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Android based media player with ext HD support?

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  • 25-02-2016 1:01am
    #1
    cormie
    Registered Users Posts: 20,835 ✭✭✭✭


    I've been the not so proud owner of a WD TV LIVE which really requires a lot of patience to use and I'm thinking there must be a better alternative out there now running android.

    Does anyone know of any devices that would act as a media player mainly, but could also play movies from external hard drives and the likes without much faffing about?

    I'm trying to think would this even be possible with a phone, but I guess it needs some kinda video out port, although I know some phones can do this through the micro usb too.

    The problem is, I need it to work with my projector which only has VGA and SD inputs, although I know it's possible to get adaptors.

    Any feedback or suggestions very welcome!


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    #2
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    Would a normal Android TV box not do all that for you? You can do pretty much anything with one. You can run a variety of OS's on it, even Windows! It's just a like a mini PC connected to everything on your network, your phones/tablets/laptops/NAS/Your main PC etc. And of course wired devices like external hard drives. There might be a bit of "faffing about" setting it up, but I think they make pretty good media players. You might just need an adapter for that projector.


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    #3
    Lovely Bloke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,748 ✭✭✭✭Lovely Bloke


    Jaysis, I love my WDTV, what do you find wrong with it?

    I've two HDs hanging off it, connected to my network so I can transfer stuff to it over the WIFI, can cast youtube and even play stuff that's on my laptop without even transferring it over.

    Now, an andoid box it ain't, no browser, limited apps etc, but for that it is, it's fine.


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    #4
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Buy an android STB from one of the Chinese sellers, €40-80, lump in a HDMI male to VGA female adapter *with sound* and away you go.


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    #5
    cormie
    Registered Users Posts: 20,835 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Blade wrote: »
    Would a normal Android TV box not do all that for you? You can do pretty much anything with one. You can run a variety of OS's on it, even Windows! It's just a like a mini PC connected to everything on your network, your phones/tablets/laptops/NAS/Your main PC etc. And of course wired devices like external hard drives. There might be a bit of "faffing about" setting it up, but I think they make pretty good media players. You might just need an adapter for that projector.

    Yeah that sounds like it could be a good replacement alright. Is there any brands or models in particular? I'd rather pay a little extra for a known/well supported model than what could turn out to be a dodgy unreliable thing. I was thinking it'd be nice to have a screen on it too, to control it without a remote or relying on having another screened device, so this is why I was thinking a phone if there was any with video out and ext HD support at the same time.
    Baldy Conscience wrote: »
    Jaysis, I love my WDTV, what do you find wrong with it?

    I've two HDs hanging off it, connected to my network so I can transfer stuff to it over the WIFI, can cast youtube and even play stuff that's on my laptop without even transferring it over.

    Now, an andoid box it ain't, no browser, limited apps etc, but for that it is, it's fine.

    It just seems very slow, you need to wait about 2/3 seconds between each press of the remote on the menus and lately it hasn't been compiling the media library from the HD I connect and I just gave up on it and connected the projector to my laptop. I actually had to send my first one back for replacement as it stopped working altogether so now I'm just thinking get an android based one and it should be much better and I'd actually use it more :o
    ED E wrote: »
    Buy an android STB from one of the Chinese sellers, €40-80, lump in a HDMI male to VGA female adapter *with sound* and away you go.

    Is an STB the same thing Blade is suggesting above?


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    #6
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    cormie wrote: »
    Yeah that sounds like it could be a good replacement alright. Is there any brands or models in particular? I'd rather pay a little extra for a known/well supported model than what could turn out to be a dodgy unreliable thing. I was thinking it'd be nice to have a screen on it too, to control it without a remote or relying on having another screened device, so this is why I was thinking a phone if there was any with video out and ext HD support at the same time.

    Yeah, you can get them with a screen too:
    http://www.geekbuying.com/item/PIPO-X9-8-9-inch-2G-64G-Dual-Boot-Windows-10-Android-4-4-Tablet-Mini-PC-Intel-Z3736F-Quad-Core-WiFi-Bluetooth-Ethernet-HDMI-353402.html


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    #7
    cormie
    Registered Users Posts: 20,835 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Wow that looks very interesting, maybe a bit TOO comprehensive though, was thinking something simple, I don't like having too many gadgets if a lot of them do the same thing, save the planet and all that and then the more complicated it is with dual boot with windows 10 and android, the more attention it's going to need. Does look pretty sweet though :)


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