[TimeZone]

I am looking for the best way to connect my TV and HTPC and still be able to maximise the capabilities of both.
The answer seems rather straightforward but I have a few challenges with each of the methods I have tried so far. 

What I have tried

1. HDMI (The most recommended method). With this method, I am using my HTPC and Kodi to their full capabilities. I get all the Kodi's bells and whistles (4K GIU, animated artworks, powerful skins (Aeon Tajo, Aeon Nox, MQ9)). No lagging and scanning the hundreds of movies and thousands of episodes is a breeze. Downside: As you will see in the specs, the HTPC has HDMI 1.4 so no HDR of any sort. Kodi's tone mapping is wonderful, but it is still below par compared to my TV in HDR mode. I lose all the TVs HDR capabilities and iPQ engine upscaling abilities.
   
2. Install Kodi on TV. If I use SMB share, I gain all HDR capabilities. Downside: the GIU is sluggish, can't have the bells and whistles. 4K HDR videos stutter with subtitles enabled. Issue on github. These are 4K HEVC videos that range between 10GB to 30 GB per video. English is not my native language, I need those subs for fast speaking Americans and Brits. Other variations of this method I have tried include: Media Importer (Kodi version under dev). Kodi TV UPnP client and Kodi HTPC UPnP Server. Kodi TV with Emby/Jellyfin server. 
   
3. Cast from Kodi to TV. The word cast is misleading here, but what I mean is that Kodi on HTPC can see my TV as UPnP client. I select a movie and choose play with TV. This gives me the best of both worlds, combining the strengths of my HTPC for library management and beautiful interface for browsing with the TV's powerful GPU to decode and play video. Even better, I connect the PC to TV with HDMI to browse Kodi and when I play a video, the input automatically switches to the TV's inbuilt video player and returns back to HDMI when playback stops. The TV behaves like Kodi's external player and I can even set the TV as the default player for some video types. This is almost the one setup to rule them all but it has a major downside too. The TVs inbuilt player is not very feature rich. I can't rewind or forward video playback and the UPnP client does not save back to Kodi my progress or even remember where I left off. If only I could set up my own default video player on the TV.
   
4. Remove Kodi from Equation. Emby server on HTPC and Emby player on TV. This works perfectly for video playback but music playback, not so good (I love animated lyrics in some Kodi skins, the discart, fanart etc). The interface is also very nice but the app has very limited features for me. No smart playlist, no adding mp4 to the music library. Yea, I really misuse Kodi's extensive customizability .
   

My TV and PC have great strengths individually, is there no way to combine these strengths instead of compromising? I would love to know if someone has the same predicament as me. Even buying a new devices is not a complete solution. PCs only send HDR10 streams over HDMI. No HDR10plus, HLG or DV. Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 has no support for HDR10plus (my TV does), AV1 (my PC does) and HLG (my TV does). If I buy the Shield I will gain smoother Kodi GUI, DV and extended audio formats, I will lose a few other things too. If I can properly merge my current setup, i will do better than the Shield (except for the AI upscaler).

My setup Specs
HTPC

• HP Laptop
  
• Intel Core i3 8th Gen with UHD 620 Graphics
  
• 8GB RAM
  
• HDMI 1.4 4K@30fps
  
• Kodi 20.2
  
• Windows 11
  
• 2.4 & 5 GHz Wi-Fi, 1000Mbs Ethernet.
  
• 10TB spread over 6 USB connected HDDs (with non-powered USB-hub). All media is stored here.
  

TV

• TCL P715 50" Manufactured in 2020
  
• Android TV A11
  
• 2GB RAM 16 GB Storage
  
• Expandable storage using USB. Supports maximum of 2 external HDD even when using a non-powered usb Hub
  
• Resolution: up to 4K@60
  
• HDR format: HDR10, HDR10 plus, HLG (no dolby)
  
• Dolby Digital and PCM only (no Digital plus and up)
  
• HDMI 2.0b with ARC
  
• Optical audio out
  
• iPQ engine Gen 2 (graphic tech). 
  
• 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, 100Mbs Ethernet.
  

Speaker

• Sony TZ140
  
• 5.1 Speakers
  
• RCA cable
  
• No HDMI Support
  
• No Optical Support
  
• With time I will upgrade to better modern AV receiver
  

[MatteN]

Get a Raspberry Pi 4 and install LibreELEC (Kodi), connect to TV and use smb or nfs to stream files from your storage, Pi 4 supports 4k 10bit HDR hevc.

[TimeZone]

Pi 4 supports 4k 10bit HDR hevc

Looks like a good option. Does the pi support various HDR formats, HDR10plus and HLG? I don't care much for DV but these 2 are a big win for me since my TV already support them.

[MatteN]

I dont have any problems playing HDR10+ and HLG on my LG 65CX using a Pi 4 with LibreELEC.

[TimeZone]

Thanks @MatteN. I will seriously consider the pi. I like the fact that it is much cheaper than a PC and I can always update the OS with each new Kodi version and replace the hardware when need be. You just saved me a lot of headache.

Mod: I must have posted this in the wrong thread, kindly move to Hardware?

[Klojum]

The RPi4 may still have a serious price tag because of previous problems in the supply chain.

The thread will be moved.

[MatteN]

Under 60 euro for the 2GB model is ok for now, maybe it will go down a bit as production ramps up.
https://rpilocator.com/

[noggin]

The RPi4 may still have a serious price tag because of previous problems in the supply chain.

The thread will be moved.

The price tag of the RPi is standardised if you buy from an official reseller (or should be) and the prices should be around the following ?

2GB €57-62 / £45
4GB €70-76 / £55
8GB €92-97 / £75

The higher prices are usually charged by scalpers.  The UK price is pretty standard in GBP - the European price seems to vary a little by territory presumably because VAT is different across EU countries?

[noggin]

Pi 4 supports 4k 10bit HDR hevc

Looks like a good option. Does the pi support various HDR formats, HDR10plus and HLG? I don't care much for DV but these 2 are a big win for me since my TV already support them.

LibreElec on the Pi 4B with 2GB or more of RAM supports HDR10 and HLG (I've tested both), and properly flags Rec.2020 wide colour gamut video (which is what most HDR10 and HLG content uses). I don't have an HDR10+ compatible display - but I believe the Pi 4B also supports that.  It supports HD Audio passthrough too.

(The Pi 4B supports UHD decoding of HEVC/h.265 only though, it won't decode any 4K AVC/h.264 media you may have. AVC/h.264 compatibility is limited to 1080p and below)

[jbinkley60]

I am looking for the best way to connect my TV and HTPC and still be able to maximise the capabilities of both.
The answer seems rather straightforward but I have a few challenges with each of the methods I have tried so far. 

Since you have a Windows HTPC and an Android based TV, I'd suggest you consider Mezzmo with Kodi (and the Mezzmo Kodi addon) or Mezzmo natively with the Android app or both.  I could spend quite a bit of time explaining how this combination wouldn't have a number of deficiencies or limitations mentioned above but the main advantage is the sheer flexibility.  The UPnP solution limitations mentioned above with lack of smart playlists and not being able to have mp4 files in your music library is not an issue.  Your artwork desires aren't 100% supported.  Mezzmo is not perfect and has some limitations too.

In the end I don't think there is a 100% solution to what everyone wants.  I always suggest making up your wish list and prioritizing your list, especially including future items.  What is important now may not be as important in the future or you may find future uses and needs.  This is where flexibility becomes a priority.  My current setup and needs have grown significantly over the years (as has  my library size    ).  


Thanks,

Jeff