Looking for a tablet that I can use to stream video to my TV

[Silmatharien]

I'm looking for a tablet (around 10") that I can use for idle internet usage around my home but it also needs to have HDMI out so I can output to my TV. I'm looking for something that will stream high quailty video (as high as 1080p), in particular anime with subtitles and can handle a wide variety of containers. HD or higher resolution on the tablet too.

Does such a device exist that can do this well? I'm thinking that for my purposes I might need to go with an Android-based device to get the customisability that I want.

 

[slackerinabox]

I'm looking for a tablet (around 10") that I can use for idle internet usage around my home but it also needs to have HDMI out so I can output to my TV. I'm looking for something that will stream high quailty video (as high as 1080p), in particular anime with subtitles and can handle a wide variety of containers.

Does such a device exist that can do this well? I'm thinking that for my purposes I might need to go with an Android-based device to get the customisability that I want.

iPad + apple tv (Airplay)

 

[cronos]

Most recent Android devices have MHL capability where you can easily connect them to an HDMI display with an MHL adapter cable. What kind of budget are you thinking about? Because the TV acts as an external display, the subtitles (and how wide variety of containers) are handled depends on whatever app you're playing the media with, and not exactly related to the device itself.

Having said that, do you need for it to be Android? The Winbook TW series of devices come with Windows 8.1 (and easily upgradable to Windows 10) are excellent devices and they all come with HDMI output. The TW100 has a 10" display and it's only $180. You can only find these at Microcenter though. Sometimes they will ship, sometimes not.

 

[sgrinavi]

You can display your android screen on any tv/monitor that has Roku 3. Not sure what version of Android though.

 

[Silmatharien]

Most recent Android devices have MHL capability where you can easily connect them to an HDMI display with an MHL adapter cable. What kind of budget are you thinking about? Because the TV acts as an external display, the subtitles (and how wide variety of containers) are handled depends on whatever app you're playing the media with, and not exactly related to the device itself.

Having said that, do you need for it to be Android? The Winbook TW series of devices come with Windows 8.1 (and easily upgradable to Windows 10) are excellent devices and they all come with HDMI output. The TW100 has a 10" display and it's only $180. You can only find these at Microcenter though. Sometimes they will ship, sometimes not.

I'm definitely not committed to Android. I only suggested that because I figured there'd be a good variety of apps that would probably do what I need (as compared to Apple which feels like it would be somewhat limited).

I'd like to be able to contain this all in one device and not have other peripherals for my TV like a Roku, Chromebox, etc.

I don't really have a budget in mind except perhaps <$500. I just want something that will do this job well.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Honestly OP what you want isn't on the market yet. I mean just something that can stream 1080p video via HDMI out has been on the market for years, heck my 2012 Transformer Prime could do that all day.

The problem is the word "anime." That (and you asking for container compatibility) tells me that you plan to play anime files you get from the internet, which quite frankly screws everything up.

The problem is that the anime scene is INCREDIBLY aggressive with codecs (which matters way more than the containers FYI). They went to 10Bit x264 first, and now I am seeing HEVC encodes out on the net. The problem with that is that most mobile devices currently only have hardware decoders for plain jane x264, so everything else must be done on a CPU.

My iPad Air 2, which is easily one of the most powerful tablets on the planet CPU-wise, can play any every 720p 10Bit x264 file I have on its CPU. But it chokes on 1080p x264 10bit files, and doesn't have a chance with 1080p HEVC files in most cases.

If your intention is playing downloaded anime from any source on a TV without fail the answer isn't a tablet. The answer is a Intel NUC with a i3 processor or better, especially if HEVC 1080p becomes the next standard.

Hate to be the one to deliver the bad news. I expect within a year we will see tablets with good HEVC decoders and enough CPU power to get through difficult x264 encodes even at 1080p.

 

[Silmatharien]

Thanks for being frank about this. I figured I probably didn't word that correctly and I know that the codecs being used do change a lot. I thought my original idea might be too much to ask for. Anime aside, if I'm looking at using more traditional codecs, it seems like my goal is readily attainable.

Honestly OP what you want isn't on the market yet. I mean just something that can stream 1080p video via HDMI out has been on the market for years, heck my 2012 Transformer Prime could do that all day.

The problem is the word "anime." That (and you asking for container compatibility) tells me that you plan to play anime files you get from the internet, which quite frankly screws everything up.

The problem is that the anime scene is INCREDIBLY aggressive with codecs (which matters way more than the containers FYI). They went to 10Bit x264 first, and now I am seeing HEVC encodes out on the net. The problem with that is that most mobile devices currently only have hardware decoders for plain jane x264, so everything else must be done on a CPU.

My iPad Air 2, which is easily one of the most powerful tablets on the planet CPU-wise, can play any every 720p 10Bit x264 file I have on its CPU. But it chokes on 1080p x264 10bit files, and doesn't have a chance with 1080p HEVC files in most cases.

If your intention is playing downloaded anime from any source on a TV without fail the answer isn't a tablet. The answer is a Intel NUC with a i3 processor or better, especially if HEVC 1080p becomes the next standard.

Hate to be the one to deliver the bad news. I expect within a year we will see tablets with good HEVC decoders and enough CPU power to get through difficult x264 encodes even at 1080p.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Thanks for being frank about this. I figured I probably didn't word that correctly and I know that the codecs being used do change a lot. I thought my original idea might be too much to ask for. Anime aside, if I'm looking at using more traditional codecs, it seems like my goal is readily attainable.

Sure, for more traditional x264 files many tablets made since my Prime can do the job. Any old Galaxy tab you can get a deal on will work.

 

[Silmatharien]

Sure, for more traditional x264 files many tablets made since my Prime can do the job. Any old Galaxy tab you can get a deal on will work.

Is this issue with hardware decoders a problem with something like the Chromebox as well?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Is this issue with hardware decoders a problem with something like the Chromebox as well?

The current Chromeboxes based on Haswell lack HEVC decoders and the celeron model is a little too weak to play the 4K HEVC files I have. Skylake NUCs will be the first to have that built in.

My celeron Chromeboxes do play every 1080p file I have properly though (on the CPU if not in hardware) so I think it is a slam dunk for a 1080p setup.

 

[holden j caufield]

I've tried Mirrorlink, MiraCast on the android and it doesn't seem to work from my Note 4 to my samsung 55" smart tv.

 

[Silmatharien]

The current Chromeboxes based on Haswell lack HEVC decoders and the celeron model is a little too weak to play the 4K HEVC files I have. Skylake NUCs will be the first to have that built in.

My celeron Chromeboxes do play every 1080p file I have properly though (on the CPU if not in hardware) so I think it is a slam dunk for a 1080p setup.

What app are you using to play your videos on your iPad? I’ve never owned an Apple product, and have been hesitant to, but the iPad Air 2 does look absolutely awesome compared to the competition.

 

[poofyhairguy]

What app are you using to play your videos on your iPad?

Kodi after I jailbreak it.