Hi- I have seen a variety of Android TV boxes, running from $25 or so up to $100 or so (rough numbers.)
Does anybody here have any experience with this type of product? What should somebody look for? I know the more the cost, typically the more memory, or perhaps more features, or maybe faster processor is included. But, is there much benefit to those?
Anyway- just considering getting one of the lower end ones to play with. Our TV isn’t one of the newer 4K types, so that isn’t a factor at this time.
I have several tv boxes and SBCs that run similar software. Basically, you need to find out what your goal is with these boxes - do you want to play games? Stream from local NAS? Use Kodi? Share /present pictures? All of these boxes can do these things but the result might not be the same.
example:
bought a 4K box from an Asian shipper and hooked it up. The screen shows up but there is a flicker every once in a while. Only in 4K mode, not anywhere else. Did all kinds of research and this box has a cheaper DSP that does this on specific TV sets (here: Samsung). 4K is not possible on this box and this TV set.
Other boxes have software errors like Google Play Store won’t open up. Some are incompatible with Netflix or similar streaming solutions.
Oh, and most TV boxes will not have a software update, like, ever.
There are tons of forums out there that will explain which boxes are highly regarded and which ones are trouble.
The most important factor for me was RAM and a fast EMMC, plus all the connectors I needed. HDMI has so many different features now that you’d have to see which one is the best fit. In the lower price region I would just look for the best you can get.
My $13 Gearbest box was amazing back in the day (Nexbox N9 after points).
In my opinion, whatever you get make sure it has at least 2gb of system RAM, not storage (I say that because a LOT of people don’t know anything about tech and don’t know the difference - it is not meant to offend)
Having 2gb over 1gb will help it run better, certainly if you start putting lots of apps etc on it.
I don’t even use mine any more, it got to be too much hassle.
I owned several android tv boxes the last couple of years, until I finally decided to get an apple tv. Unless you want to support piracy and watch free movies on kodi and such, or offline content from local storage, you will do much better with a chromecast ultra, apple tv or even upgrading to a smart TV. the UI in these android box are very dodgy and often suffer from software bugs.
Not to mention the controller looks and feels cheap and using a mouse/keyboard option isn’t always the most convenient in front of a TV.
Just my personal experience, but my needs for streaming are very light, just netflix and amazon prime video.
I have an Nvidia Shield under Android for some years now, and it is still fantastic ! :sunglasses:
New software updates arrive often.
It is connected via ethernet to my home LAN / Orange fiber box and to a file server.
It works also fine with my Amazon-Prime account .
Previously, i was using an HTPC from 2008, and that Shield box just replaced it and extended its capabilities…while being smaller that a PC-DVD player.
That Shield is maybe my best IT buy ever.
The NVidia shield is a great device, I tested it a while ago and was blown away. But it also costs about 10-times as much as a regular TV box.
Another option for OP could be a SBC, I once bought an OrangePi on sale (gearbest) for 6 bucks. add the power source, the SD card and you have a working OSMC unit (not the fastest, but it works and it can be updated, can also be used for other things if you don’t like it).
Think twice before you take high moral ground (together with World’s most capitalized business entity!)…against an individual in , say, Ethiopia or Bangladesh, a member in BLF, just like you are
Without the lawyers and the sheer horsepower, are you sure Apple would not be indicted with piracy?
Seeing the piracy as a black and white sort of matter is a sign of…something
Not sure where you want to get but, most popular kodi plug ins are piracy related, and lots of people get android tv boxes to install kodi. I talked about cons and pros of android tv box vs apple tv and chromecast, I’m not here to discuss moral, and am most probably unable to point where Ethiopia or Bangladesh is on a map.
Fair enough, but by buying into the official line and notions of the buzzword piracy, you definitely take high moral ground, indirectly
peace all the best
You see, without what some people see as piracy, some other people would not be able to see certain content at all, simply because they cannot afford it
Simple as that
Further, what is considered illegal in US (where most of the content comes from presumably), is actually perfectly legal in some other parts of the World, believe it or not
People from such places could argue that no one asked them to establish the WTO the way it is established, that on US (special interest sponsored) laws in US they have no influence and so on…
