Background

We just purchased a 2018 Honda Pilot Touring edition that has a rear entertainment system (RES). In addition to playing Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs, the Honda entertainment system can play anything that connects via either an HDMI or component auxiliary video input. There are both USB ports and a standard AC plug for power.

My wife asked me for a media solution that permits us to play a number of movies on demand for our children. But, it had to be almost as simple as inserting a DVD. These days, our kids default to using (Mom and Dad’s) iPhone or iPad to watch videos including YouTube, Netflix and Amazon. The problem with this approach is that it assumes that:

1. we have a charged smartphone or tablet that we aren’t using; and
2. there is a stable Internet connection while on the road.

The Honda RES is a throw-back to earlier times when everyone watched movies together. And, that’s not a bad thing!

The Android TV solution, below, likely works in other car manufacturers’ SUV’s and minivans provided they have an HDMI input for their rear entertainment system.

Narrowing Down Potential Solutions

Reading the online forums, I found a number of potential solutions that I eventually ruled out:

• USB thumb drive: in our old 2016 Odyssey, I used a USB thumb drive to store and play my music library. I read that the 2018 Odyssey may be able to play video files from a USB thumb drive. Unfortunately, I tested and confirmed that 2018 Honda Pilot’s software cannot do so. That left the HDMI input as the best way to play videos on the RES.
• Tethered iPhone: with the Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter, you can play videos stored on your iPhone or iPad via HDMI. The problem with this is three-fold:
  1. you cannot simultaneously use your iPhone for Carplay;
  2. iPhones and iPads do not support removable external storage; and
  3. streamed video requires a constant Internet connection.
• Tethered Android smartphone: many Android smartphones support micro-SD storage. The exact amount of storage differs by phone. Initially, I considered repurposing the smartphone that I use on my motorcycle for navigation. Unfortunately, my Motorola G5S+ does not support the MHL standard. Even if it did, my smartphone’s battery would drain because it would recharge slower than it consumed power.
• Google Chromecast: I tested a spare Chromecast Video device. It worked fine at home on our WiFi home network. But, Chromecast stopped working when there was no WiFi available: going into setup mode. Theoretically, I could either use a smartphone as a WiFi hotspot or add a travel router to provide a wireless network for the Chromecast on the go. However, that would violate my wife’s “keep it simple” mantra. There would be too many dependencies and things that could potentially break. Further, casting to the Chromecast would still require a spare smartphone to serve media. So, there wouldn’t be a significant advantage to casting to a Chromecast versus using a tethered smartphone.
• Apple TV: unlike Chromecast, Apple smartphones can stream video peer-to-peer via Airplay to Apple TV devices. But, this is an expensive solution with little advantage over using the Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter. Unlike Android settop boxes, you cannot use a USB thumb drive as removable storage.

Android TV

Readers of this website know that I have deployed Nvidia Shield Android TV settop boxes throughout our home. Android TV supports a number of video and audio apps for both local and (optionally) Internet sources. Some of our favorite apps include YouTube for Kids, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, TED, PBS, and PBS Kids. It is easy to store local media on a USB thumbdrive. We have the option–but not dependency–of using a smartphone to cast video to the Android TV. Unlike a smartphone with a lithium ion battery, the Shield TV can be left in your car permanently. And, Nvidia does a great job of providing regular software updates. So, it clearly would be possible to use a Shield TV for our in-car media center. And, I probably would use it if we wanted to support casual gaming in the back seat.

For this project, I selected a Mi Box because it was cheaper ($60 versus $180), smaller, and less of a concern in case of damage or theft. Like the Shield, it can use a USB 3.0 thumbdrive for removable storage. It has a simple Bluetooth remote control, so the settop box can be hidden away. A low profile HDMI cable is included.

Update: since I originally wrote this article, the Mi Box Android TV operating systems has been updated to v8.0 (“Oreo”). This update also appears to resolve both HDMI and WiFi issues that we experienced with v6.0.

Don’t get too excited about the Mi Box’s support for Ultra HD 4K because the Pilot’s display is limited to 720p input. The good news is that the Mi Box, like the Shield TV, supports hardware accelerated h.265 decoding. Therefore, you can save a significant amount of storage space by encoding your videos in h.265 at 720p resolution.

For transcoding, I recommend Handbrake with the H.265 MKV 720p30 preset.

 

Next, transfer your videos to an exFAT formatted, USB 3.0 thumbdrive and plug that into the Mi Box. I suggest a low profile USB 3.0 thumb drive to minimize the possibility of damage to either the drive or the Mi Box.

Then, install VLC, which is an excellent, open-source video player. If you enable the media library function, VLC will automatically index all videos on your thumbdrive. VLC also supports resume points, so our kids can continue where they left off in a movie between rest stops.

The Mi Box plugs into back AC outlet in our Honda Pilot. It switches on whenever the ignition is powered.1 I placed the Mi Box itself under the drivers’ seat (removed for the photo below). Then, I secured the HDMI and power cables with adhesive cable clips.

 

Updated on February 23rd, 2019