Choosing a universal media player to connect to a TV

What is a media player

Almost from the beginning of mass distribution, TVs have been able to work with an additional device, for example, a VHS, DVD, Blue ray player. Today a media player can also be included in this group. Its main function is to play content. This is a less bulky device with convenient controls and great capabilities.

Important! Unlike older video players, it works with files recorded on internal or external memory. Depending on the functionality, it can play them from other devices or via the Internet.

A media player for a TV is needed if the built-in player does not support a large number of formats. With its help you can organize your own media library. For this, an external or internal drive is used; among the functions there is the ability to connect to a local network or the Internet. The latter will not only allow you to view content from online resources, for example, YouTube, but will also make it possible to set up IPTV broadcasting and download what you are interested in directly to your device or the HDD connected to it.

Let's list the main advantages of using a media center for your TV.

1. Small sizes. Even hard drive models are smaller than older CD players.
2. Omnivorous. A good media player reads any audio, video and photo formats. You no longer have to worry about finding your favorite movie in a format suitable for TV.
3. Ease of management. Sitting in front of a large panel with a remote control is much more convenient than, armed with a mouse and keyboard, controlling it through a connected PC.
4. A high-quality media player expands the number of connectors - this is often relevant.
5. Storing videos on a hard drive is more convenient and reliable than storing videos on multiple DVDs.
6. If you compare a media player with a PC, it is easier to connect (no need to pull wires) and is quieter.
7. Android models turn a regular TV into a smart one, and a high-quality set-top box is an excellent alternative to a cheap Smart TV, which rarely leaves a satisfied user.

Purpose and general characteristics of media players

Even the simplest media player connected to a regular TV transforms it into a Smart TV. That is, for the average consumer, a media player is a cheap option for upgrading a home TV.

However, a multimedia player significantly expands the range of capabilities that are included in the vast majority of models of modern Smart TVs.

The processors and RAM in these devices, with rare exceptions, cannot even compete with smartphones. But their performance is sufficient to ensure the functionality of the built-in functions. By the way, this correlates very well with the size of the console itself.

Types of media players

All media stations for TV can be divided into 4 groups.

1. The simplest devices without a hard drive. Their main task is to play any formats from external media. They are the most affordable and are simply players without additional functions. Often very compact.
2. Models with hard drive. The functionality of such devices is not much higher, but the difference is that by connecting it to a PC, you can transfer all the necessary files to it and not think about flash drives. Often the interface allows you to manage files - create new directories, delete, move, copy information.
3. Network media player for TV without Internet access. This is a slightly expanded version of the previous model, which differs in that it can connect via a local network to other gadgets and reproduce information from them. They can also download movies from the Internet via a computer or laptop. May have a remote control function.
4. Multimedia player with operating system. These are the most expensive models, but with the largest number of functions: from simple playback of files from memory to full network operation with the ability to download and install applications.

Connecting a media player to your TV is easy. For this, in most cases the HDMI connector is used, but some devices are equipped with only AV (tulips). The case has outputs/inputs for connecting peripheral devices - USB and audio outputs. Depending on the device, RJ-45 may be present; more advanced media boxes use a Wi-Fi connection.

Feedback form

In the world of video and audio technology, the old is always replaced by the new.
And so it happened that Full HD (1080P) Multi-codec Media Players appeared to replace BluRay, DVD and CD media players. If you are a fan of Full HD quality, then you probably know that there are not very many available HD-quality discs in the world, and of what is available, it is expensive and there is little that is interesting. Instead, you can simply download decent movies and music videos from the Internet to your taste, and for free. If you have unlimited Internet, then you can easily find a lot of Full HD content of excellent quality. But what and how (lying on the sofa or sitting at the table) will you watch - this is of course the QUESTION??? So what is a Full HD media player?
UNTIL today, it was possible to watch HD movies downloaded from the Internet only on a monitor, which, you see, is not very convenient. Why stare at the monitor when you now have a Full HD TV at home. The new generation of digital media players will save you from all the inconveniences and at the same time, will securely store your entire collection of films, photos and music. Forget about the monitor, about the noise of fans from the computer, about loading missing codecs into it, about copying discs to DVD. Just connect the media player like a regular DVD player to your TV and comfortably enjoy full Full HD (High Definition) quality on the big TV screen. With a Full HD media player, you will completely forget what a “mouse”, keyboard, “format”, “container”, “codec”, etc. are. Modern models of media players support almost all of the currently known video and audio formats, including the popular powerful MKV container and the H.264 codec, created for storing and transmitting HD video. It is this kind of media player that will be discussed in our review.

Now your, like all other fans, collection of DVDs has reached its maximum and takes up a lot of space in the apartment, such a collection requires spending a lot of time on it, and finding the disc you are interested in is also an inconvenience. If a DVD disc is pirated, then often the quality of the disc will be low, which means that over time the recording will be lost from the disc.

You can copy your entire home collection of films and music, old and new, to the hard drive of a Full HD media player, that is, create a library and conveniently sort files. Now a movie, music, photo, any file can be easily found using the media player remote control.

IF the collection is very large and the media player’s hard drive eventually becomes full, you can create a network-attached storage (NAS) or an additional external high-capacity USB drive. Full HD Media Player also plays files from external sources without first downloading to its internal HDD.

When you have a Full HD media player, you can completely forget about DVDs! By downloading a file for free on the Internet, you can view individual episodes or in accelerated mode, and quickly decide whether it’s worth keeping and watching it further. HD media player saves you time, money, unnecessary hassle and provides many benefits! Having an HD media player, you will immediately understand that DVD and BluRay players are a thing of the past and, by and large, you no longer need them. If you have a Full HD TV, HD panel or video projector + audio system or home theater and have access to the Internet, then YOU NEED Full HD (1080P) Multi-codec Media Players.

For complete happiness, at least still have one computer connected to the local network, a network disk drive (NAS) for storing the entire collection of media files (the role of a NAS can be performed by the same computer). If you want to watch satellite, cable or terrestrial TV, then you will need PVR receiver connected to this local network. On the media player you watch movies and photos, listen to music, watch IPTV and Internet TV channels, YouTube videos, etc. On the PVR receiver you watch TV programs coming from satellites, via cable or from the air, and if necessary, record them, adding to your collection.

And this is, in principle, a complete (or almost complete) list of what is needed for a lover of Full HD quality.

Full HD Media Players, why are they better than BluRay, DVD, CD and how to use them?

HD Media Player is primarily a Full HD video, music and photo album slideshow player. It is a player whose functions are installed in many satellite receivers (our range includes DreamBox, Vantage, Elanvision, AZBox), but naturally these functions in the receivers are limited and are not the main ones. Full HD media players are much BETTER than anything else that came before them: CD players, DVD players and BluRay players are a thing of the past. What specifically:

• it is much easier, faster and cheaper to replenish your media collection - a library of films, music and digital photographs. • creating catalogs, favorite lists and searching for media collection files becomes much more convenient. One or two HDDs with files are much more compact than racks and shelves with disks. Finding and running the required file is much easier and faster than going through a dusty disk archive for a long time. In addition, you can organize your video library according to any principle convenient for you. • storing information in the form of files is more reliable than on disks (BluRay/DVD/CD). • compared to similar launching of files on a computer, using a media player is much more comfortable! You use it like a traditional player - sitting on the couch in front of a large TV. In addition, compared to a computer, HD media players: • are quieter, more compact and do not take up much space near the TV • have fewer wires, which sometimes spoil the overall appearance, • turn on faster, are easy to operate, • have a simple menu interface, like a conventional player , and therefore, any buyer can easily use it.

What Full HD media players can do.

It depends on the class and capabilities of the HD media player you buy. From what is currently on the market, we can roughly distinguish four groups or categories:

1.Full HD Media players with a USB port, without a hard drive (HDD), without connecting to a local network (without a network port).

This is the class of the simplest and most inexpensive models. At the same time, they can work perfectly at the level for which they are intended.

2. Full HD Media players with the ability to integrate a hard drive, without connecting to a local network.

These models are slightly more expensive than previous diskless models. They are convenient because you can copy and store files onto the built-in HDD. If the HDD capacity allows, you can transfer your entire DVD collection from your computer to it and use only the player. Then the DVD player with disc racks can go straight to the storage room!

3. Full HD Media players with the ability to connect to a local network, but without access to the Internet - both disk and diskless models.

The advantage of these media players is that in addition to everything that models of the two previous classes can do, they can connect to a local network and play files from all available network resources - computers, network drives (NAS, Network Access Storage), other network players ( which have a built-in HDD).

4. Full HD Media players with the ability to connect to a local network, Internet access and the ability to remotely control, both disk and diskless.

This is the most advanced category of media players and you can purchase them in our online store. Therefore, we will dwell on this category in more detail. And so, in the most general terms, what such players can do: • play files of any format (naturally, HD video files with a capacity of tens of gigabytes); • play files from the internal HDD, external USB drives, flash drives, network drives from remote Web servers (via the Internet); • download files (movies, music, photos) from the Internet (using the BitTorrent protocol); • play TV channels IPTV, Internet TV, as well as cable or terrestrial broadcasting (if there is a built-in TV tuner); • play the contents of popular Web media resources (YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Yahoo Weather, etc., even viewing email inboxes); • perform operations with files (copying, moving, editing, deleting, etc.); • have the ability to remotely control (over the network and via the Internet): managing settings, playing files (selecting a file, remote start, stop playback), turning on/off, downloading new files from the Internet, etc.; • make it possible to install new software, including alternative software, which significantly expands the range of player capabilities. • if there are several rooms (not necessarily located nearby), each of which is equipped with a TV with a media player and Internet access, then you can either run the media player autonomously in each room or manage the entire system of media players from one computer. This computer can be either on the same local network with the players, or remote and connect to each player via the Internet (see figure). Even a pocket communicator, such as an iPhone, can be used as a computer. The players themselves can be either on the same local network or outside of a particular network.

• from a remote computer you can launch files on each HD media player, stop playback, change settings, turn the player on/off, etc. For example, you have a player at home (it is turned on and connected to the Internet), you are visiting, and your Friends also have a similar HD player (also with Internet access). You want to watch a movie or a photo album, or listen to music that is recorded in your home. What is needed for this? Just connect to your home player and run files from it as from a remote Web resource. In this way, you can easily exchange files with other player owners without overwriting files - just keep the players online (and know their IP addresses, of course).

How to use Full HD media players

1)

Many Internet service providers have one or more FTP servers that store thousands of video and music files. All you need to do is download everything you need and save it to the player’s disk, or to a network folder on your computer, or to a separate network drive. Such downloading is free, traffic is within the provider’s network and is usually free.

2)

Popular torrent trackers contain a truly huge database. You can find and download almost any movie (from Hollywood releases to classics and art house). The most popular torrent trackers: https://thepiratebay.org; https://torrents.ru https://tfile.ru; https://opensharing.ru. You need to go to any of the Torrent Web portals and simply download special files, and completely free!, which in turn, when opened by a torrent client program, allow you to download the necessary media files: movies/music/photos/games/software /etc. For the most advanced players (category point 4), you can launch the file directly on the player, and the player will start downloading files on its own, without outside help (naturally, the player must be connected to the Internet and have a hard drive).

3)

Go to any film or music Web resource that offers a download service (free or paid); files on such resources are often stored on the well-known file storage https://rapidshare.com (or similar ones) - from there you download them using the links indicated on the resource pages. If the download is paid, you are offered to pay via SMS. The amounts are usually ridiculous.

In our online store you will be able to purchase Full HD recording media players from Korean. On the manufacturer’s website (https://novatron.co.kr/) you can familiarize yourself with all the models of media players that the Korean company produces, but we are now interested in only two models of the Premium Full HD (1080) Multi-codec Media Player NTR82WT / NTR83, which are based on RTD1283 chipset MIPS 400MHz Core CPU.

Full HD media player iamm Novatron NTR82WT or NTR83 are essentially “harvesters”

, and in simpler terms, these are multifunctional devices that allow you to watch films of the FULL HD 1080P standard and various formats on the Full HD TV screen, listen to music, view photos, if you have a built-in Bittorent client, you can download any torrent files from the Internet without computer participation. And through the RCA or SCART input you can record to a hard disk.

iamm Novatron NTR82WT and NTR83 HD media players are practically the same, differing only in the built-in DVB-T(C) (terrestrial or cable) tuner. HD media players are very easy to use - clear and visual navigation of the media player menu, which does not require any special technical knowledge from you. Whether it's watching movies, listening to music or looking at photos. In other words, managing the imm NTR82WT and NTR83 “media combines” is no more difficult than managing your home theater or stationary DVD player. It’s enough to sit comfortably in front of the TV screen or plasma panel, pick up the remote control of the media player and you can enjoy the excellent quality of image and sound!

The NTR82WT device is based on the latest chip, has full support for MKV and is capable of playing Full HD 1080p movies in VC1 and H.264 video formats.

In imm Novatron NTR82WT you can install a hard drive with a capacity of up to 2 TB in 3.5” SATA I/II format, and then organize your own full-fledged media server based on the player. If the HD media player has 2x USB host and 1 USB Target, you can not only connect the device to your desktop PC, but also use it as a large “flash drive” and copy data to or from it at a speed of more than 40 megabytes/sec, and even play data from external media. iamm Novatron NTR82WT can operate as a NAS device using the SMB, NFS and FTP protocols; you can connect a computer via a local network, set up a network, “share” the hard drives of your computer and use them as a source of media files for viewing and listening. At the same time, the iamm NTR82WT does not experience any problems when playing “heavy” HD movies over the network with a video bitrate of up to 45 Mbit!

But that's not all!

Full HD multi media player Novatron NTR82WT has support for online services, such as Internet radio (Shoutcast), Internet television (SayaTV), online video services (YouTube, Google Video, MetaCafe, VideoCast, DL.TV, Cranky Geeks) , audio services (iPodcast, Radiobox, ABC News, Jamendo), photo services (Flickr, Picasa), RSS channels (Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo! Traffic alerts, Yahoo! Stock, Cinecast, Traffic Conditions). The presence of HDMI video output version 1.3 allows you to output HD sound in the latest formats, such as DTS-HD/DTS-HD-Master Audio/Dolby TrueHD and use this player in the most modern home theater systems. Recording to a hard disk via analog input connectors RCA or SCART, that is, if you want to record a TV show from a receiver, from a TV, from a DVD player from a camcorder, then this can be done easily. Analog RCA or SCART input connectors also bring the media player closer to an old VCR, that is, at home you can rewrite (digitize) an old VHS video library from a VCR. For ease of recording, the NTR82WT model supports the Time-shift function, the Instant Recording function from the remote control, and the Scheduled Recording function. AT this time, the Full HD multimedia player iamm Novatron NTR82WT is one of the few competing players on the market that has a recording function. Additionally, you can establish a wireless connection to the Internet via WiFi; for this you need to separately purchase the Wireless USB Dongle module. There is a WiFi function in the player menu. Specification:

Appearance Full HD(1080P) Multi-codec Media Players:

How to choose a media center

You can choose the right media player for your TV by assessing its basic parameters.

1. Formats – this determines how versatile the player will be.
2. Availability of hard drive and its capacity.
3. Connectors for connecting TV. Ideally, there should be HDMI, but if this is an old HD TV, then you can stick to AV.
4. Internet access and connection method. It’s more convenient if the device has Wi-Fi.
5. Interface. If you have the opportunity to turn on the device before purchasing, you should evaluate how convenient its menu is and whether it has Russian language.
6. For Android devices, you should look at parameters such as processor and RAM. It is often difficult to figure out whether a chipset is good or not, but when comparing several models, you should choose the one with a higher clock speed and number of cores. The situation is similar with RAM: the more, the better.
7. Availability of additional connectors. A media player for a TV can be a way to connect other devices, for example, a speaker system or accessories - a mouse and keyboard. Therefore, it is worth looking at how many additional connectors are installed, and what they are.

Advice! If possible, you should clarify what kind of cooling is used. Often this information is not indicated by manufacturers, but it can be passive or active. The second option is obviously better, but the noise level is also higher.

Best models

Here is a 2021 rating that will tell you about the five best media players selected based on user reviews.

Google Chromecast Ultra

The model from the giant software developer and creator of the Android OS is a compact device with an HDMI connection, the cable comes straight out of the case, so the player can be hidden behind the TV. The device is capable of transmitting UHD, has the most necessary codecs, and can be controlled from iOS or Android. The connection to the network is via Wi-Fi ac. Additionally there is a USB 2.0 connector. The model has support for Miracast and AirPlay.

The power supply is external, it contains RJ-45 - you can connect to the wired Internet. The device is not equipped with an operating system, but has a number of pre-installed popular services. In terms of functionality, the model is quite limited, but it has three Wi-Fi antennas, which gives a high connection range. Google's set-top box does an excellent job with its main purpose - to make the TV able to work online. Price: 4,500 rubles.

Advantages:

• low price;
• reliable Wi-Fi reception even at long distances;
• minimum dimensions of the device - sometimes this is very critical;
• UHD video transmission.

Flaws:

• modest functionality;
• a small number of interfaces.

HARPER ABX-332

The model from Harper with Internet access has a number of pleasant parameters, which are even more pleasing considering the price tag. The device runs on the Amlogic S912 chipset and has 3/32 GB of memory, which is an excellent indicator. The media player runs on Android 7.1, it has full support for all formats of audio, video, and graphic objects. The device is equipped with a display, external power supply, and passive cooling. Video resolution is 4K, reads from a flash drive formatted in FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS. Among other things, the device has a decent set of connectors: audio 3.5, audio coaxial, audio optical, HDMI 2.0, 2 USB 2.0, RJ-45, MicroSD. Wireless interfaces – Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2. Price: 6,700 rubles.

Advantages:

• low cost;
• support for a large number of codecs and formats;
• good memory reserve;
• a large number of exits.

Flaws:

• USB0 is not the highest data transfer speed;
• no Wi-Fi ac support;
• The remote control is not very convenient.

Apple TV 4K

There are many who do not like the Android operating system. They should not despair: as an alternative, you can purchase a set-top box from Apple, which has a fairly reasonable price for its contents. The device runs on its own OS - tvOS , which may cause some difficulties for new users. The interface is specific, but will not be surprising for owners of other Apple equipment.

The device transmits video in UHD with DolbyVision and HDR10, has, although not a complete, but sufficient set of codecs, as well as a number of pre-installed popular services - iTunes, Apple Music, Netflix, HBO and others. There is a voice assistant Siri here. The device works with the proprietary Apple A10X Fusion chipset and has 3/64 GB of memory. The connection is made via HDMI 2.0, there is support for Wi-Fi ac with DLNA and AirPlay, Bluetooth 5.0, IPTV. Price: 13,200 rubles.

Advantages:

• stable work;
• large memory reserve;
• excellent integration with Apple technology;
• excellent video playback quality.

Flaws:

• the interface may seem inconvenient to many;
• few connectors.

Important! This is not the best option for fans of pirated content, since Apple is a well-known copyright fighter. Movies, music, etc. will have to be purchased or downloaded from open but official sources.

Xiaomi Mi Box S

It’s no surprise that a device from Xiaomi was included in the best media players of 2021. This is a well-known manufacturer, famous for its good quality and affordable price. The model with a quad-core Amlogic S905X chipset and 2 GB RAM is equipped with the latest version of Android 8.1 Oreo. The device supports installation of applications from PlayMarket - 8 GB internal storage.

The Xiaomi TV set-top box supports content transmission in UHD, reads any file extensions, and uses HDMI 2.0, designed for 4K, to connect to TV. Additional connectors include USB and audio output. The built-in Wi-Fi module supports 5 GHz networks, as well as AirPlay, Miracast and DLNA, IPTV standards. In addition, the device is equipped with Bluetooth, built-in Internet radio, a download manager and can work in a smart home system. The included remote control supports voice control, making it easier to work online. To work correctly, connected external media must be formatted in exFAT or NTFS, which is more convenient. Price: from 4,000 rubles.

Important! Due to the fact that the power supply is external, the device does not overheat during prolonged operation, even taking into account passive cooling.

Advantages:

• modern OS;
• excellent functionality;
• stable video transmission in UHD;
• reading all formats;
• does not heat up;
• voice control.

Flaws:

• many lack built-in memory;
• there are no programmable buttons on the remote control;
• no RJ-45 connector;
• one USB output and that one is 2.0.

Connecting to a TV

How to connect a media player to a TV:

1. An easy way to connect a set-top box to a TV is to use a wireless connection via a Wi-Fi module. If there is a special router in the house that supports wireless communication, then the equipment must be selected accordingly.
2. To connect, you can buy the usual composite port. On devices they are designated as AV out or RCA. These are the tulips that were used before. The image and sound quality will not be at the highest level, and therefore it is advisable to use other connectors.
3. When connecting a media player with a component, the same tulips are used, but the video signal will be transmitted over several cables, and therefore the picture quality will improve.
4. SCART connector. This is an adapter that is used with a composite connector with an S-video interface.
5. S-video is a well-known interface that has been used on televisions and various video devices for many years. This connection is usually used for outdated models.
6. To transmit images in high resolution, you can use an HDMI cable. This is the most preferable option for connecting two devices, since the picture will be transmitted in the best quality.