Im looking at android tv boxes on amazon but its overwhelming and seems like theres a ton of knockoffs on the market. Whats my best option to cast content from my laptop and also play movies from a thumb drive/hard drive and get around fire tv's media limitations.
Cheapest would be the Onn UHD Android TV at Walmart. $20 for 4K Android TV that also supports OTG if you add a separate passthrough powered hub.
Next up would be the Chromecast with Google TV in the $40-50 range. It too supports OTG that way but I have read that some drives won't work due to formatting issues.
After that you go Nvidia Shield for over $100 (there are multiple versions). It pretty much does everything at that price.
Chromecast with google tv is the way to go.
What media limtations are you experiencing. Other than lossless audio.
Beyond the Shield TV, I'd try the new T-Mobile TVision Hub. I'm still waiting for more reviews, but so far it sounds like a newer version of the Chromecast with Google TV, but it has an ethernet port built in, along with a USB-C port. A simple OTG cable should let you plug in a thumb drive. All in all, it will be a modern device at a reasonable price point IMO.
Get an Nvidia Shield. Uses the same chip as the switch and its the beast android TV device and it's not even close. Fuck the firestick and chromecast and all the other cheap boxes. You get what you pay for.
CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR THE UNITED STATES ONLY:
- AirTV Mini (More info at airtv.net/products)
- AT&T TV (More info at http://att.com/tv/device-features )
- Tivo Stream 4K (More info at http://tivo.com/products/stream-4k )
- T-Mobile TVision HUB (More info at http://t-mobile.com/tvision/services/hub )
- Verizon Stream TV (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://verizon.com/products/verizon-stream-tv-gen-2 )
CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR THE US, EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:
- Chromecast with Google TV (more info at http://tv.google )
- Dynalink TV dongle (More info at http://dynalink.life )
- Homatics Box Q (More info at http://homatics.eu/products/homatics-box-q )
- Homatics Dongle Q (More info at http://homatics.eu/products/homatics-dongle-q )
-Mecool KD3 Google TV stick (More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KM2 (More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Nvidia Shield TV (The most expensive but powerful, recommended for gaming. More info at http://shield.nvidia.com )
- Walmart Onn (More info at http://walmart.com )
CERTIFIED ANDROID TV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO CERTIFICATIONS THAT USE THE NOW OLD AMLOGIC S905X SoC:
- Xiaomi Mi Box S (More info at http://mi.com/global/mi-box-s )
- Ematic Jetstream (More info at http://androidtv-guide.com/streaming-gaming/ematic-jetstream-tv-box )
CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH ONLY PRIME VIDEO FOR THE US, EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:
- Formuler GTV (Gigabit ethernet. Exclusive MYTVOnline2 app for IPTV. More info at http://formuler.tv/gtv )
WARNING!, ALTHOUGH MECOOL IS THE BEST OEM WHEN IT COMES TO RELEASING NEW DEVICES EVERY YEAR, THEY ARE THE WORST WHEN IT COMES TO RELEASING FIRMWARE UPDATES TO FIX BUGS AND ISSUES, IF YOU DON'T MIND ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN GET ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MODELS:
- Mecool KM6 Classic Edition (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KM6 Deluxe Edition (AV1 hardware decoding. Gigabit ethernet. WiFi 6. 4GB of RAM. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KM7 (AV1 hardware decoding. 2GB/16GB and 4GB/64GB versions. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KT1 (AV1 hardware decoding. DVB-T2/S2/C tuner built-in. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool Now (An Android TV device with a built-in camera and microphone, suitable for videoconferencing. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KD2 TV Stick (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
For more info about all certified Android TV devices, head over to www.androidtv-guide.com website.
Nvidia Shield TV
You should use the Plex app and Cast All movies from Laptop to Android tv. I think you dont need any USB. You can use Plex. For this purpose, Chromecast with Google TV is the way to go
For all the reviews I have seen, two devices of Android are the Best . 1- Nvidia Shield 2. Chromecast with Google TV
You can still connect usb stick to fire tv. Watch tutorial video on YouTube. You will need a otg cable. Second way you need to use Plex server on your laptop and stream it on fire tv (via Plex app)
If cost is not an issue the Shield TV Pro is the best Android TV Device available.
Everything else will be a compromise.