(If this question is inappropriate or better suited elsewhere, please let me know, and I can remove it.)
I have a mostly personally digitized media library on external USB storage that I am looking for a convenient and effective way to watch in 4K on my home non-smart television. I’m not interested in solutions for accessing streaming pirated content, unlocking subscription-based services, or anything of that nature; I’m just looking for a way to connect a USB-C external drive with loose media content (largely H.265-based 4K video and FLAC audio files) at the best quality on my home television.
I understand that Android TV boxes are available cheaply on Amazon and might be a viable solution, but this video from Linus suggests these can be malware nightmares, so I’m wary of trying any of those. Linus went on to make a follow-up video, but either his suggestions for my use cases were unclear, or I am not savvy enough to have understood them. For example, he mentions in the follow-up video that the Google Chromecast might be specifically bad for this due to the bottlenecking of the USB 2.0-based transfer speed, but I don’t think he ever brings up the topic directly again or suggests which of the other options presented is particularly good for external storage media file playback.
If this option can also replace my current Amazon Fire Stick as my go-to media center option with access to the typical streamers (YouTube, Netflix, Crunchyroll, etc.), that would be especially incredible.
If this option comes with some kind of software/media library solution that would allow me to track watched progress in my personal media library in a way similar to how streaming services do, that would be double especially incredible.
And hey, if there’s some way I could connect a controller to play some retro emulated games on it too, that would be amazing, but that’s absolutely not a necessary component.
I don’t have a high budget, so ideally, I’d like to keep costs in or around $50 if possible, but if that’s unrealistic, I’d appreciate being told so I can adjust my expectations.
I’d say I’m a “high-level ignorant” or “low-level savvy” consumer; I feel like I’m not technologically illiterate but definitely would not call myself truly savvy or skilled. I’ve put PCs together from purchased components but would have no idea how to build or repair an individual component itself. I’m up for learning if the task is approachable, so if the best solution is something like a custom-built Raspberry Pi, I’m not opposed to the idea, but I have no real knowledge going into this and am more interested in a solution to the problem at hand than the edification that might come with such a project. So basically, if we’re talking about a simple “build a media center in a box” sort of Pi kit, I might be able to manage, but if we’re talking about a months-long project of tinkering and trials, then that’s probably not the solution I’m looking for.
Anyway, I appreciate in advance any insights or feedback anyone is able to offer.
edit: @Hendrik correctly pointed out a discrepancy in my post regarding lack of “dumb” 4k TVs. I was trying to simplify things, but in reality my situation is one 1080p “dumb” TV and one modern 4k which I think is a Vizio brand smart TV. I am looking for a solution I’ll be able to move between both.
Can’t you just connect that USB-Stick or external harddrive to the Fire TV Stick with an USB-OTG cable? I’m not an expert on these things, so idk if it can play the H265 files.
And btw, are there 4K “dumb” TV sets? I’ve never seen one… I’d be interested to learn what kind of manufacturers still offer TVs without the smart features.
Okay so I decided to jump up and try now rather than waiting. Still nothing when I plug the USB drive directly into the TV.
As for the Fire Stick, the only USB connection appears to have is the USB-C smaller connection which it is using for its own power adapter. In Linus’s video which I linked in the post he mentions some kind of additional USB dongle you can attach to a Chromecast to allow it access USB devices like storage or controllers, but frankly I don’t know what that dongle device is. Either way I don’t have one at hand to test with. Perhaps all I need is that dongle thing and that will be a workable solution for me, but I also want to make sure that’s the most viable option before I buy anything since I’m limited in my budget.
Oh and I just saw you edit - unfortunately I don’t have an old laptop or PC available for this purpose.
Fair enough. Maybe someone else here has a good idea. Or experience with those exact products.
I don’t know; I’ve never considered plugging anything into the Fire Stick for some reason. I’m not sure why. I’ll try tomorrow and see if that works.
Ah I didn’t realize this. I was trying to simplify things, but in reality my situation is one 1080p “dumb” TV and one modern 4k which I think is Vizio smart TV or something. I was looking for a solution I’d be able to move between both. That being said, I’ve tried just plugging my external USB drive into the USB ports of both TVs and that doesn’t seem to do anything 🤷♂️
Sorry, I edited my post after you read and replied…
I mean if your harddisk has USB-C anyways… I just don’t know if the Fire Stick needs power through that USB-C port, and you’d need some extra Y-adapter to attach both at the same time… I don’t own any Amazon products, so I wouldn’t know. If that’s the case you might want to look up if that thing even plays media files from external storage, before buying anything.
Exactly. Knowing Amazon and the limitations imposed on the version of android on their devices, I’m dubious that going through the Fire Stick is going to be the answer to my quandary.
Still necessary to go down the checklist though, so I appreciate your response!