Media streamer

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naf123
naf123 Posts: 1,696 Forumite
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Can anyone recommend a extremely fast media streamer which can be connected via ethernet cable? Thanks !
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  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365 Forumite
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    naf123 wrote: »
    Can anyone recommend a extremely fast media streamer which can be connected via ethernet cable? Thanks !

    of course, but then we start with the questions which should have been answered in your opening post.

    budget?
    Stream what from where?
    Connected to what?
    Whats fast?

    without any info then Nvidia Shield.
  • naf123
    naf123 Posts: 1,696 Forumite
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    custardy wrote: »
    of course, but then we start with the questions which should have been answered in your opening post.

    budget?
    Stream what from where?
    Connected to what?
    Whats fast?

    without any info then Nvidia Shield.

    Thanks - should have been clearer . Nvidia sheidld looks good but ££ I suppose I'm looking for the best value streamer that can be connected to an ethernet port . We currently have a fire stick (older version ) that is so so laggy!
  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365 Forumite
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    naf123 wrote: »
    Thanks - should have been clearer . Nvidia sheidld looks good but ££ I suppose I'm looking for the best value streamer that can be connected to an ethernet port . We currently have a fire stick (older version ) that is so so laggy!

    I'll be honest. We now have two Sheilds for streaming.
    I had one Shield downstairs and a firestick upstairs (with Ethernet adapter)
    Being used to the Shield just made other options frustrating.
    Plus Nvidia have been great with their support and software upgrades.
    Could be decent prices with the 'old' models as there has been a lightly updated new model but with little actually changing.
  • Inner_Zone
    Inner_Zone Posts: 2,853 Forumite
    edited 17 November 2019 at 6:14PM
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    Chromecast with Ethernet adapter
    Newer Firestick with Ethernet adapter
    Apple TV box


    All depends on what apps you want to use. As not all devices support all apps.


    There is also Roku but unfortunately none of their current UK models are Ethernet capable.
  • naf123
    naf123 Posts: 1,696 Forumite
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    I'm really naive . I just use my fire stick for prime and Netflix and iPlayer .

    What advantage does shield have over fire stick (other than quick and no lagging delays )?
  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365 Forumite
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    naf123 wrote: »
    I'm really naive . I just use my fire stick for prime and Netflix and iPlayer .

    What advantage does shield have over fire stick (other than quick and no lagging delays )?

    well for me its open to most apps and plenty powerful
    Runs android TV. To be clear it wont run every app out there as some wont run on Android TV.

    so I can stream from streaming services,my local NAS flawlessly,my Plex service.
    You can play from USB.
    It will play games and has access to Geforce Now. https://www.nvidia.com/en-gb/geforce/products/geforce-now/
    You can use it as a retro gaming machine.

    Mainly for me it works without drama. Ethernet ensures good speeds and the hardware is still powerful.

    also plenty of sites,groups and forums for the Shield.
  • naf123
    naf123 Posts: 1,696 Forumite
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    custardy wrote: »
    well for me its open to most apps and plenty powerful
    Runs android TV. To be clear it wont run every app out there as some wont run on Android TV.

    so I can stream from streaming services,my local NAS flawlessly,my Plex service.
    You can play from USB.
    It will play games and has access to Geforce Now. https://www.nvidia.com/en-gb/geforce/products/geforce-now/
    You can use it as a retro gaming machine.

    Mainly for me it works without drama. Ethernet ensures good speeds and the hardware is still powerful.

    also plenty of sites,groups and forums for the Shield.

    Thanks - so if I wanted to watch Italian TV it shouldn't be too difficult ?

    Also are you able to let me know what the subtitles quality is like - I'm hearing impaired and subtitles are so important to me - are there options to choose background colour and colour of the text of the subtitles ?

    Many thanks
  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365 Forumite
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    naf123 wrote: »
    Thanks - so if I wanted to watch Italian TV it shouldn't be too difficult ?

    Also are you able to let me know what the subtitles quality is like - I'm hearing impaired and subtitles are so important to me - are there options to choose background colour and colour of the text of the subtitles ?

    Many thanks

    all the things you mention are down to the apps you use.
    so you need to check what apps you would be using to see what services/feature they offer.
    How would you be accessing Italian TV?
  • sal_III
    sal_III Posts: 1,953 Forumite
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    If your only complaint with the old fire stick is performance, why not go for the newer version or the Fire TV cube. The latter even has the Ethernet adapter included in the box. If you don't like the performance it's easy enough to return to amazon.

    The NVIDIA shield is much more than streaming box (hence the price). It sits in the middle between streaming boxes and consoles like XBOX/PS4 in terms of processing power. Additionally you can stream games from a GeForce equipped PC and play them on the TV, or from the GeForceNow cloud service (similar to Google Stadia). It supposed to be paid service, but has been in "beta" for years and still free. You can play a lot of games for free and even more games for which you have steam license. It can also run Plex server and gets the latest AndroidTV OS updates pretty quick.

    Another option for Ethernet enabled streaming box is the Apple TV, but unless you are in the Apple eco system, it's not worth the "Apple tax"

    The last option (and the worst IMHO) are e host of Android running boxes you can find on amazon or e-bay. Really hit and miss, the performance on most of them is dreadful.

    Disclaimer: I have and use all of the above.
  • naf123
    naf123 Posts: 1,696 Forumite
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    Thanks all .

    Custardy mentioned NAS - is it possible to stream Netflix , prime , iPlayer onto a Nas box for offline watching - because I have a one screen Netflix subscription - so if someone is watching something , I cannot access anything - would be good to record Netflix stuff for offline usage - I guess it's not allowed !
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