What used to be the portable DVD player is now the tablet. The great thing about it: tablets can play much more than just movies. With a connected DVB-T receiver (e.g., Elgato EyeTV Micro, see figure above), they receive television over the air. Even in the countries in which ordinary TV receivers are slack, TV fun is possible: through apps like Zattoo, which stream TV channels over the Internet. In addition, the tablet can act as a music center by retrieving audio content from the Internet or playing from the built-in memory.
Picture gallery
However beautiful the world seems, it is not always. The qualities as multimedia center can differ according to the tablet. The installed operating system already has a strong influence on this. Three of these are currently widely used: iOS from Apple, Android from Google, and Windows 8 and Windows RT, respectively.
Tablet as media center
Apple is not only responsible for the operating system iOS, but also for the end devices: the iPads. This allows the Californians to optimize the interaction between software and hardware. They also set strict rules for inclusion in the App Store. This guarantees ease of use nonstop.
Movies without end
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Movies and music?
Google's Android operating system is more open. Manufacturers like Samsung, Sony or Asus use the software for their tablets and easily adapt them for their own purposes. The installable apps are hardly regulated. Therefore, the system is also more vulnerable.
Windows can also use any manufacturer. Windows RT was developed by Microsoft specifically for tablets. That is, it only works with special ARM processors. This makes it possible to build lightweight and durable equipment. The user can only use apps from their own store.
In Windows 8, this looks different: as on a notebook or desktop PC, programs can be installed freely. On the other hand, the operating system is not specially optimized for use on tablets, but it is also useful for touch screens. Many Windows 8 tablets therefore have a lower battery runtime and often appear unwieldy.
One thing all operating systems have in common is that they rely on their own stores, where apps, music and videos are available. However, they are filled differently well. In terms of apps, Apple had a long lead. But now there are almost all important applications for Android tablets as well.
With Windows RT it looks different: There are almost no apps for controlling TV or AV receivers. Also missing under Windows RT applications for WATCHVER or LOVEFiLM. Spotify, YouTube and Zattoo Apps exist for this. For example, if you need to install additional applications, you should be more likely to use tablets with iOS, Android, or Windows 8 operating systems.
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Even if it is about the media offer, tablet novice Microsoft with Windows RT the competitor Apple can not quite reach the water. To buy music or videos, the Xbox Shop is on board on Windows RT. But also Google has, when it comes to the film offer, against Apple the look. Not only in terms of the number of offers: In iTunes you find as the only provider also videos in 1080p. In the Xbox Shop and in Google Play Movies, it is a maximum of 720p. You can not find any series in the Google Store.
The prices are similar on all three operating systems. For borrowing the customer usually pays between three and five euros, for the purchase of a film not infrequently over ten euros. The prices for the SD versions are slightly lower.
To protect the movies, Apple, Google and Microsoft set their own copy protection. This means that a movie that a user has bought on his iPad, for example, can not be viewed on an Android tablet.
Synchronization of data
Music is more open. Songs purchased from Apple or Microsoft can be transferred to other devices as often as you want. Only Google limits the number. Purchased MP3s may only be downloaded twice from Google Music's cloud store. The music offer on Apple, Android and Windows devices can be equipped with the music streaming service Spotify.
However, it is not always advisable to stream movies or music. If there is no WLAN, one must switch to mobile radio. Downloading a movie can quickly exploit the flat rate. Many tablets have no wireless module for UMTS or LTE.
Play movies securely
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In this case, it either helps to send the device via the smartphone online, or you can access stored movies and music. They can be stored on the built-in memory. On some Android and Windows devices you can also find interfaces for SD cards or USB hard disks, whereupon movies can be stored. Practical are also WLAN hard disks. They build their own wireless network and act as a network server.
Frequently, users transfer their media directly from the computer. All conventional tablets work with a USB cable. With Apple, iTunes takes over the data transport. When you connect Android or Windows tablets to computers, they are recognized as external storage and movies can be transferred via the file explorer.
If you want to be able to access your films, music and photos anytime, anywhere, you should also deal with the optimal networking of computers, smartphones and tablets. Apple, Google and Microsoft offer their own solution.
Apple has several synchronization services. ICloud can be used to synchronize mails, contacts or documents. Fotostream makes images available on all devices. Via iTunes Match, the user can access his music collection anywhere.
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To make your own videos available everywhere, installing an additional cloud storage app is smart, like Google Drive. For example, the user can download videos to his online virtual memory via the computer, which he streams or downloads from there.
The Google service can also be installed on Android tablets. Google Music is more suitable for the MP3 collection. For the online synchronization of pictures, the social network Google +.
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With Microsoft, the SkyDrive cloud storage is the pivot. Here, automatically shot images are shared, but also videos can be added manually. The preinstalled music app helps you synchronize your own music on different devices.
Whether the videos and the music on the iPad, Android smartphone or via Windows RT are also played, is not guaranteed. Because in the delivery state some media formats are not supported. If you want to be safe, use MPEG-4 video. MP3 music also plays all platforms. You can upgrade your tablet using player apps like Power DVD Mobile.
In order to avoid fraudsters with the format compatibility, one is best to use an operating system on all mobile devices and buy music as well as movies from the respectively integrated online stores. Then synonymous with sync smoothly.
If the purchased films are to land on the TV, Apple, Google and Microsoft with Apple TV, the Google TV box Sony NSZ-GS7 and the Xbox 360 have the right counterpart
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