Multichannel player. Choose a universal media player to connect to your TV. Performance and hardware platform

Actually, Windows Media Player, VLC, DivX Plus Player, etc and many media players with certain plugin support DTS. But they do not become the best ones as DTS requires a professional and excellent DTS player to render the most touching multi-surround sound at home just like in the theater. So, here are top 3 DTS players 2019 recommended for you to play DTS.

No. 1 5KPlayer – Free DTS/Dolby Player for Mac/Windows

Without any third-party decoder or plugin, 5KPlayer can handle any DTS file well. No need to pay for a ticket, you can now watch movies or TV shows with vivid images and touching sounds at home just like in the theater. No matter you are Windows users or Mac lovers, you can use this DTS player to enjoy any file besides DTS music on computer:
Audio- DTS, Dolby, MP3, AAC, OGG, WAM, WMA, FLAC, ALAC, etc.
Video– MP4, MKV, FLV, WMV, MOV, ASF, SWF, DAV, MPEG, H264, DivX, Xvid, etc.

No. 2 MediaPlayerLite – Open-source DTS Player for Windows

MediaPlayerLite is a free and open-source DTS player based on Media Player Classic – Home Theater, which means it has all the features MPC-HC have so that you can not only use it to play DTS files, but also play other audio, video and image formats like WAV, WMV, WMA, JPEG, ASF, MP3, MP4, AVI, FLV, etc. With GPU assisted acceleration and enchancing, this free DTS player comes as a low-CPU occupying media player to smoothly play H.264 and VC-1 with hardly any CPU time required. Besides, it has a batch-conversion functionality for many files to be converted.
However, it is only designed to open DTS files on Windows XP, Vista & 7.

No. 3 VLC – Open-source DTS File Player with Built-in Decoder

VLC is a well-known free media player supporting kinds of video audio formats on various platforms. Along with built-in AC3Filter, VLC comes to be a good DTS player for DTS-WAV playback without a hitch. Just click "Tools" icon on main UI of VLC -> Preference -> choose Audio -> then click "On" in the list of Dolby Sourround -> now you can play DTS file with multi-surround sound effect. Of course, you can check Headphone surround effect to when you are wearing you earphones to listen to DTS music.

Instead of an introduction, we would like to draw the attention of buyers to the reduction in price and progress of Smart TV systems over the past year. The ability to connect storage devices and wide support for various formats are now available even on the most inexpensive TVs. This is great, but the functionality of the "boxes" threatens entry-level media players. Until complete disappearance.

Players are different

Today, several classes of devices can “inject” multimedia functions into a TV: followers of DVD players, computers and tablets paved their way to television screens.

The most labor-intensive type of media players are nettop class models. These avant-garde mini-computers impress with their compactness and stability, while the quality of components, ultra-low-voltage processor performance and desktop OS capabilities cannot be compared with the potential of other media players. Today, all the power of computer browsers, programs for playing content and file-sharing networks can be obtained within a quiet and compact “box”.

Nettops: media players outside - computers inside

The problem is that the everyday use of these essentially desktop computers is hardly compatible with the tasks of a set-top box. Selecting and purchasing a remote control, searching for a suitable media shell and setting up a DVB tuner will require serious patience, and therefore will turn the project into a “long-term construction”. We leave this method to experienced and determined fans of the PC platform, and we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the world of nettops in numerous news and reviews on the site.

The next subtype of media players are devices based on Android OS. Attempts to provide TVs with the functionality of smartphones and tablets have become a trend in recent years: familiar and ready-to-use applications, OS adaptation to high-resolution displays, and inexpensive processors have had a positive impact on the proliferation of such devices. The disadvantage, as in the case of nettops, is the mediocre adaptation of the system to new controls: manufacturers have to “reinvent” the Android interface, taking into account the lack of touch input, and users have to get used to the specifics of using the “lazy” Air Mouse.

Mini-computers in the Android Stick format stand out among such media players. These miniature (the size of a large flash drive) devices lack a digital tuner and only have an HDMI connector. But they can boast an affordable price and a powerful operating system.

HDMI Stick - compact media players based on Android OS

The main role in the media player market is played by devices running the Sigma Designs and Realtek platforms - direct descendants of hardware DVD and Blu-ray players. The loss of an optical disc drive is compensated by the introduction of streaming services, “omnivorousness” and, sometimes, a standard HDD connector in the media player case. Being more of a household appliance than a computer, this class of devices rarely allows the installation of third-party applications and services. The efforts of the developers lie in the area of ​​ease of use and picture quality.

Classic IPTV set-top boxes are still relevant today

Our guide will focus on the last two categories of devices.

In the dark forest of characteristics

There are different approaches to buying a media player. Nothing prevents you from being guided only by the budget for purchasing the device. And such an approach will not necessarily end in disappointment, since the functionality of even the most budget models today satisfies the needs of an undemanding user. We will try to outline priorities for those who want to get the most out of a media player with a minimal investment.

Interfaces

The variety of interfaces in the era of digital broadcasting is disappearing, so the ideal candidate for connecting a media player would be a TV equipped with an HDMI input and support for resolutions from HD Ready and higher. The digital connector will provide maximum video signal quality and greatly simplify the output of multi-channel audio to a home theater. The HDMI specification allows you to transmit digital sound to speakers in an unchanged form (bitstream technology), which makes it possible to use the full potential of a high-quality audio system on media players running Sigma and Realtek platforms. Things are worse for set-top boxes based on ARM Cortex chipsets. In their case, the sound potential is most often limited to the transfer of a stereo stream (LPCM) already processed on the set-top box to the TV.

When it comes to connecting a media player to an outdated TV, the situation becomes much more complicated. In the absence of an HDMI connector, you will have to choose from the following analog interfaces:

• Composite output. Indicated on devices as AV Out or RCA. It uses “tulips” that have been familiar for the past ten years to output video signals and stereo sound. The quality of sound and video with this connection method leaves much to be desired, and if possible we recommend using alternative connectors.

Composite interface

• Component output. Indicated on devices as YUV Out or YPbPr. It is based on the same “tulips”, but the video signal is transmitted through several cables at once, and the resulting picture quality is the best among all available analog interfaces.

Component interface

• SCART. In fact, it is not an interface, but a “container” for transmitting an RGB image with low image quality by modern standards. Rarely found among the connectors of media players and, as a rule, comes in the form of an adapter from a composite connector or S-Video interface.

SCART connector

• S-Video. The least common interface in media players and TVs. Structurally, S-Video is a slightly higher quality alternative to the composite connector. This development has not gained much popularity among TV manufacturers, and today it is more often seen among the connectors of outdated computer video accelerators.

S-Video connector

Media players with an analog tuner on board have practically disappeared from retail, and in their place came support for the DVB-T2 digital television broadcasting standard. The digital television network in Russia is rapidly expanding, but widespread broadcasting in this standard is still far away. The presence of a digital signal in a particular locality should be checked in advance on the website of the operator of all-Russian digital television broadcasting or with local providers.

Form factor and network communications

The trick familiar to VCRs with identifying the flagship “by eye” is no longer relevant. In the media player segment, the bulkiest model is not always the most productive. The dimensions of the new players are dictated only by the number of connectors for connecting to the TV, as well as the presence of a compartment for a hard drive.

It’s also not worth giving unconditional preference to media players with a HDD connector: in the absence of a “home video library,” this function will very soon cease to be in demand. Connecting a media player to a PC, constantly removing the drive to record new files, or painstakingly working with the web interface of a torrent client is tiring. But playing files from the local network will be faster and more efficient. In the case of Android-based mini-PCs, an additional argument for this use is the characteristic shortage of ports for connecting storage devices: the only USB connector is occupied by a wireless keyboard, and the low current in the device does not allow connecting a USB Hub without power supply.

Capacious storage on board will accommodate any collection of media files

Fortunately, media players without support for data exchange over the network are rare today. Even budget models can offer an Ethernet connector or Wi-Fi support for receiving content via DLNA or Samba server. If possible, you should use an RJ-45 connector - wireless playback of Full HD video will require support for Wi-Fi 802.11n and a powerful router in line-of-sight conditions.

A clear advantage of Android-based media players is their support for social functions: clients for Facebook, VKontakte, Skype and other instant messengers work quickly and are always updated to the latest versions. Some media players are equipped with support for webcams via USB-OTG, and the second half of 2014 was marked by the release of Android Stick with a video camera and microphone in the device itself. Alas, the power of the Wi-Fi transmitter in the mini-PC leaves much to be desired, and to play 1080p video over the network, you will most often need a USB to Ethernet adapter.

Playback formats

With some reservations, we can say that the “omnivorousness” of modern media players has reached almost peak values. Over the past few years, there are no models left on the market that are unable to play video files in Divx/Xvid, H.264 and MPEG 1/2 formats. As for audio files, you should pay attention to the presence of support for high-quality audio in DTS, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD formats. Some media players do not support sound in this format (due to the lack of a license for the codec or design features of the chipset), so it is better to avoid an unpleasant surprise in the form of a “silent movie” in advance.

As for containers, the popular AVI, MP4 and MKV can be easily played even in budget models, which means that any modern model is suitable for watching movies in DVDRip, BDRip, BDRip-AVC and BDRemux standards.

Problems with choosing a media player plague only fans of “full-length” Blu-ray and three-dimensional video. 3D-enabled movies are often distributed as ISO images or as file folders. Truly convenient playback of such videos can only be provided by media players that support the ISO BD3D standard, but with the caveat that navigation through the film will be carried out using the simplified BD Lite menu. Support for 3D HD video in other media players will be limited to “heuristic” launching of the M2TS file from the folder structure or a complete lack of support for the standard. Unfortunately, support for the full Blu-ray specification has fallen into oblivion along with optical discs. Aggressive lobbying against copy protection called Cinavia played a role in this.

Devices developed in close cooperation with content providers stand apart - in pursuit of copyright compliance and stimulation of purchases in online cinemas, media players receive a limited list of compatible codecs and/or streaming services that are relevant only to foreign audiences.

Controls

The interface of the Sigma SDK and Realtek SDK operating systems was developed taking into account the capabilities of a standard remote control: therefore, controlling such media players will not require additional skills for users of a TV or game console. Support for computer keyboards and mice is present in many models, but is of no practical use - multi-stage menus are easier and faster to master using the same remote control than using the mouse cursor.

TV comfort versus computer functionality

Media players running Android are at the other extreme: only multifunctional remote controls with a QWERTY keyboard and Air Mouse mode, which are not particularly ergonomic, can compensate for the lack of touch input in these products. In the end, all Android Stick users are switching to control via a full-size computer keyboard and mouse set - controlling a media player from the sofa will never be easy.

Performance and hardware platform

The confrontation between Sigma and Realtek chipsets is painfully reminiscent of the picture on the PC processor market. The Sigma Designs platform typically comes with a more refined process technology and superior synthetic performance. The stability and speed of operation of the SMP series chipsets are overshadowed by the high cost of the platform for manufacturers - equally priced media players based on Realtek and Sigma will differ in functionality not in favor of the latter.

Realtek multimedia processors are much more flexible. Thanks to a loyal pricing policy, they have become much more widespread. As is often the case in budget products, a number of annoying shortcomings have plagued the RTD series platforms for a long time - experienced users of media players will nod in the direction of a well-known flaw, when video playback at a frequency of 23.976 frames/s was accompanied by constant jerks. The next negative point occurred due to the fault of careless manufacturers of TV set-top boxes: problems with ventilation in models equipped with a slot for an HDD led to overheating and unstable operation of a whole family of media players. Today, all these problems have been eliminated, and competition between the two chipset manufacturers occurs on an equal basis.

Comparison of the performance of these platforms can be done the old-fashioned way, guided only by the operating frequencies of the processor, but the lion's share of the load in the SoC of media players falls on hardware decoders. The performance of content playback for these devices is beyond the purview of benchmarks.

However, measuring performance in “synthetic” remains the only possible way to classify SoC. Specialized multimedia processors and competing chips based on the ARM Cortex architecture can be divided into five classes (in order of decreasing performance).

For buyers who are not ready to analyze the market in search of the ideal media player, we have prepared a list of current Smart TV systems for any budget and needs. These products will not necessarily include market leaders, but the ratio of price and functionality allows us to confidently recommend these models for purchase.

Upvel UM-521TV

The UM-521TV media player is the best candidate for enlivening your TV screen with social networks, online entertainment and other applications for the Google platform. A quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and stock Android Jelly Bean will appeal to buyers for whom timely familiarization with news feeds and videos means much more than painstaking selection of content for long-term viewing.

TVZor TVZ100ZT

The ideology of the TVZor media player goes against fashion - the model belongs to the still small class of devices developed in collaboration with content providers. In the Russian market, the limited selection of streaming services can rarely boast of success with buyers, but TVZ100ZT has every chance to change the current situation. For just 3,000 rubles, the buyer receives a media player with a rich set of equipment, a programmable remote control with a QWERTY keyboard, a DVB-T2 tuner, an online media library and a set of connectors for connecting to a CRT or LCD TV.

Unfortunately, there is no trace left of the functionality of the Android system, and access to files on the local network is closed. But 20 stable IPTV channels are complemented by a pack of free TV series in the online store, and support for formats for digital media is in no way inferior to “full-fledged” and more expensive competitors. More details with TVZor TVZ100ZT

IconBit Movie3D IPTV

IconBit Movie3D IPTV

“Functionality before performance” - the Movie3D IPTV model is based on the outdated Allwinner A20 chipset, and the proprietary shell adjacent to Android leads to extremely slow navigation through the device menu. In contrast to these shortcomings, the player has a rich set of functions and a reasonable price. Work with custom IPTV playlists, support for stereo pairs of the BD3D ISO standard, numerous streaming services and access to the Google Play application store cannot but appeal to thrifty buyers. Beginners will also appreciate the abundance of free content, while experienced Android users will appreciate root access and the ability to install third-party apps. You can find out more about IconBit Movie3D IPTV in our review.

ASUS O!Play Mini Plus

ASUS O!Play Mini Plus

In the O!Play Mini Plus model, ASUS engineers chose not to get involved in the pursuit of smartphone functions. The lack of support for Blu-ray ISO images and shortcomings in the online component will be accompanied by fair complaints from users. However, this model is aimed at practitioners and its main goal is convenient playback of content from local and network storage devices. Gigabit Ethernet, a card reader and an eSATA connector allow you to accept any video and music fully equipped. The level of implementation of these functions directly indicates the quality of the media player. The presence of a composite output will allow you to play Full HD files even on old TVs. But O!Play Mini Plus is not respected among enthusiasts, since the media player is based on the notorious revision of Realtek MD chipsets, which means the device is completely closed for flashing at home.

Google Nexus Player

Google Nexus Player

Google presented its vision of what a TV set-top box based on the Android operating system should be. A model called Nexus Player, developed in collaboration with ASUS, has finally gone on sale. The interface and functionality of base Android have been adapted for easy use on the TV screen and streaming content. The media player supports Google Chromecast functions, allowing you to broadcast video, music and photos from your computer, smartphone or tablet to the TV screen. A distinctive feature of the interface is the automatic ranking of applications and multimedia files in accordance with user preferences.

The basic kit includes a multifunctional remote control with an integrated microphone, and a game controller is available at an additional cost.

Nexus Player is built on a quad-core Intel Atom platform clocked at 1.8 GHz. The graphics component is based on the Imagination PowerVR Series 6 video accelerator, and the memory subsystem has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. Wireless communications are represented by Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1, and among the communication connectors there are HDMI and Micro-USB. The new item costs $99.

For most music connoisseurs, the main stationary sound source has long been a personal computer. The convenience of using a PC in this role is undeniable. Many lovers of high-quality sound are not content with the built-in sound chip and purchase external DACs. But even the highest quality DAC needs a program that will send it a signal (well, yes, I’m talking about a player), and not all player programs do the job equally well. Today I will talk about perhaps the best software player for OS X - Audirvana Plus.

Actually, the main question that interests almost everyone is - why do you need a player that costs $74, if there are free ones?

First, the short answer: it understands the maximum number of formats and outputs them to an external DAC in the shortest possible path.

Now about this in more detail.

Audirvana Pro understands, perhaps, all existing audio formats: AIFF, WAVE, AAC, MP3, FLAC, Monkey Audio APE, WavPack, Apple Lossless, DSD (DSDIFF including DST, DSF, and SACD ISO). In this case, for supported DACs the signal is output directly to DSD; for the rest, high-quality conversion to PCM will be used. Since DSD is gaining more and more popularity, supporting this format at the DAC interface level is a good step. Audirvana also supports multi-channel music if you have the appropriate equipment.

The next (and perhaps most important) ability of Audirvana is the ability to work with an external DAC, bypassing Core Audio, the OS X audio subsystem. The player takes the device under its exclusive control, reducing the number of unnecessary conversions. Moreover, if the DAC supports Integer Mode, Audirvana will work in it, eliminating one more unnecessary conversion.

This player also implements the traditional mode for programs of this kind to completely load the track being played into memory, which allows you to avoid even the slightest delay in reading from the disk.

The player is based on well-proven professional technologies for working with audio data from iZotope. The company's solutions are used in a variety of programs, hardware solutions and games. Even such market monsters as Adobe Premiere, Avid Pro Tools and Sony Sound Forge use the company's developments. Audirvana uses SRC to change the sampling rate with 64-bit precision (any resampling options are flexible) and MBIT+ for software volume control. The latter is especially important, since it is the volume control that often greatly degrades digital sound. In addition to software, Audirvana also supports hardware volume control, if your DAC has such a function.

Another nice feature is support for Audio Unit plugins, with which you can add, for example, an equalizer.


The second version of the program, released recently, pleased us with a new interface with a music manager. Version 1.x, with its stylization as a “real” player, still looked very archaic, in my opinion (although those nostalgic for this option can include it in 2.x).

When you launch it for the first time, Audirvana will ask you which audio device you want to use and whether it is in New or Classic mode. After which you will be prompted to add music folders to the library. The player will automatically scan them and add all supported files to its database. Unfortunately, in the new version they removed the ability to add files to the library by direct drag-and-drop from the Finder, but I think it will be returned in future versions; a lot of people are asking for it.