I am looking to buy a streaming device. For me, while I love streaming, having local playback of most common file types without restrictions on file size is a must have feature.
Right now I am looking at the Google TV as it seems to be very good value for money, but my issue is that it does not support removable storage playback of files over 4GB, and plugging in removable devices requires extra hardware. I am aware of app based solutions but these sound clunky to me. If someone can provide an anecdote that the solution is rather seamless I may still consider the Google TV.
The other option I am considering is the Mi Box S, I understand it is older and slower and has a few problems. The biggest benefit to me is it supports both exFAT and NTFS without issues. The largest drawback to me is potential h.264 encoding issues that cause ghosting on local file playback. Though I am not sure how prevalent this issue is.
In Australia, both devices are going for about $90. What are your thoughts? Are there other devices I should be aware of? I am not looking exclusively at Android TV devices, but obviously Australian availability is critical. Is it worth buying a very cheap box for local playback and a separate streaming stick?
I am also aware that the Nvidia Shield Pro would meet my needs and I would really love such a device, but the price tag ($350 AUD) is not justifiable to me at the moment. Additionally, I understand that it is quite simple to use Plex to stream your local media collection to your device, but that is not suitable for my use case.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
I have a Mibox S with a 4TB external plugged in. NTFS and it plays back 4K movies no probs. I had no idea google TV couldn’t read NTFS, I thought they were superior otherwise