A $15 USB-C hub turned my cheap Google TV streamer into a proper media box

I recently upgraded my cheap Google TV Streamer into a full-fledged media box by adding a USB-C hub. Initially, the Streamer only had one USB-C port, which served as both power and data connection, limiting its capabilities. I wanted to expand its functionality to access local media files and connect other devices.

After some research, I found a $15 UGREEN 4-port USB-C hub that met my needs. The hub is equipped with a power delivery feature, which is crucial for power-hungry external drives. My existing 30W charger was compatible with the hub, ensuring that both the Streamer and the connected drives received adequate power.

With the USB-C hub in place, I can now connect various external drives, including spinning ones, to my Google TV Streamer. This allows me to watch the years' worth of locally stored video files that I had been neglecting. I use VLC, File Manager+, or Kodi to play these files on the big screen. Other drives contain audio files or video archives that don't fit neatly into my media streaming services, so having them easily accessible is a great addition.

The hub also enables me to use Kodi as a media center. Kodi is an open-source media player that can access files on connected drives and stream them to other devices on my network. The UPnP/DLNA protocol and VLC (or Infuse on Apple TV) allow me to enjoy local media files across my network. While the Google TV Streamer lacks built-in self-hosted server capabilities, the USB-C hub makes it possible to create a media center experience.

To make things work, I formatted my drives as exFAT, a file system compatible with the Streamer and other cross-platform devices. This eliminates the need for reformatting, which could otherwise erase all the data on the drives. With the USB-C hub and Kodi, I can browse and play my media files directly from the drives, turning my budget Google TV Streamer into a versatile media box.