Madelaide618 Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Hi, I'm new, my first post here, sorry if I missed something obvious, but I wonder why Emby isn't mentioned here. I did a search, nothing on Emby or Kodi, which seems odd. My 2c, I have bought and used many commercial media centres, and had given up on those after many playback and streaming issues some time ago and moved to Kodi. But Kodi, just kept having issues, not to mention requiring a fairly powerful box to drive it at decent speeds. I came across Emby (as it was a supported app on my LG tv) and after trialling it with no success, gave up, and went back to kodi, but more Kodi crashes later, I tried again. With the right playback options set, I now run Emby Server on an SBC (Odroid C2) and it streams everything from my 40TB NAS to the LG TV, including 4K content in native format(s). The Tv plays then all, including DTS etc sound. In the movie room I have an AppleTV which also has the Emby App on it, to drive the JVC DLA1 projector and VAF 7.1 system, again, awesome. So far so good, and the WAF is high. Surely I'm not the only Emby user here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Marc Posted April 8, 2021 Administrator Share Posted April 8, 2021 I think there's a few of us that have been down the Plex vs Kodi vs Emby vs Infuse. There are certainly previous threads here about them. I think the general consensus is still leaning towards Plex overall. Personally, for the rest of house media I use a Plex Server running Infuse front end. But for my dedicated media room I have gone away from all those, opting instead for both Zappiti and Zidoo media players. They do video and audio codecs properly and don't rely on network bottlenecks. Overall, just a much better experience. Not convenient or economical for multiple TVs however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJGopal Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Yeah, Plex is where it's at for hassle free media management and streaming. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifiman Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 On 08/04/2021 at 12:20 PM, Marc said: I think there's a few of us that have been down the Plex vs Kodi vs Emby vs Infuse. There are certainly previous threads here about them. I think the general consensus is still leaning towards Plex overall. Personally, for the rest of house media I use a Plex Server running Infuse front end. But for my dedicated media room I have gone away from all those, opting instead for both Zappiti and Zidoo media players. They do video and audio codecs properly and don't rely on network bottlenecks. Overall, just a much better experience. Not convenient or economical for multiple TVs however. Hey Marc, Looks like Zidoo hardware is ahead of the Zappiti media player as it hasn't received an update as yet. Have you done any comparisons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) On 08/04/2021 at 12:20 PM, Marc said: I think there's a few of us that have been down the Plex vs Kodi vs Emby vs Infuse. I think the general consensus is still leaning towards Plex overall. Yes, I think so too. The Plex UX is over just a bit tighter depending on what you use it for. Quote Personally, for the rest of house media I use a Plex Server running Infuse front end. I've used Emby and Infuse for a time, but keep ending up back with the Plex UI. Quote They do video and audio codecs properly and don't rely on network bottlenecks. <snip> .... plays everything, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Atmos, no server required. Yes, I also use something different to Emby/Plex/Kodi for my main room too.... as I value video performance over UX... but few people would make that trade off, and I think more people would go down your path. Re: those things listed above. Emby users can get those too, if they want to. You would need to run it on Windows (to get support for all the latest formats) .... store the media locally (no network). For doing video "properly" .... Emby users can run MadVR on that same computer .... and benefit from no video format issues that are typical to computers, and ultimate video quality (Lumigen like) ..... but once people get to that sort of level, it becomes almost easier to drop things like Emby/Kodi out of the equation (IME anyways - some people still do). Sure makes it hard to use tho... and not what most people are looking for. On 08/04/2021 at 8:35 AM, Madelaide618 said: So far so good, and the WAF is high. Surely I'm not the only Emby user here? I think that's really the thing about many of the "HTPC" software apps, like Kodi, Plex, Emby. The end up falling in a gap in the middle... where WAF isn't high ENOUGH for many people.... the UX just isn't slick enough..... and the support can be patchy on certain platforms. .... AND, for some people they just don't quite offer high, enough performance. They butcher up some video and audio codecs, and don't quite get to a "high end media room" type standard. Without taking some pain (which most people won't) .... the only way is to buy a high end player/box (like @Marc has mentioned). Emby or similar can do it, but unlikely as slick. Edited May 6, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Marc Posted May 5, 2021 Administrator Share Posted May 5, 2021 1 hour ago, davewantsmoore said: I also run something "better" (MadVR) for special occasions. Isn't that video processing? I've abandoned all the above now for a Zidoo UHD3000 and never looked back. Great interface, plays everything, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Atmos, no server required. Finally found what I was looking for over a few years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) <See original edited post> Edited May 6, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) <See original edited post> Edited May 6, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Marc Posted May 5, 2021 Administrator Share Posted May 5, 2021 4 hours ago, davewantsmoore said: Yes. ie. something which does "video and audio codecs properly" 4 hours ago, davewantsmoore said: Yeah, I don't use a server for mine either, media is stored locally (plays everything too). Much more capable hardware than the UHD3000 (in terms of video processing).... but takes a stupendous hit in UI/UX as it runs a regular ol desktop computer OS.... which while not super-family-friendly is do-able for an adult. You sound really defensive for some reason? I was just questioning the video processing statement as it had nothing to do with the topic. Thought it odd. Not sure again, why you're now comparing the MadVR to the UHD3000 - again, apples and oranges? I use a Lumagen incidentally, but that's nothing to do with the thread either. Anyway, back to the topic, having using Nvidia Shield, Apple TV 4K, and every app that is available for both, for me the UHD3000 blew them all out the water as a media player. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martykt Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 32 minutes ago, Marc said: Anyway, back to the topic, having using Nvidia Shield, Apple TV 4K, and every app that is available for both, for me the UHD3000 blew them all out the water as a media player. I almost pulled the trigger on one of the Zappiti boxes but was put off by the streaming app limitations. Does the UHD3000 have any similar limitations being primarily for media playback? I'd be curious to see how the new appletv fairs amongst that group? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Marc Posted May 5, 2021 Administrator Share Posted May 5, 2021 As a streamer of locally stored content, it beats (IMO) the alternatives. For streaming apps, I haven't had the best experience so far and have found myself still using the ATV for Kayo, Amazon Prime, Netflix etc. I haven't put much time into that though so will explore more this weekend. It would be nice to have just one device for all applications. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 (edited) <See original edited post> Edited May 6, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 (edited) 13 hours ago, Marc said: You sound really defensive for some reason? <See original edited post> Edited May 6, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 10 hours ago, Martykt said: I'd be curious to see how the new appletv fairs amongst that group? They all have their quirks, but hadrware wise, the ATV the least...... software wise the ATV probably the most. Emby doesn't run well on ATV (in that it can't do newer audio and video formats properly). Whether you like the UX is another big factor, some love others not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Marc Posted May 6, 2021 Administrator Share Posted May 6, 2021 Any video processor (Lum or Mad) is downstream of the source, a different use application, and still not relevant to this conversation IMO. All I was saying is that with all of the above mentioned platforms (and apps), I had difficulties getting 4K and ATMOS passthrough consistently. Zidoo solved that for me. I'm out - don't enjoy my posts being forensically dissected and investigated in what should have been a simple discussion topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Marc said: Any video processor (Lum or Mad) is downstream of the source MadVR can be part of the source (it runs on windows computers). Let me go back an edit my original post, and I'll try to be much more helpful. Eh? I didn't mean to ruffle yer feathers. Edited May 6, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satanica Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 (edited) madVR started in conjunction with HTPC Windows software players (http://madvr.com/) and then recently also became a standalone hardware product called the madVR Envy (https://madvrenvy.com/). Edited May 7, 2021 by Satanica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwimeat Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 (edited) On 08/04/2021 at 8:35 AM, Madelaide618 said: Hi, I'm new, my first post here, sorry if I missed something obvious, but I wonder why Emby isn't mentioned here. I did a search, nothing on Emby or Kodi, which seems odd. My 2c, I have bought and used many commercial media centres, and had given up on those after many playback and streaming issues some time ago and moved to Kodi. But Kodi, just kept having issues, not to mention requiring a fairly powerful box to drive it at decent speeds. I came across Emby (as it was a supported app on my LG tv) and after trialling it with no success, gave up, and went back to kodi, but more Kodi crashes later, I tried again. With the right playback options set, I now run Emby Server on an SBC (Odroid C2) and it streams everything from my 40TB NAS to the LG TV, including 4K content in native format(s). The Tv plays then all, including DTS etc sound. In the movie room I have an AppleTV which also has the Emby App on it, to drive the JVC DLA1 projector and VAF 7.1 system, again, awesome. So far so good, and the WAF is high. Surely I'm not the only Emby user here? Welcome to SNA. I'm a very happy long term Emby user. Originally a Windows Media Center Edition user (for the WAF and lack of alternatives) and then hacked onto Windows 8.x after MCE was removed. Eventually I got tired of trying to keep up with the wack-a-mole with MS patches aka nuking. Tried Plex, Emby and a couple of others. Settled on Emby and have been there every since with mostly reliable and good results. I am a Emby Premium supporter. We were mainly Windows (running on Intel NUC) but now migrating over to Android (on Shield and Sony TV). Primary use is playback for distributed media from the NAS and it does the job well enough. Edited May 7, 2021 by kiwimeat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Satanica said: madVR started in conjunction with HTPC Windows software players (http://madvr.com/) and then recently also became a standalone hardware product called the madVR Envy (https://madvrenvy.com/). Yes... any windows PC (eg. Emby player) can have MadVR as "part of the source" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madelaide Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 On 08/04/2021 at 11:50 AM, Marc said: I think there's a few of us that have been down the Plex vs Kodi vs Emby vs Infuse. There are certainly previous threads here about them. ... Re Plex, maybe I read the licence poorly, but it seems like cloud access was mandated, where as Emby can be run in offline mode (LAN only) - well more specifically, a "plexid" is required and it is used online and offline. So I went with Emby which has all local account management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, Madelaide said: Re Plex, maybe I read the licence poorly, but it seems like cloud access was mandated, where as Emby can be run in offline mode (LAN only) - well more specifically, a "plexid" is required and it is used online and offline. Yeah, that's right... You do need a "cloud user", and then can have more local users. There have actually been a few outages in the past few years, where issues in the cloud impacted users doing basic things like logging in and switching users (ie. not being able to watch anything). Obviously people were not happy. Edited May 8, 2021 by davewantsmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted May 8, 2021 Volunteer Share Posted May 8, 2021 I wonder what the OP thinks? @Madelaide618? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madelaide Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 On 07/05/2021 at 3:06 PM, kiwimeat said: Welcome to SNA. I'm a very happy long term Emby user. Originally a Windows Media Center Edition user (for the WAF and lack of alternatives) and then hacked onto Windows 8.x after MCE was removed. Eventually I got tired of trying to keep up with the wack-a-mole with MS patches aka nuking. Tried Plex, Emby and a couple of others. Settled on Emby and have been there every since with mostly reliable and good results. I am a Emby Premium supporter. We were mainly Windows (running on Intel NUC) but now migrating over to Android (on Shield and Sony TV). Primary use is playback for distributed media from the NAS and it does the job well enough. Hi, Thanks for the feedback. I switched Emby from my OdroidC2 install this week to a Docker running on my new Unraid NAS, so far it is awesome, and one less box to maintain :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madelaide Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 (edited) On 09/05/2021 at 8:04 AM, sir sanders zingmore said: I wonder what the OP thinks? @Madelaide618? Hi SSZ @sir sanders zingmore, please expand the context of the question, sorry I missed it... Edited May 26, 2021 by Madelaide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corza13 Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 On 05/05/2021 at 5:27 PM, Marc said: Isn't that video processing? I've abandoned all the above now for a Zidoo UHD3000 and never looked back. Great interface, plays everything, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Atmos, no server required. Finally found what I was looking for over a few years Hi Marc, where is the best place to purchase a Zidoo here locally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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