Best inexpensive streaming device for HEVC/x265 10-bit MKV files? C

[Dewi Jones]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some recommendations for a streaming device that can handle my library, which are encoded in HEVC/x265 with 10-bit color depth and packaged in MKV containers. The average bitrate is around 3669 kbps.

I'm experiencing a bit of choice paralysis with all the options out there. I'm open to any device, including Amazon Fire TV sticks/boxes, Roku, Chromecast, etc. I've even heard good things about the Nvidia Shield.

My main priorities are:

* Smooth playback: No stuttering or buffering issues with the HEVC/x265 10-bit files.
* Reasonable price: I'm not looking for the absolute cheapest, but I don't want to break the bank either.
* Ease of use: A user-friendly interface is a plus.

Here's the relevant ffprobe output for the files:

Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'Season 4/test.mkv':
  Metadata:
    ENCODER        : Lavf57.56.101
  Duration: 00:58:13.14, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 3669 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main 10), yuv420p10le(tv, progressive), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn, 23.98 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      ENCODER        : Lavc57.64.101 libx265
      DURATION        : 00:58:13.094000000
    Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC), 48000 Hz, 5.1, fltp (default)
    Metadata:
      ENCODER        : Lavc57.64.101 aac
      DURATION        : 00:58:13.141000000


Based on my needs and the file format, what devices would you recommend? I'd love to hear your experiences and any pros/cons you've encountered.

Thanks in advance for helping me overcome this choice paralysis!

[TheDreadPirate]

The CCwGTV 4K. Any recent Roku stick. ONN makes pretty good Android TV clients as well.

[gft77]

I'm using the Onn 4K Pro which has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and uses Google TV. It cost $49.99.