I know it's been discontinued but it seems it's still being updated and I've found one for a decent price. Is this a good device to use for my bedroom? I don't care about 4K or gaming. I just want something reliable with Live Channels that can handle 1080p Plex video.
I have both a Nexus player and a Shield TV.
The NP, while it can play 1080p, is showing its age. Especially with the Oreo update (which has a horrible android TV UI), it's slower than ever.
I also found the onboard wifi to be pretty crummy. I had to use a USB ethernet dongle for reliable streaming.
Personally I'd go with a 16GB shield or a mibox.
My NP has served me well but it's time to retire it.
What's a decent price? I see them in online classifieds from time to time, typically between $20 and $70.
It'll work well for what you want it to do.
genuine question: what tuner are you using for live channels?
Get a Roku Streaming Stick+ (I know you don't need 4k but it has better wifi than the standard Streaming Stick). If you have Plex, you can do live channels through Plex.
Its perfect for a bedroom media player. My only gripe is the lack of volume controls on the remote. Will need a OTG usb adapter if you want to connect a flash or hdd to it.
I had to stop using mine a long time ago because it because unusable. Slow and laggy. It was frustrating.
Nexus Player is still great IMO. I little bit of lag here and there, but not enough to be a deal-breaker. Pure Android TV is great and the device still streams 1080 with aplomb. If you see a used one on ebay in the $40 range I'd say it's worth it.
The YoutubeTV app on there is great (much better than casting from phone). The Live Channels app is awesome for watching OTA TV via network tuner like HDHomeRun. The interface is clean and easy to use.
I have one and while I appreciate the fact Google continues to support it, I seem to be having more and more sluggish and unresponsive behavior. Sometimes streaming in some apps will "pause" and the app will close. Also the factory remote seems to have quite a latency in button presses.
This could be isolated to my setup and apps, so take this with a grain of salt. I would whole heartedly recommend a nvidia shield if you can swing it. Night and day experience for me.