[ColinMacLaren]

Hi,

I am looking for the best possible setup for a media streamer.

The device will be hooked up to a LG SJ9 Soundbar and a LG 55B7 2017 OLED. Furthermore I am interested in installing a Philips Hue based pseudo-Ambilight solution. It only has to be one sided since a single Lightstrip is installed behind the TV.

Usage scenarios:
- Netflix in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos
- Amazon in 4K HDR
- Streaming rips of my Blue Rays from NAS with including HEVC 10Bit and all possbile audio formats including Dolby Atmos excluing only DTS:X since the soundbar is not capable of that  
- Streaming games from my Windows PC over Powerline Ethernet. Connection speed is somewhat >100 MBit/s with 2-3ms latency. 

Options I am considering:

SHIELD TV 2017
+ Plays pretty much anything
+ Easy to setup
- Gamestream not as comfortable as Steam In Home streaming
+ but does HDR on some games
o Ambilight can be done by sideloading this little app since it captures the screen: https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...e.testhue2 Does not work with Netflix and Amazon native Apps
- Kodi ambilight plugin does not work with Hardware decoding, so it is not usable
o can maybe replace the Google Home Mini in the living room if voice activation in sleep mode works correctly

Intel NUC7I3BNH, Kab-Lake, HD620, 4GB RAM
+ Plays pretty much anything as well
- HDR is a hassle since it does not work in Kodi and madVR is a pain in the ass to setup
+ Steam In-Home Streaming is very convenient to use and does not require VirtualHere license for 40 bucks
+ Lots of options for ambilight. Kodi plugin, games-to-hue https://github.com/carstena/game-to-philips-hue, Screenbloom
- Amazon Prime Video on windows sucks, only FullHD and Stereo, but it's rarely used anyway and there is always the native app of the TV
- all in all not very remote friendly

Xbox One X
o an absolute mystery to me and ther isn't much info available
- I don't know which addons doe currently work and if they ever will
o Game Streaming only via Remotr app which I cannot find much info for
++ I can play Xbox one Games directly without having to setup anything

[Raitsa]

After a few years with NUC´s, my choice nowadays is definitely Nvidia Shield, every service I need just works & autoupdates without any hassles and plays back anything i throw at em with Kodi/SPMC too.

[docwra]

I have both Shield and NUC running OpenELEC. I prefer the Shield with its cool remote and quick startup time.

The NUC can't do netflix which is the big downside (as my girlfriend keeps reminding me!!)

[ColinMacLaren]

Well, Ambilight and Gamestream are the most important factors. We do watch a lot of Netflix and the occasional show on Prime Video, but the native apps on the TV work pretty decent for that. The Video player however, sucks.

[wrxtasy]

@ColinMacLaren,

No use buying any SDR / HDR media player when they cannot even get the basics right for correct colorspace outputs.

You need to read THIS first (click)

[ozkhan1]

@wrxtasy.. shield fix is on the way for this issue with the Oreo update from what I hear so it may not be a bad buy!

[noggin]

@ColinMacLaren,

No use buying any SDR / HDR media player when they cannot even get the basics right for correct colorspace outputs.

You need to read THIS first (click)

Presumably as TVs are working in a fixed colour space (their primaries are fixed colours after all) - then the issue is where you do the conversion(s) - as you will have to do it somewhere?   This is a very different issue to frame rate switching (where you do need the source to be aware and switch)

Switching between 709 and 2020 output colour space is one solution to handling content in multiple colour spaces. However doing a 709 to 2020 conversion prior to permanent output in 2020 is presumably another approach (we already have to handle 601 content output in 709 colour space - though in this case the differences between standards are smaller)?  

You don't have to do output colour space switching as the only solution though do you?  After all - your TV has a native colour space which everything is presumably also converted too (and high-end people will have 3D LUT boxes in the way as well - though not sure if these apply to HDR as much)

Obviously outputting Rec 2020 within a Rec 709 colourspace is a lossy process (as the Rec 709 colour space is 'smaller') - but Rec 2020 includes Rec 709 colour space fully, so running a player in permanent 2020 mode, and doing a proper 709 to 2020 conversion is a perfectly valid approach instead of colour space switching isn't it? Arguably it is a neater solution - as it means you only have to create a single colour space GUI too?

[ColinMacLaren]

@ColinMacLaren,

No use buying any SDR / HDR media player when they cannot even get the basics right for correct colorspace outputs.

You need to read THIS first (click)

 I can live with 3:2 pulldown until Oreo update arrives.

[cv15xbmc]

Sorry to threadjack, but that is literally the same set up I am about to buy for TV and soundbar. I was also wondering if anyone would recommend the Xbox One X? The main reason I am looking at the X is because I need something that is going to play 4K blu-ray aswell and the addition of 4K youtube, netflix, etc and the fact it is a gaming machine as well appeals to me. I am a big fan of all in one solutions as I hate managing and cluttering with several devices. Also the X is the cheapest solution when considering everything it needs to do. I can't get the SHIELD in Australia for a cheap price, and if I invest in a Kodi client I also need to consider a 4K player as I plan on buying some of my favorite films on 4K.

[Tinwarble]

I would suggest reading this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=326228  as well as other threads in that sub-forum.

[wrxtasy]

Yes that would rule out the XBox One for sure. It's very early days for Kodi on the Xbox. Lots of limitations.

For the OP's requirements. the NVIDIA Shield, even with it's limitations would be the best all in one box.

[noggin]

I have both Shield and NUC running OpenELEC. I prefer the Shield with its cool remote and quick startup time.

The NUC can't do netflix which is the big downside (as my girlfriend keeps reminding me!!)

 
However if you installed Windows on the NUC you'd get Netflix 1080p with 5.1 DD+ audio via the Netflix Windows app.  It's still keyboard+mousey - though there is a nice remote control app designed for Netflix that makes it a lot more useable.

Also - LibreElec is definitely worth switching to if you stick with Linux. Most of the OE developers switched to LE when the fork happened.

[P.Kosunen]

However if you installed Windows on the NUC you'd get Netflix 1080p with 5.1 DD+ audio via the Netflix Windows app.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/55763

Even 4k should be supported on latests Core CPU NUC boxes.

[P.Kosunen]

Edit: double

[noggin]

However if you installed Windows on the NUC you'd get Netflix 1080p with 5.1 DD+ audio via the Netflix Windows app.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/55763

Even 4k should be supported on latests Core CPU NUC boxes. 

  
Yes - hadn't spotted the OP had specified a specific NUC model.