Hi all a mate of mine has an external HDD full of his movies and his old media player has just died…. What would be you recommendation for a replacement? He doesn't have internet and isnt interested in streaming just playing back from his HDD. Looking for a cheap option that can play and decode all the common formats.
thanks
Or a tv with usb
I see the Xiaomi Mi Box recommended as a kodi box for local USB content, that will give you a nice UI with movie posters and everything but that will need an internet connection when adding new content to pull down media info. Otherwise I would just grab a secondhand WDTV box off gumtree if all you're after is a player that will display files in a list.
yeah i thought about the mi box, ive got one myself but as he hasnt got internet i was hoping just to avoid the need for it… The WDTV box wouldnt decode H265…
He hasnt got a dvd player and his tv's usb seems to be very picky with what files it will play from a usb stick and doesnt want to recognise a 2tb external drive no matter what format… My samsung will play anything…
I actually had a similar issue a while back. Ended up getting the Xiaomi Mi Box and it's been fantastic.
Thanks mate, so forgive my laziness but can he plug that in and use it without the need to connect to the internet? Or can he make a hotspot on his phone to set it up? Does he need to download an app like vlc onto the mibox?
Yep. I would advise using internet for the initial setup to update the firmware and download VLC. Then away you go.
May I ask why they don’t want / have internet ?
Single dad minimising bills, sydney rent + child support with extra on top… have to make cuts somewhere… His phone covers most bases in regards to internet.
Does he have a computer?
nope just his iphone
Mi box and kodi.
Don't need the internet unless you want fancy posters and plots for all movies.
I did this for my uncle works great.
Wouldn't most DVD players with a USB input fit the bill here?