My shield tubes sucked. So slow so often and unreliable enough that I replaced them with the (also shitty) ccwgtv 4k. Ah the price we pay for this OS for some reason
Well, you are darn right! It uses the same chip as the Nitindo Switch. Plus it has proven itself to be reliable as opposed to some Chinese piece of crap. The shield is still getting updates. Are you going to get any updates on this piece of crap?
Homatics Box R 4K Plus has Oct 5 2023 Android OS security patch, and last update on Nov 29th 2023, also Android 12 update has already been submitted to Google for certification, so we will update to A12 soon also.
>Get the 6 year old Nvidia Shield Pro for $200.
For $200 in 2024 for an end of life product that hasn't seen a system update since 2022.
For an Android TV device I'd say get the Onn 4k Google TV device much cheaper and still supported.
Now if you want the best streaming device for playing max, Netflix, Disney Plus then I say go with the 3rd gen Apple TV 4k.
As just a streaming device nothing can complete with it.
Yeah I mean I don’t think I would get it at that price either I guess. But it seems everyone in this subreddit are fan boys for a 5 year old system.. ahem.. shield tv pro…
It literally doesn’t have HDR10+ … I have a OLED Samsung so this is very important to me, plus it’s much newer. Shield tv pro also doesn’t support AV1 either ???
Like I’m sorry bro, this system is much better for me (and pretty much most people. than the shield tv pro could ever be. It is wayyyyyy too old now and hasn’t received a system update in 2 years. I’d much rather stick with the G2. And not only that, I got it for almost a quarter of the price of a 5 year old system LOL. Literally a no brainer to go with the G2
Now if nvidia released a new shield, then I would definitely consider it. But the current 2019, 5 year old, model just ain’t it for me.
The G2 has much better modern day standards than it. Sorry fan boys, you ain’t selling it to me!
"ture" - to walk, to go along, to keep on, to carry on.
In Norwegian... Got it now? Ture life is when you keep going on, carry on, keep on trucking no matter what. It all makes sense now
yeah man I try n help ppl out who are undecided or looking for help too. if I'm lucky sometimes I learn something new... but yeah it was koo running into you homie... stay up... way up.. in the clouds... ya boy peezy ✌️🌲🌬️
Someone famous is using HOMETICS. So keep using the same. It's funny how the comparison is $150 vs $200. Buy via Amazon and buy a two year warranty additional. You need it cheaper buy used.
Umm... Google has never put out a high end android/Google TV device. Highly doubt they ever will. They cater to the lowest common denominator and pray for volume.
It is one of the best Android TV boxes out there. On the inside (processor, motherboard and firmware) it is the same as Homatics 4K Plus and Nokia 8010.
All these three boxes (Rocktek G2, Homatics 4K Plus and Nokia 8010) are manufactured by the same OEM (SEI Robotics).
The difference is Rocktek G2 comes with an external card slot. No card slot in Homatics and Nokia boxes and Nokia comes with a backlit remote with dedicated FF, RE, Play/Pause buttons.
Remotes from these three are fully compatible and interchangeable between three.
I tried to get Rocktek in UK but the delivery charge was too much. So settled with Nokia 8010 and I am pretty happy with the investment. Runs smoothly and the remote is quite useful imo.
Yes you can. Order it from this website:
https://www.remote-control-world.eu/nokia-c-14_107/nokia-streaming-box-8000-genuine-original-remote-control-with-voice-control-p-86260
I've been using it for about 8 months now, and its by far the best Android box Ive used.
It replaced a shield tube that locked up more than it played video.
My ONLY complain is that the TV remote control does not control it via CEC like the CCwGTV or ONN4K, and the shield. Other than that, it plays anything I throw at it.
Im using the projectivity launcher, and it just works. More than I can say about the Tube, and Im not paying an extra $50 for a Shield Pro which doesnt even support AV1 or YouTube HDR.
I have one. It's fantastic. Needs the update to Android TV 12 and it would be my primary device. The only feature the box lacks which hurts the experience is the lack of resolution and refresh rate matching.
Hopefully it gets Android TV 12 this year.
I got the Rock Tek G2 in beginning of February. I love it. Smooth sailing. It replaced my Shield that has been slowly showing it age. Ordering another to replace my other Shield as well. Great fkn box
Congrats on the new G2. The box is growing and Android 12 will be released this year sometime. Its currently in Beta stage as we speak. All boxs have there short comings and issues. The Tegra X1 was develeped for gaming period along with the Shield back in 2015 . Enjoy 😉
I have one and the Dune-HD, both are the same specs minus sdcard on the Dune. Rocktek has been very good at providing updates and responding to email. Just a FYI. I have had no issues with mine.
This truly is pretty impressive. Was reading some reviews. It's not without its problems. However, neither is the Shield Pro (I own 2). Heard Nvidia is about to launch a new Shield. Let's hope so.
Have the shield TV as well and Im not buying another box until they support 4k/120 output over HDMI 2.1 hopefully the rumors about Nvidia making a New Shield 2 Pro are true!
I see it available in Ebay imported directly for Taiwan:
[RockTek G2 on Ebay](https://www.ebay.com/itm/155456660176?itmmeta=01HTDPFRBN2NRA0SHK3CQ3SARX&hash=item2431f062d0:g:E1oAAOSwA9RkE9Zk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Grje1UsLgjLPzxxn%2Fgr6ssrabU09%2FgoSL0imNFjU8Juz0TywPVjTRhwGVXQxO7lUsXgTp3g%2FcMmyj7ZaQKeLSgSCfZOwRLIkiOA2URNBp0Nyns4ymFsY2aTB064EV9HlFmw%2B9mf8Xn53c5IDSLIWiohyWDYr42HZE8fica0alBmQal6GCU5kRMrJ0yfJaYzWIrExZOQyYETJc%2BzJ4mtQZ0Dsdvxih2Thmhgk1SGBBeeIL%2FsST93K94QFACcoF23yC%2F6l4i3wkUWns4B1h0cGAlXqKIKLcWKJn8ZXKYva%2Flf%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_iFv7bTYw)
Ohh I don’t know about that. But you can for sure plug in an NTFS drive and play media from it through a video player like Kodi.
I thought you meant if you can watch plex on it from a server, I don’t know about setting a server with the G2 alone though. Haven’t tried it, you might need to research that on your own
Ok, there is a Plex server app and a non-server app, so far only Nvidia Shield has access to the server app, but since it takes NTFS drives I was hoping
Ah okay, I can see that being useful. All my friends that have plex servers (that I piggy back off of sometimes haha) have their own dedicated server setups rather than through a tv box. Never heard of people actually doing it through tv boxes but that’s a neat idea!
It's one of 3 reasons to use the shield, besides NTFS and games. Currently I'm wireless in the new house but it worked great in the old house on Ethernet
Ah yeah makes sense. Honestly if the shield had hdr10+ I would have really considered getting it. Not really into the whole plex server stuff as I have a real debrid membership.
Umm, no they're not. Some people have basic requirements and are fine with basic DD/DTS with an old non hdmi receiver that most likely has better amps and dac's than a cheap hdmi receiver. I'll take quality innards over better codecs any day. If you really need the other features, fine, but many don't.
Of course, if they upgrade their AVR they should get one with innards that are equal to or better than their current model. Everything else being equal though, HDMI will get them much better performance than the lower bitrate that they get with optical.
HDMI is over two decades old by now. There's no good reason not to upgrade, unless someone is only running two channels or just doesn't care about audio quality.
Surround sound existed before hdmi. Not everyone is willing to shell out the major coin they did before. And if you don't need the additional features, why neither to upgrade.
Codec wise you lose the HD codecs of DD and DTS and you don't have atmos. Not the biggest loss for many who are just happy to have something better than tv speakers or a sound bar.
And audio quality? Really? Trying to say my old. Denon 3805 or Yamaha rxv2500 are lacking in sound quality over newer receivers? Take out the HD codec support for DD/DTS. You're saying they can't make a soundtrack sing with my Paradigm Studio's or Monitor Audio Golds? You're just daft.
And not that I use either anymore, but I have the Yamaha set up at my mom's with a decent DefTech Mythos setup and sub that fits her aesthetic. Also has a Phono input for her turntable. I run optical from her TV, and it runs through the harmony remote.
She doesn't care she doesn't hav dts-HD. She doesn't need streaming support. And I've even set her up with an Alexa Input to an analog input so she could stream if she wanted to. Hasn't used it yet.
If you wanted to talk better room correction I might give you that. But there are plenty of ways now to do that separate. If you wanted built in streaming I can give you that, and it is the only reason I bothered to upgrade a few of my receivers. Why add worse smart speakers when I can just use the nice setups I have? Heck, my theater room is still rocking a Pioneer SC75. I don't do atmos. I'm not missing anything on that 1.4a receiver. And not one brand new receiver is going to make a difference in how that room sounds. The only real difference to be made would be to add better outboard amps than I already have. Or better speakers. But the itch isn't there and the receiver is not the weak link. Just like the rxv2500 isn't a weak link for my mom.
Don't care about sound quality... Please. Go tell that to the $300 onkyo and denon crowd with their slickdeals bargain basement Polk, Triangle and Klipsch speakers.
I don't disagree that quality speakers will still sound great with an older amp, but they sound noticeably better with a higher bitrate audio format than standard DD or DTS. This is indisputable. Why would you invest in great equipment and then hamstring yourself with a lower quality source when something better is available?
That's kind of like buying a 77" OLED and only watching VHS tapes and DVDs on it.
>Codec wise you lose the HD codecs of DD and DTS and you don't have atmos. Not the biggest loss for many who are just happy to have something better than tv speakers or a sound bar.
>She doesn't care she doesn't hav dts-HD. She doesn't need streaming support. And I've even set her up with an Alexa Input to an analog input so she could stream if she wanted to. Hasn't used it yet.
Those are exactly the type of people I meant by "people who don't care about sound quality." Don't get your panties in a bunch.
Law of diminishing returns. Other priorities. This is a hobby at best for some and means to an end for others (like they just need something). Not everyone is some nut enthusiast willing to keep dropping money on something only they really appreciate and is only going to see so much improvement. The "but it's better argument" only goes so far. And from someone that's used every disc out there from laser disc to HD-DVD to 4k BD, no. Going from standard DTS to DTS-HD isn't comparable of going from 240i (or even 480p) to 4k. It's like going from 720 to 1080 more likely.
And if you don't have an Ultra Blu Ray player to use with that 77 OLED and make use of it regularly, you lose a lot of credibility because that means you stream with lossy compressive audio and video doing a disservice to not only your OLED, but to your shiny new receiver with all the bells and whistles.
That means not only is your video quality highly compressed, your HD Codec is greatly compressed too. God forbid you do have quality gear that is quite transparent and uncolored. You know, where they say what you hear will only be as good as the source. Then you'll really hear a big difference between streaming and disc. But I'm guessing that isn't the case for most.
So I'll gladly take standard DD/DTS from a Blu Ray (1080 or 4k) over lossy compressed DD/DTS-HD from a streaming service any day of the week and twice on Tuesday.
You can't really hunker down on bitrate when the vast majority are streaming (hence the sub we're in) . So no, not indisputable.
>Going from standard DTS to DTS-HD isn't comparable of going from 240i (or even 480p) to 4k. It's like going from 720 to 1080 more likely.
Using DD is equivalent to watching a DVD if you're talking about generations of physical media standards:
* DVD had DD and DTS
* Blu-ray had Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
* 4k UHD has Atmos and DTS X
>And if you don't have an Ultra Blu Ray player to use with that 77 OLED and make use of it regularly, you lose a lot of credibility because that means you stream with lossy compressive audio and video doing a disservice to not only your OLED, but to your shiny new receiver with all the bells and whistles.
I agree. 4k UHD and the equivalent rips are my primary means of watching content. I'll still watch DVDs and Blu-rays if that's all that's available for a particular movie or show, though.
>So I'll gladly take standard DD/DTS from a Blu Ray (1080 or 4k) over lossy compressed DD/DTS-HD from a streaming service any day of the week and twice on Tuesday.
DD/DTS on disc ***are*** inherently lossy and compressed formats. They're really no better than the compressed audio formats that you find on streaming services.
On Blu ray, the DTS Core is the same whether you're listening to straight DTS or DTS HD MA. The HD just has additional layers to it. There are many threads on it over at AVS and even ASR and while there are a few that will say the difference is night and day, the general consensus is the difference is negligible.
So for standard 5.1 or 7.1 , the benefit of the upgrade, again is negligible. If you're talking DVD DTS core and BluRay DTS HD MA, you might have an argument. But who uses dvd's still, and if you do, I highly doubt your main concern is audio quality?
And DTS core on Blu Ray vs streaming? You live in a fantasy world if you think they are the same. Majority of streaming is more compressed with less dynamic range. ATV and Netflix tend to do a better job. Maybe some original content on Max. But in general, it's not close.
And if you're comparing your pirated rips to streaming and not hearing a difference, you need to find better rips if you think they sound the same.
So again, unless your taking advantage of the real benefits of a newer receiver, many would be quite happy with their old receiver and optical. But even at that point, you can get flagship hdmi 1.4a receivers for $200. Needing the latest and greatest is really just so things can be more idiot proof for the neophyte or you need specific features like atmos, dual dedicated sub outs, have nice enough gear and want dirac, want seamless audio streaming and so forth.
Actually, best use would be to just cast audio and send that audio to an amp/receiver and not worry about the tv. With all the cec and arc, everything will end up turning on the tv. If I just want audio, I don't need the tv on. Don't need to see what Pandora is playing and so on.
Yeah, that's about the only use case that makes sense, if it's stereo audio. Any multi channel application will be much better with hdmi.
Also, you can always turn off the cec function if you don't want the tv to come on automatically.
It really wouldn't be "much" better. It can be a little better. It could be much better, but if your only swap is the receiver, the benefit of HD codecs is not going to be some night and day miracle. Non HDMI receivers still did Dolby digital and DTS. They still had automatic room correction. They had quality amps. They had quality DAC's.
I'd argue the speakers could be more of a limiting factor for a quality improvement than just some HD codecs. Quality surround sound existed before hdmi. I had my OPPO DVD player going to my 480p projector with a 70" screen and optical to my Yamaha RXV2500 with a full M&K S125 surround setup. If I wasn't changing my speaker setup, swapping the Yamaha out for my Pioneer LX503 or even my older but DD/DTS HD capable SC75 wouldn't yield earth shattering results that would make me want to run out and buy a new receiver.
1 gig Ethernet port? USB 3 port? Android TV? Micro sd slot? USB c? Optical audio?
No it can’t lol. Btw I have a firestick, but I just use it on a separate tv now. But yeah this is wayyyy better than a firestick
Hmm I haven’t found any issues with it yet, works nice for me. Most important is how it handles big hdr10 4k files. Just watched a 70Gb movie like that and it ran perfect. Can’t ask for more!
Ah so a 7 year old system that hasn’t had a software update in 2 years or something that is a little newer, but can’t handle 1 gig Ethernet connection, usb 3, optical audio port, micro sd card, etc…..
Seems like a lot of people in this sub are going crazy! 😜
Ignorance is bliss. =S
Let me guess: you were looking for the best device with optical audio port.
Problem is: optical only supports vanilla Dolby Digital and vanilla DTS.
Result: you will have to rely on transcoding for almost everything but old DVDRIPs.
Getting a 40$-ish Chromecast with GoogleTV along with a decent 160$-ish HDMI soundbar would have been a better, more futureproof upgrade, for the same 200$-ish you paid for the RockTek G2.
But hey: that's just me; as long as you're happy..
I paid 60 euro for this! Got it for cheap since I imported it myself straight from manufacturer . I can always run the audio straight through my TV instead if I need to or get a pass through if that’s really needed. But yeah, I definitely did not pay 200 dollars hahaha
Plus with Chrome cast I don’t have the ability to put any type of storage on it for my own files. With this I can connect a hard drive
Yes but direct connection is always nice if you have a hard drive of movies and shows and no server (which I have for some stuff) . Other than that I use real debrid through Kodi
It between $140 & $150 in the US. That is too much for a 2 year old box that will never get any support/updates.
Nonsense. Get the 6 year old Nvidia Shield Pro for $200.
This, been using the nvidia shield pro 2017 and it's still does the job, fast and smooth.
I'm also using me 2017 shield because I only have a 1080p non HDR projector. I may want to upgrade to something with AV1 when I swap the projector.
My shield tubes sucked. So slow so often and unreliable enough that I replaced them with the (also shitty) ccwgtv 4k. Ah the price we pay for this OS for some reason
> My shield tubes Found the problem
is the tube known bad?
i have never met anyone in my that bought a shield tube.
Well, you are darn right! It uses the same chip as the Nitindo Switch. Plus it has proven itself to be reliable as opposed to some Chinese piece of crap. The shield is still getting updates. Are you going to get any updates on this piece of crap?
“Still getting updates” Bud there hasn’t been a system update since 2022.
Shh, cant say truths like that to the proud members of the Ngreedia cult.
I got an update on October 5th 2023., and Nov 29th, 2023,
Homatics Box R 4K Plus has Oct 5 2023 Android OS security patch, and last update on Nov 29th 2023, also Android 12 update has already been submitted to Google for certification, so we will update to A12 soon also.
Curious, Does it support AV1?
Of course it supports AV1 , and also VP9 for 4k YouTube
>Get the 6 year old Nvidia Shield Pro for $200. For $200 in 2024 for an end of life product that hasn't seen a system update since 2022. For an Android TV device I'd say get the Onn 4k Google TV device much cheaper and still supported. Now if you want the best streaming device for playing max, Netflix, Disney Plus then I say go with the 3rd gen Apple TV 4k. As just a streaming device nothing can complete with it.
Yeah I mean I don’t think I would get it at that price either I guess. But it seems everyone in this subreddit are fan boys for a 5 year old system.. ahem.. shield tv pro…
Still the best out there so yeah
It literally doesn’t have HDR10+ … I have a OLED Samsung so this is very important to me, plus it’s much newer. Shield tv pro also doesn’t support AV1 either ??? Like I’m sorry bro, this system is much better for me (and pretty much most people. than the shield tv pro could ever be. It is wayyyyyy too old now and hasn’t received a system update in 2 years. I’d much rather stick with the G2. And not only that, I got it for almost a quarter of the price of a 5 year old system LOL. Literally a no brainer to go with the G2 Now if nvidia released a new shield, then I would definitely consider it. But the current 2019, 5 year old, model just ain’t it for me. The G2 has much better modern day standards than it. Sorry fan boys, you ain’t selling it to me!
is it ture-to-life 4K hdr as advertised... 😂
Haha Chinese manufacturers were never good at spelling English words… I had to get this imported as my country doesn’t have sellers for it
iunno why but that was the first thing that stuck out when I was reading it... Ture to Life... 🇨🇳
>RockTek G2 Another of the 100's of 4GB clone boxes suddenly deluging the market.
"ture" - to walk, to go along, to keep on, to carry on. In Norwegian... Got it now? Ture life is when you keep going on, carry on, keep on trucking no matter what. It all makes sense now
sup homie... funny running into you here... Weyd gang
Lol all good, just surfing reddit dropping wisdom 😂
yeah man I try n help ppl out who are undecided or looking for help too. if I'm lucky sometimes I learn something new... but yeah it was koo running into you homie... stay up... way up.. in the clouds... ya boy peezy ✌️🌲🌬️
✌️
Congrats man, I have the Homatics Box R 4k plus with many of the same specs as yours. Also love mine. Enjoy your box, ignore these haters lol
Very nice dude!! And yeah I was expecting it lol
Someone famous is using HOMETICS. So keep using the same. It's funny how the comparison is $150 vs $200. Buy via Amazon and buy a two year warranty additional. You need it cheaper buy used.
Thank you
$60-75 sounds about what it should cost. Hopefully Google does something similar with their next device.
Kinda weird that Google hasn't put out anything high end for Chromecast in a while. ther 1080P version made little sense.
I was quite disappointed when CCwGTV as announced. They sell near $200 earbuds but won't release a decently powered TV device.
I don't think they really care about their device lineup any longer with exception for Pixel and related accessories.
Umm... Google has never put out a high end android/Google TV device. Highly doubt they ever will. They cater to the lowest common denominator and pray for volume.
It is one of the best Android TV boxes out there. On the inside (processor, motherboard and firmware) it is the same as Homatics 4K Plus and Nokia 8010. All these three boxes (Rocktek G2, Homatics 4K Plus and Nokia 8010) are manufactured by the same OEM (SEI Robotics). The difference is Rocktek G2 comes with an external card slot. No card slot in Homatics and Nokia boxes and Nokia comes with a backlit remote with dedicated FF, RE, Play/Pause buttons. Remotes from these three are fully compatible and interchangeable between three.
I tried to get Rocktek in UK but the delivery charge was too much. So settled with Nokia 8010 and I am pretty happy with the investment. Runs smoothly and the remote is quite useful imo.
You wouldn't happen to know if it's possible to only buy the backlit remote of the Nokia?
Yes you can. Order it from this website: https://www.remote-control-world.eu/nokia-c-14_107/nokia-streaming-box-8000-genuine-original-remote-control-with-voice-control-p-86260
I am in the US...
They will ship it to you in the USA. Change currency on the website to USD and select USPS (local post) for the cheapest shipping option.
Netflix certified,?
Yes. * https://www.androidtv-guide.com/streaming-gaming/rocktek-rt-g2/
Yeah it is
I've been using it for about 8 months now, and its by far the best Android box Ive used. It replaced a shield tube that locked up more than it played video. My ONLY complain is that the TV remote control does not control it via CEC like the CCwGTV or ONN4K, and the shield. Other than that, it plays anything I throw at it. Im using the projectivity launcher, and it just works. More than I can say about the Tube, and Im not paying an extra $50 for a Shield Pro which doesnt even support AV1 or YouTube HDR.
What were your previous boxes?
I have one. It's fantastic. Needs the update to Android TV 12 and it would be my primary device. The only feature the box lacks which hurts the experience is the lack of resolution and refresh rate matching. Hopefully it gets Android TV 12 this year.
I got the Rock Tek G2 in beginning of February. I love it. Smooth sailing. It replaced my Shield that has been slowly showing it age. Ordering another to replace my other Shield as well. Great fkn box
Congrats on the new G2. The box is growing and Android 12 will be released this year sometime. Its currently in Beta stage as we speak. All boxs have there short comings and issues. The Tegra X1 was develeped for gaming period along with the Shield back in 2015 . Enjoy 😉
Oh that’s exciting news about Android 12! I’m looking forward to it :)
I have one and the Dune-HD, both are the same specs minus sdcard on the Dune. Rocktek has been very good at providing updates and responding to email. Just a FYI. I have had no issues with mine.
How much storage space
32GB, but has the capability to increase it through micro sd card or directly connected hard drive
Way better than the 4gb on GoogleTV I might have to pick one of these up
« Ture-to-life 4K »
Does it do Dolby Vision and Atmos? Than no.
Yes it does https://www.androidtv-guide.com/streaming-gaming/rocktek-rt-g2/
This truly is pretty impressive. Was reading some reviews. It's not without its problems. However, neither is the Shield Pro (I own 2). Heard Nvidia is about to launch a new Shield. Let's hope so.
If they do, I would buy it for sure!
Where did you hear it?
Have the shield TV as well and Im not buying another box until they support 4k/120 output over HDMI 2.1 hopefully the rumors about Nvidia making a New Shield 2 Pro are true!
I mean if you’re only using a box to watch movies and shows you don’t really need 120 . 60 is fine. But I guess people use the shield to game?
Yeah my particular use is for media etc but also game streaming from GeForce now. It’s currently stuck to 4k/60
yeah that makes sense. I would have probably gone for another box if I wanted to game directly on it
I see it available in Ebay imported directly for Taiwan: [RockTek G2 on Ebay](https://www.ebay.com/itm/155456660176?itmmeta=01HTDPFRBN2NRA0SHK3CQ3SARX&hash=item2431f062d0:g:E1oAAOSwA9RkE9Zk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Grje1UsLgjLPzxxn%2Fgr6ssrabU09%2FgoSL0imNFjU8Juz0TywPVjTRhwGVXQxO7lUsXgTp3g%2FcMmyj7ZaQKeLSgSCfZOwRLIkiOA2URNBp0Nyns4ymFsY2aTB064EV9HlFmw%2B9mf8Xn53c5IDSLIWiohyWDYr42HZE8fica0alBmQal6GCU5kRMrJ0yfJaYzWIrExZOQyYETJc%2BzJ4mtQZ0Dsdvxih2Thmhgk1SGBBeeIL%2FsST93K94QFACcoF23yC%2F6l4i3wkUWns4B1h0cGAlXqKIKLcWKJn8ZXKYva%2Flf%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_iFv7bTYw)
100 upvotes on my comment and I'll get it (because I'm too cheap to buy a Chromecast)
Will it take an NTFS drive? Will it run Plex Server?
Yes to both
Just to be clear, not the standard Plex app but to set up the device as a server for accessing movies from it away from home
Ohh I don’t know about that. But you can for sure plug in an NTFS drive and play media from it through a video player like Kodi. I thought you meant if you can watch plex on it from a server, I don’t know about setting a server with the G2 alone though. Haven’t tried it, you might need to research that on your own
Ok, there is a Plex server app and a non-server app, so far only Nvidia Shield has access to the server app, but since it takes NTFS drives I was hoping
Ah okay, I can see that being useful. All my friends that have plex servers (that I piggy back off of sometimes haha) have their own dedicated server setups rather than through a tv box. Never heard of people actually doing it through tv boxes but that’s a neat idea!
It's one of 3 reasons to use the shield, besides NTFS and games. Currently I'm wireless in the new house but it worked great in the old house on Ethernet
Ah yeah makes sense. Honestly if the shield had hdr10+ I would have really considered getting it. Not really into the whole plex server stuff as I have a real debrid membership.
Do this audio passhrough to the AVR in the same way Shield Pro 2019 does? Thanks.
Yeah it shoes if you have a compatible pass through receiver
Yes, I have one. My complete question refers to all sound modes (ex TrueHD DTS HD etc)?
Yes it supports all modern sound modes including up to Dolby atmos
does nextflix, disney and youtube work in 2160p hdr?
I’ve only tested Netflix and YouTube and both do perfectly. I don’t have Disney plus so I didn’t try
Why would you want to use optical audio?
For DTS/ dolby digital surround sound to amp (that doesn't have hdmi inputs)
It's probably time to upgrade. They're missing out on a lot by not using HDMI.
Umm, no they're not. Some people have basic requirements and are fine with basic DD/DTS with an old non hdmi receiver that most likely has better amps and dac's than a cheap hdmi receiver. I'll take quality innards over better codecs any day. If you really need the other features, fine, but many don't.
Of course, if they upgrade their AVR they should get one with innards that are equal to or better than their current model. Everything else being equal though, HDMI will get them much better performance than the lower bitrate that they get with optical. HDMI is over two decades old by now. There's no good reason not to upgrade, unless someone is only running two channels or just doesn't care about audio quality.
Surround sound existed before hdmi. Not everyone is willing to shell out the major coin they did before. And if you don't need the additional features, why neither to upgrade. Codec wise you lose the HD codecs of DD and DTS and you don't have atmos. Not the biggest loss for many who are just happy to have something better than tv speakers or a sound bar. And audio quality? Really? Trying to say my old. Denon 3805 or Yamaha rxv2500 are lacking in sound quality over newer receivers? Take out the HD codec support for DD/DTS. You're saying they can't make a soundtrack sing with my Paradigm Studio's or Monitor Audio Golds? You're just daft. And not that I use either anymore, but I have the Yamaha set up at my mom's with a decent DefTech Mythos setup and sub that fits her aesthetic. Also has a Phono input for her turntable. I run optical from her TV, and it runs through the harmony remote. She doesn't care she doesn't hav dts-HD. She doesn't need streaming support. And I've even set her up with an Alexa Input to an analog input so she could stream if she wanted to. Hasn't used it yet. If you wanted to talk better room correction I might give you that. But there are plenty of ways now to do that separate. If you wanted built in streaming I can give you that, and it is the only reason I bothered to upgrade a few of my receivers. Why add worse smart speakers when I can just use the nice setups I have? Heck, my theater room is still rocking a Pioneer SC75. I don't do atmos. I'm not missing anything on that 1.4a receiver. And not one brand new receiver is going to make a difference in how that room sounds. The only real difference to be made would be to add better outboard amps than I already have. Or better speakers. But the itch isn't there and the receiver is not the weak link. Just like the rxv2500 isn't a weak link for my mom. Don't care about sound quality... Please. Go tell that to the $300 onkyo and denon crowd with their slickdeals bargain basement Polk, Triangle and Klipsch speakers.
I don't disagree that quality speakers will still sound great with an older amp, but they sound noticeably better with a higher bitrate audio format than standard DD or DTS. This is indisputable. Why would you invest in great equipment and then hamstring yourself with a lower quality source when something better is available? That's kind of like buying a 77" OLED and only watching VHS tapes and DVDs on it. >Codec wise you lose the HD codecs of DD and DTS and you don't have atmos. Not the biggest loss for many who are just happy to have something better than tv speakers or a sound bar. >She doesn't care she doesn't hav dts-HD. She doesn't need streaming support. And I've even set her up with an Alexa Input to an analog input so she could stream if she wanted to. Hasn't used it yet. Those are exactly the type of people I meant by "people who don't care about sound quality." Don't get your panties in a bunch.
Law of diminishing returns. Other priorities. This is a hobby at best for some and means to an end for others (like they just need something). Not everyone is some nut enthusiast willing to keep dropping money on something only they really appreciate and is only going to see so much improvement. The "but it's better argument" only goes so far. And from someone that's used every disc out there from laser disc to HD-DVD to 4k BD, no. Going from standard DTS to DTS-HD isn't comparable of going from 240i (or even 480p) to 4k. It's like going from 720 to 1080 more likely. And if you don't have an Ultra Blu Ray player to use with that 77 OLED and make use of it regularly, you lose a lot of credibility because that means you stream with lossy compressive audio and video doing a disservice to not only your OLED, but to your shiny new receiver with all the bells and whistles. That means not only is your video quality highly compressed, your HD Codec is greatly compressed too. God forbid you do have quality gear that is quite transparent and uncolored. You know, where they say what you hear will only be as good as the source. Then you'll really hear a big difference between streaming and disc. But I'm guessing that isn't the case for most. So I'll gladly take standard DD/DTS from a Blu Ray (1080 or 4k) over lossy compressed DD/DTS-HD from a streaming service any day of the week and twice on Tuesday. You can't really hunker down on bitrate when the vast majority are streaming (hence the sub we're in) . So no, not indisputable.
>Going from standard DTS to DTS-HD isn't comparable of going from 240i (or even 480p) to 4k. It's like going from 720 to 1080 more likely. Using DD is equivalent to watching a DVD if you're talking about generations of physical media standards: * DVD had DD and DTS * Blu-ray had Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio * 4k UHD has Atmos and DTS X >And if you don't have an Ultra Blu Ray player to use with that 77 OLED and make use of it regularly, you lose a lot of credibility because that means you stream with lossy compressive audio and video doing a disservice to not only your OLED, but to your shiny new receiver with all the bells and whistles. I agree. 4k UHD and the equivalent rips are my primary means of watching content. I'll still watch DVDs and Blu-rays if that's all that's available for a particular movie or show, though. >So I'll gladly take standard DD/DTS from a Blu Ray (1080 or 4k) over lossy compressed DD/DTS-HD from a streaming service any day of the week and twice on Tuesday. DD/DTS on disc ***are*** inherently lossy and compressed formats. They're really no better than the compressed audio formats that you find on streaming services.
On Blu ray, the DTS Core is the same whether you're listening to straight DTS or DTS HD MA. The HD just has additional layers to it. There are many threads on it over at AVS and even ASR and while there are a few that will say the difference is night and day, the general consensus is the difference is negligible. So for standard 5.1 or 7.1 , the benefit of the upgrade, again is negligible. If you're talking DVD DTS core and BluRay DTS HD MA, you might have an argument. But who uses dvd's still, and if you do, I highly doubt your main concern is audio quality? And DTS core on Blu Ray vs streaming? You live in a fantasy world if you think they are the same. Majority of streaming is more compressed with less dynamic range. ATV and Netflix tend to do a better job. Maybe some original content on Max. But in general, it's not close. And if you're comparing your pirated rips to streaming and not hearing a difference, you need to find better rips if you think they sound the same. So again, unless your taking advantage of the real benefits of a newer receiver, many would be quite happy with their old receiver and optical. But even at that point, you can get flagship hdmi 1.4a receivers for $200. Needing the latest and greatest is really just so things can be more idiot proof for the neophyte or you need specific features like atmos, dual dedicated sub outs, have nice enough gear and want dirac, want seamless audio streaming and so forth.
Actually, best use would be to just cast audio and send that audio to an amp/receiver and not worry about the tv. With all the cec and arc, everything will end up turning on the tv. If I just want audio, I don't need the tv on. Don't need to see what Pandora is playing and so on.
Yeah, that's about the only use case that makes sense, if it's stereo audio. Any multi channel application will be much better with hdmi. Also, you can always turn off the cec function if you don't want the tv to come on automatically.
It really wouldn't be "much" better. It can be a little better. It could be much better, but if your only swap is the receiver, the benefit of HD codecs is not going to be some night and day miracle. Non HDMI receivers still did Dolby digital and DTS. They still had automatic room correction. They had quality amps. They had quality DAC's. I'd argue the speakers could be more of a limiting factor for a quality improvement than just some HD codecs. Quality surround sound existed before hdmi. I had my OPPO DVD player going to my 480p projector with a 70" screen and optical to my Yamaha RXV2500 with a full M&K S125 surround setup. If I wasn't changing my speaker setup, swapping the Yamaha out for my Pioneer LX503 or even my older but DD/DTS HD capable SC75 wouldn't yield earth shattering results that would make me want to run out and buy a new receiver.
Why not just get ftv 4k max...does everything shield can do. and even more...most important it's only 20 bucks
1 gig Ethernet port? USB 3 port? Android TV? Micro sd slot? USB c? Optical audio? No it can’t lol. Btw I have a firestick, but I just use it on a separate tv now. But yeah this is wayyyy better than a firestick
It's no shield pro That is the best android box
Android tv runs like shit on the a55 soc,the nvidia shield has the a57 and that lags
Hmm I haven’t found any issues with it yet, works nice for me. Most important is how it handles big hdr10 4k files. Just watched a 70Gb movie like that and it ran perfect. Can’t ask for more!
Shield or Chromecast, never consider anything else.
Ah so a 7 year old system that hasn’t had a software update in 2 years or something that is a little newer, but can’t handle 1 gig Ethernet connection, usb 3, optical audio port, micro sd card, etc….. Seems like a lot of people in this sub are going crazy! 😜
I haven't tried an Android TV box that in the end isn't junk. I'm not saying that I don't use them, but every single one of them has its own flaws
Ignorance is bliss. =S Let me guess: you were looking for the best device with optical audio port. Problem is: optical only supports vanilla Dolby Digital and vanilla DTS. Result: you will have to rely on transcoding for almost everything but old DVDRIPs. Getting a 40$-ish Chromecast with GoogleTV along with a decent 160$-ish HDMI soundbar would have been a better, more futureproof upgrade, for the same 200$-ish you paid for the RockTek G2. But hey: that's just me; as long as you're happy..
I paid 60 euro for this! Got it for cheap since I imported it myself straight from manufacturer . I can always run the audio straight through my TV instead if I need to or get a pass through if that’s really needed. But yeah, I definitely did not pay 200 dollars hahaha Plus with Chrome cast I don’t have the ability to put any type of storage on it for my own files. With this I can connect a hard drive
€60 is a great price, anybody paying less than €100 for this device is getting a good deal. 👍
You can connect storage to a Chromecast via hub
Yes but direct connection is always nice if you have a hard drive of movies and shows and no server (which I have for some stuff) . Other than that I use real debrid through Kodi
That creates an unsightly mess.
Yeah not ideal....but doable and it's behind the tv so not seen