Wanted: 32 inch TV for Plex and DVBLink

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Satch

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#204340 28-Sep-2016 10:51

Hi all,

Was hoping to get some advice and recommendations please.

I want to get a TV that I can use to run Plex (to watch items in my media library hosted on a NAS) as well as DVBLink to watch Live TV from a server installed on my HTPC. My main requirements are as follows:

Screen size: 32 inches (preferrably 1080p but 720p will do if I have to compromise)
Wifi built in
Ability to run Plex
Ability to run DVBLink
I don't want to have to plug in extra boxes etc to get Plex and DVBLink functionality but some sort of small HDMI stick/computer would be acceptable.
Price - ideally less than $500

Can people please provide some suggestions as to what would fit my brief above. If I have excluded any important info then please let me know. Ideally an Android capable TV would fit the brief perfectly but I haven't been able to find one with a screen size of 32 inches.

Cheers.

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#1641610 28-Sep-2016 11:00

You generally dont find that stuff built in on the small screens, there have been some panasonic propriatory OS ones in the past, not sure if they even made any with firefox in 32" or not. People buying small are cost concious, which is also why they are always lacking things like 240Hz motion and similar.

Richard rich.ms

Satch

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#1641611 28-Sep-2016 11:01

richms:

You generally dont find that stuff built in on the small screens, there have been some panasonic propriatory OS ones in the past, not sure if they even made any with firefox in 32" or not. People buying small are cost concious, which is also why they are always lacking things like 240Hz motion and similar.

Yep exactly, which is why I am asking for some suggestions/recommendations :-)

trig42

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#1641635 28-Sep-2016 11:08

A Samsung Smart TV will do those both won't it (I know it will do Plex)?

The UA32K5500A is Smart. Retails around the $800 though, but there are a few good sales on this week - JB HiFi has Mates Rates - so cost+GST on that TV. Harvey Norman is teasing some sale, and Noels have their big sale at the Auckland Showgrounds tomorrow I think.

Give JB a call, see what they will do it for today.

Satch

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#1641636 28-Sep-2016 11:10

trig42:

A Samsung Smart TV will do those both won't it (I know it will do Plex)?

The UA32K5500A is Smart. Retails around the $800 though, but there are a few good sales on this week - JB HiFi has Mates Rates - so cost+GST on that TV. Harvey Norman is teasing some sale, and Noels have their big sale at the Auckland Showgrounds tomorrow I think.

Give JB a call, see what they will do it for today.

Awesome, thanks for the lead. I'll check to see if it is capable of running DVBLink.

Yeah I've heard all these sales being advertised. Probably a good time to buy a new TV...

reven

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#1641659 28-Sep-2016 11:14

picked up a samsung 32" smart tv (2014 model) in 2014 for $450 that can run plex, netflix, hulu, youtube. dont know about dvblink.

but smart tvs can be annoying i found (use to love them). my 2013 samsungs constantly show annoying messages, the 2014 32" can be annoying with messages since there nothing plugged into it (no aerial, no hdmi).

so personally I would get a 32" dumb tv and a amazon fire tv stick. once again not sure about dvblink. but does run plex, netflix, kodi (which would let you watch from dvblink)

Amosnz

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#1641662 28-Sep-2016 11:16

If you have DVBLink v6 then you can run DVBLink Theatre on an android TV. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dvblogic.dvblink.theatre.leanback . I don't think they make android TV's cheap enough or small enough for your requirements though.

I use DVBLink to record (on my NAS) but Kodi to play on my android TV.

Speedtest

Satch

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#1641665 28-Sep-2016 11:21

reven:

picked up a samsung 32" smart tv (2014 model) in 2014 for $450 that can run plex, netflix, hulu, youtube. dont know about dvblink.

but smart tvs can be annoying i found (use to love them). my 2013 samsungs constantly show annoying messages, the 2014 32" can be annoying with messages since there nothing plugged into it (no aerial, no hdmi).

so personally I would get a 32" dumb tv and a amazon fire tv stick. once again not sure about dvblink. but does run plex, netflix, kodi (which would let you watch from dvblink)

Cheers reven, will check this stuff out. Some great ideas.

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Satch

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#1641675 28-Sep-2016 11:22

Amosnz:

If you have DVBLink v6 then you can run DVBLink Theatre on an android TV. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dvblogic.dvblink.theatre.leanback . I don't think they make android TV's cheap enough or small enough for your requirements though.

I use DVBLink to record (on my NAS) but Kodi to play on my android TV.

Yes this would be my ideal but sadly doesn't seem to be an option even if my budget was larger. I am fixed in terms of screen size.

davidcole

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#1641754 28-Sep-2016 12:40

Wouldn't a bulk standard 32" telly in <insert your resolution here> + chromecast be cheaper (and easier to fix the smarts) than a 32" smart telly which will stop being supported in about 18 months.

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Satch

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#1641867 28-Sep-2016 14:45

davidcole:

Wouldn't a bulk standard 32" telly in <insert your resolution here> + chromecast be cheaper (and easier to fix the smarts) than a 32" smart telly which will stop being supported in about 18 months.

Ah something I didn't think of but unfortunately DVBLink doesn't support Chromecast. DVBLink is proving to be the weak link in my equation (excuse the pun). I want DVBLink functionality so I can watch live TV. Any normal person would just plug it into an aerial but there isn't one located in the location I want the TV to go...

davidcole

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#1641872 28-Sep-2016 14:52

Satch:

davidcole:

Wouldn't a bulk standard 32" telly in <insert your resolution here> + chromecast be cheaper (and easier to fix the smarts) than a 32" smart telly which will stop being supported in about 18 months.

Ah something I didn't think of but unfortunately DVBLink doesn't support Chromecast. DVBLink is proving to be the weak link in my equation (excuse the pun). I want DVBLink functionality so I can watch live TV. Any normal person would just plug it into an aerial but there isn't one located in the location I want the TV to go...

What tuner are you using? Plex has introduced live tv natively with the HD Home Run Connect devices. I use live TV through plex based on a NextPVR channel that talks to NextPVR. There may already be a DVBLink Plex channel?

Cats can be skinned in many ways.

Satch

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#1641877 28-Sep-2016 15:04

davidcole:

What tuner are you using? Plex has introduced live tv natively with the HD Home Run Connect devices. I use live TV through plex based on a NextPVR channel that talks to NextPVR. There may already be a DVBLink Plex channel?

Cats can be skinned in many ways.

I have a couple of DVB-T tuners in a HTPC that run off DVBLink.

I am interested in the Plex DVR functionality recently released but I thought I read somewhere that it doesn't handle live TV (yet). When it does it could replace my use of Windows Media Center completely.

Also my budget won't allow for the purchase of new devices like HD Home Run etc.

I'm coming to the realisation that I am asking for something that doesn't exist. I tend to do that often... :-(

davidcole

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#1641879 28-Sep-2016 15:05

Satch:

davidcole:

What tuner are you using? Plex has introduced live tv natively with the HD Home Run Connect devices. I use live TV through plex based on a NextPVR channel that talks to NextPVR. There may already be a DVBLink Plex channel?

Cats can be skinned in many ways.

I have a couple of DVB-T tuners in a HTPC that run off DVBLink.

I am interested in the Plex DVR functionality recently released but I thought I read somewhere that it doesn't handle live TV (yet). When it does it could replace my use of Windows Media Center completely.

Also my budget won't allow for the purchase of new devices like HD Home Run etc.

I'm coming to the realisation that I am asking for something that doesn't exist. I tend to do that often... :-(

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dvblinkplexclient/

Something you could try.....

stocksp

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#1642112 28-Sep-2016 21:35

davidcole:

Satch:

davidcole:

Wouldn't a bulk standard 32" telly in <insert your resolution here> + chromecast be cheaper (and easier to fix the smarts) than a 32" smart telly which will stop being supported in about 18 months.

Ah something I didn't think of but unfortunately DVBLink doesn't support Chromecast. DVBLink is proving to be the weak link in my equation (excuse the pun). I want DVBLink functionality so I can watch live TV. Any normal person would just plug it into an aerial but there isn't one located in the location I want the TV to go...

What tuner are you using? Plex has introduced live tv natively with the HD Home Run Connect devices. I use live TV through plex based on a NextPVR channel that talks to NextPVR. There may already be a DVBLink Plex channel?

Cats can be skinned in many ways.

i didnt thnk plex could do live tv, only DVR. Have I missed something?

davidcole

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#1642125 28-Sep-2016 22:04

stocksp:
davidcole:

Satch:

davidcole:

Wouldn't a bulk standard 32" telly in <insert your resolution here> + chromecast be cheaper (and easier to fix the smarts) than a 32" smart telly which will stop being supported in about 18 months.

Ah something I didn't think of but unfortunately DVBLink doesn't support Chromecast. DVBLink is proving to be the weak link in my equation (excuse the pun). I want DVBLink functionality so I can watch live TV. Any normal person would just plug it into an aerial but there isn't one located in the location I want the TV to go...

What tuner are you using? Plex has introduced live tv natively with the HD Home Run Connect devices. I use live TV through plex based on a NextPVR channel that talks to NextPVR. There may already be a DVBLink Plex channel?

Cats can be skinned in many ways.

i didnt thnk plex could do live tv, only DVR. Have I missed something?

Plex dvr can't. But it looks like there's a dvblink channel, I have a nextpvr one that does live tv. There was a mediaportal one, I think that could do live as well.

So the difference is plex dvr controls the tuners directly. Using the other channels, a request us made to another dvr to start the video stream, and plex just picks up the output. Various Dvrs will have different capabilities.

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