Best tv media device for watching movies?

[FiftyTwo]

I've tried a few media players but the best, by far, was the XStreamer. Plays pretty much any format. I have the original basic version but they have many different models.

I'm assuming you mean the Xstreamer dual core.

As the Xstreamer Multi (quad core) is a rebadged Minix Neo mini with extra memory, and Minix haven't actually shipped any yet.

[Psychic]

I bought the Xtreamer original about 5-6 years ago. Still using it. I think there was two files it wouldn't play mong all the major file formats. I think they may have been corrupt. They have a ton of products now, but I really haven't felt any necessity to change and I don't know if they're affiliated with Minix. This is the product I have and I was so happy with it I actually tried to get a dealership.

http://dev.xtreamer.net/xtreamer/overview.aspx

[BB1950]

Minix have withdrawn all their 1080 Roms (7e and 8 last week) and rolled back to firmware 6b.

Too problematic for video replay (overlay didn't work) they say.

I don't know where you get you information from. Three days ago I downloaded "NEO X7 6th FW Release (0101, version 008)" dated 2014-01-01 from:

http://www.minix.com.hk/Support.htm

It works fine. I haven't noticed any 1080p replay problems. Best Neo X7 firmware to date and rock solid! No more crashes! However on the other hand all version 7 ROMs were crap when it came to 1080p playback. The new firmware now supports OTA updates!

Edited January 20, 2014 by BB1950

[FiftyTwo]

Minix have withdrawn all their 1080 Roms (7e and 8 last week) and rolled back to firmware 6b.

Too problematic for video replay (overlay didn't work) they say.

I don't know where you get you information from. Two days ago I downloaded "NEO X7 6th FW Release (0101, version 008)" dated 2014-01-01 from:

http://www.minix.com.hk/Support.htm

It works fine. I haven't noticed any 1080p replay problems. Best Neo X7 firmware to date and rock solid! No more crashes! However on the other hand all version 7 ROMs were crap when it came to 1080p playback. The new firmware now supports OTA updates!

It's in the thread "008 Firmware 1st Jan" hidden within the last 10 pages.

They claim "3 months work down the drain".

Some of the custom ROM developers (Nitro Team) are staying with the January release, but disabling overlay, which appears to be the problem area.

http://minixforums.com/threads/neo-x7-008-firmware-1st-jan.3570/page-43#post-34572

PS

There are many equipment users that aren't very discriminating vis-a-vis picture quality.

Some don't have big enough or good enough displays, some don't use high enough quality source material, and some just don't notice.

(Some users think Sony or LG are quality screens, if you are using them 008 is good for you)

Edited January 20, 2014 by FiftyTwo

[BB1950]

Very interesting... Looks like they just discovered it.

Hmm... I'm going to stay with the 008 release because it works so much more reliable than the 006 release. My LG LED TV is old, so it's not discriminating. If I have a problem, I'll switch to the 780p mode. But I haven't noticed any problem with the 1080p overlay. Nor have I noticed any sound problem. I still have a problem with Skype dropping calls and unable to recover. Skype worked OK when I first flashed the ROM, but hasn't worked since I changed the video mode. I wonder if they're related???

Thanks for the tip!

Edited February 27, 2014 by astral
Removal of quote - Please use Reply button a the bottom

[BudRight]

If you have a PS3, you have the best media server in existence. Stream everything through DLNA from your PC hard drive. It's like falling off a log.

[iluvbeaches]

If you have a PS3, you have the best media server in existence. Stream everything through DLNA from your PC hard drive. It's like falling off a log.

One word, Cinevida :-(

WD live HD plays 3D blu rays and 5,5 gig mkv without a stutter and costs 60-75 euros. Also works as a NAS via intranet you can stream easily to devices. Plays anything except FLV.

Awesome device.

[JetsetBkk]

Download PS3 media server and you can stream from your PC...MKV files work too but you need other tools.

Don't pay for that shit...its all available as freeware.

USB pluggged in to your TV will not have a fast enough transfer rate for MKV (matroska container...bluray).

Wait 14 hours or so till I wake up sober and I will check on my other system the programs I used to use and post back here.

Save youself some baht...no need to buy any hardware.

It's been a lot more than 14 hours. Must've been some bender.

[kbirkins]

So, I'm interested in streaming TV ( Net-flicks) and would appreciate some advice from the experts. .

I currently have internet service from True online (12 Mbps). In reading this and other related threads, it appears that if I buy a Neo X7 and couple this with a service such as "Trickbyte", I should be able to accomplish my objective. One issue apparently, is the question about the proxy server used by True and whether the "Trickbyte" service is compatible.

Am I on the right track here? Even if so, I'm somewhat concerned about my ability to configure the hardware. While I'm generally comfortable fiddling with my computer, I don't have a lot of experience with android and have never had to root a device or select a rom, etc. I'm moderately interested in learning but do not want to get in over my head.

All suggestions would be gratefully welcomed....

[FiftyTwo]

A lot of the streaming services won't work with Minix.

[astral]

A lot of the streaming services won't work with Minix.

Where is your link to support that assertion??

[FiftyTwo]

A lot of the streaming services won't work with Minix.

Where is your link to support that assertion??

http://minixforums.com/forums/neo-x7/

There may not be any threads remaining with negative opinions from users, as the Minix mods have been deleting many posts and banning members for posting anything negative.

Buy one and try Hulu if you don't believe me.

There were previously dozens of users complaining Hulu didn't work.

Edited February 27, 2014 by FiftyTwo

[Chicog]

Tried a 27Gb 1080p 3D movie on the Dune 3D last night - flawless.

[dharmabm]

why buy a media player when you can run xbmc on any old laptop, desktop or even a 35$ raspberry pi? hands down, no contest - can play any type of media files you have as well as hulu,, free cable and more with a few plugins. i have the original wdtv which is crap but i take on roadtrips to plug into hotel room tvs, but for home use there is nothing better than xbmc.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Is your laptop or PC an option ?

Just use a HDMI or VGA Cable to connect.

Detect the TV(s) as additional monitors, select the source on the TV to HDMI/VGA, and then put the movie on that monitor (the TV), fullscreen it, and voila.

That's what I do...

Pretty much, there Isn't a media file made that you can't play via a Windows PC loaded with whatever software your video files might need.

And if you want to get fancy, you can have your files networked over wifi, and play them direct to a DLNA capable TV.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So, I'm interested in streaming TV ( Net-flicks) and would appreciate some advice from the experts. .

I currently have internet service from True online (12 Mbps). In reading this and other related threads, it appears that if I buy a Neo X7 and couple this with a service such as "Trickbyte", I should be able to accomplish my objective. One issue apparently, is the question about the proxy server used by True and whether the "Trickbyte" service is compatible.

Am I on the right track here? Even if so, I'm somewhat concerned about my ability to configure the hardware. While I'm generally comfortable fiddling with my computer, I don't have a lot of experience with android and have never had to root a device or select a rom, etc. I'm moderately interested in learning but do not want to get in over my head.

All suggestions would be gratefully welcomed....

What device(s) are you trying to play Netflix on? What country version of Netflix are you wanting to access?

[CWMcMurray]

So, I'm interested in streaming TV ( Net-flicks) and would appreciate some advice from the experts. .

I currently have internet service from True online (12 Mbps). In reading this and other related threads, it appears that if I buy a Neo X7 and couple this with a service such as "Trickbyte", I should be able to accomplish my objective. One issue apparently, is the question about the proxy server used by True and whether the "Trickbyte" service is compatible.

Am I on the right track here? Even if so, I'm somewhat concerned about my ability to configure the hardware. While I'm generally comfortable fiddling with my computer, I don't have a lot of experience with android and have never had to root a device or select a rom, etc. I'm moderately interested in learning but do not want to get in over my head.

All suggestions would be gratefully welcomed....

Apple TV and Trickbyte works great for Netflix ...

Been using this for the last month

Although for what ever reason, Hulu Plus Doesn't seem to Work well, but that's ok...

More TV on Netflix than I could

Ever watch

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kbirkins]

So, I'm interested in streaming TV ( Net-flicks) and would appreciate some advice from the experts. .

I currently have internet service from True online (12 Mbps). In reading this and other related threads, it appears that if I buy a Neo X7 and couple this with a service such as "Trickbyte", I should be able to accomplish my objective. One issue apparently, is the question about the proxy server used by True and whether the "Trickbyte" service is compatible.

Am I on the right track here? Even if so, I'm somewhat concerned about my ability to configure the hardware. While I'm generally comfortable fiddling with my computer, I don't have a lot of experience with android and have never had to root a device or select a rom, etc. I'm moderately interested in learning but do not want to get in over my head.

All suggestions would be gratefully welcomed....

What device(s) are you trying to play Netflix on? What country version of Netflix are you wanting to access?

I'd like to stream Net-flicks (US) on a fairly basic LG flat screen TV

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Any PC or laptop with a video out port, such as VGA (borderline) or S-Video or HDMI (good). Connect a cable with the correct end for your PC's video out with the correct input end for your LG TV's video in (HDMI or composite video). Windows will recognize the TV as a second monitor, then choose in your video adapter settings to mirror your PC or laptop screen onto the TV screen.

If you use HDMI to HDMI, that carries the audio with the video signal. If you use S-Video, VGA or composite video, you'll need another connection for your PC's audio out (headphone jack) to your TV's composite audio in jack. Basically, for the connections other than HDMI to HDMI, audio video places sell combination cables with all the necessary connections combined into one cable to match whatever jacks your PC and TV may have.

Then for Netflix U.S., you can use a paid DNS redirect service like Unblock US or a good VPN service like Hide My Ass or Strong VPN to gain access to U.S. online content. The DNS redirect services are cheaper and may be faster, but only work for a set list of sites and no others. The VPN services, usually a bit more expensive, will give you a U.S. IP address for all purposes that you can turn on when needed, meaning you can access any U.S. restricted site.

In my case, I have an older laptop that just has a S-Video output and a 3.5 mm headphones jack. So I bought a single cable that, on the laptop end, has a S-Video and 3.5 mm audio connector, and on the other end, for my TV, has composite audio and video connectors (usually yellow colored for the video and red/black colored for the audio in.

My TV has HDMI in ports, but my laptop doesn't have HDMI out ports. Therefore I have to use the SuperVideo to composite video connection. You can't match HDMI on one end and composite on the other end. It may sound a bit confusing, but it's really not.

PS - I also have an Android tablet with a micro HDMI port. So, by using my same VPN service with its Android app on my tablet, I also can play Netflix from my tablet onto my TV by using a micro HDMI (for the tablet) to regular HDMI (for the TV) cable.

I believe, to install the Netflix app from Thailand using a computer or Android device, you'll need to have the VPN or DNS redirect service turned on on your device, Otherwise, Google Play will show you its much more limited Thailand store, and since Netflix isn't available in Thailand, I don't believe you can download the Netflix app from the Thailand version of Google Play.

Edited February 28, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[phazey]

I'm replying to the OP here. You say some formats don't play - I guess you're not using PS3 MediaServer (google it) to get the movies from your PC to your PS3 - as it plays everything possible, and if not transcodes to a suitable format........You should give it a try