What's a media player?
Ways to stream
The most important function of a media player is streaming apps on your television. Each media player has the option to stream images to your television with your smartphone. You can also play movies and series from a hard drive. You need a media player with USB port for this. Many media players have their own remote. These media players will also have their own operating system.
Improve the image quality
Some media players have a strong built-in processor. This allows you to stream 4K images to your television, as long as your television can handle this as well. Many new media players even stream HDR10 or Dolby Vision signals. Keep in mind that the source also needs to have a good image quality. Media players with a strong processor often use upscaling for images with poorer quality, like old series or movies or footage of your own camera. The media player improves the resolution of the images with this.
Smart controls with voice control or smart hubs
A media player makes your television smarter in multiple ways. For example, some media players allow you to control the television with voice control via the remote or via a smart hub. With the NVIDIA SHIELD and the Chromecast, you can also turn your television on or off with your smart hubs. Connect the media player to the power grid and turn on the HDMI CEC settings in the settings of your television.
Game with your media player
With the NVIDIA SHIELD and the Chromecast with Google TV, you can game too. You need an extra controller and subscription in both cases. With the NVIDIA Shield, you can also stream games from your computer to your media player. This allows you to play PC games on your television with a controller. You do need a fast computer and strong WiFi signal for this.
The smart platform of the media player
Smart televisions work with their own smart platform. The platform of your television determines which apps you can watch and how the menu looks. Most media players have their own platform. Since 2020, there's the new platform called Google TV. You'll also find this new platform on the latest Chromecast. You can use it to stream 4K images. The Chromecast 4K also recommends series and movies in 1 menu without having to open the apps.
