Aiyoo.. that's the sad part no wonder it could not detect some files. Thanks for your suggestion.

an alternative is to install vlc from playstore.
u can then play via es file explorer, with vlc.
es file explorer can read the usb drive better than the native player.
can also use vlc direct to play but it is not as neat as es file explorer.

es/vlc can read m2ts, mkv, etc. can play dd and dts files but optical out, both will be lpcm.

no need to try mx player - this one cannot read dts files properly.
i have not tried plex.

in summary, for just video, es/vlc is good.
if u want dd/dts, use native player.

i think i hv tested enough the usb and optical output functions of the ue630x. i will not use them much. maybe for photos on a pendrive. for usb video playback, i just use my android box which can handle all video and audio nicely.

himedia Q16.

good for 3d, bdmv, iso, dts hdma, dd truehd.

and dd atmos but my avr can't do.

Video Format : RM, FLV, MOV, AVI, MKV, TS, MP4, ISO, TP, TRP, RMVB , WMV, ASF , VOB, MPG, MPEG, DAT, SWF, 3D MVC

Video Codec : H.265, H.264, MPEG1/2/4, VC1, WMV, REALVIDEO8/9/10
i m very happy with this himedia q16 and the sharp ue630x.

what tv, box or device u using? so that we know where u r coming from.

What's your reasonable budget? Obviously, if it's too low, you don't get the good stuff. There are very limited & capable boxes that can stream like the Roku. Especially if powered by Android.

Edit: probably not a discussion for this thread...

You r welcome.. Seems like only a decent HTPC can improve your current setup.. So you essentially answered your question.. 

one cannot keep spending money trying to keep up!

For those using Plex, can you stream dts ma files smoothly? I get stuttering sound when I try playing those files from my notebook in another room on the Sharp UE630X. Using dual band router from Tplink. When I play smaller files it runs smoothly. What's the likely culprit?

At the moment I'm using 2.4.. Will try out 5.0, thanks for your suggestions.

* found the problem. I used an old 10/100 switch to add more ports and plugged in the ethernet cable from the tv to the switch, restricting it's bandwidth. Looks like that needs to be upgraded. I unplugged the cable and connected it direct to the router and voila no more stuttering.

Yeah, same point... TVs (more towards PQ improvement than audio)... For those that want more, an external player & AVR that supports MKV, MP4, ISO, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc will do.

yes. some years ago, smart tv's can ony do dd, can't even give audio with dts files!

those that can now do dd and dts incl arc/optical out are quite good already.

i think it is not only cost of hardware but the licensing of the codecs - all that add to costs. tv makers rightly should focus on video, not audio.
about android box that can pass thru dtshdma/dd truehd/dd atmos, jdgobio commented in a previous post that this feature is an exception rather than the norm. so, do check carefully if buying one of them.

A TV with built-in basic features of an AVR? Perhaps.. Maybe the guys @ Xiaomi can make this a reality.. The Samsung One Connect Evolution Kit is kinda similar to being a "project ARA" for TVs. Well, the closest at least for now. Profits-wise, I doubt any all-in-one package will be introduced. It's like today's smartphones, manufacturers simply won't make that one phone to rule them all for a couple of years (minimum), why? Cuz they want us to replace it, there'll always be something missing.. 

Sure, those in the know who care about audio passthrough, formats, high res audio, etc won't mind paying even an extra $25 per TV to get codecs supported etc. But from the manufacturer's point of view, $25 x say 200 million units is a lot of lost profit, especially when the people who care about such issues are definitely "negligible" in the grand scheme of things. When a new UHD/SUHD is launched, people go gaga over color reproduction, clarity, motion, processing speed, upscaling engines, etc.. Very rarely do they bother about sound since TV speakers don't cut it anyway. I think the only way they'll all budge, is if it's made an international standard/requirement that all TVs (@ least Mid-range & above) be able to play and passthrough (HDMI) the latest codecs onto a supporting AVR/HT. That just might do it... 

right... from a tv mfg biz perspective, there is little incentive to incorporate more peripherals as it will cost more, customers may not like it.

sharp once had a model that incl a bluray disc player. it died very quickly.

androids already in, better audio maybe possible. the android i have on my sharp 4k tv is quite good. in fact, it is better than my android box in some ways, e.g. that it is certified by neflix, can get uhd videos.

that tells me if the big corps have it their way, they will do it if the demand is such - say, if no more DVD's just BDs with hd audio and IPTVs provide mostly HD audio... TV makers will have HD audio codecs, ready to go into AVRs, expanded UI to cater to other apps. they will surely do that if they can sell the TV at a higher price/margin.

a matter of $ and cents...

Exactly..  I'm hoping in the next 3 - 5 years, significant & CHEAPER improvements would have been made in the TV industry.
True... Thing is, the tech to accomplish this has been available.. Take the new video compression standard, H.265, capable of significantly  better compression performance and lower bandwidth utilization. Now, coupled with Gigabit Ethernet, adapters & Internet speed... Way more than enough to power 4K IPTV... Provided those in charge make the proper switches... About 80 years ago, roughly when commercial television broadcasts started in the US, talks about 1080p or 4K streaming would have been considered works of science fiction. But here we are today... Speaking of gigabit Internet speeds.. Malaysia boleh? 

I agree and I'm fine with it taking a few years to achieve, cuz major technological changes do take awhile to be implemented & become mainstream. Take IPv6 adoption rate, since 2009 till date & it's still hovering around a 10% worldwide adoption rate.. Question is.. Are the necessary infrastructure being planned now?

I wonder how the 8k models perform. Any shops have them on demo?

Yes that's why I got the 58" initially, if u have a big hall better to opt for the 65". I'm upgrading to a bigger one too.

Any of you guys have problem with the usb connection in Sharp LC58UE630X? everytime i plug my pendrive to watch in TV and plug back to PC, windows says it detected problem and need to scan.  In manual it says don't insert and remove pendrive repeatedly but then it also says do not use USB cable.  But we have to plug and remove everyday to watch new things from PC right? Cannot use the cable below?

uploading pictures

Hmm didn't know can do that.  Have to dig in manual and see how, looks complicated 

Sounds like Sharp really screwed up there huh.. On the older Samsung Smart hub here, it handles USB drives & media playback beautifully. Upon plug in, a popup appears on screen asking how to view the plugged in device: As Files (regular explorer style), Pictures (gallery) or Videos (Thumbnails with scrolling images from within each media file). No lag, also HDMI-ARC, DTS/DD detection just works. After playback or if one simply wants to disconnect, simply press the Source button repeatedly till the drive is selected, hold down on the enter button to dismount the drive safely, a confirmation notice appears to that effect, the drive can now be unplugged safely.. Alternatively, it also performs a safe eject when the TV is placed in standby mode.. I've performed either method, hundreds of times, with multiple drives & never had any issues.. Hopefully, it's incorporated & performs better in the newer Tizen OS. The Android TV OS is supposed to be smarter.