A Budget Home Theater & PC Setup: 4K, HDR, UHD Blu-ray, and More
by Ganesh T S on December 26, 2017 8:30 AM ESTYouTube Streaming
Our HTPC testing with respect to YouTube has been restricted to playback of a 1080p music video using the native HTML5 player in Firefox. However, the shift to 4K and the necessity to evaluate HDR support have made us choose Mystery Box's Peru 8K HDR 60FPS video as our test sample moving forward.
The TCL 55P607's Roku platform has a YouTube app. Our sample stream played back the 4Kp60 HDR version encoded in VP9 Profile 2 along with AAC audio.
4K YouTube HDR on the TCL 55P607
The NVIDIA SATV also has a YouTube app. However, accessing the sample clip resulted in the fetching of the 4Kp60 VP9 version without HDR. Further research revealed that the Tegra K1 X1 SoC in the SATV does not support VP9 Profile 2. Google's refusal to use HEVC for the HDR videos on YouTube mean that SATV owners can forget about HDR in YouTube streams.
4K YouTube on the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV
On the PC front, the KBL-U systems support VP9 Profile 2 decoding. Using the recommended browser (Microsoft Edge) allows us to play back the HDR stream after putting the desktop in HDR mode.
4K YouTube HDR on the ASRock Beebox-S 7200U using Microsoft Edge
The Zotac EN1080K, however, does not have VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding. Our sample clip played back the 4Kp60 VP9 version without HDR even with the desktop set to HDR mode and streaming HDR videos enabled.
4K YouTube on the Zotac ZBOX MAGNUS EN1080K using Microsoft Edge
We also tracked the power consumption (using a Ubiquiti Networks mPower Pro) of the various playback devices while streaming the YouTube sample clip.
| YouTube Streaming - Power Consumption | |||
The Roku power numbers also include the display itself. So, it is not really fair to compare it against that of the other players. Disregarding the Roku data, we find that the ASRock Beebox-S 7200U is the most power-efficient of the lot with respect to YouTube streaming. If the display power consumption were to be considered in addition, it is likely that the Roku would emerge as the winner.
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Doomtomb - Monday, January 22, 2018 - link
I guess I'll throw my two cents in because everybody is jumping in with their own opinions on Home Theater. (there is no right answer to satisfy everybody).I'm 28, just moved into my first house, trying to do HT right, on MY budget. My TV crapped out on me so I put my money into an OLED during Black Friday. No regrets, Zero. The picture quality is hands down better than my 2015 Samsung LED-LCD. It is significantly noticeable, by everybody that views it. Second, I spent some money on 5.1 speakers and subs about 7 years ago. Can you really count that cost? Maybe ~$1000 including the receiver. Speakers are by Polk Audio, could be better, but just fine for entry level. AV Receiver is not super fancy but is reputable brand, Marantz, from 2012. Got it on craigslist with some speakers at a super deal. Thing sounds beautiful, has all the Dolby codecs minus Atmos. I find myself only wanting audio out from my TV. If you need 4K picture, plug the device into the TV and output the audio with optical. Sound quality doesn't change much over the years, only features. Keep the smart features on your TV or set-top box. Keep the audio on your receiver, heck you could go with just an Amplifier but you probably want surround sound so you need processing = receiver. Do not overspend on that device, they become outdated VERY quickly.
bella44 - Monday, June 4, 2018 - link
Xbox is a nice option. Now we can also install apps like terrarium tv on Xbox to watch movies and Tv shows for free. Get terrarium tv from https://terrariumtv.io29a - Tuesday, June 12, 2018 - link
Rather than getting an XBox they should download a pirated copy. That's the only way the studios will take notice.RiZad - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
" Further research revealed that the Tegra K1 SoC in the SATV does not support VP9 Profile 2" The Shield TV never came with the K1, the 2015 and 2017 version both have the X1RiZad - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
https://www.anandtech.com/show/9289/the-nvidia-shi...ganeshts - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
Thanks. I fixed that typo.trane - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
Vega supports HDCP 2.2. So is it just the driver we are waiting for? Nvidia released a driver for it much later, too.ganeshts - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
Still looking for a compact machine with Vega GPUs....Chaser - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
Linux based Myth TV PVR server back end. (Works great with any decent CPU/RAM) HDHome Run cable converter box. (Free) Comcast Cable card. Amazon Fire TV w/Kodi plug in to manage my channels, lineups, recordings. Pure bliss and I save a lot of money.ddrіver - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
That would just be too budget... Plus, nobody sponsors articles with "ghetto" solutions.