looking for 4K SBC

[MacBH928]

I dont want to buy a mac mini for this but all i want is a computer that plays 4k in a web browser smoothly. I would go for RPi 4 but it stutters. i know it can play 4K using elec or whatever but i need in browser, any browser. I also need HDMI output

oDroid, pine64? any one has experience?

 

[sevoneone]

What is your web source? YouTube? The RPi 4 will handle h.265 4k up to 60fps ok from VLC, but it does poorly with YouTube overall, 1080P playback in fullscreen still skips sometimes for me . I'm sure it is because there is no acceleration for VP6 in the version of Chromium for the RPi.

If you have to playback from the web/YouTube, maybe a ChromeBox is a solution? ASUS makes one with an i3 + UHD graphics and 4GB of RAM for ~$320. There is a Celeron option for a little less:

ASUS CHROMEBOX 3-N018U Mini PC with Intel Core i3, 4K UHD Graphics and Power Over Type C Port, Star Gray

Powered by Intel Core i3, the Asus chrome 3 delivers a perfect balance of desktop performance with the latest in connectivity options. Use your favorite Google play apps across platforms and on multiple displays with DisplayPort over powered Type C. Stream your favorite content over Gigabit LAN o...

www.amazon.com

 

[MacBH928]

What is your web source? YouTube? The RPi 4 will handle h.265 4k up to 60fps ok from VLC, but it does poorly with YouTube overall, 1080P playback in fullscreen still skips sometimes for me . I'm sure it is because there is no acceleration for VP6 in the version of Chromium for the RPi.

If you have to playback from the web/YouTube, maybe a ChromeBox is a solution? ASUS makes one with an i3 + UHD graphics and 4GB of RAM for ~$320. There is a Celeron option for a little less:

ASUS CHROMEBOX 3-N018U Mini PC with Intel Core i3, 4K UHD Graphics and Power Over Type C Port, Star Gray

Powered by Intel Core i3, the Asus chrome 3 delivers a perfect balance of desktop performance with the latest in connectivity options. Use your favorite Google play apps across platforms and on multiple displays with DisplayPort over powered Type C. Stream your favorite content over Gigabit LAN o...

www.amazon.com

I never had a chromebook/box , does it come with a full fledged chrome browser? does it have other browsers? Can you install on it linux?

 

[sevoneone]

Yes, it is a full version of Chrome.

Most Chrome devices can run Android apps, so I guess you could load another browser from the play store... but it is going to be the Android version of that browser. For a full desktop browser, you’re pretty much stuck with Chrome.

You can install Linux, but your mileage may vary: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-on-chromebook#1-overview

 

[MacBH928]

Yes, it is a full version of Chrome.

Most Chrome devices can run Android apps, so I guess you could load another browser from the play store... but it is going to be the Android version of that browser. For a full desktop browser, you’re pretty much stuck with Chrome.

You can install Linux, but your mileage may vary: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-on-chromebook#1-overview

as much as I hate google, this is the only reasonably priced device that fits my requirements. It hard to believe a smartphone can play 4k but not $200 SBC can be found to do the same. I mean for $450 you can get a complete PS4 that has 4K BD drive, a controller, power supply, casing, 1TB storage, and a powerful GPU that plays games in 4K.

Thanks for the suggestion