GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL.... MEDIA PLAYERS COMPARED: WHICH ONE'S RIGHT FOR YOU?

  

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL  MEDIA PLAYERS COMPARED:  WHICH ONE'S RIGHT FOR YOU?   Smart TV or not, there's no denying the utility of a media player or  streaming box. Primarily, there are three camps: Apple TV,  numerous Android boxes & dongles. Hitesh Raj Bhagat and Karan Bajaj offer an explanation  if you're confused APPLE TV If you are using any of the Apple devices (iPhone, iPod, iPad or MAC) and want to stream content from your device to your TV , Apple TV will work better for you compared to the other options. This is mainly because  Apple TV uses Apple's own AirPlay technology to transfer content between connected devices. This makes it hassle free to stream media  (even 1080p content streams without stuttering). Plus, you can also mirror your device display on the TV . With tvOS you can also install few apps and games from the app store on to your Apple TV now. The issue with Apple TV is when it comes to third party services in India. While in the US, there are options like NetFlix and Hulu, in India you don't have those options. The best you get is YouTube, Vimeo or iTunes. Also keep in mind that Apple TV does not support media playback from a USB flash drive or hard drive -so if that is one of your key requirements,  Apple TV is not meant for you. STREAMING DONGLES There are multiple options available when it comes to streaming dongles Some are even based on Android. One big advantage of dongles is their compact size. Since they connect directly to your TV's HDMI port, they can be easily hidden behind the TV . They're also very compatible -they can work with Android, iOS, Windows and MAC desktops (though you  will need to download companion apps or plugins). All your existing media and apps can be then streamed directly on to the TV from the connected device over WiFi. Think of one of these dongles like an extension of your  existing device. Without a connected device, a dongle is of no use since you cannot install apps or store any media on them. Moreover, they need to connect to either the TV's USB port or to a wall charger for power which can increase the wire clutter around your TV . ANDROID BOXES Android boxes offer the maximum versatility of the three. You can install third party apps including games from the Google Play store, you can store media directly on the internal storage of the media box and use it with a companion app to stream content from your portable devices and computers.  In addition, they usually have multiple USB ports that support flash drives, port able hard drives, keyboards, webcams and mice  (for gaming & navigating the interface). The main issue with Android boxes media players is the size. Since they are more powerful than dongles and offer multiple ports for connectivity , they are larger. Also, not all apps that you have on an Android phone will work on one. It's not possible to identify beforehand which apps will run properly and which ones won't. ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR MEDIA BOX BLUETOOTH GAME CONTROLLER An Android media player box can also double up as a basic gaming console. Some of these devices come with motion sensing controllers ­  but for those that don't, a Bluetooth gaming controller works too. Don't expect to very intensive games on basic hardware, but for simple games like Temple Run, Subway Surfer, Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds ­ it works just fine. On the more advanced Android boxes like the Matricom G Box Q (With quad core CPU, 2GB RAM, octa core GPU)  you can expect to play some 3D games too. MINI KEYBOARD This is an invaluable tool when you want to search for content. Typing on an on-screen keyboard using a remote control is frustrating. This mini wireless keyboard with touchpad from Hausbell works with  Android boxes. It comes with a tiny USB dongle that you plug into any available USB port. It has a rechargeable battery and charges via  mini USB. The best part is that it uses 2.4Ghz radio frequency wireless ­ which means that it doesn't require line of sight to operate.  It'll work just as well if your media player is behind your TV or inside a cabinet. USB WEBCAM If you have an Android box with a spare USB port, you can use any USB webcam for Skype (and other video conference apps). Drivers are already built in so you won't have to do any configuration. Be sure to get a webcam  that can easily mount atop a TV (with a flexible mounting system). HDMI SPLITTER Most TVs and projectors have between two to four HDMI inputs. But if you have multiple video sources, this can become a problem. You can pick up a basic three-way splitter (without a power source or remote) for very cheap. All it does is switch between the three sources with one button and a single LED indicates which source is active. Since HDMI is a digital signal, it doesn't affect the signal quality. UNIVERSAL REMOTE Why add a media player remote to a bunch of existing remotes (for TV, projector, set top box, AV receiver, Blu-Ray player)? Get a Logitech Harmony remote and it'll work with almost any equipment. If your Android phone has an infrared emitter, you can control all equipment in the same way. Typically, the supplied remote app is not good enough for multiple devices. We recommend the apps from Moletag. They have a separate version for Samsung Galaxy phones and one for HTC phones (which also works with Xiaomi Mi 4). WIFI REMOTE A WiFi remote unit goes a step ahead of the simple universal remote. It also has infrared emitters arranged in a circular design but is designed to be placed in the centre of a room (or mounted on a wall) so that it can  send a signal to all your equipment in the room. It connects to your home WiFi network and you need the free app for Android or iOS. The app will  help you configure all equipment and because it uses WiFi, you g don't  even need to be in the t same room. Another advantage is remote y macros:  you can t assign multiple functions to a single button press. For instance, a single button press can send a power on signal to your TV, media player  box and AV receiver. 5 Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Box Make sure that your WiFi router is close to the media player streamer for maximum signal strength. If possible, connect it to the router via Ethernet for maximum bandwidth and minimal buffering. Try and use an app on your phonetablet to control the playback and other aspects. For instance, you can get the free Remote app on iOS to control the Apple TV -it even allows for text entry using your iOS device. To stream multimedia files (stored on a PC on the same network) using DLNA, you can use the free PS3 Media Server. It also takes care of transcoding video to a suitable format on the fly. While originally designed  for gaming consoles, it works fine here too. Streaming dongles like the Chromecast and TeeWe need to be powered up  using a microUSB port ­ and their power requirement is quite minimal. If your TV doesn't have an available USB port to power it, you can power  it with any battery pack. If your Android box is capable of running Kodi (previously XBMC), there's nothing better to sort and store your media collection. It's hugely customisable (if you have the patience), it plays any file time and automatically pulls information about your files from the internet. ET2DEC15