Recomend me a 4K HDR android box

-Ad- · 28 Mar 2017 at 12:40

Biggler said:
I use Plex mainly and BBC iPlayer often as well.
My main reason I'd recommend Amazon TVs is I bought a good Android box, it was well specced and got good reviews, but the remote was awful. Amazon TVs remotes are loads better than what I originally used. I'm sure there are non Amazon android boxes come with decent remotes though

Yes, the Mi Box has a great remote, one of the main selling points. And it does all this 4k rubbish.

jpaul · 28 Mar 2017 at 13:52

The mii is not qualified for netflix 4k though , or amazon 4K ... nowtv ?

8BaLL do you need access to these, since 4K media on utube is going to be limiting ?

... maybe your samsung tv natively, is fine for netflix/amazon4K, even if high quality(bitrates),4k@60 might have some buffering issues, compared to mii.

I thought utube too, was planning on delivering 4K licensed/drm'd material; which mii may not be compatible with.

HEADRAT · 28 Mar 2017 at 15:25

TheMightyTen said:
+2

By far the most powerful SoC in the Tegra X1, Android N, generally good update support, HD Audio format pass-through, Licence for Netflix 4K HDR and Amazon 4K HDR and also good as a game streamer for those with Nvidia graphics cards. I've tried most and always come back to the Shield TV.

+3, I don't have one but if I was going to purchase such a thing that would be the one I would buy

abs_rio · 28 Mar 2017 at 22:21

TheMightyTen said:
For those recommending Amazon Fire TV Gen 2 the thread title is "Recomend me a 4K HDR android box", I've highlighted why the the Fire TV isn't a good recommendation

Don't get me wrong the Fire TV is a great box but it's stuck at 4K30 max and no HDR as it's kiboshed by an HDMI 1.4 socket, there are rumours of a mid range Fire TV replacement based on Amlogic s905 that will do 4K60 and HDR but there has been no hard evidence of it.

By amlogic s905 are you referring to one these?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Android-AB...1490735741&sr=8-10&keywords=4k+android+tv+box

jpaul · 28 Mar 2017 at 22:55

this is one article on the new fire tv ,
but maybe not as powerful as the Mi Box 3 enhanced ? with MT8693+2*A72+*A53

edit:comments on the article are interesting - even if new box has 905 soc seems this has good video processing (hardware deinterlacing that nvidia may not) and sufficient power for 4k@60.
The graphics/opengl power of the nvidia is soemwhat wasted as just a streaming device, but may help for kodi ui fluidity , transcoding,.... and speciulation is box will be £60

TheMightyTen · 29 Mar 2017 at 10:26

abs_rio said:
By amlogic s905 are you referring to one these?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Android-AB...1490735741&sr=8-10&keywords=4k+android+tv+box

No, I'm referring to the SoC s905 that the new Fire TV is rumoured to be based around. It's a tried and tested SoC because of all the cheap Chinese knock-off Android boxes, one being the one you linked to. The advantage of an Amazon iteration will be the Netflix Widevine licence for 4K HDR and obviously Amazon will allow it to play it's own 4K HDR content.

jpaul · 29 Mar 2017 at 14:41

This new fire tv sounds like it will be a good solution, however -
will they also restrict the Kodi installation to be able to conform with the netflix DRM requirements. (...discussions on hotuk suggest nowtv firmware updates will soon block plex sideload)

The rasberry pi form-factor, odroid C2 has the same soc, plus android/linux, no 4k netflix, but could be another option for 8Ball ?
seems this soc can also h/w decode utube 4k VP9 level2, for which shield has some issues

Finguz · 4 Jul 2017 at 18:29

Does anybody happen to know if support for youtube HDR (VP9-2 codec ) is coming for the current Nvidia Shield?

nicknack35 · 4 Jul 2017 at 21:29

Look at Minix they make great Android boxes i use the Minix neo U1

TheMightyTen · 5 Jul 2017 at 12:39

Finguz said:
Does anybody happen to know if support for youtube HDR (VP9-2 codec ) is coming for the current Nvidia Shield?

Rumours are the dev team can't get Profile 2 working so unlikely. Tegra is starting to show it's limitations within the Android API as they can't get resolution switching to work either.

Finguz · 5 Jul 2017 at 14:34

I didn't think it was too likely to happen.

I think I'll return the Shield and look for another more futureproof device to playback my UHD Bluray collection from my NAS. I can always use the discs while I'm looking.

Thanks!

TheMightyTen · 5 Jul 2017 at 14:59

You'll struggle to find anything future proof at the moment, no one can decide on the standards. The hardware on the shield is by far the best (Just look at what is being achieved with the Nintendo Switch which is essentially the same hardware but has a custom built API) of any streaming box.

Right now there is no one box fits all solution.

jpaul · 5 Jul 2017 at 15:28

TheMightyTen said:
Rumours are the dev team can't get Profile 2 working so unlikely.

clearly many 2016 4k tv's cannot access utube hdr either, if you look in wiki, profile 2 is 'just' a higher bitrate.

Finguz said:
my UHD Bluray collection

do you have a ripping solution

Consider importing a roku 4 ? not android, but has all the 4k hdr apps, vp9.2 + plex.
They just need to patch/fix 5.1 sound glitches

Finguz · 5 Jul 2017 at 17:48

Just MakeMKV, and thanks!

killem · 5 Jul 2017 at 21:03

I Ended up with a 2 devices. Shield for 4K HDR Amazon Prime, Netflix and Kodi and a ChromecastHD for HDR youtube.

TheMightyTen · 6 Jul 2017 at 12:13

jpaul said:
clearly many 2016 4k tv's cannot access utube hdr either, if you look in wiki, profile 2 is 'just' a higher bitrate.

Nope, Profile 2 is 10-12 bit colour (Chroma sub 4:2:0), it's the colour bit depth that causes issues, don't confuse Profile and Levels

TheMightyTen · 7 Jul 2017 at 08:07

**Deleted** (ref to deleted post)
Forum mods on the ball as usual

jpaul · 7 Jul 2017 at 11:02

TheMightyTen said:
don't confuse Profile and Levels

yes - I got them round the wrong way.

killem said:
ChromecastHD for HDR youtube.

chromecastHD (same as Ultra?) also does netflix 4k hdr10, and can cast from plex vp9/hevc, so more powerful than I thought,
reading avforums thread seems it may always upscale to 4k even if it is a 1080p movie as opposed to leaving that to tv

EDIT forgot

Finguz said:
Just MakeMKV,

was thinking UHD rip => 4K disc rip

darreny · 8 Jul 2017 at 12:46

I'm looking for something that will either stream or can attach a usb hdd for HD films. At the moment I'm using a wd live box but it's starting to develop faults so thinking of upgrading.
I have the latest sky router but not sure which wireless version it is, can you now play 10gig HD films over wireless or is it still not fast enough?
Ideally want something that can output Dolby trueHD and dts HD master audio and would also like to use kodi to organise titles.
I have Amazon prime but not sure if the Fire HD box does this?
I only have a 1080p tv and projector

vila · 8 Jul 2017 at 16:09

Finguz said:
I didn't think it was too likely to happen.

I think I'll return the Shield and look for another more futureproof device to playback my UHD Bluray collection from my NAS. I can always use the discs while I'm looking.

Thanks!

Is is possible to rip UHD disks to a Nas yet?