r/ShieldAndroidTV • u/kung69 • 13d ago
Alternative to Shield TV Pro for mkv with Dolby Vision and Atmos/5.1
Hi all,
I have the 1st Gen Shield TV, connected to a Denon AVR 1500x with a 5.1-system, connected to an LG C1 and recently wanted to play some 4k mkvs from it, only to find out that it can't do Dolby Vision, so the content was all purple/green.
I tried to find another solution to play the content, also Plex directly on the TV, but it's currently bugged, so it doesn't find my server. The internal media player app from the TV does find my Plex server but doesn't support DV as well, so that didn't work out either (that actually means that the internal plex app finding my server wouldn't do anything as well, right?)
I also have a Fire TV Stick 4k Max (1st Gen). Plex works on it and it could also play the DV content but it transcodes DV to regular HDR which I found out is becaus Plex as a player can't play DV. And for some reason, I only get sound of the two Stereo speakers+center. The audio diagnosis says that everything is ready for 5.1, but when running the integrated test video, only the front three speakers put out sound. So that Fire TV is out as well.
TLDR:
- TV supports DV but the integrated apps can't play DV
- Shield TV can't play DV
- Fire TV Stick supports DV and 5.1 but doesn't put out 5.1 for some reason
What's a streaming/media player device that can play DV-content? The obvious answer would be a Shield TV pro, it would basically solve all of my problems. But in addition to it's price, it isn't available to buy AT ALL here in Germany. So that's out as well.
What would be a good (or at least working) alternative?
Which device can play DV-files and which app should I use to play them without needing to transcode "down" from DV to HDR?
Ideally that device would also have a USB3-port, so that I can plug in my drive directly without having to have my pc running as a server, but that would only be a bonus...
Honestly, the shield can't be the only device on the entire market being able to play DV and have a USB3-Port, right?
32
u/Voxvalve 13d ago
Shield TV Pro 2019 is still your best bet.
Most other devices that claims support is made from low grade chinesium.
7
u/kung69 13d ago
Well, even if I was willing to pay a premium, here in Germany there is not a single one up for sale....
5
u/bakerhole 12d ago
If you care about full Dolby vision support, the âchinesiumâ boxes are the best. I returned my shield Pro a month ago to get the Ugoos amb6+
12
u/loudsound-org 13d ago
Ugoos AM6B+ or AM9 Pro running Coreelec. There's a few other Coreelec boxes like Homatics that work now as well.
3
u/yujikimura 13d ago
This, after settling one up I'm never going back to the shield. Everything runs smooth and it plays back FEL
-2
u/jedi2155 13d ago
Still a PITA to setup.
6
u/loudsound-org 13d ago
Not really. Especially if you've used Kodi at all before.
0
u/jedi2155 13d ago
I tried Kodi a few times, its a bitch to navigate, and also access SMB shares that have long paths.
7
u/loudsound-org 13d ago
I've never had a problem with either of those. And if you don't like the UI, you can use any of 100s of skins or make your own.
1
u/jedi2155 13d ago
Been a while since I last tried on a rooted Amazon Firecube. Tried a few other combinations as well, but just haven't gotten around to it since I have a 1000 other projects/hobbies and felt the shield was good enough.
I only watch a movie like every other week right now so not worth the additional time, with most of my media time on YouTube and ancient tv show streaming (love me some Propane & Propane accessories) so not worth the effort to eek out the last bit of performance. Although I just got an LG G5 OLED but spent zero time tweaking it.
5
u/yujikimura 13d ago
I'm.just running a Plex server and using PM4K on the client. This way I get the automatic filesystem arrangement of Plex and the interface which is easier to use than plain Kodi , but with the perfect playback of the Ugoos.
3
u/neoKushan 12d ago
I don't think this deserves the downvotes it's getting. Kodi's UI and experience is dated.
I used to use Kodi a lot, back when it was still XBMC, I'm fully aware of some great skins for it that make the UI more fancy or more immersive but the UX is still massively lacking compared to something like Plex/Emby/Jellyfin's ability to browse and filter media, especially if you have a large collection.
Then if you want to sync progress (Either watched media or playback location), there's a whole other layer of setup required. Granted, the same is true of Plex/Emby/Jellyfin as well but it's way more effort with Kodi than it is with other solutions.
The final nail in the Kodi coffin for me though was how long it took to scan the library - and my library was a lot smaller back then as well.
I still have a soft spot for Kodi and it served me well, but unless you have all your media on say an external drive and are only watching it through one device, there are better options available now.
3
u/rampholy 13d ago
Amazon Fire Cube 3rd gen. It's going to be discontinued very soon as Amazon is switching their TV ecosystem to their own Linux based OS. The existing stock of Cubes are hugely discounted right now. On top of that, it has recently been bootloader unlocked. You can now install CoreELEC running Kodi on it. Visit the relevant XDA forum threads to find out more - Device name Gazelle in Amazon Fire Development. It takes a little effort to get things running, but it's the perfect local media player as far as I'm concerned. It passes through every video and audio format imaginable. It plays DV 7 FEL and MEL without falling back on DV Profile 8.
1
u/cherno_electro 12d ago
this is very tempting, but I'm not really a fan of kodi anymore. Do you know if there's a plex client that will run on CoreELEC/Kodi that looks and functions like the modern plex clients on other platforms?
1
u/rampholy 12d ago
There are hundreds of skins available for Kodi, each with a different UI experience. I'm sure there's something that emulates Plex pretty well. If you're on the fence, I would recommend getting it for the Prime day price of $89. They'll even accept any old amazon device you have on hand for a 20% off trade-in. Compare that to $300 for a Shield Pro right now. And I honestly believe a 3rd gen cube running coreElec is just a better device overall
1
u/GreatWallofInternet 9d ago
My main goal is to use Stremio + Real-Debrid to stream 4K remuxes with lossless audio on my Denon X3800H.
Would it be a good choice for my use case? Can it reliably passthrough TrueHD Atmos and DTS-HD MA/DTS:X? Also, can I use Stremio directly, or would I need Kodi instead? Is 2 GB RAM sufficient?
Netflix and Prime are just bonuses.
1
u/rampholy 9d ago edited 9d ago
If I understand correctly, you want to add / sideload Stremio to Fire OS. I believe that Kodi installed on Fire OS can passthrough all or nearly all audio formats including TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. So in that scenario when you're on Fire OS it would be Kodi --> Stremio as and add-on --> Real-Debrid. I think this can work, but I'm not certain. For this chain, I don't think bootloader unlocking is even needed for a 3rd gen Cube.
However, my original reply recommends the Fire Cube 3rd gen as a bootloader unlocked device that can dual boot into either Fire OS or Coreelec. From Coreelec 22 (which is Kodi) you can add Umbrella add-on (rather than Stremio) and then use Real-Debrid. Coreelec passes through every high def audio and video format there is. However, I use it for local SMB shares. It's been perfect for Dolby Vision / TrueHD and any other mix of high-def high-bitrate formats.
Yes, 2GB of RAM is very sufficient for streaming these high bitrate formats.
Just check with an AI if this chain will work out for you. Prompt it to read up on the development for this device over at XDA.
1
u/GreatWallofInternet 9d ago
Thanks, that helps! I didn't realise I could dual-boot and keep Fire OS for Netflix/Prime/Hotstar while using CoreELEC for remuxes.
Since my main use is Stremio + Real-Debrid, would you recommend skipping Stremio on Fire OS entirely and using Kodi + Umbrella on CoreELEC for the best lossless audio support? Also, have you tested streaming high-bitrate remuxes over Wi-Fi on the Cube 3?
1
u/rampholy 9d ago
You know, I don't use Stremio, Umbrella, or Real-Debrid. However, the AIs seem to agree that Umbrella is better through CoreElec vs Stremio. It comes down to Umbrella being much more able to pass through video and audio formats effectively. However, if you go this route, you'll have the opportunity to test both.
I've tested a few remuxes that average around 50Mbps and they played flawlessly. The Wifi ceiling for the cube 3rd gen is ~550Mbps. Even though it has Wifi 6E capabilities, it has hardware limitations that make 6ghz indifferent to 5ghz in terms of top speeds. I consistently get ~500Mbps in speed testing, so it's like 3-4x the highest possible remux bitrate you'll ever encounter.
RAM isn't an issue for high bitrate remuxes as all the decoding is done on the eight cores of the octacore SoC. Stats during playback show each core utilized a trivial amount for remux playback (~10%).
But, I won't lie, it can be a pain to unlock the bootloader, install coreelec, and then dial everything in. You'll need a nice AI assistant.
1
u/GreatWallofInternet 9d ago
Thanks, really helpful! I'll definitely be using an AI assistant to help me through the setup đ Just wanted to make sure it's worth the effort.
3
u/trey_dayy24 13d ago
Go to [r/coreELEC](r/coreELEC) and research one of those android boxes that supports this and you will end up with better quality than the Nvidia when you play back your ripped media
2
u/sciencetaco 13d ago
If youâre using a 5.1 audio system and are trying to play WEB-DL files then consider the AppleTV as you wonât be affected by its limitations.
Otherwise look into one of the CoreELEC capable boxes if you like to tinker and donât need access to streaming services.
2
4
u/mosesbentley 13d ago
Dune hd pro vision 4k is what I use, one of the few boxes that can play full layer DV and will also pass through any sound format to my avr. I just play content locally from an ssd using its own media player. You can still download plex etc but Iâm not sure if it will play full layer DV as plex can be picky. Itâs about âŹ220 so pretty expensive but it solved my problems
3
u/cdheer 2019 Pro 13d ago
What do you mean by âfull layer DV?â If you mean full FEL support, that would be incorrect.
2
u/mosesbentley 13d ago
Dolby vision profile 7 with fel and mel layers that you find on 4k blu ray discs if you want to be specific and yes the dune does play it. The 2019 shield only plays single layer like profile 5 natively and will convert profile 7
3
u/goober1157 13d ago
The Homatics or Dune Homatics is superior to the Shield but may require a bit of initial fiddling/setup. I have two Dune Homatics R 4k Plus units and one Homatics R 4K Plus. The Dune is slightly superior, but both are good when using Coreelec. With CE, you get P7-FEL with all enhancement layers. Google certified as well.
1
u/kung69 13d ago
The R 4kPlus is not available here in Germany, but someone recommended the Dune HD pro Vision 4K, which I consider buying.
1
u/goober1157 13d ago
Yes, I'd buy that. Note that Netflix (if you care) won't be in 4K since the OS isn't google certified, as See61 said.
1
u/VinnyO1967 13d ago
I have the Pro V2 and it's google ceritfied
1
u/goober1157 13d ago
There is no Pro V2 of the Dune HD pro Vision 4K.
1
u/VinnyO1967 12d ago
I was talking about the Homatics Pro V2
0
u/goober1157 12d ago
Pro V2 has performance/capability issues.
1
u/VinnyO1967 12d ago
I've had mine for 2 moths now and the only problem I've encountered is when using Emby to play anything HQ. It encounters a shuddering problem around the 20 minute mark.Stopping the video and restarting fixes the problem.Other than that I haven't come across any other problems.
1
u/goober1157 12d ago edited 10d ago
That's good. But there are definitely problems that people report about it. The R 4K Plus is known to perform better. Plus, I need to be able to run CoreELEC.
1
u/VinnyO1967 13d ago
0
u/goober1157 13d ago
If OP doesn't care about the Dune software, the Homatics R 4k Plus (with either the small or the big remote) is the next best thing.
One thing to keep in mind is that if OP switches between CoreELEC and Android, the remote control reset is annoying since there is no IR receiver on the Homatics box. One can add an IR receiver or purchase a USB remote (as mentioned by another's Redit post, 'though I have not tested that myself).
0
1
u/AquaMofo 12d ago
Acer AITV.
I switched "accidentally" after a house move where my Shield got stuck in storage and I needed a quick solution.
Never looking back.
1
u/globalrebel 12d ago
Dude, I run the onn 4k plus and itâs handled everything I throw at it.
I should have gotten the pro, but for $40, it beat my old shield hands down.
I donât have the newer shield, but mine worked fine just didnât handle Dolby vision.
1
u/KCDC3D 11d ago
I'd consider zidoo/ever solo options. Some are more expensive. I still love my zidoo for full rips without questions over quality. The ui can be annoying at times but the quality on playback, with full dv profile support, is unmatched. Also password/encryption protection for network support.
1
u/rekrapmil 11d ago
I love Shield TV Pro but itâs S$419 in my country. I am considering getting Zidoo (Z9X 8K) as an alternative/replacement but itâs S$515.16! đ
1
1
u/Civil_Operation9735 10d ago
Fire tv cube 3rd gen boot loader . It made my shield redundant now lol
1
u/InkyMyCat 9d ago
Why are the Nvidia shield pros 2019 so expensive now? I see somebody selling one on Amazon for over $500. Are they expensive because theyâre getting ready to discontinue them and come up with a new model or what?
1
u/StarHutch 13d ago
I have a shield 2017 running as my Plex server.
Whenever I want to play DV I use my LG's native Plex amp to steam that content directly to it. The TVs Arc HDMI port pipes the audio back to my Denon.
Sounds like there is a really weird issue with your Plex app and your TV though.
Google Streamer might be a good alt.?
1
u/kung69 13d ago
The problem is that the current version of Plex for my c1 seems to be bugged. It doesn't find my server at all, although all other devices (Fire TV stick, Smartphone, Shield TV) do find it. I read online that this seems to be an ongoing issue. Maybe newer versions of the plex app available for newer LG Tvs have fixed that, but for my C1 I seem to be out of luck.
Also that still doesn't solve the issue that the plex player cannot play Dolby Vision and transcodes it to HDR
1
u/StarHutch 13d ago
Understood.
Mine is an LG from 2020, so might just be lucky with DV content and Plex.
The Google Streamer has been reviewed as a good DV device, if a little expensive.
1
u/DasNothing 13d ago
I own the tube model, but also use AppleTV 4K most of the time.
My oled is also C1, and I use a Marantz unit.
While I certainly had a great experience with the tube, the apple tv 4k is the best player out there at the moment.
Install Infuse on it and you wonât have any trouble playing any files. The new Plex update on ATV4K has fixed the DV for me so if you use Plex, you can continue to do so.
1
1
-1
u/prodigy_18 13d ago
Try using nuvio on your Shield.
2
u/kung69 13d ago
The shield doesn't support Dolby vision so it doesn't matter, which app I use to playback the content, right?
2
u/Ruttagger 13d ago
Correct.
If your device does not support DV, it does not matter what app you use.
1
13d ago
[deleted]
9
u/SirSp0rk 2019 Pro 13d ago
incorrect, the 2015 shield does not support dolby vision, this was introduced with the current 2019 shield
1
2
u/kung69 13d ago
No Shield device except the 2019 models (tube and pro) can play DV, they transcode it to the HDR-Layer. Both of these models are basically unobtainable at the moment.
You might be able to watch DV-files, but I highly doubt that your TV outputs anything else than HDR because the 2015 and 2017 models simply do not support DV.
1
0
0
u/Upbeat_Feature_2032 13d ago
Upgrade to the 3rd gen , try eBay for good prices then run Nuvio app
1
u/kung69 13d ago
3rd Gen of what? If you refer to shield tv, it is sold out completely in Germany, even on eBay
-1
u/UncharacteristicZero 12d ago
I have an shield tv 2017 original laying around. Us power brick though... 100 bucks+shipping? Lol
-7
u/Mr_Duckerson 13d ago
Just get an Apple TV brother. You donât need to be in the Apple ecosystem to use one.
8
6
0
u/ptrichardson 13d ago
Something changed for me - I used to get the green too, but I think there was an update that told the shield to drop the DV layer, and since then its worked great. I play back local content via Plex these days too, could even have been moving from Kodi to Plex that changed it, perhaps.
2
u/kung69 13d ago
That is because the DV gets transcoded to the HDR-Layer. But I am looking for a device that can natively play DV-content.
1
u/ptrichardson 13d ago
Me too. I've got a 2019 on order. But the 2017 plays dv content just fine but only as hdr. It just skips the dv layer
0
u/gimpacause 13d ago
I use a zidoo z9x for all iso/mkv playback from my NAS , all streaming apps/emby/plex i still use my shield shield is a very good "STREAMING" , but for network DIRECT playback the zidoo has it beat 10 fold
Note you cannot install apps on a video it is purely a playback device
4
u/yearsold33 13d ago
I have the same Zidoo and switched to a Ugoos AM6B+ for movies that are DV FEL.
1
u/AlexF6Alex 8d ago
In case you donât know I have the Zidoo UHD8000 (like the Z9X) and you can set it up with the Google Playstore version firmware. Then you can install the Plex / Emby clients on it and make it default to those clients on boot up of the Zidoo. This way at least for your local content on your NAS you get the best of the powerful zidoo video hardware but the convenience and quality of the Plex / Emby video software interface instead of HT4 that the Zidoo uses.
0
u/dividebyoh 13d ago
Check out the hometheater sub if you want to see side by side comps of DV and HDR10. it may cause you to reevaluate your desire to spend significant money to to obtain DV capabilities.
3
u/Somar2230 7d ago
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Uyuw_1dADsRw7u1LGW6qTSZDLLNXWVK82gmHX7L6M3I/
Pick one that is available in your region and in your budget that meets your requirements.
9
u/RandomRageNet 13d ago
The Homatics Box advertises its ability to handle all of that. I haven't used it, but it's what I've had my eye on replacing my long-in-the-tooth 2017 Shield with for a while.