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Is there something that will connect to an external harddrive?

  • 02-06-2021 4:41pm
    #1
    p to the e
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,332 ✭✭✭


    Have a non smart TV and was looking to get Youtube mainly for kids. Potentially some steaming service at some point. My current method is usually to download a movie via torrents and throw it onto my external harddrive so I have a lot of stuff on there. Is there something that will connect to it? I was looking at the NVidia Shield but it seems overkill for a non gamer. Are there alternatives?

    Also regarding Youtube do you need to sign in to Google account to view? I was also reading up on a pi-hole to block ads/tracking. Anyone have experience with this or other methods?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    Spocker
    Moderators Posts: 6,875 ✭✭✭Spocker


    Any of the android boxes on Adverts with a USB connection will do what you want, based on two assumptions: your TV has a HDMI input, and your external hard drive is formatted as EXT, FAT or NTFS


  • #3
    p to the e
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,332 ✭✭✭p to the e


    Thanks for that


  • #4
    p to the e
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,332 ✭✭✭p to the e


    One question. I see various boxes with different Android versions. Most have 9, some have 10 and I've seen a few with 7 and 8. Is there a big difference/benefits/drawbacks in the OS?


  • #5
    andy1249
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,384 ✭✭✭andy1249


    The Shield is the Best of these boxes.

    There are many many chinese black boxes that are cheaper and do the same , but they all fall down at some point shortly after you buy them.

    The shield is the Android box from a big multi-national , is very well supported and always has an update to the latest version of android.
    The Tube version is the non gamer version.
    Its more expensive , but from my own experience , you end up paying a lot for multiple chinese black boxes , and in the end you get the Shield and realise it would have been cheaper to buy that in the first place.

    Here it is on Amazon.de germany ( select english from the drop down menu at the top ) , it avoids all the brexit complications with duty et al.

    https://www.amazon.de/nVidia-945-13430-2505-000-NVIDIA-Shield%C2%AE-TV/dp/B07Z7Y8QRT/ref=sr_1_2?currency=EUR&dchild=1&ie=UTF8&keywords=nvidia%20shield%20tv&language=en_GB&qid=1622729029&sr=8-2


  • #6
    p to the e
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,332 ✭✭✭p to the e


    I like the idea of the shield of buying from a reputable company. Might see about a used one online. Does it matter that the shield runs on an older Android version? From researching online the Formuler android box seems reliant and powerful. Thoughts?


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  • #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 2,725 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    The Shield is expensive, but is worth every penny. It’s up there as my favourite piece of tech ever. Everything just works.


  • #8
    andy1249
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,384 ✭✭✭andy1249


    p to the e wrote: »
    I like the idea of the shield of buying from a reputable company. Might see about a used one online. Does it matter that the shield runs on an older Android version? From researching online the Formuler android box seems reliant and powerful. Thoughts?

    The Formuler , along with Minix and two others , were the four cheap and nasty android boxes I got before I got sense and got the shield. All of them died/failed/ with some fault within a year. Either the hardware fails or some of the major apps stop working because they are out of date and there is no update support other than buying a newer model.

    With these , it really is a case of "Buy Cheap, Buy Twice" or many times as it turned out for me.
    The Shield is the best by miles , it works and is solid as a rock. There are many trying to imitate it on a budget , but none even come close.

    The shield runs the latest version of android. Android is the OS Software , it gets updated regularly along with the apps on properly supported boxes like the shield.


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