No need to spend that much just to use an HDD for playing media, trust me, you just need an android box. You'll also be able to stream live air channels if you have one and its portable enough to be carried everywhere.
Idk whats the craze of the nvidia shield these days. If you're not a gammer you just need android box.
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Well, there is a lot missing from what you're saying. One of the more important things is the fact that the "Android" boxes you're talking about often come with VERY outdated versions of Android and aren't Android TV so they usually have some GUI that is specific to the manufacturer. Yes, you can get different launchers and such and for people that know how to do that, cool. Grab a cheap Android box and go about your business.
However, for people that don't know what I'm talking about, those cheap boxes are not for you. Something more established and user friendly will work much better. Plus, I've used those boxes and it's no contest as to which one has a smoother user experience. Those boxes are way too underpowered to handle a large collection.
I want something that works, well, for many, many years. The only boxes I can think of that fit that bill are the shield, Apple TVs, and rokus. Sure, Amazon updates their devices, but those have issues of their own.