Question Media Player advice

Morbs1990

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Hi All,

I'm after some advice for streaming media with high definition audio through netflix, stan and USB storage device.
I have a denon x1600h receiver connected to my hisense 4k hdr tv via arc (tv doesnt support earc).
I also have a sony 4k player which has the netflix app but doesnt allow streaming in atmos for some reason ( only 4k bluerays play with atmos).
So my question is, which media player is best for 4k hdr 60hz that will play netflix with atmos, and will allow me to install other streaming services such as stan etc.. i also want to be able to plug a usb storage device to watch movie files i have which will have atmos and 4k hdr content.
I did some research and found that the Vero 4k device meets these requirements via the Kodi software, but wanted some real life feedback if anyone has any they can share?

Thanks heaps.
 
While the Vero4K is a good device, it's really more aimed at local streaming than using it for Netflix etc.

While it can currently stream Netflix through Kodi and only through Kodi, it just takes a change to Kodi or Netflix's software to make this unworkable for an undefined period of time until one or the other play catch up.

You'd be better IMO going for a device with native apps for streaming such as a Nvidia Shield TV which is an excellent streamer that works well with both Kodi and streaming apps. If you have a Sony TV which I presume is running Android then the Shield will seem very familiar to you. It plays everything you can throw at it and it bitstreams HD Audio formats, Atmos etc.

Just a note though.

high definition audio through netflix, stan

Neither these, nor any other streaming video service use HD Audio. They use DD+ with sometimes an Atmos component in that DD+ stream. DD+ is a development replacing DD5.1.

While it can be very good, it's quite a bit off TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, Dolby Atmos or DTS-X
 
Also worth a mention with regards to Netflix on the vero4k when using kodi. Widevine certification is required for access to the 4k streams, within the addon there is an option to add this token, unfortunately the vero4k does not have this so that would rule out lossy atmos/4k playback via the addon anyway

agree with @Sloppy Bob given your requirements of streaming services with 4k and lossy atmos along with local playback with lossless audio via usb connected storage then the shield 2019 pro is probably the best way to go
 
Thanks guys, i think the shield pros are readily available in my area, whereas the vero was an import from the UK, so that's a positive. The only reason i was steering away from the shield was because I seen some forums saying that it didnt have the correct hardware to decode the atmos format through Netflix - they were saying only apple 4k and vero could do it. but it sounds like the shield has had a possible update? Or has this always been the case?

Cheers
 
I don't know where you saw that but it's incorrect, it may have been the case when Netflix just launched Atmos as all these devices need to play catch up when there's significant changes to streaming services, but I've had Atmos on my Shield via local streaming and Netflix/Prime etc, as long as I've had an Atmos system which is over 2 years.

The AppleTV 4K will do Atmos on streaming apps but AFAIK still won't do it on your own content via USB (stand to be corrected, but if it does it's recent) and as chopples stated the Vero4K will do it on local content but not streaming apps due to Widevine, you wouldn't even get 4K Netflix with the Vero4K and I really can't recommend it for streaming apps as they're all relying on Kodi and outside developers keeping it updated.

Also remember, if you didn't know already, that your AVR can upscale non-Atmos content to use your Atmos speakers using Dolby Surround or Neural:X
 
Thanks guys, i think the shield pros are readily available in my area, whereas the vero was an import from the UK, so that's a positive. The only reason i was steering away from the shield was because I seen some forums saying that it didnt have the correct hardware to decode the atmos format through Netflix - they were saying only apple 4k and vero could do it. but it sounds like the shield has had a possible update? Or has this always been the case?

Cheers

Shield has always been capable of supporting Atmos from netflix but due to licensing the 2015/2017 versions did not support Atmos from Netflix via the native app, only via the Kodi add-on. The 2019 version supports both Atmos and Dolby vision via the native Netflix app

The vero doesn't support Netflix 4k fullstop
 
Hey guys, so i got the nvidea shield, everything works great except i cant connect to my 5g wifi, can connect to 2.4 no worries. I can see the SSID for 5g and it displays full signal strength but when i click on it through the shield it says "poor wireless network connection". Also it is worth mentioning my ps4 uses the 5g band and it is right next to the shield. ( the ps4 is not on at time of testing).

Any ideas?

Cheers.
 

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