#  >  > Computers Can Be Fun >  >  > Computer News >  >  Android box with HDMI for the television

## baldrick

does any one use one of the Android boxes with HDMI and bluetooth remote/KB with their television as a Home Theatre PC ( HTPC ) ?

I have a samsung series 5 with USB that plays all the codecs with video and music but I find the interface is very clunky

playing music especially , and no random , playlists etc.

I want a box that has USB2 for a hard drive , SD to store apps , a SoC capable of decoding 1080p content, network interface ( either rj45 or 802.11 ) and a Bluetooth remote/keyboard combo

I had thought of going the whole hog and getting a mini pc
Giada Mini PC_Giada Mini PC i53
and installing media portal on it
MEDIAPORTAL - a HTPC Media Center for free!

but the android box should cost 100-120 USD and do basically all I want

some examples
Favi is a $49 Android (Jelly Bean) PC-on-a-stick

Google TV Box Android 4.0 ARM Cortex A9 WiFi HD 1080P HDMI Internet TV Box with Remote DDR III 512M 4GB+Flash+3D Free shipping-in Set-top Boxes from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com

where in Pantip do they sell these ?  sim lim square has many , but I have no plans to get near there soon

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## sunsetter

just a thought, my viao is going to die pretty soon, and will get a nice netbook,with hdmi, nice big portable drive and use a touchscreen monitor when at home, is the same kind of set up? im not up to date with hardware and stuff.

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## Satonic

I'm going to be looking for something similar soon too. The TV shows I download I put onto a USB stick and plug into the back of the TV. Trouble is it can only play .avi and most things I download aren't so I have to spend time converting the files, also no way to play HD downloads.

Will be interested to see if anyone has experience with this, I don't have a HDMI out on any of my laptops.

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## Satonic

These are really cheap but I have no idea if they are crap or not

Android 4 0 Mini PC Smart Google TV IPTV Box DDR3 1g CPU A10 HDMI Media Player | eBay

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## baldrick

> my viao is going to die pretty soon


does the viao have HDMI out ? why is it going to die ?

media portal can be installed on any x86 hardware - you could repurpose your viao as your HTPC

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## misskit

I don't even know what the hell Baldrick said, but I have some experience with HDMI. 

First, I bought an HDMI cable and an adapter for my iPad. Then I connected it to my new TV. Everything showing on the iPad shows on the TV. Resolution is perfect.  (I mention this solely to annoy Baldrick  :Smile: )

Then my laptop went belly up so I went out and bought a new PC from a local shop. I am using my TV as the monitor and using HDMI cable to connect them. With remote keyboard and mouse I can sit across the room and use it.

With some help from Satonic, I download high resolution movies onto the PC and watch them on the TV or transfer them to an external hard drive and keep them. I can the take the external hard drive and use it to see movies on my other television, though the television doesn't recognize all the files the PC does. 

I don't really understand about the files but I find the MP4 and Motstroka (sp) to be the best resolution. I download BlueRay torrents.

Cannot imagine I can getting a clearer, more high resolution picture than this. I'm so pleased.

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## sunsetter

> does the viao have HDMI out ? why is it going to die ?


 yes it does have hdmi out, but its fokked, slow as hell, nearly 6 years old so....

plus i aquired a nice touchscreen monitor , free, so thought a good netbook with win 8 would be nice to plug into when parked up at home messing about on the net. your thoughts?

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## Jesus Jones

> I'm going to be looking for something similar soon too. The TV shows I download I put onto a USB stick and plug into the back of the TV. Trouble is it can only play .avi and most things I download aren't so I have to spend time converting the files, also no way to play HD downloads.
> 
> Will be interested to see if anyone has experience with this, I don't have a HDMI out on any of my laptops.


Just rename your files to avi.  This cured the problem for files that I couldn't play on my TV.

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## baldrick

> yes it does have hdmi out, but its fokked, slow as hell, nearly 6 years old so....


can use it as your HTPC - just need to format the drive ( maybe put a brand new drive in it and put the old in a USB enclosure so you can copy the files as you need them to your new laptop or ext hardrive ) and install media portal on it. a wireless KB/Mouse and you can operate from your couch.

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## baldrick

seems as though they are referred to as an "android tv" here

these units look a little dated
Android TV -

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## baldrick

a review of a stick style unit purchased at zeer - Getting to grips with a $60 general purpose PC | Telecom Asia

a point to watch for



> However, the price point does lead to a few corners being cut. This  is essentially a two-year-old Nexus One-class CPU and GPU, one that  never went beyond Android 2.3 Gingerbread, tasked with running an OS two  generations later and a a resolution somewhat higher than most screens  of that era too.
>  One naughty trick was to limit the number of background processes.  This option has long been known by enthusiasts as a way of improving  battery life and responsiveness. However, with it set to just one  background process, many problems arise.


but the unit below seems to be what I am after - 2850 Baht
but need to purchase the KB/touchpad unit

New Android Version 4.04 TV BOX Make The TV Your PC or Smart TV ??????? 2,850 ??? - ???? ?????? ????? Wifi MiFi Network etc






> Hardware Specs CPU CPU A10 Cortex A8 1.2-1.5Ghz, Multi-Core 3D graphics acceleration,1080P video decoder Interface 1*SD card ,support 32GB max  1*3.5mm Jack for Cvbs,Audio 1*3.5mm Jack for Ypbpr 1*HDMI 1.4 1*10/100M Ethernet 2*USB Host Controller Support IR remote controller
> 					Support 2.4Ghz remote controller 
> 
> Software Features System Android 4.04 Internet WIFI 802.11 b/g/n Audio Support all the usual audio formats Support music library, tag search Support online streaming media Video 3D 1080P Video Decode AVI(H.264, DIVX, XVID, rm, rmvb, MKV, WMV, MOV, MP4(H.264, MPEG, DIVX, XVID), MPEG, MPG, FLV. HD 1080P max. Flash Support Adobe Flash 11 Picture Support JPEG GIF PNG BMP files Picture rotating, zooming out Support Painting Others Google Browser Google Market/APP Store download APK and games Calculator, Calender,Google Map Email, Office documents Language Thai ,Simplified Chinese, English, other 32 languages 				 					  				 					  				 					  				 					  				 					  			 		 	 	 		ราคา ส่ง ถูก มาก เพียง 2,850 บาท + EMS 100 บาท ทั่วประเทศ ไทย ครั

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## brisie

I've got 1 of these -??? there is a faster 1 that has just been released.
You need a self powered external HDD to run movie files. You can get away with a portable HDD but it gets very hot and can crash the unit.
I've got a samsung smart tv so I don't use it anymore but for you to turn the tv into a smart media box you don't need an external drive just keep all the flicks on your pc or lappy and download serviio Serviio media server onto the pc the download the app AVIA from google store onto the stick https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...iaplayer&hl=en That's all you need and you have a home WIFI media player without any leads and crap + the fact that you wont need self power HDD that you will one day forget to turn off and burn itself out like I've seen so many times before.

If you have a smart tv all you need is serviio. I've never had a problem streaming over wifi with any movie on WIFI G & N but for any 3D movie they stall but not from the WIFI speed it's because the device can't cache enough data. In other words the cache dumps faster than it gets time to request more data from the server.

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## baldrick

> I've got 1 of these


similar to this in my previous post



> Getting to grips with a $60 general purpose PC | Telecom Asia


looking at it I see only 1 USB host and a lack of Audio in for skype and I think a dual core processor with mail GPU is essential.

I also like the idea of having a rj45 available.

I think the second unit I posted ( t102 ) with 2 powered hubs , 32gig SD card, 1 TB WD mybook , wireless KB/scrollpad  will fit the bill - the Samsung LCD already has a logitech speaker system hooked to it.

I expect the Andoid interface should have some optimisation for KB/mouse

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## brisie

^ your probably right but a word of warning worth asking if you want to skype. I bought mine because the older versions didn't support any web cams at all, mine does support some.
If skype is your thing you might want to ask that question so you can take it back if it doesn't work. If you don't care about skype it's a no brainer go with what you said.

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## blue

> the interface is very clunky  playing music especially , and no random , playlists etc.


'till you get the shiny  new box , you could try Foobar for the music it has a nice clean /  simple interface plays MP3, MP4, AAC, CD Audio, WMA,  FLAC,  WAV,  etc and can  be set it up for random play and  has playlists .
 100 % free
foobar2000

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## Neo

This one runs Jellybean and seems to be getting a lot of good attention on the net. 
https://teakdoor.com/computer-news/11...d-mini-pc.html (Android Mini PC)

I was looking at it for a portable browser.

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## baldrick

> you could try Foobar for the music


er ..  not talking about windows

was talking about the samsung music player on the series 5 LCD's when you plug a USB drive into its socket

the player is SAD

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## baldrick

I purchased the T102 as per the previous post photo - 2500 baht ( this was on the 4th floor at the back near the escalators - SW - a cute , petite chinese woman has a shop there with masses of bits and pieces , I normally go there to buy cables )

and I also purchased 2 powered USB hubs and a 2.4 RF keyboard/trackpad combination

and a 1 TB WD mybook drive ( notebook HD in enclosure )

I will test it out later in the week 

the other 2 android tv devices I saw were the dongle type and another box unit which was quoted to me at 4500 baht ( greedy thai thought he saw stupid farang ) , but it was at  2 shops that I saw so the price could probably be negotiated down.
it had 3 USB hosts as per the photo below




also maybe of interest were some egreat units that would accomodate a SATA internal drive 
 as a straight player these would probably be ok , but the embedded android OS ( 2.3 ) I doubt would allow you to add apps from the market/sideload

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## mickey

> I purchased the T102 as per the previous post photo - 2500 baht ( this was on the 4th floor at the back near the escalators - SW - a cute , petite chinese woman has a shop there with masses of bits and pieces , I normally go there to buy cables )
> 
> and I also purchased 2 powered USB hubs and a 2.4 RF keyboard/trackpad combination
> 
> and a 1 TB WD mybook drive ( notebook HD in enclosure )
> 
> I will test it out later in the week 
> 
> the other 2 android tv devices I saw were the dongle type and another box unit which was quoted to me at 4500 baht ( greedy thai thought he saw stupid farang ) , but it was at  2 shops that I saw so the price could probably be negotiated down.
> ...


You can't install apps, but you can flash a custom firmware ( depends on the chipset )  to turn it into an IPTV box.

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## baldrick

> You can't install apps, but you can flash a custom firmware ( depends on the chipset ) to turn it into an IPTV box.


I was guessing that the T102 unit I purchased would have custom firmwares , but I also thought that even just out of the box I could install apps on it.

it has an SD card slot also so hopefully I can use it for app2SD

I test it out later in the week and let you know what I can get it to do

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## baldrick

just a quick note for now - do not go for the T102

I was not able to get smooth playback even at 720p

not sure if the processor was having problems running the USB and the decoding at the same time .

for a home theatre PC , I think maybe a Giada Ultra-MiniPCs  and install media portal on it.

the upside was the 2.4ghz logitech keyboard with touchpad and the 2.4 Ghz mouse work fine and the 1 TB 2.5" mybook is in use with a laptop connected to the samsung series 5 via HDMI - is win7 OS , but I do not wish to make it a dedicated HTPC.

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## baldrick

Archos has announced a Android device called the TV connect - looks a bit better than the china white boxes and HDMI sticks

also has a webcam and supposedly to be available in February for 130 USD

Archos TV Connect turns any TV into an Android-powered smart TV - Liliputing

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## bsnub

^That looks pretty nice. I will have to look into one of those.

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## baldrick

full specs here - ARCHOS TV connect by ARCHOS

some one has said that the facebook page says the processor is - http://www.ti.com/general/docs/wtbu/...ntentId=123362

dual core with graphics processor

it does look like a winner




> *Tech Specs*
> 
>                           Storage         • Flash memory: 8 GB*           
> • Expandable via micro SDHC Slot up to 32 GB                                        Operating system         • ANDROID™ 4.1 “Jelly Bean”                                          CPU         •  1.5 GHz Smart Multi Core processor                                          RAM         • 1 GB                                          Interfaces         • HD camera           
> • Micro USB port         
> • USB host port         
> • Mini HDMI output         
> • Ethernet         
> • Micro SD slot                                         Communication protocols         • Wi Fi                                           
> ...

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## baldrick

after being underwhelmed previously I am going to try again - 5k baht with the airmouse

MINIX NEO X8-H X8H Android TV Box Quad Core 2GB 16GB 4K XBMC Kitkat 4.4 Smart TV Box Mini PC Dolby DTS + NEO M1 Airmouse - Android Smart TV BOX MINIX NEO X7 X8H MeLE MK802 IV : Inspired by LnwShop.com

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## harrybarracuda

If you already have a computer, just get a $30 ChromeCast and you can stream from Youtube, Chrome, or any files that are on  your computer or on network devices you can see from your computer using a plug-in called Videostream (there are also other appearing all the time).

If you specifically want a dedicated solution, the best I have found for playing absolutely everything I can throw at it believe it or not is the old WDTV-LIVE with a custom image called WDLXTV, but generally most of the time I use a Mede8er X3D because it's easier to navigate within a particular file.

Oh, and I found the Chromecast can handle 3D content, you just tell the TV it's 3D and away you go (if you have a 3D telly that is).

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## Butterfly

good links, baldrick, thanks

thinking about ordering one to replace the now defunct Mac Mini,

Bought ChromeCast to try out, what a sad POS it was. No surprise that Harry would recommend it, he falls for every silly unusable gadgets out there, probably too much free time and doing nothing useful with his tech toys.

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## harrybarracuda

> good links, baldrick, thanks
> 
> thinking about ordering one to replace the now defunct Mac Mini,
> 
> Bought ChromeCast to try out, what a sad POS it was. No surprise that Harry would recommend it, he falls for every silly unusable gadgets out there, probably too much free time and doing nothing useful with his tech toys.


I have eight of them running now, five of them 24x7.

Are they too complicated for you? What was the problem?

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## BaitongBoy

> Bought ChromeCast to try out, what a sad POS it was. No surprise that Harry would recommend it, he falls for every silly unusable gadgets out there


Trust Butters to contradict himself in the same breath...

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by Butterfly
> 
> Bought ChromeCast to try out, what a sad POS it was. No surprise that Harry would recommend it, he falls for every silly unusable gadgets out there
> 
> 
> Trust Butters to contradict himself in the same breath...


All it really means is he's too dumb to follow simple instructions to get it to work, and now he's taking it out on me.

If he'd been nice I would have told him how to edit the registry to get it working.

 :rofl:

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## importford

I am interested to know how to edit the registry.

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## Butterfly

> I have eight of them running now, five of them 24x7.


priceless, the trademark of a basement boy  :rofl:

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## Butterfly

> Are they too complicated for you? What was the problem?


don't be silly harry, they are useless toys, yes they are working, but it's too fucking limited for what it is. Best to buy a Raspberry PI with WIFI

I am using Chromecast with PLEX and my Samsung Tab so it does work, but it's still a disappointment. 

The PLEX Server thing is brilliant though. Give it a try, you might like it.

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> Are they too complicated for you? What was the problem?
> 
> 
> don't be silly harry, they are useless toys, yes they are working, but it's too fucking limited for what it is. Best to buy a Raspberry PI with WIFI
> 
> I am using Chromecast with PLEX and my Samsung Tab so it does work, but it's still a disappointment. 
> 
> The PLEX Server thing is brilliant though. Give it a try, you might like it.


Why do you need Plex?

Just play it straight off your network man.

I just use Servioo to publish all my stored stuff to UPNP, pick a file and away you go.

Even streams Live TV from the phone anywhere there's WIFI and a TV.

For $30 it can't be beat.

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## Butterfly

> Just play it straight off your network man.
> 
> I just use Servioo to publish all my stored stuff to UPNP, pick a file and away you go.


maybe the version distributed in Europe is different but you can't play anything outside YouTube, NetFlix, and some local French TV thing. The only exception is PLEX. There is no "local player". This is documented on different ChromeCast forums so not sure how you could have missed that.

Or are you saying that there was a recent upgrade and we can play locally files now over the network ? if that's so, I will get it out of the box and give it another try.

Your input are welcome on the matter, just so I can OwN your ass later on it if you lie again and make up stories about it.

Have you tried the new Plex Server ? it's awesome, can serve multiple devices (DLNA compatible) from one server

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## beazalbob69

I have been looking into this for awhile now myself. I have been using the original WDTV box for years now and I wanted to get something new. The only problem I found was that most of these chromecast android based players are media streamers not media players. 

With the WDTV I plug in an external HDD with all of my media on it and it plays everything right from the hardware. I don't have to worry about encoding/decoding and the lag this can introduce especially on 1080p content over WIFI. I also don't like the quality loss that the re encoding process introduces.

The only thing that would be perfect for me would be a Windows based HTPC with VLC media player and all the codecs loaded. Small and quiet with dedicated storage and an SSD for the operating system and programs.

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## Topper

> The only thing that would be perfect for me would be a Windows based HTPC with VLC media player and all the codecs loaded. Small and quiet with dedicated storage and an SSD for the operating system and programs.


I think that would be perfect for everyone.   

My solution has been to just have a pc connected to both of my tvs that can share files between themselves and all of the devices in the house (phones, tablets, pcs)  via the house wifi.

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## Butterfly

> I don't have to worry about encoding/decoding and the lag this can introduce especially on 1080p content over WIFI. I also don't like the quality loss that the re encoding process introduces.


that's basically what Chromecast does, very annoying




> The only thing that would be perfect for me would be a Windows based HTPC with VLC media player and all the codecs loaded. Small and quiet with dedicated storage and an SSD for the operating system and programs.


Raspberry PI with WIFI and HDMI module

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## harrybarracuda

> maybe the version distributed in Europe is different but you can't play anything outside YouTube, NetFlix, and some local French TV thing. The only exception is PLEX. There is no "local player". This is documented on different ChromeCast forums so not sure how you could have missed that.
> 
> Or are you saying that there was a recent upgrade and we can play locally files now over the network ? if that's so, I will get it out of the box and give it another try.
> 
> Have you tried the new Plex Server ? it's awesome, can serve multiple devices (DLNA compatible) from one server


Funnily enough there is a c*nting update today, I've just spent the afternoon installing it <heh>  But it doesn't offer any new functionality apart from Youtube playlists or something.

In the Chrome browser, download the VideoStream extension and you can select and play any file off your network. Piece of piss and it works fine; and you can stream a 20Gb BluRay without it stuttering if you have a fast enough Wifi network (I have 802.11ac everywhere).

There are other local players in the Chrome store as well, that handles things like subtitles.

On the phone the latest Chromecast app has a "Cast Screen" option so you can mirror what's on the screen, but look for an app called "Cast Store" which lists all the apps that are Chrome enabled (usual caveats apply for excessive permissions, etc.).

Quite handy for watching England beat the Swiss the other night, it was on ITV1 which is on the FilmOn app - which now has a familiar Chromecast option so you can screen it straight to your TV.

I got rid of Plex because I no longer use it.

Just XMBC on the GBox and Chromecasts in every TV for anything else.




> Your input are welcome on the matter, just so I can OwN your ass later on it if you lie again and make up stories about it.


You silly cnut, as if.

 :rofl:

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## Butterfly

> In the Chrome browser, download the VideoStream extension and you can select and play any file off your network. Piece of piss and it works fine; and you can stream a 20Gb BluRay without it stuttering if you have a fast enough Wifi network (I have 802.11ac everywhere).


I have 802.11n, hopefully that's enough

still you have to go to your PC and run it on your browser to stream it on your TV, sounds a bit awkward and silly to do and not very convenient when you are in bed half asleep,

hence why not go the full Server route with PLEX Server ? Your tablet or your phone become your Remote Control and TV Guide and control the PLEX Server on your network that will network directly to your TV, not need to get out of bed to launch your PC and open a new file in your Chrome browser.




> On the phone the latest Chromecast app has a "Cast Screen" option so you can mirror what's on the screen,


quite a buggy app, doesn't always work with every app or phone.




> I got rid of Plex because I no longer use it.


Give it a try again, the new version is a different animal, you will never get back to anything else after it, certainly not having to use a PC to "open" a file on a browser is a much better option.

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## Butterfly

https://plex.tv/

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## Butterfly

> You silly cnut, as if.


told you, OwNED your ass !!!

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## baldrick

> told you, OwNED your ass


are you a secret muslim ? I thought coveting anothers livestock was verbotten ?

I will be testing out the Minix x8 on sunday ( I have a 1 TB WD "ultradrive" to attach ) - also I am interested in how the airmouse thingy handles

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> In the Chrome browser, download the VideoStream extension and you can select and play any file off your network. Piece of piss and it works fine; and you can stream a 20Gb BluRay without it stuttering if you have a fast enough Wifi network (I have 802.11ac everywhere).
> 
> 
> I have 802.11n, hopefully that's enough
> 
> still you have to go to your PC and run it on your browser to stream it on your TV, sounds a bit awkward and silly to do and not very convenient when you are in bed half asleep,
> 
> ...


It's hard to understand someone who complains about having to open a file on a PC to cast it, yet later make up some shit about Chromecast being buggy because he just realised I said you can cast from a mobile.

It works on a Huawei Mate 2, a rooted Note 3, an S4, so fuck knows what piece of crap you're running it on. An Alcatel?

 :rofl: 

Fuck Plex, I'm a Kodi man.

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## beazalbob69

Might want to check out the intel nuk. Nice little box that will blow away any chromecast box. Hell its a full fledged pc. Can even get it with an I7.

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## harrybarracuda

> Might want to check out the intel nuk. Nice little box that will blow away any chromecast box. Hell its a full fledged pc. Can even get it with an I7.


Oh dear, you haven't got a clue have you?

Intel Nuc:



Chromecast (which is not a box):

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## beazalbob69

> Originally Posted by beazalbob69
> 
> 
> Might want to check out the intel nuk. Nice little box that will blow away any chromecast box. Hell its a full fledged pc. Can even get it with an I7.
> 
> 
> Oh dear, you haven't got a clue have you?
> 
> Intel Nuc:
> ...


Actually op was looking for an android box with hdmi to use as a media player correct?

The nuc would be a better option than that lame stick as a htpc.

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## baldrick

> The nuc would be a better option


except for the price - about 300 USD without ram or HD

the chrome stick would be too underpowered and also require a NAS 

I am hoping the minix x8-h (dual band N wifi ) with a HD attached will do what I want

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## beazalbob69

> Originally Posted by beazalbob69
> 
> The nuc would be a better option
> 
> 
> except for the price - about 300 USD without ram or HD
> 
> the chrome stick would be too underpowered and also require a NAS 
> 
> I am hoping the minix x8-h (dual band N wifi ) with a HD attached will do what I want


That looks really nice. Specs look good for the price. Only question I have is the same as yours. How good does it play from a hd and not streaming? USB is only 2.0 and it runs android which I dont have as much experience playing videos in hardware with.

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by beazalbob69
> ...


I have several media players (Dune, Mede8er, IPTV) and a Drobo NAS and none of them offer the convenience of the ChromeCast.

I can play anything on any TV from any PC in the house (or any phone), and it costs $30 a TV to plug one in.

I can't see how this is worse than having to spend $100+ per media box per TV and having to fumble for a remote.

And with Chromecast-enabled apps like FilmOn I can stream UK TV anywhere as well.

The only thing boxes can do better is music, but then again the Chromecast isn't designed for that. But apps like Player FM are now ChromeCast enabled as well, so you can stream audio if you want to.

Not to mention that it is truly portable, as most TV's have a USB port to provide the power these days.

If you simply want to play your video files to a TV from your PC(s) or mobile(s), then there is nothing that can beat it at the price.

What's $30? Not even a quiet lunch.

 :rofl: 

Added: And it can stream from XBMC and Plex, too.

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## Butterfly

> I am hoping the minix x8-h (dual band N wifi ) with a HD attached will do what I want


sounds like a winning ticket,

only Harry the ITtard would advocate an underpowered device with BigCorp apps attached to it as a viable solution.

Apparently it's all about price for him, who gives a shit about 30 USD  :rofl:

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## Butterfly

> What's $30? Not even a quiet lunch.


exactly, then why bothered with such a crappy device, go for the lunch instead, more useful.

better to spend a few hundreds on something that can actually work,

who in his right mind would buy 8 of those crappy devices, even for a low 30 USD ? only a mactard could have such a devotion for a big religious company like Google. 

Jesus harry, are you falling in love with all the big corp silly gadgets ? First Microsoft, now Google ? before that I suspect HP, now what's next ? Apple ?  :rofl:

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## harrybarracuda

So you *still* can't get it working Buttplug?

Fuck me you are thick aren't you?

 :rofl:

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## harrybarracuda

> only Harry the ITtard would advocate an underpowered device with BigCorp apps attached to it as a viable solution.


Would you like to explain why it's underpowered when it can play a 20Gb 3D BluRay rip without a problem?

Or do you even know what you mean by "underpowered", you blithering idiot.

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## Butterfly

underpowered in terms of software, you frigging idiot

god, tell me you are not an IT professional but simply a purchasing manager for IT gadgets

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## harrybarracuda

> underpowered in terms of software, you frigging idiot
> 
> god, tell me you are not an IT professional but simply a purchasing manager for IT gadgets


Underpowered in terms of software? WTF does that mean?

It's simply a device to play your media you moron. You pick the app.

You really are a dimwit sometimes.

 :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## beazalbob69

> Originally Posted by beazalbob69
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> ...


Convenience yes, play a 1080p bluray rip from hardware without streaming it from somewhere else no. I dont like the compression quality loss as the rip is already compressed once. I also dont need internet streaming like netflix as I have rips of whatever I want to watch on a usb 3.0 external hard drive. I just like a straight up htpc that is actually powerful enough to do hardware decoding from a gpu or apu.

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## harrybarracuda

The X8-H is probably your best bet then (at least until something else comes out next week  :Smile:   )

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## baldrick

harrina

what are you using to watch your ride on lawn mower f1 races ?

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## harrybarracuda

Fucking bumping two year old threads? Who do you think you are, Black Heart?

 :Smile: 


The world's your hamster mate. If it's Kodi you can go for the NVidia Shield or the Amazon Fire TV/Stick.

If you just want a Stalker sub to work, a MAG 254 or an AVOV TV Online + (or wait until May for the TV Online 4).

Stalker's down to $80 a year now.

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## baldrick

> I just like a straight up htpc that is actually powerful enough to do hardware decoding from a gpu or apu.


these look interesting - ASRock BEEBOX-S 6200U Intel Skylake U 2 x 260Pin SO-DIMM Barebone Systems - Mini / Booksize - Newegg.com




> The unit supports DDR4 SO-DIMMs, and you can install up to 32GB of RAM. It not only has a x4 PCI-E 3.0 M.2 slot for the latest in NVMe storage devices but also a standard SATA6Gb/s port for a 2.5" drive. The unit has a 1Gbit LAN, Wireless AC/BT4, and even USB 3.1 type-C. There are two HDMI ports (one is HDMI 2.0). The normal HDMI port supports up to 4K at 30Hz while the HDMI 2.0 port supports up to 4K at 60Hz. The unit is 110mm in width, 118.5mm in length, and 46mm in height.
> 
> Read more: ASRock Beebox-S (Intel Core i5-6200U) Mini PC Review

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