[X]Assistant

[parabello]

instead of intro

Interesting players running Windows recently began to appear, in particular on the 4-core Intel ATOM Z37xx platform (Bay Trail-T generation), which seems to have made a breakthrough towards energy-efficient systems-on-chip (SoC). These solutions are interesting not only for the familiar Desktop Table and the universality of Vind, but the main thing is amazingly smooth video playback, full autoframe support, pleasant multi-tasking, and moderate heating * (so moderate that even a hdmi tablet can act as a media player with a limited set of other ports).

In general, I propose in this topic to discuss everything related to the choice of these options.
Well, as long as the choice of consoles is quite small, you can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Intel platform, as well as the Windows 8.1 operating system used as a media center. Let's go beyond the usual patterns for different platforms. The topic also allows discussion of software, p2p-portals / aggregators, TorrentTV, and even Android emulators working under Vynya. But rudeness and rudeness is not welcome.

In the nextbranchon page 121-122 a good discussion took place.(well, if you do not pay attention to the rudeness of some religious supporters of Android, who pee with boiling water from just mentioning Vindous). It can probably be taken as a starting point for our branch.


* Interestingly, the video is decoded by hardware and almost does not heat up the percentage, but if overheating occurs from third-party tasks and throttling is activated (ie, forced processor frequency reduction), then this has almost no effect on playback quality. By reducing the frequency of the brakes will become more noticeable in toys, but let's not forget that games are not the first priority for the media player. And if you slightly modernize cooling, then throttling ceases to be a problem at all, and there are already some good developments in this area.

======== Media players ========
- List of media players, grouped by cooling efficiency: (Post yurisavagemessiahzine.com #40223231)

TOP(or what devices should you pay attention with a budget of about $ 100

1) media boxAinol Mini PC II[Price: ~ $ 100] - an excellent media player in terms of price / quality ratio. Stock cooling here is better than other devices (seereview about Ainol Mini PC2 + stability testfromkostyamat). Many will have enough built-in cooling, but in case of special need it can be easily modified.
In addition there is a twin brother called

Cenovo Mini PC download

Only for$83

2) tabletChuwi vi8[Price: ~$84] - a very good device on the same hardware and at an amazingly affordable price. The version with the built-in HDMI port is perfectly operated as a media player.

last TOP3, as of May-June 2015

-Pipo x7 (X7s) [Price: ~ $ 90-110] Features: in this player, it is highly desirable to modify the cooling, for which it will take about 10 minutes of time and $ 10 of money (completion is so simple that even a child can handle it). The processor is a bit faster here than in other boxes, although in daily use the difference is hardly noticeable. So far thischeapest player, with very good possibilities for improving cooling.

-Egreat i6[Price: ~ $ 120] Features: this player has normal cooling noticeably better than the Pipo X7 (although it does not reach the standard cooling in Minix Neo Z64).There is an ancient VGA and there is support for dual-band Wi-Fi.

-Minix Neo Z64[Price: ~ $ 125-130] Features: staffing cooling is not ideal, but very good (however, in Pipo X7, even better performance can be achieved after elementary finishing touches).Included is a remote control.

======== Mini PC ========
- List of minicomputers and barebones: (Post by GrizlikOFF # 40262748)

"TOP" of fully equipped mini-PCs that are worthy of attention at prices around $ 200

- Lenovo Q190for $ 200
- Eglobalon the process Intel Corei3-5005U(Broadwell) for $ 212 [detailed review fromyurisavagemessiahzine.com ]
- HP 400G1from $ 250

boxes that are probably out of production

- HP 260G1
- HP Stream Mini Desktop[at a cost of about $ 200, this model was the most interesting in terms of price-quality among the mini-PC, however, it has long been absent from the market, or it appears with an inadequate price tag of over $ 300]

======== General information for media players and minicomputers: ========
- Universal drivers for all Windows boxes

What is the difference between mini-pc and media players?

Users of wintel-media players love to exploit their devices not only for watching videos, but also as original mini-computers (for games, browsing, and many other tasks). For this reason, some manufacturers have also begun to position theirplayersunder the guise of mini-PC. However, in order to avoid confusion, it is appropriate to separate these terms according to the following main criteria:

Media players
1. passive cooling
2. based on almost the samenotmodernized tablet iron (today, as a rule, it is an Intel Bay Trail-T z3735f processor; RAM: 2 GB; ROM: 32 GB eMMC).
3. usually located in the price range of $ 90-130.

Mini PC (he's barebone, "skeleton")
1. usually requires active cooling (which, in turn, can generate a noticeable noise, which is considered a significant disadvantage for media players)
2. iron can be partially upgraded, i.e. add RAM, change the hard drive, and in some cases install boards likePCI-E x1). The processors are integrated (i.e. soldered) into the motherboard, however, they are listed in the "desktop" category (that is, they are more productive than the mobile ones). The number of ports and various interfaces is often more than in media players.
3. prices from $ 200 to infinity

In general, mini-PCs serve very well as media players, so nothing prevents them from discussing them here (which was supported by the overwhelming number of visitors to this thread in the corresponding survey).

survey results

However, when there will be a greater variety of iron platforms for windows-media boxes, then it may be appropriate to close this branch and create two separate ones: for minipacks and for media players.

Post has been editedparabello - 30.10.15, 18:37

Reason for editing: refreshed price tags

[jb2007]

Not quite on the topic) for Windows it is very convenient to use at least as an aeromysh as a touchpadhttp://www.mobilemouse.com/from a smartphone.

[parabello]

Any one of us is interested in knowing whatpracticalimpressions from the use of a particular piece of iron. Recently, I myself was very skeptical about the wintel ligament, until I came acrosscomparisonmedia players on various platforms from respectedbasico. Despite the fact that the comparison is not very large, it is based on a great deal of practical experience in operating consoles, testing various custom firmwares, and even on the physical "doping" of the workarounds left by Chinese nanotechnologists. In general, I recommend a review for review.

jb2007 @ 02.21.2015, 20:24

Not quite on the topic) for Windows it is very convenient to use at least as an aeromouse even as a touchpad

Do not be shy, all that concerns Windows in its htpc-incarnation, as well as the android in comparison with Windows - all on the topic.

Post has been editedparabello - 21.02.15, 20:23

[Deattzar]

Whoever put on the player dataopenelec? I think this topic will be quieter.

Post has been editedDeattzar - 21.02.15, 18:34

[basico]

I decided to tell why I decided to try out a Windows tablet as a media player:

It all started almost 3 years ago with the available tablets on the Android, namely, based on the Allwinner A10, Amlogic MX and RK3066, android players at that time I did not have one, and wanted to watch movies on TV, and not on the monitor screen. The first 2 tablets "correctly" showed FULL HD video via HDMI in 1080p output mode, and the rockchip only output 1024x600 interpolation. Having connected via a USB HUB with external power a terabyte screw, it was possible to watch movies and control from the sofa with the mouse, class! but there were also disadvantages: not all codecs and containers were supported, smooth playback at high bitrates suffered from time to time, 24 frames problem, no support for 3D, etc., when playback stopped, the low resolution desktop (1024x768 or 600) was stretched to 1920x1080, respectively picture quality is not very. At the same time, the LCD of the tablet showed the same picture and was not extinguished. But still made a conclusion: in the absence of the best, you can use it as a media player!
In the hope that these playback problems will be eliminated on media players, I bought IMITO MX and MK808 on a rockchip, but everything was just like on a tablet, even bigger shoals, which were almost cured after 2 years with a new firmware based on Android 4.4 for IMITO MX. .. Further, in search of the ideal, I bought 2 haymedia 2-4 nuclear and M-195 on a rockchip 1195, they are almost ideal and convenient to play video, but let's say KODI does not work normally, Youtube only in software decoding mode and 720p, although the quality is not like and a lot of other special features awns android ... in general search of something more advanced and versatile led me to the next tablet VOYO A1mini based ATOM 3735f c HD graphics and wind on board. The choice was in his favor for several reasons: this is a mobile device with a screen, if you don’t like it as a media player, you can use it for its intended purpose as a tablet, the presence of HDMI, USB OTG, a separate power jack, a physical WIN button and of course the price is around $ 125 for the version with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash memory.
Unlike android, Windows works fine with 2 separate screens, I knew it for a long time when communicating with laptops, the tablet is the same netbook that was confirmed upon receipt, the tablet screen and HDMI are two different desktops, which can be configured in the graphics settings I want, for example, to make HDMI the main desktop while turning off the tablet screen. Most importantly, unlike the android, you can set any resolution and screen frequency that are supported by the monitor or TV. 2 USB hubs, passive and with external power supply and LAN are connected to the tablet, so I do not have problems with USB connectors, 2 external screws, USB flash drive, mouse, keyboard are connected at the same time! The speed of the tablet and USB is enough to simultaneously download 5 torrents at a speed of 25-30 Mbit / s on one screw and reproduce the image of the blur from the other! This mode of operation of my android player just does not pull, hang! WIFI is very sensitive, probably the best of all my tablets and phones.
The system itself works very quickly, the launch of Windows takes about 10 seconds, as with an SSD, the programs open smartly, switching between tasks is instantaneous.
Now about video playback: in KODI 14.1, autoframe works, it shows everything smoothly, any containers with any bitrate and resolution, up to 4K, only the processor apparently does not support H.265 hardware, although for me it is not relevant, I have only test videos. To play 3D I use PowerDVD, it shows without problems! DD (AC3) and DTS multichannel audio is output via HDMI. Pleased with YouTube, gives you any permission, up to 4k, shows smoothly!
In general, at the moment I am satisfied, the tablet on Windows is a universal device, perfectly performing the role of a media player!

Post has been editedbasico - 21.02.15, 21:39

[parabello]

DeattzarIt seems OpenELEC is not supported for 32-bit UEFI (BIOS) versions, which for some reason have been used in most Intel Bay Trail-T based devices so far. But already in the Minix Neo Z64 player, UEFI64 is expected, and given the Intel platform, which is gaining popularity, the OpenELEC developers are unlikely to turn away :)

basico,It is noteworthy that such a positive experience was achieved even under a 32-bit Windows! By the way, you did not finishcoolingon your tablet? There is no need to complete the remote control?

Post has been editedparabello - 22.02.15, 00:06

[genryua]

Basico @ 02.21.2015, 20:33

tablet on Windows universal device, perfectly performing the role of a media player!

Tell me, maybe you should announce a fundraiser for buying you a box instead of the tablet you use?
I do not see any other way to protect inexperienced users from the unnatural and very inconvenient way of using the tablet that you actively promote ...: blush:
Suddenly someone will lead to your whim?
You for some unknown reason forget to tell that to the tablet, because there is only one port, you need to fasten a yusb-hub, buy a lan-port, just like a remote control with a receiver (did you check if there is such a possibility in principle?) whereas in boxing it is all there ... a separate topic - mini / micro HDMI - I saw quite a few broken ports ... in fact, on the breakdown of this port, all this nonsense ends! : D
I repeat once again - using the tablet as a media player is either a cruel need or an inexplicable whim.

Post has been editedgenryua - 22.02.15, 00:19

[parabello]

Genryua @ 02.22.2015, 03:18

You, for some unknown reason, forget to report that to the tablet, because there is only one USB port, you need to screw your USB hub, buy a LAN port, just like the remote with the receiver

So, right before your post, basico listed all this, only instead of the remote, he has a keyboard with a mouse. In his earlier postings, too, as far as I remember, this information was encountered. You are just inattentive.

In principle, if there are clavs and a mouse, not all users will feel the need for a remote control, and the LAN port will often be successfully replaced by Wi-Fi, but if anyone is interested in the cost of these things, then please take everything into account with the delivery:
-remote control with IR receiver(it has a joystick to emulate a mouse) ~ $ 7
-LAN & usbhub(combo) ~ $ 5
-active USB hub(with switching modes) ~ $ 7

As for consumer preferences between the tablet and the console. Since today the cost of the win-box and the win-tablet is the same (about $ 120), for many people the tablet will be a more valuable acquisition. Look, there are several categories of potential buyers:
1) those who are going to constantly use the device as a prefix;
2) those who need a prefix with a tablet equally;
3) those who need a tablet much more than a prefix;
4) those who have not yet decided on their needs, and who need practical experience for the final awareness of their preferences.
For category # 1, it is better to buy a set-top box, again - there are more ports, cooling seems to be better, you don’t pull the wires again. And for other people, the economic sense in buying a tablet is clearly higher than in buying a set-top box, because if they refuse a pair of built-in usb ports, they instead get a convenient mobile device.
For category 2, it may be worthwhile to buy both, but they will have a dilemma - what for overpay for 2 devices when you can take one, especially if it fully meets your needs. Then the blizzard will turn out if you buy a separate prefix without the real need for it separately.

mini / micro HDMI - seen ports broken out is not enough.

Indeed, there is some risk here. And not only with HDMI, and not only in tablets. Manufacturers generally took the fashion to combine charging with the micro USB port, which you pull every day, and it falls off the infection. Although the repair is inexpensive, in general. But there is a risk, and potential costs, too.
ZY rummaged in the discussion of the tabletVoyo WinPad A1 Mini[170 pages!], Searched for everything related to hdmi and minihdmi - people enjoy using the port, but there was not a single complaint of a breakdown.

Post has been editedparabello - 22.02.15, 14:51

[basico]

genryua,
I do not mind, throw off and buy another box will be 5 :)

you just rested and do not try to delve into this topic a little, you colleague parabello,very intelligibly explained my motives, according to your logic, all the media player of the "whistle" type, I have such an IMITO MX now, do not have a right to exist at all, because they periodically fall off micro USB, which they re-soldered several times, last time it fell off along with a piece of track, but having straight arms, sealed it so that now you can only pull out a piece of board, and in general there are not enough connectors, you have to install an active USB hub on anyone, because there is no remote and there is not enough power to pull the screw. And I also forgot about heating, I also need to attach skill and put a radiator, by the way, advanced users now put coolers even in regular players, since with increasing power, processors heat like stoves and even passive cooling does not save. As for the miniHDMI breakdowns, it is not so flimsy that it can be broken, but you can break the fool and look at the universally installed micro USB, people charge phones every day and nothing, live for years, sometimes break, but break and other hardware, not just connectors. I have 3 old tablets, which I tested a lot via HDMI, and there is no hint of laxity or inoperability, the tablet quickly becomes obsolete, than something breaks in it.
I'm not saying that the tablet is more convenient than an extender with a remote control sharpened for watching movies, but the fact that you can make a full-fledged prefix from a tablet is a fact for only $ 12, this is how a colleague wrote above, $ 7 and a USB hub with LAN 5 $, by the way, it works exactly the same for me, his external power supply is connected, although for some reason none of the vendors indicates this feature.

[genryua]

Basico @ 02.22.2015, 14:19

by your logic

You have understood a lot in my logic ...: D
In my logic, achieving the goal in the most comfortable and aesthetic way ...
A vision of a tablet spread out on a TV rack with a bunch of Pribluds, aka

parabello @ 02.21.2015, 23:31

in the presence of Claudia and mouse ...
-Rad with IR receiver (it has a joystick to emulate a mouse) ~ $ 7
-LAN & usbhub (combo) ~ $ 5
-active USB hub (with mode switching) ~ $ 7

I drive from myself as an extreme degree of perversion ...: yes2:

Let's still with the tablets fall on the sofas or even where, lounging on the sofas, without problems, to control the little box that does everything we need ... at least right now ... so let you have it . : blush:

[SergSanFran]

I do not know how anyone, but it brings me back to the days of using the laptop under Windows as a media player (a nightmare!).
Given that USB holes in abundance and Ethernet without external adapters were screw in the onnom body.
And to the whistles with this eerie bodywork with all the pleasures of the killed with a new screw dropped from the shelf due to this pile through the USB>SATA.
And while you reach up to the possibility, something to look online already about food more thoughts or something else about something more low-physiological.
And the sound output in optics? Right now, everyone ran receivers for n hundreds of buybuys to buy from the HDMI input, or some other small wire-like crap ...
Batteries, too, uyachivat on level ground is not impressive.
In short, fucking standing in a hammock, but for lovers of the exotic (iron chop and tea with a soldering iron), that's for sure.
Today for myself I consider this miracle melklofta (not a tablet of course, but a box) only with the sole purpose of setting up a local TS-proxy for TTV to distribute on smart TV and android boxes, and more so that it is rational and fun, nothing invented.

[jb2007]

SergSanFran,
And what's wrong with a laptop under Windows as a media player?
I've been using it for the last two years and I am very pleased, you put the only HDMI cable (it goes to the receiver) and everything, all formats in any capacity with any decoder without any tambourines)))
Now the hdmi cable is too lazy to poke, so I bought the box. Everything is very convenient, on the NAS movies are downloaded and on TV viewing), control is completely through the iPhone using mobile TV)
I have never come across an android, and I don’t want to, it’s laziness to figure it out, and it’s Windows and Africa, Windows) I understand everything in it and it’s accessible)

[basico]

SergSanFran @ 02.22.2015, 18:01

And the sound output in optics?

I want to myselfsuchto buy, there are optics here, suitable for a receiver, and another 5 outputs, I have no acoustics 5.1 from BBK lying around, dvd has broken, I have to hook somewhere, right now the new year will end in China and order, and still haveherecool decoder, you can also directly pick up the active system 5.1

SergSanFran @ 02.22.2015, 18:01

I do not know how anyone, but it brings me back to the days of using the laptop under Windows as a media player (a nightmare!).

I, too, used to be pissed off, I put XBMC on my laptop, so he didn’t play half of the files, but here KODI plays everything and the tablet is small and flat, it’s not visible, everything is completely different.
And in all discussions of android boxes, people are trying to put XBMC in the first place, often everything works poorly, connects the stock player, waits and hopes that they will soon be localized, and in the case of Windows everything works, you don’t have to wait for anything! this is also a huge plus in comparison with android! and one more plus of the tablet, the camera is built in, and Skype lovers will also save money on this!

Post has been editedbasico - 22.02.15, 21:54

[SergSanFran]

jb2007 @ 02.22.2015, 17:15

And what's wrong with a laptop under Windows as a media player?

Yes, there is nothing wrong, if there is nothing else, and if there is anyway, then about the hammock and iron already wrote.
I was not too lazy to deal with the anodroid and for three years I haven’t been downloading anything anywhere, I just look at it.
basico,
There is also an n-number of different possible body kits for sound, etc., but these extra wires, power supply units, tees in the socket, etc., are shorter, ergonomics are lower than the baseboard, and there is too much loot in addition.
And what is the reason for all this, to feed melkolsoft and all its not less greedy surroundings licensedly looking into your pocket and to feel like a petty thief on a regular basis?
To XBMC and all its variations, love is about as much as Windows in terms of a media player, with its under-functional plugins.
If there were such a number of specialized individual applications, then maybe it is nothing, but it seems still oh how far it is, or maybe with my antagonism I just don’t know about it ...

Post has been editedSergSanFran - 22.02.15, 22:16

[genryua]

Basico @ 02.22.2015, 17:27

I want to buy one myself

those. to the creepy vision should add one more stray ??? o.O

Post has been editedgenryua - 23.02.15, 00:13

[kostyamat]

Well, again, not the glory of God? This is not a constructive criticism, but some kind of trolling. Why this stray, which is rather a sound component, suddenly became a sign of eccentricity? If you have a set of equipment that suits you, but is not equipped with a digital entrance, then you will not get anywhere without this crutch or crutch. And in general, even you are pushing hard on the basico. Personally, I am impressed by his methods of using the equipment, for six months he himself used the phone with a video output as a player, so it’s quite so. :)

Post has been editedkostyamat - 23.02.15, 00:08

[genryua]

kostyamat,and try to look at the entire retrospective, weakly?
As one very controversial decision pulls a number of the following?
However, we are free people - everyone ... as he wants! only others do not enter into sin, please! : blush:

P.S. OK, I will soften a judgment ...

Post has been editedgenryua - 23.02.15, 00:14

[kostyamat]

I read the topic of Pipa X7 - some Deferambas. And in the subject are not newcomers, but people who are tired of the android, who have mastered not one device or even two in their hands.
What we have in the bottom line: the screw-player to be; few special programs for viewing portals. Conclusion: all the owners and their sympathizers, in all the themes of the screw machines are combined and together the authors of popular applications on the porting of their creations to Modern UI.

[genryua]

kostyamat,
- plz. insert link totopic...
- so what else are we waiting for the port of Sat or are we already takingpipo, and then I feel falling out of the trend! : D
Only for some reason I do not see the remote ...

[email protected], 23:21

I read the topic of Pipa X7 - some Deferambas.

If you are talking about full-length, then he is so happy with each new box ... he praised both amlodzhik and 3288 and A80. : D
By the way, this is what he writes -

full-length @ 09.02.2015, 08:27

USB 3.0, SATA and Optical are really missing! so I look forward to Beelink on Intel Atom with USB 3.0 and SATA

Can we wait ... just where is Sata there? If the bridge is Yusb-Sat, then what for ...

Post has been editedgenryua - 24.02.15, 00:27

[kostyamat]

Atom, like, pci and sdio support. It is suitable tires for the periphery type SATA and GIG-Ethernet. But that whales will come to mind, and where will SATA slap them - this will need to be carefully watched.
And yes, I have not offered anyone to buy anything yet. I am almost completely satisfied with a bunch of what is in my signature + Samsung SmartTV.
But yes, the stud in the pope does not sleep. :) While waiting for SATA and GIGA.

Post has been editedkostyamat - 23.02.15, 04:26

[genryua]

kostyamat,similarly ... let's wait together - naparu it and dad .... in general, more fun! : D