Are there any 'affordable' multi-channel network music players with an HDMI output

[steelydave]

Nvidia Shield is highly recommended in the Plex community for its TrueHD and DTS-HD:MA compatibility. 2019 and newer models have full Atmos support, 2017 and earlier have Atmos passthrough. A Shield running Kodi will support FLAC and DSD files (native SACD rips). And be controlled from a smartphone app.

The Shield Pro has had a great life, but in 2025 I'd be hesitant to buy an Android device from 2019 - would you buy a new phone or tablet that was 6 years old? This is what had me on the fence for nearly two years, and I'm glad I waited because you can now get the UGoos AM6B+ which does more than the Shield (full Dolby Vision FEL support) for $70 less.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I'm able to tag MKAs, it might depend on whether your software player reads those tags. I think anything using FFMPEG can read those tags. Foobar and VLC/MPC seem to.

As i said from the start of that post
"Just keep in mind that any media player that uses Kodi"

My understanding is, this may well be changing soon.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Just keep in mind that any media player that uses Kodi will rely on the files to be properly tagged. Right now, you cant directly tag MKA/MKV, although this may be changing in the future. The workaround now is to use MKA plus a CUE file that names and indexes the tracks. This allows proper playback with a displayed tracklist and will also play gapless. Without a CUE file, kodi wont even see the MKA files on the network.

This is perfect for me as I already create .cue sheet files for all my music encodes along with separate album cover image for use with my OPPO. Any re-tagging is carried out using MP3tag.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

I do like the idea of having a device with two HDMI outputs. So you could use one to connect to an AVR and the other to connect to a TV (just like many 4K UHD players). Which is perfect for those times when you don't want to switch on an AVR every time you watch a movie.

 

[mandrix]

I was looking to buy a device as well recently. I just wanted something UHD capable that could browse my LAN for .iso files then bitstream to the AVR.
I'm just going to stick with Windows and software for now. Reading all that stuff here and on AVSForum gives me a headache...and I don't care to rip beyond .iso....I'd have to add a bunch of storage.

 

[barfle]

I’m not sure about Atmos, because I don’t have any Atmos files on my NAS, but my Marantz 7706, my Roku ultra, and my Oppo 105 all play 5.1 files from my NAS.

I believe my Roku plays Atmos from some streaming sources. It was under $100 and has (only) an HDMI output.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

I’m not sure about Atmos, because I don’t have any Atmos files on my NAS, but my Marantz 7706, my Roku ultra, and my Oppo 105 all play 5.1 files from my NAS.

I believe my Roku plays Atmos from some streaming sources. It was under $100 and has (only) an HDMI output.

Eh what... Your Marantz AV7706 can play 5.1 Flac files from your NAS. What other multi-channel file types have you tried?

 

[barfle]

Eh what... Your Marantz AV7706 can play 5.1 Flac files from your NAS. What other multi-channel file types have you tried?

I’ve pretty much settled on FLAC as my preferred file format. In the past, I ripped CDs to MP3, ALAC, or WMA, but FLAC seems to be what makes sense, at least to 5.1 or less.

DSD I can only play through Usb ports on my Oppo.

The Marantz is Atmos capable, but as I don’t have any Atmos files, I can’t say that it can stream Atmos audio (it doesn’t stream video).

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Can your Marantz AV7706 see audio files stored within the .mka container?

 

[jimfisheye]

FYI, the thunderbolt port can be adapted to HDMI. TB to HDMI cables are standard things. When an HDMI port might be disabled for audio and only meant for video, the thunderbolt port should just work.

 

[DrKlahn]

My Shield (2019) and VLC continues to play everything I throw at it. And Tidal Atmos works fine on it too.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

When an HDMI port might be disabled for audio and only meant for video,

Ive heard you mention this dozens of times. I havent heard of it actually happening since the early 2000's. And even then it was with cheap, low quality laptops. Do you, or anyone else reading along, know of any specific instance of this happening with any gear made in the last 20 years or so? Can you give brand examples? If its really still a thing, there should be a thread on here that calls out specific models to avoid.

 

[jimfisheye]

Someone probably does have such a thread around here.

I mention this stuff more from a scavenger perspective. Are you having trouble with an HDMI output? There are certainly posts like that! Do you have that weird thunderbolt port right next to it that you weren't sure what it was for? Well, try it and maybe it just solves the problem today.

Or maybe an older or no longer used lighter weight machine you already have makes a good fit for a media server.

But don't let me stop you from buying a new toy!

 

[HomerJAU]

I do like the idea of having a device with two HDMI outputs. So you could use one to connect to an AVR and the other to connect to a TV (just like many 4K UHD players). Which is perfect for those times when you don't want to switch on an AVR every time you watch a movie.

Modern AVRs can pass-through HDMI when in standby. No need for 2 x HDMI outs on a media player.

 

[HomerJAU]

Thanks, it looks most interesting...
View attachment 112630

I bought one of three to play ages ago, it worked well but it’s old. You are better off using a UGoos AM6B+ which is fully assembled and can do Dolby Vision with Kodi.

There’s a bunch of AMLogic based media player that can run Linux. The CoreElec open source, Kodi based project, runs Linux so the device just ‘turns on’ to the media player UI. It’s not like running a PC.

 

[somethingcleveridunno]

The Shield Pro has had a great life, but in 2025 I'd be hesitant to buy an Android device from 2019 - would you buy a new phone or tablet that was 6 years old? This is what had me on the fence for nearly two years, and I'm glad I waited because you can now get the UGoos AM6B+ which does more than the Shield (full Dolby Vision FEL support) for $70 less.

Well, today I learned!