maybe the native lg webOS plex client is now fixed

January 23 2018 • 3.13.9

NEW:

  • TiVo: Direct play 10bit HEVC. Works best with lower quality 4K content.
  • TiVo: Remove the ability to Direct Stream videos using HEVC video codec. We've filed a bug report with TiVo.
  • webOS: Identify webOS displays and capabilities using platform library.
  • webOS: New Settings > Audio > Dolby TrueHD setting enables direct play of TrueHD audio on supported displays.
  • webOS: Improved 4K video playback for H.264, HEVC, and VP9 video codecs within any file which supports these video codecs.
  • webOS: Direct play MKV files with H.264, HEVC, VC1, VP9, MPEG4 video and AAC, MP3, VORBIS, DTS, or AC3 audio. Only available on webOS >= 3.0.
  • webOS: Direct play AVI files with MPEG4 (xvid/divx) and MJPEG video and AAC, MP3, PCM, DTS, or AC3 audio.
  • webOS: Direct play MP4 files with H.264 and HEVC video and AAC, MP3, DTS, or AC3 audio.
  • webOS: Direct play M2TS and TS files with H.264, HEVC, or MPEG2VIDEO video and AAC, MP2, MP3, DTS, or AC3 audio.
  • webOS: Direct play MOV files with H.264 or MPEG4 video and AAC, DTS, or AC3 audio.
  • webOS: Direct play WMV files with VC1, or WMV3 video and WMAV2, WMAPRO, DTS, or AC3 audio
Click to expand...
 
jpaul said:
good old 720p despite drm mechanism that should be adequate; ... thats why I'm roku/plex.
- some of the comments in the minix review are interestig wrt nuc alternatives - still expensive but had not realised these are sub £200 with win10 license
Click to expand...

Ah so only really good as a plex box then.

Had a play on a Sony TV the other day with build in android, very similar to the Shield obviously but the Amazon app seemed to be better integrated. Shame Amazon are so slow at app support, took ages to get it on the Shield and it still doesn't work all that well.

No idea if the Sony TV's can passthrough DTS HD / True HD from the plex app though, if they can I might be tempted to go that way when I next upgrade.
 
MonkeyMan said:
No idea if the Sony TV's can passthrough DTS HD / True HD from the plex app though, if they can I might be tempted to go that way when I next upgrade.
Click to expand...

Nope it causes a transcode to AC3.

Oh and HDR stuff in Plex gives you grey bars instead of black top and bottom.
 
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Spent some time looking at it and it's looking like the Nvidia Shielf & Plex server combo is going to be the one I go for. I really liked the Minix Neo U9-H but the iffy details on HDMI2.0a and HDCP2.2 kill it outright - I'm not looking to switch again soon. I priced up upgrading the HTPC and it's coming out at around £325 using a 1030GT, but will still have the hassle of Windows running behind everything. By contrast, £150-£200 seems like a decent price for a full solution (Nvidia Shield) and will free up my HTPC's hardware to upgrade the server I guess.

If anybody else has any other ideas I would really appreciate them, my requirements are:
- 4K
- HDR
- 10bit (not sure if this matters for the device)
- HDMI 2.0a+ (my understanding is that I need 2.0a for proper HDR support, though plenty of places say HDMI 2.0 is fine)
- HDCP 2.2

Now time to look at a new AV Receiver to support all of this :D
 
Redgie said:
I priced up upgrading the HTPC and it's coming out at around £325 using a 1030GT
Click to expand...

so £325 seems an expensive build for an htpc, is that for gaming/gfx power, since otherwise, (earlier) had thought they were £200, but there is below
Beelink AP34 Mini PC Intel Processor N3450 4GB DDR3 RAM 64GB SSD
(this dam text editor why does it continue formatting when you press return - I give up)


which is £150, so similar price as nvidia, reviews of older apollo lakes
seem favourable, don't know if you could add a uhd drive too
(Also fulfilled by amazon, I am never sure what the returns possibilites are with a win10 license too)


 
jpaul said:
so £325 seems an expensive build for an htpc, is that for gaming/gfx power, since otherwise, (earlier) had thought they were £200, but there is below
Beelink AP34 Mini PC Intel Processor N3450 4GB DDR3 RAM 64GB SSD
(this dam text editor why does it continue formatting when you press return - I give up)


which is £150, so similar price as nvidia, reviews of older apollo lakes
seem favourable, don't know if you could add a uhd drive too
(Also fulfilled by amazon, I am never sure what the returns possibilites are with a win10 license too)
Click to expand...

Interesting, I wasn't aware you could get an Apollo box so cheap (especially compared to my custom jobby that the above price was from)! That said, there's no mention of HDR, HDMI 2.0a+ or HDCP 2.2, so not sure it would really fit the bill here... though there may be some around that do, I shall have a look, cheers :)
 
Decided to go for an Nvidia Shield :) Do now have the dilemma of either upgrading the AV Receiver or finding a workaround though... options I can see:

1. Upgrade the AV Receiver (~£300)
2. Split the HDMI cable coming out the Shield, run 1 into the existing AV Receiver to do the audio, and run the other to the TV to do the video (~£50)

#2 seems like a very "hacky" way of doing it, but is also much cheaper given I'm only ever going to be using the Shield or the TV directly and so don't really need a new AV Receiver...
 
£55 amazon fire tv
4k uhd
HDR 10+
Dolby Atmos support.

Can run Plex, Netflix, Perfect Player, STB Emulator, kodi etc - all available through amazon app site.
There's an issue with atmos and netflix but the sound coming from my samsung hkw950 atmos sound bar is superb in DD5.1+

An all in one solution in my eyes.
 
The Fire stick is definitely a great budget friendly option, but pails in comparison for compatibility for the higher end audio / video support to the Shield, and in my experience has always felt very sluggish to use? I may look at getting one for a secondary room however, as a media-only box.

EDIT: As a follow-up to my previous post; I bought a new AV Receiver. This 4K lark is expensive :D
 
The Shield is a slowly dying solution these days mostly due to the devs ignoring major colour space mapping and resolution issues, HDCP chain completion and a multitude of issues with remotes and controllers (along with a ton of other bug creeps), in favour of bolting on mostly useless Google home rubbish aimed at only our American friends. It was at one time the best solution and gave real hope of an "all in one solution" it now however is less than ideal in various ways.

I have now dumped it down to serve as an emergency backup and sits as a streamer under the houses third TV in the guest room. I now run OSMCs Vero 4K as my main streamer (it's by far the best and most well supported I have come across and is based on Linux not Android) I run the official Plex Kodi addon with no bother, then I alsorun a Fire TV (Gen 3) for Amazon Video/Netflix/Catch-up services. I've long given up hope of a "one box" solution and instead firmly embraced the "one remote" concept of a Harmony and hub instead which to be honest is just as easy when everything is installed and hidden away and is fully "better half" friendly ;)
 
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