There are so many options on the market, but I feel like they all miss one thing or another. As my current setup is about to kick the bucket, I'd appreciate some input on your experiences and thoughts on the future.
Below are my thoughts and opinions, that are completely open to scrutiny!
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The Nvidia Shield (and 2019 Pro) are aging and overpriced. Lacking software updates shows Nvidia's priorities on other product lines. Will there be a new version now that the Switch 2 is launched, or are the possible profits pocket change for them?
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Apple TV seems to be a great alternative, but it's a locked down ecosystem. Tailscale is available here now, which is great, but there is no way to side load apps AFAIK. I am not giving up ad-free Youtube. Other than that, I see very few downsides with it.
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Google TV Streamer 4K is basically a Chromecast with more memory, storage and a slight bump to the CPU. It does finally support AV1, but lacks support for many audio codecs and several relatively common DV-profiles. It has also more than doubled in price.
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We don't have Amazon, so I know very little about the Firestick, but I imagine it would be like the CcwGTV? Probably same with the Roku?
To be fair, I'm looking for something with a bit more snappiness and punch than a stick for future proofing.
What are your thoughts? Waiting for the Shield 2 Pro? Happy with Apple TV or Google Streamer?
I wanna know how you play your obviously perfectly legal content on your TV's, but it needs to have the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor).
The server is a N100 NUC, so transcoding is no issue but I prefer not having to do it for everything.
Cheers!
We have been using Apple TV for about a decade. Before that a homebrew solution with a Mac mini and two DVB-T streaming boxes.
The Apple TV just works.
We got fed up with YouTube advertising and paid for Premium.
The only three items that are annoying is that the Siri remote regularly needs resetting, that you cannot have two remotes, and that the volume control does not control HDMI audio levels.
Yeah, I'm not an Apple-man myself, but I know several who are and I get that once you're in the ecosystem, it's a very comfy place to be. And functional, of course. I just generally try to avoid walled gardens unless I "have to".
Personally, paying for Premium is not an option. It's $17 here, which is just absurdly overpriced IMHO.
Strange about the volume controls...
Is the soundbar/amp connected via HDMI Arc?
If yes, it sounds like some settings with HDMI CEC is messed up. Usually these things can be set manually on the TV or device itself.
If you've tried everything, then ignore my uncalled for advice and enjoy the day.
Appreciate the input as well, mate!
Fairly sure we're on the same content. I'm beyond the black stump waaay out West.
The audio controls are odd.
The only thing actually controlled on the Apple TV is Bluetooth, the rest is external. The remote does IR, so it can control the amplifier directly.
No Apple ecosystem here, mostly Google Home and Android phones for family stuff, Linux for anything that matters.
I hated the idea of paying $16.99 for YouTube, but then I realised that it's a big chunk of what I'm watching. Started off as an experiment, now we treat it like just another streaming service.