Best Media Player atm

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Barfish88

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Hi Guys,

Just wondering what is the best box on the markey atm. One that supports dstv now, kodi, netflix etc.

I know that Nvidia Shield is the boss but looking for something cheaper.
 
/subscribe

I too want to know what player to get in the future. Of what has been tried and tested that is.
 
The best media player atm is the Zidoo X20pro. It has Kodi, but don't think it supports Netflix and DSTV. Only problem is it's around US$750-US$800.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

Chipset Model REALTEK RTD1296DD
Max Resolution 4K60
Chipset Family ARM CORTEX A53
Cores 4
Chipset Ghz 2
GPU MALI-T820MP3
OS Version ANDROID 7.1 + OPENWRT
RAM (GB) 4
Flash Memory (GB) 32
Internal HDD 3.5" SATA
HDD Num 2
USB Host 3
USB Slave 1
USB Version 2.0 / 3.0
Other Storage EXTERNAL SATA
Bluetooth YES. 4.1
Wired Network GIGABIT
Wireless Network DUAL-BAND WI-FI(AC) 2T2R
HDMI 2
Composite Video 1
HDMI Version 2.0A VIDEO + 1.4A AUDIO
Audio/Video Other ESS9038 DAC, HDMI INPUT
Stereo L/R Audio 1
S/PDIF TOSLink 1
S/PDIF Coaxial 1
Video Formats (Codecs) HDR, 10-BIT HEVC/H.265 UP TO4K@60FPS, VP9 UP TO 4K@60FPS, H.264 UP TO 4K@24FPS
Audio Extensions (Containers) SUPPORT HD AUDIO MULTICHANNEL PASS THROUGH AND STEREO DECODING
3D SBS YES
3D Top Bottom YES
3D Frame Packing YES
Blu-Ray 3D YES
DVD ISO YES
Blu-Ray ISO YES
Dolby Digital (AC3) Downmix YES
Dolby Digital (AC3) Passthrough YES
Dolby TrueHD Downmix YES
Dolby TrueHD Passthrough YES
DTS Downmix YES
DTS Passthrough YES
DTS-HD MA Downmix YES
DTS-HD MA Passthrough YES
Kodi ZDMC + ANDROID
Fan YES
Supplied Remote IR + BLUETOOTH
 
Dairyfarmer said:
The best media player atm is the Zidoo X20pro. It has Kodi, but don't think it supports Netflix and DSTV. Only problem is it's around US$750-US$800.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

Chipset Model REALTEK RTD1296DD
Max Resolution 4K60
Chipset Family ARM CORTEX A53
Cores 4
Chipset Ghz 2
GPU MALI-T820MP3
OS Version ANDROID 7.1 + OPENWRT
RAM (GB) 4
Flash Memory (GB) 32
Internal HDD 3.5" SATA
HDD Num 2
USB Host 3
USB Slave 1
USB Version 2.0 / 3.0
Other Storage EXTERNAL SATA
Bluetooth YES. 4.1
Wired Network GIGABIT
Wireless Network DUAL-BAND WI-FI(AC) 2T2R
HDMI 2
Composite Video 1
HDMI Version 2.0A VIDEO + 1.4A AUDIO
Audio/Video Other ESS9038 DAC, HDMI INPUT
Stereo L/R Audio 1
S/PDIF TOSLink 1
S/PDIF Coaxial 1
Video Formats (Codecs) HDR, 10-BIT HEVC/H.265 UP TO4K@60FPS, VP9 UP TO 4K@60FPS, H.264 UP TO 4K@24FPS
Audio Extensions (Containers) SUPPORT HD AUDIO MULTICHANNEL PASS THROUGH AND STEREO DECODING
3D SBS YES
3D Top Bottom YES
3D Frame Packing YES
Blu-Ray 3D YES
DVD ISO YES
Blu-Ray ISO YES
Dolby Digital (AC3) Downmix YES
Dolby Digital (AC3) Passthrough YES
Dolby TrueHD Downmix YES
Dolby TrueHD Passthrough YES
DTS Downmix YES
DTS Passthrough YES
DTS-HD MA Downmix YES
DTS-HD MA Passthrough YES
Kodi ZDMC + ANDROID
Fan YES
Supplied Remote IR + BLUETOOTH
Click to expand...
Sweet Cheeses :oops::oops:
I just want Netflix, Kodi and DSTV.
I'm 47 and do not need all that DTS mumbo jumbo anymore.
Have a 55" UHD telly and just need a box to stream to it as the telly is a Smart Doff TV on Android 4.4.2 and the software available is kak.
Using laptop at the moment to stream to it but that is boring.
Looking for a reliable 'CHEAP' media player :thumbsup:
 
Barfish88 said:
i need ethernet, i get alot on buffering when i play through wifi
Click to expand...
i refuse wifi wherever possible, only my 2 cell phones are on wifi, and the iPad, other than that PS3 and xbox360 and laptop and tv is all CAT5. WIFI is kak
 
Chuckmyster said:
i refuse wifi wherever possible, only my 2 cell phones are on wifi, and the iPad, other than that PS3 and xbox360 and laptop and tv is all CAT5. WIFI is kak
Click to expand...
The 90s called, they want their wifi router back.



I have a X96 mini media player. Plays everything you can throw at it with no stutter and it is available for a few hundred rands.
 
Chuckmyster said:
i refuse wifi wherever possible, only my 2 cell phones are on wifi, and the iPad, other than that PS3 and xbox360 and laptop and tv is all CAT5. WIFI is kak
Click to expand...
What bloody kak router have you got. I don't have any streaming problems with my MI box. I get up to 1440p on Netflix, but that's my Internet. 4k should work just fine.
 
Last edited:
Dan C said:
What bloody oak router have you got. I don't have any streaming problems with my MI box. I get up to 1440p on Netflix, but that's my Internet. 4k should work just fine.
Click to expand...
Neh not just mine in particular, I am generalising saying the air is dirty coz it bloody well is, kak latency :) Maybe there by you on the East Coast your airwaves are cleaner but down here it is soooooo busy. I see it everywhere, my place, friends places, camping places and also at work. In general WIFI is naai :)
 
Mi Box seems to still be the better choice when it comes to features & affordability even in 2019. DSTV, Netflix, Kodi, showmax, and all the other apk's that litter the interwebs. It ticks the most boxes. Works perfectly on WIFI on my end. As long as the internet is decent performance will be decent and one does not even need fibre, LTE works just fine.
 
phly said:
Mi Box seems to still be the better choice when it comes to features & affordability even in 2019. DSTV, Netflix, Kodi, showmax, and all the other apk's that litter the interwebs. It ticks the most boxes. Works perfectly on WIFI on my end. As long as the internet is decent performance will be decent and one does not even need fibre, LTE works just fine.
Click to expand...

If he absolutely needs a wired connection there are USB adapters that work very well, and a few are also 3-4 port USB hubs.
 
The Mi Box, not the newer S version, just received a firmware update a couple of hours ago that adds automatic refresh rate switching, this alone makes it the second best Android TV player behind the much more expensive Shield TV.
 
Last edited:
It just dawned on me that the Mi Box could just be the single hub that one needs for the future home. Youtube, Spotify or google music, Netflix, HBO, Hulu and basically all these apks floating about plus the awesome google cast feature are all there already. And what just occurred to me is the gaming aspect, specifically cloud gaming. Since graphical prowess is not needed (as evident with the new google stadia platform) and the world seems to want to move in that direction, then its plausible to think that ... I could choose a dinner playlist on spotify to play in the background while hosting guests on a sunday evening. Relive that evening casting pics taken during dinner casting it onto the big screen (TV) and when I feel like playing a certain game - which will apparently be "platform agnostic" - I just pull out a controller and play it. My TV becomes my hub for everything entertainment without needing various devices and one "mi box" to bring it all to life on the big screen. Anyways just thinking out aloud of a perfect future which I don't think is very far off.:)
 
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