Android Tablet with HDMI for IPTV and Streaming Radio?

[Bribie G]

I've posted this on DTV forum as well, but as a huge chunk of guys on this forum are into IT and hardware (may your Arduinos never short circuit) I posted here as well:


Problem: I'm in a rental that only has one tv connection in the lounge room. I've set up another room at the far end of the house as a TV room with the 42" but so far only use it for Blu-ray and DVD playing. TV signal is hopeless using a rabbits ears and I'm not in a position to run a split-off cable through the roof space and dig a hole in the wall for an outlet.

Additionally I don't have a radio except in the car and wouldn't mind buying one (not in a digital area but full range of FM stations that I enjoy such as ABC Classic FM).

I note that Android tablet prices have really gone down, especially with Xmas and I wonder:

With a good strong WiFi signal in the house and 200Gb to play with, would any competent tablet with an HDMI connection be useful for watching IPTV and also streaming radio to either of my tvs (which both have sound bars as well) ? A good portable plug in system would be ideal but I wonder if tablets would handle this as effectively as a Windows laptop?

I've tried the Mrs. laptop and it works well, but she won't let me hijack it for regular TV watching :unsure:

Buddy set up a raspberry pi for me but I don't know geek and can't be bothered with the learning curve and fifteen menus I need to navigate to watch some crap from China dubbed into Serbo Croat. No problems with Android, I've had a Galaxy Note for a couple of years but no HDMI on that model.

 

[bum]

Asus and Acer make some tablets with mini HDMI outputs. Not sure I'd actually recommend them though. You can get iPad to hdmi adaptors too.

If the Pi and other hardware is actually set up it really would be worth your while trying to figure it out instead. Once the initial set-up is done it'll just be point and click to get stuff running how you want it and you'll be able to have much larger storage for movies, ect if you wish.

 

[Bribie G]

Nobody has come up with a reply on DTV forum yet, but when I logged on there, the banner ad was OO.com.au who suggested a DXtreme Android Smart TV player that also streams radio.

Well fark me dead, ain't this InterWeb thing a wonderful new world. What next, pictures of naked gels?

I'll do some checking around and consider ordering one of these, plus an air mouse. OO is a pretty good site, I've ordered a few things and sometimes they turn up next day.

Thanks for the encouragement, bum, Dr. John is calling in over Xmas, I might get him to kick some Pi knowledge into my skull in return for a few pints.

 

[browndog]

Michael, would one of these do the trick ?

 

[punkin]

I bought one of these the other day...

http://www.mctiviausa.com/ProductInfo.html

It was on the specials table at Harveys for $15, despite the $299 price tag on it. I haven't got it setup and running as of yet, but it looks like it will run anything you want off your PC through wifi as far as i can see.

 

[Bribie G]

Oh dear does that mean I will have to deal with Harvey Norman import Malay workers for four bucks an hour and punish Internet buyers (as well as being Gina Rindpork's friend) or Kogan ,,,,, :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

However that sounds like more of what I need, will look a those products if I can find them from a Non third reich supplier. :super:

 

[Bribie G]

Browndog I will never forgive you for this:

I have bought from Kogan :blush: (the air mouse swung the deal)

That's like someone admitting that:

I have bought diet tea from Peter Foster
I have allowed Irish migrants to bitumen my driveway
I have bought a slab of Arvo
I HAVE BOUGHT CHINESE HOPS

Well let's see what turns up - You are first on the list to come and kill me

B)

 

[browndog]

Browndog I will never forgive you for this:

I have bought from Kogan :blush: (the air mouse swung the deal)

That's like someone admitting that:

I have bought diet tea from Peter Foster
I have allowed Irish migrants to bitumen my driveway
I have bought a slab of Arvo
I HAVE BOUGHT CHINESE HOPS

Well let's see what turns up - You are first on the list to come and kill me

B)

I've bought heaps of stuff from Kogan Bribie. I have to say I'm pretty happy with them.

 

[Bribie G]

Yes he seems to have come good, I was on the DTV forum at the time he started up and boy did he get a caning, a lot of his early stuff was crap, but over the years he has clearly built a sound business and now has some of my dollars.

Thanks for the Heads up Tony, I've also posted on DTV that if it's a good solution I'll post in their "product reviews" section.

 

[browndog]

Bribie, how is your kogan purchase going mate?

 

[Bribie G]

Just unpacked it the other day but haven't set it up yet. The so called "air mouse" is just a crappy remote, as opposed the the genuine "air mouse" tm that I assumed was going to look like this:




But not the case unfortunately. So looks like Kogan is still on his old form, nothing illegal or fraudulent, just bending descriptions a bit like his "unlimited Gb" on his recent short lived foray into Mobile service. Anyway see how it goes, if the remote is truly unusable for searching for content, I can get a keyboard style air mouse from OO.com for about $30.

 

[djar007]

Have you had a try of the roku or logitech revue Bribie. They are good for streaming. Limited but they serve a purpose.

 

[Bribie G]

Installed the Kogan today - comes up to a nice Android start screen but the bloody remote is a piece of crap. I tried something: plugged my PC Microsoft wireless mini dongle into the kogan dongle (it has a couple of spare USB ports) and it works absolutely perfectly with keyboard and mouse. Excellent, will get a new set from Big W this afternoon.

Re my OP, what I didn't realise is that whilst I was looking for a tablet, the Kogan dongle actually turns my TV into a "tablet" with PC characteristics with mouse and keyboard. :beerbang:

Just finished watching The Outlaw Josey Wales widescreen HD, brilliant stuff. Don't ever mess with Clint.

It occurs to me that with one of these, a 26inch LED tv that probably comes with a DVD player as well, an SD card for additional storage and the keyboard mouse set you've got most of the funcionality of a desktop PC (quad core to boot) for less than $300 for day to day surfing and stuff at home as well as TV. I'd guess there are android office apps that will print to a wifi printer??