Can anyone recommend Linux Tv box

[RecentlyConverted]

Hi,

Posting here as there is no “Alternative to Apple TV” section.

I am looking for a HQ Linux box (won’t touch Android) to stream my movies from my TC and other drives connected to it. I am looking for the best picture quality and would like Airplay facility but that’s not essential as I already have ATV3 and ATV4. Streaming with Apple TV is not giving me a good enough picture especially when camera pans, the image is jerky.

 

[archer75]

A jerky image has to do with your refresh settings. A good TV and the proper settings can overcome this. What's your issue with android? It's linux is it not? The best streaming box you can get is the Nvidia Shield.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

I have used android boxes in the past and been totally underwhelmed.

There appears to be a problem with video quality on the latest TVOS. It’s not TV related as I have tried two TVs and changed all settings.

My partner doesn’t really notice the problem, but being the son of a TV designer, I have been used to being critical about picture quality. I also own one of the best DVD players ever produced, which produces a fantastic picture (with the ATV being less than 1/30th of the cost it’s probably not a fair comparison).

I want to squeeze the best performance out of my DVDs as I have no intention of rebuying them as Blu-ray ( having rebought from VHS already (at their early high price)).

 

[ChrisA]

Hi,

Posting here as there is no “Alternative to Apple TV” section.

I am looking for a HQ Linux box (won’t touch Android) to stream my movies from my TC and other drives connected to it. I am looking for the best picture quality and would like Airplay facility but that’s not essential as I already have ATV3 and ATV4. Streaming with Apple TV is not giving me a good enough picture especially when camera pans, the image is jerky.

This is the best software system over all, Linux or not https://www.mythtv.org

But you will need hardware to connect to the TV and to store your data. With Myth is hardware can be distributed. You can have multiple TVs and multiple recorders and many people are using NAS to store data and a second NAS for backup. The system can be very complex or it can all run o a single Raspberry Pi3.

If you are after the best picture quality especial when playing back 4K you will want at least the entry level Nvidia GPU card and a reasonably fast connection to storage.

As for getting the best quality from a DVD. The DVD is digital. As long as you can read it without any bit errors you can't do any better than that. Just be sure to NEVER compress it and just pay for the storage.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Hmmmm DVD and best picture - not too sure both go hand in hand for a 1990s format there.

The new Apple TV 4K has got to be the best streamer out there for sure. Now that it has auto frame rate switching, jerky panning should be a thing of the past! I have both the ATV4 and as of yesterday, the ATV 4K and there's no comparison frame rate switching wise. It's a whole new ball game. This baby rocks and so it should, they've had years to master it.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Are you sure there is that much difference between the last two ATVs?

If so I may try the ATV4K, get it direct to try and then back it if it doesn’t perform.

Don’t write off DVD totally, if you experienced it on a totally exceptional A/V system, with progressive scan and THX, it can still be rather good.

I just want flexibility to play in all rooms and my other half doesn’t like touching my expensive setup.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Are you sure there is that much difference between the last two ATVs?

If so I may try the ATV4K, get it direct to try and then back it if it doesn’t perform.

Don’t write off DVD totally, if you experienced it on a totally exceptional A/V system, with progressive scan and THX, it can still be rather good.

I just want flexibility to play in all rooms and my other half doesn’t like touching my expensive setup.

Definitely try the ATV 4K. The fact that it has settings from 24p right up to 60 is incredible and now that it has the auto switching it's super. Why oh Why the ATV never had this from day one, I don't know. Surely Steve Jobs who was a perfectionist would of cried if he'd seen how juddery panning was on his ATV. I just cannot believe that Apple thought that it was passable to play 24p at 30. I picked up on it, second one, minute one, day one. It was horrible, something i'd never seen coming from DVD or even video tape analogue days
I thought that iTunes films were poor quality NTSC transfers playing on my PAL TV at the time. It took me years to understand that it was frame rate.

i think that you'll really like ATV. At the same time, if you've got DVDs and a lovely DVD player, still keep that wired to your TV and view from disc too. (I agree a player with great upscaling on DVDs can make them look incredible!).

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Definitely try the ATV 4K. The fact that it has settings from 24p right up to 60 is incredible and now that it has the auto switching it's super. Why oh Why the ATV never had this from day one, I don't know. Surely Steve Jobs who was a perfectionist would of cried if he'd seen how juddery panning was on his ATV. I just cannot believe that Apple thought that it was passable to play 24p at 30. I picked up on it, second one, minute one, day one. It was horrible, something i'd never seen coming from DVD or even video tape analogue days
I thought that iTunes films were poor quality NTSC transfers playing on my PAL TV at the time. It took me years to understand that it was frame rate.

i think that you'll really like ATV. At the same time, if you've got DVDs and a lovely DVD player, still keep that wired to your TV and view from disc too. (I agree a player with great upscaling on DVDs can make them look incredible!).

Thanks. What player do you use? I use FileBrowser or Infuse.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Thanks. What player do you use? I use FileBrowser or Infuse.

Yes, i've heard a lot of love for Infuse. I don't use any myself as I keep everything on my MacBook and use Apple Homesharing if i'm watching a downloaded film as apposed to say an iTunes film which comes directly from Apple's iCloud server for example the new iTunes 4K HDR films
[doublepost=1509926152][/doublepost]PS You don't realise how reliable and easy it is using iTunes to buy downloads. Today i've bought a film from Reelhouse. The damn subtitles ere on a separate .srf file so i've had to use Subler to blend them in with the MP4 file. There's a problem somewhere in the conversation. We've all sat down this evening to watch the surf film via Apple Home Sharing and the damn film has buffered and frozen every 10 seconds.

It's truly ruined the film and the experience for us. We had to stop the film and delete it. really made us miss our video VHS days before the days of buffering!

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Yes, i've heard a lot of love for Infuse. I don't use any myself as I keep everything on my MacBook and use Apple Homesharing if i'm watching a downloaded film as apposed to say an iTunes film which comes directly from Apple's iCloud server for example the new iTunes 4K HDR films

I just read a source that quoted the auto switching only works in iTunes and apps that adopt the latest APIs, so I will hold off to see if my favored apps support this.

I am unsure why Apple didn’t provide autoswitching to ATV4, it is still a current model. Bit naughty not adding this feature I think.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

I just read a source that quoted the auto switching only works in iTunes and apps that adopt the latest APIs, so I will hold off to see if my favored apps support this.

I am unsure why Apple didn’t provide autoswitching to ATV4, it is still a current model. Bit naughty adding this feature I think.

I believe that Infuse is working on an update for the auto switching.

Yes, leaving ATV4 in the range is adding to confusion especially at its price. Sure, drop it to £59 like the ATV3, but to sell it so close RRP to the ATV 4K with the essential features is both crazy and greedy and delivering the wrong Apple experience. (Bit like selling the MacBook Air without Retina and its last decade design to Apple users who have used Retina since the 2010 iPhone 4).

 

[davidoloan]

I want to squeeze the best performance out of my DVDs as I have no intention of rebuying them as Blu-ray ( having rebought from VHS already (at their early high price)).

I can respect this attitude for one or two generations, but not for a lifetime. VHS was the 1980's. DVD was the late 90's. Surely your new purchases are not on DVD?

You know Apple will upgrade 720p/1080p purchases to 4k without further payment? That may not happen again, but its very good deal this time.

I'm happy to buy remastered / restored films I've purchased before e.g. Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather looks much better now, and if you re-buy it, its only a small difference between DVD and Blu-Ray / download.

And anyway who wants to rebuild the exact same collection you had three decades ago. Apart from your favourites don't you find your tastes have changed as you grow older. When I look at my DVD's, some of the titles make me think "I bought that, really?"

 

[Kurfer]

Not sure you're going to find a better streamer/video player than the new apple tv; i'd say it's flawless and very cheap!

Or do you really just want a "linux box" so you can put one of those penguin stickers on the back window of your subaru? Linux needs to just go away, it's not 1998 anymore.

 

[cynics]

Would you mind being a little more specific? Which distro of Linux? HDMI direct to TV/Receiver? etc etc

I've never been able to maximize quality with an HTPC Linux box (ubuntu based distros). Not because its impossible but because there is a lot of tinkering you need to do with Linux to maximize video and audio quality that requires a very firm understanding of the distro. Even things like editing conf just to set tearfree to on....