4k media player under 10k needed.

If you have act fibernet checkout act stream tv 4k. But it doesn't support HDR.

If not then go with Firestick 4k. Nvidia shield is another alternative but will probably be more than 10k.
 
I got himedia q5 pro 2 or 3 years back..(imported from UK) , cost around 11K , but newer models have come . You can see FUTEKO website for that ..Also there are rebranded versions of it on amazon.
 
There are only 2 media players worth buying today
Fire stick 4K
OR ATV4K if budget permits.

There is a 3rd option if you are only interested in local playback - Any Amlogic s905 based media player off amazon flashed to run coreelec
 
Ok, then these won’t do
Although any specific reason to use USB?
Don’t mean it in an offensive way but direct playback from a drive when at home is a rather dated mechanism unless there is some very specific constraint


Why though? almost all such devices can’t even do prime/Netflix in 4K
4K should not be an issue with Mi 4K be it prime or netflix. Do note though - Prime has to be side loaded
 
4K should not be an issue with Mi 4K be it prime or netflix. Do note though - Prime has to be side loaded
It’s not the device that can’t.
Streaming providers like NF will default to a low resolution on the server side if it sees an uncertified device.

The whole restriction situation is so bad that there are only a very few standalone devices that will manage to play both NF and prime optimally.
Add local playback requirements and it gets worse.. AFAIK, only the ATV 4K (and possibly the shield but can’t say for sure) can do UHD+HDR+ATMOS for all 3
 
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According to https://androidpctv.com/review-xiaomi-mi-box-s/ - mibox is able to run netflix @ 4k+HDR+5.1 . No idea about ATMOS though..

Overall though I am very happy with my mi box 3. Performance has given me 0 issues. No stuttering. wifi works reliably. Device doesn't get hot. looks great. Voice remote also wasn't prevalent when I got it way back

The list of NF certified devices is rather small and the Mi Box is not on it. ( https://help.netflix.com/en/node/42384 )
Sideloaded Apps often have other issues e.g. I am almost certain that the box output won't switch to the video native framerate when playback starts thus causing pulldown issues - When you watch a mismatched frame rate video, Over time your eyes get used to it but when you are used to watching a matched frame-rate, the former will look choppy/jerky especially in fast scenes

I guess my point is that it may have been a good buy back then despite limitations but today , you have proper certified devices available at a lower cost making a Mi Box purchase today kind of pointless
 
Ok, then these won’t do
Although any specific reason to use USB?
Don’t mean it in an offensive way but direct playback from a drive when at home is a rather dated mechanism unless there is some very specific constraint


Why though? almost all such devices can’t even do prime/Netflix in 4K

IMO , streaming service are atleast 5 years behind in attaining what a good rip from local HDD (torrennnnnnndddd *cough*) can achieve. Also streaming service consume to stream that much takes loads of bandwidth , if at all there is a need to rewatch for other family members , then its pure waste of bandwidth.

playing ripped content from usb/ext hdd is still supreme IMO and also there is always this netwrok issues.. headache.
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also 3D contents... i dont think streaming services can handle well , imo this is where android box (specific) can excel.
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IMO , streaming service are atleast 5 years behind in attaining what a good rip from local HDD (torrennnnnnndddd *cough*) can achieve. Also streaming service consume to stream that much takes loads of bandwidth , if at all there is a need to rewatch for other family members , then its pure waste of bandwidth.

playing ripped content from usb/ext hdd is still supreme IMO and also there is always this netwrok issues.. headache.
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also 3D contents... i dont think streaming services can handle well , imo this is where android box (specific) can excel.
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A little subjective but I find the PQ on NF and AP to be superior to even the best rips I have tried
But yes, the Internet connections needs to be fast enough for that - I am lucky to have a 200mbps unlimited line so possibly that helps

However , if you want to use local files, I would strongly recommend to try out network playback , It's been more than a decade since I used a HDD via USB and I can't imagine going back to that
Even the most basic routers have switches that can handle the highest bitrates on a wired connection.
Most mid-range routers can comfortably handle that on wireless as well

Netflix is not sideloaded on mi box. Its available in the store
Also apparently HDR requirements can be very specific :
mi box costs 70$ , Rs. 5000

Edit: mi box S (english version of mi box 4) is 65$ with shipping on aliexpress https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32979925096.html?
I have messed around with practically all media players for their ability to play back the best available sound and video (at least currently)
UHD , HDR10 /DV and DTS Tru-HD/Atmos + the ability to switch framerate to match content
(keep in mind bad /mismatched HDR is a lot worse than vanilla SDR)

While most players have the hardware necessary to do so, software constraints prevent the majority from being able to all of the above for the key content we use i.e. Netflix, Prime and stored rips

I can say with a fair degree of conviction that Apple TV 4K is the only one that ticks all the boxes for all content (although it is expensive)
The Fire TV 4K comes very close but has issues with ATMOS on Netflix - but remains the #1 choice for anyone on a budget given it's possibly the cheapest 4K player (4K-5K depending on current deal)
The shield (which I haven't tried ) also can supposed handle it all

I am not saying that the Mi Box is bad but given a device that's cheaper or at worst costs the same can do all it does and more , why should a new buyer not choose the Firestick?
 
OT @superczar what is your ISP and plan cost? which area of Pune are you located? (Pune right?)
It's actually a dual connection aggregate.

A local ISP plan (Joister BB) 100mbps and a BSNL 100mbps plan that are bandwidth aggregated and handle failovers.
Reason I needed two is because I often tend to WFH and so need something that's 100% reliable and both ISPs tend to go down at random times (although concurrent down time is very rare thankfully)
 
I am not saying that the Mi Box is bad but given a device that's cheaper or at worst costs the same can do all it does and more , why should a new buyer not choose the Firestick?
Kind of agree. A 4k-5k firestick is pretty much equal to the mi box. mi box still has a USB port, which the OP requires, also chromecast. Not sure how good FireStick's screen mirroring is. Firestick advantage - painless netflix AND prime video. also mi box has better youtube support I think.and many people don't/can't take advantage of things like atmos. Could be wrong here
 
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It's actually a dual connection aggregate.

A local ISP plan (Joister BB) 100mbps and a BSNL 100mbps plan that are bandwidth aggregated and handle failovers.
Reason I needed two is because I often tend to WFH and so need something that's 100% reliable and both ISPs tend to go down at random times (although concurrent down time is very rare thankfully)

How are you handling the aggregation? I tried using a dual WAN router but it just wasn't that reliable.
 
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