Question UHD 4k Bluray Players - Streaming Capabilities

VideoStreamer

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I am about to start on a new home cinema installation and need to purchase a 4k UHD Blu-ray player. There is a lot of good choice about but the clincher will be with the network streaming capabilities of the box. I already have a large HD and UHD content library stored on my home server, delivered entirely over gigabit ethernet.

In the past I have played this content over various media players, Android boxes, smart TV apps and my Humax Freesat box. However with the progressive introduction of newer standards, UHD and better codecs (like H265) the various players have all become progressively outdated. Now the only device that will play anything and everything I have is a re-purposed PC running LibreELEC and Kodi. Whilst this will deliver any/all content I throw at it, right up to higher bitrate 2160p, it is physically too large and noisy for a smart new installation.

So when it comes to choosing a 4k UHD Blu-ray player I see many of them will stream content over ethernet from a home server... but will they all deliver 4k? Not all boxes appear to be DLNA compliant but many claim to deliver content from home servers. My experience to date has taught me that manufacturers are notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to specifying a box's streaming capability. In a perfect world I would hope to find H264/H265/DivX .mp4 + .mkv capability up to 4k.

I don't think we can ever hope to have a truly future-proof system but I would like to view my varied content in the best possible way and make a good choice of Blu-ray player now for the future.

Any recommendations for a streaming 4k UHD Blu-ray player that fits the bill will be gratefully received!
 
What you really need is the old Oppo 203 or Cambridge Audio CXUHD both of which are excellent streamers but now discontinued and only available second hand. For the modern generation forget Panasonic and Pioneer and perhaps look to Sony. I had the X800ii for a while but didn’t really test its DLNA, though by some accounts it is OK. If streaming is the real priority I’d forget Blu-ray players and get a Zappiti or Dune media streamer.
 
If you can live with separate boxes for physicals discs and streamed video the OSMC Vero 4K runs a modified version of Kodi and will handle up to 4K HDR10 media, it's also very small and quiet.

If your familiar with Kodi already then its a good solution.
 
Is there a way to live stream a 4k Video or audio image through network to player? Like maybe a plex or plex like system where you have a gui then play a file from it? But to a player like ub9000? It Doesnt have an hdmi input. The hcx chip image is a priority. Have a project this mcguyvering would help.
 
Jdog2017 said:
Is there a way to live stream a 4k Video or audio image through network to player?
Streaming video over ethernet from a central server has long been one of the most common methods of transmission in professional AV installations.
The hcx chip image is a priority.
That's a TV chip - What does that have to do with this?

@tmanga & @next010 Thanks for the suggestions, I was not aware of either of these boxes. Having tried so-called 'cutting-edge' Android streaming clients before I have always been disappointed at either performance or lack of updatability. Once a box is sold the manufacturer has no further incentive to update it unless a bug comes to light.

The OSMC Vero 4k is a couple of years old and probably due a product refresh. Also the lack of a gigabit ethernet connection will affect performance eventually. OTOH The Zappiti seems to know no boundaries and will stream anything except 1080-50i TV recordings. A slightly bizarre omission but who records interlaced content any more?

It will be the Zappiti for me.
 
If you need right away then so be it but Zappiti is due to refresh it’s range onto the newer 1619 chipset this year or early next apparently. They do support their kit with updates over time.

Ive got a Vero as well, now in a cupboard, but when I used it I had a gigabit Ethernet adapter and never had any problem streaming high bit rate files. I thought their newer version had gigabit Ethernet but don’t follow the device anymore.
 
The OSMC Vero 4k+ has the upgrade. Dated 2018

After collating community feedback, we've now released a new device with numerous improvements. The new device adds Gigabit Ethernet, faster storage, improved performance and higher quality analogue audio. We have also removed the front facing blue LED which some users found too bright; but retained the red LED for standby and recovery modes.
 
Streaming video over ethernet from a central server has long been one of the most common methods of transmission in professional AV installations.
That's a TV chip - What does that have to do with this?

@tmanga & @next010 Thanks for the suggestions, I was not aware of either of these boxes. Having tried so-called 'cutting-edge' Android streaming clients before I have always been disappointed at either performance or lack of updatability. Once a box is sold the manufacturer has no further incentive to update it unless a bug comes to light.

The OSMC Vero 4k is a couple of years old and probably due a product refresh. Also the lack of a gigabit ethernet connection will affect performance eventually. OTOH The Zappiti seems to know no boundaries and will stream anything except 1080-50i TV recordings. A slightly bizarre omission but who records interlaced content any more?

It will be the Zappiti for me.

sorry for the delay.

basically I like the specific image quality of the chipset in the ub900. However it has no hdmi input like my oppo that I can hdmi in a kodi movie setup and use the oppo chip.

so I was trying to figure out if there was a way to not just play movie files over the network to a source but stream it live (like a rest time kodi output from a server) into the player somehow.
after rereading my post I see how odd it might have sounded.
 
If you need right away then so be it but Zappiti is due to refresh it’s range onto the newer 1619 chipset this year or early next apparently. They do support their kit with updates over time.

how does that chipset look?

does it compare to Panasonic’s or oppo at all? Other? Unique?
 
how does that chipset look?

does it compare to Panasonic’s or oppo at all? Other? Unique?
I couldn't say as I do not have a 1619 player. I had a Zidoo on the 1619 but only used it for a very short time due to various issues. By most accounts the 1619 chipset is more flexible than earlier series but I would not expect any huge improvement in picture performance. To be honest I have used various players including Oppo and never see any huge and very obvious difference in PQ. Where they differ is on features and reliability.
 
  • Interesting thread. I have recently moved house and have started to build a home cinema.
I would like to do the room justice bu purchasing a Panasonic UB9000 or Pioneer LX500. Oppo 203 amd 205 are thousands after going obselete.
Cant find Cambridge anywhere.

So my real question similar to the thread is, when you stream or play files via a hard drive or usb port, will the player make the images better. Will it process them and upgrade them. Versus running it directly into the receiver or tv.

In the same way that music files would benefit from running through a DAC like a Marantz 6008 or indeed running music througg Pioneer LX500 or Panny UB9000?

I think the answer is yes. But i never read about this aspect in the reviews or on the forums and it would seem so important now to have "streamers' for video and audio.

Thanks

D
 
The answer is no. They will look the same. Other then known glitches of particular models but they all strive for bit perfect playback using quality chips more than capable of handling the task.

Panasonic is producing intentionally different picture which is kind of deviation from bit perfect playback which really should fall under glitches category.
 

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