Develop Bugs

[Q] Snapdragon 8064 vs Amlogic S802 ?

Hi,
so question is:
(Fire TV) Snapdragon 8064 + Adreno 320 VS Amlogic S802 + Mali-450MP6 (Tronsmart Vega S89)
for 1080 TV?
which is better? support more video, audio formats?

EvgeniX said:
Hi,
so question is:
(Fire TV) Snapdragon 8064 + Adreno 320 VS Amlogic S802 + Mali-450MP6 (Tronsmart Vega S89)
for 1080 TV?
which is better? support more video, audio formats?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Going on past experience, not having used the Vega, I would say the Qualcom is the better processor. I consider the Amlogic processors great work horses. Not always the fastest but strong.

kairnage said:
Going on past experience, not having used the Vega, I would say the Qualcom is the better processor. I consider the Amlogic processors great work horses. Not always the fastest but strong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx!
still can not decide Fire TV or Vega... I think Fire TV will get more devs supports when rooted....

EvgeniX said:
Thx!
still can not decide Fire TV or Vega... I think Fire TV will get more devs supports when rooted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Vega seems a bit to spend $30 to $60 more just for 8GB more storage, but I am sure it will comes down. I was reading some stuff and even though benchmarks are not the be all end all it scores a lot lower, but that goes back to what I think about Amlogic processors. Honestly if both had been $99 I might have considered the Vega, but I have Prime so that would have tipped it.

kairnage said:
The Vega seems a bit to spend $30 to $60 more just for 8GB more storage, but I am sure it will comes down. I was reading some stuff and even though benchmarks are not the be all end all it scores a lot lower, but that goes back to what I think about Amlogic processors. Honestly if both had been $99 I might have considered the Vega, but I have Prime so that would have tipped it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vega 8gb = $105 or $114 with shipping
Vega 16gb = $120 or $128 with shipping
VS
Fire TV 8gb = $99
so not big difference... just what to get more power

Also one big plus of Vega - it has Miracast
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

EvgeniX said:
Vega 8gb = $105 or $114 with shipping
Vega 16gb = $120 or $128 with shipping
VS
Fire TV 8gb = $99
so not big difference... just what to get more power
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually hadn't seen an 8GB version only the 16.
---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:38 PM ----------
EvgeniX said:
Also one big plus of Vega - it has Miracast
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
koush ported Allcast to the Fire TV.

kairnage said:
koush ported Allcast to the Fire TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but it does not cast full screen... chrome... when miracast do and do this great...

EvgeniX said:
Hi,
so question is:
(Fire TV) Snapdragon 8064 + Adreno 320 VS Amlogic S802 + Mali-450MP6 (Tronsmart Vega S89)
for 1080 TV?
which is better? support more video, audio formats?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure about multimedia side of it, but the snapdragon definitely has the stronger gpu:
http://kyokojap.myweb.hinet.net/gpu_gflops/

EvgeniX said:
Thx!
still can not decide Fire TV or Vega... I think Fire TV will get more devs supports when rooted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
robclark said:
not sure about multimedia side of it, but the snapdragon definitely has the stronger gpu:
http://kyokojap.myweb.hinet.net/gpu_gflops/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tough times. I am a Minix Neo X7 owner, and if it wasnt to freaktab.com, it would end up being a useless box. I use a KitKat rom which has really revolutionized my Minix but nevertheless, i want to extend and upgrade
BUT...i have conditions. For as why? cause ive seen various devices that amazed me in something, and totally destroyed it with something else. Let me explain myself...
Geniatech has a box that can fit a 2.5/3.5 HDD with a Sata 3 controller, and even has an eSata interface, want the drawback? It runs Android 2.3
Ive seen devices with even analogue A/V output for old TV's (or ppl who prefer stereo over surround, like me), drawback, stupid manufacturers scared to release sources due to the competition in China not giving a damn of stealing.
not to mention rip offs, nearly all RK3188 use 802.11b/g/n chips. when you see 802.11n and no 802.11a, that means it is a draft 11n chip, DRAFT VERSION wifi chips, just amazing. Lately RK3188-T has been found, a locked CPU that does not offer more then 1.4ghz, yet they are sold as 1.6 ghz. and the best one, since we deal with unreleased sources, every time they release a new platform, the old one is totally ignored. At least phones are supported for up to 2-3 years, my Minix is not even a year old and as soon as X8 is out it will be forgotten. and we are talkin about Minix, the company that does the best community support, which is still BULL SH!T.
anyway, Fire TV is future proof as they have started on the right foot (especially by releasing sources), AMLogic just kicked RK3188 out of the game, nevertheless, RK3288 which is ringing the door bell is very powerful, featuring the best Mali GPU that seems to be used only by the RK3288 platform (something specifically done for RK, might end up causing headaches on the community) and even supports HDMI 2.0 which is a prerequisite if you are going for 4K.
This area of products is growing, and the manufacturers better listen to the feed back of the guinea pigs.
I would pay 200 Euros without hesitation if a device featured these as fundamental:
USB 3.0
Gigabit Ethernet
enough space to fit a 2.5" SSD or mSata/mPCIe so we can get rid of slow EMMCs
802.11 a/n/ac - b/g/n with at least 4 Antennas
i'd even go further with details such as dual hdmi/dp, or hdmi in (rk3288 has it), or multiple Ethernet ports. You'd have an Android Computer which acts as a HTPC and as a NAS as well and even as a Wireless Router and Switch.
PS, regarding the vega, s802 does not support DTS and DD, s802-h does, Minix X8 will be released with an elite version that beholds the new s802-h.

PlutoDelic said:
I would pay 200 Euros without hesitation if a device featured these as fundamental:
USB 3.0
Gigabit Ethernet
enough space to fit a 2.5" SSD or mSata/mPCIe so we can get rid of slow EMMCs
802.11 a/n/ac - b/g/n with at least 4 Antennas
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, if you are willing to make your own case, in return for having something that is completely unlocked
http://www.inforcecomputing.com/product/moreinfo/ifc6410.html
(basically same chip as in firetv, but ddr3 vs lpddr2, plus sata and gigabit ethernet)
of course, you are then DIY on the software front.. shouldn't be much of a problem if you just wanted xbmc.

robclark said:
well, if you are willing to make your own case, in return for having something that is completely unlocked
http://www.inforcecomputing.com/product/moreinfo/ifc6410.html
(basically same chip as in firetv, but ddr3 vs lpddr2, plus sata and gigabit ethernet)
of course, you are then DIY on the software front.. shouldn't be much of a problem if you just wanted xbmc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snapdragon 600, same chip as the one in Galaxy S4, that is powerful. Unfortunately anything that as to do with coding and electronics is above my scope of knowledge , it does look quite good this one. Above that, i dont use XBMC tbh and i use it as a Desktop Replacement Tool in combination with a LED TV and a Logitech k400 keyboard. Of course i dont do desktop-class processing, but it is enough for my needs to explore the internet, basically a basic computer .
ps, Fire TV has LPDDR2?

PlutoDelic said:
Snapdragon 600, same chip as the one in Galaxy S4, that is powerful. Unfortunately anything that as to do with coding and electronics is above my scope of knowledge , it does look quite good this one. Above that, i dont use XBMC tbh and i use it as a Desktop Replacement Tool in combination with a LED TV and a Logitech k400 keyboard. Of course i dont do desktop-class processing, but it is enough for my needs to explore the internet, basically a basic computer .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, fedora runs quite nicely on it: https://github.com/freedreno/freedreno/wiki/Fedora
(as would, I imagine, ubuntu/debian/gentoo/etc..)
PlutoDelic said:
ps, Fire TV has LPDDR2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, it has cell phone type low-power ddr stacked on top of the snapdragon 600, vs external DDR3 chips (which I assumed would be cheaper and sufficient since there isn't really a constraint on pcb size..)
but in the end, I guess the different memory won't make so much difference. The firetv does have larger emmc (iirc, ifc6410 was only 4G or 2G?), but that never bothered me as I just use a ssd harddrive anyways.

Why FTV and Not a 802 device
I been using different boxes like the Matricon and RK3188 based ones. Rockchip suck at video but Amlogic excel at video playback. The problem is buggy firmware and that my friends is what makes or breaks a device. I was looking into an S802 but the only worthy one seems to be the upcoming Minix 8 with S802-H. One thing I like about the Roku and FTV is how well they behave and I don't miss the buggy Chinese devices' firmware.
I own a FTV (living room), a Roku and a Chromecast (bedroom, Roku for almost everything and the Chromecast to stream XBMC from android using Moliplayer and Y2Cast free app). Even though Roku have a dual core, it kicks any other box including the FTV at handling video and working with Plex. If there was XBMC for Roku I would considered it the perfect box.
The FTV handles video very well but the user interface is not as smooth as the Roku. Plex sucks on the FTV but XBMC works great (I'm on 13.1 RC-1). Instead of using Plex on FTV I now access my WD My Cloud storage using XBMC via SMB and it works like a charm.
So in short, I will keep my FTV as I'm very pleased with it specially because of XBMC, except if in the future there is an XBMC channel for Roku (doubt it) then I will trade my FTV for another Roku.

Fire tv is it better then mini x8h?

Hi,
have the minix but not happy because some bugs, remote and the interface.
My main use is xbmc, will fire tv be as good or better ???

007xico said:
Hi,
have the minix but not happy because some bugs, remote and the interface.
My main use is xbmc, will fire tv be as good or better ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're VERY similar. Fire TV has some bugs, some quirks, and a pretty ineffective remote. The best XBMC is probably like a ECS LIVA mini-PC or a bay trail tablet (Dell venue 8 pro) which run full Linux or Windows with much greater speed and stability. An Intel X86 build is probably going to smoke any ARM+Android implementation.
That said, the Neo X8h and FireTV are probably about even for being the best XBMC ARM devices, in my opinion.

cmdrfrog said:
They're VERY similar. Fire TV has some bugs, some quirks, and a pretty ineffective remote. The best XBMC is probably like a ECS LIVA mini-PC or a bay trail tablet (Dell venue 8 pro) which run full Linux or Windows with much greater speed and stability. An Intel X86 build is probably going to smoke any ARM+Android implementation.
That said, the Neo X8h and FireTV are probably about even for being the best XBMC ARM devices, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying.
A quick question, do i need to be rooted to have xbmc?

007xico said:
Thanks for replying.
A quick question, do i need to be rooted to have xbmc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope. just need to sideload via ADB.

Root is only needed to make XBMC your default launcher at startup.
The mini x8h apparently has Mali,which is less bad than Fire TV's Qualcomm Adreno.
It also has higher standards for resolution than Fire TV. (I wish I had a mini x8h!)
Can mini x8h run Reicast without causing it to reboot?
Can it run any version of Dolphin Emulator? (It has KitKat 4.4,which means OpenGL ES 3.0 support)

retroben said:
Root is only needed to make XBMC your default launcher at startup.
The mini x8h apparently has Mali,which is less bad than Fire TV's Qualcomm Adreno.
It also has higher standards for resolution than Fire TV. (I wish I had a mini x8h!)
Can mini x8h run Reicast without causing it to reboot?
Can it run any version of Dolphin Emulator? (It has KitKat 4.4,which means OpenGL ES 3.0 support)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually the adreno 320 is better than the mali 450 in all tests
http://www.antutu.com/view.shtml?id=7356#2
http://kyokojap.myweb.hinet.net/gpu_gflops/
adreno 320 APQ8064T 400 MHz 86 gflops
vs
Mali-450 MP8 --- 600 MHz 71 gflops (thats if its using the best mali 450 processor)

You forget the main point.
Stability and compatibility is much better with Mali according to a Dolphin Emulator blog post.
https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2013/09/26/dolphin-emulator-and-opengl-drivers-hall-fameshame/
Qualcomm is deemed horrible while Mali is called bad,but can now actually run Dolphin Emulator because of driver workarounds.

I bought a Minix 8H and returned it 10 days later. The air mouse is a piece of junk which is what really attracted me to the unit to begin with. Their launcher is clunky and yes, you can go back to the default Android launcher, which I did. It just feels unfinished and unpolished. I know I could have customized it but I didnt pay that much for a box to re-invent the wheel.

MadFlava said:
I bought a Minix 8H and returned it 10 days later. The air mouse is a piece of junk which is what really attracted me to the unit to begin with. Their launcher is clunky and yes, you can go back to the default Android launcher, which I did. It just feels unfinished and unpolished. I know I could have customized it but I didnt pay that much for a box to re-invent the wheel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this^^^. plus you can snag an FireTV for $85 or less while the Minix 8 is like around $120ish I believe.

Well, im right now waiting for my minix8 to be delivered, which i ordered just two days before preorder launch of the atv here in germany.
I did some research beforehand and for my main use xbmc the minix seems to be best, as they are supplied with special minix versions of xmbc featuring a better mali hardware support.
But for a dicouted prime price of just €50 i ordered an atv as well
I only wonder if i should cancel the minix order and wait a month or two for my atv batch to arrive or go with both units and sell one later.

retroben said:
You forget the main point.
Stability and compatibility is much better with Mali according to a Dolphin Emulator blog post.
https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2013/09/26/dolphin-emulator-and-opengl-drivers-hall-fameshame/
Qualcomm is deemed horrible while Mali is called bad,but can now actually run Dolphin Emulator because of driver workarounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i had a rk3188, works ok but it always feels heavy and slow compared to my galaxy s2, galaxy s3 and firetv.
but i guess compatibility will be higher since mali is very widespread although i have yet to run something not compatible..

Anyone with a mini x8h please try out Dolphin and Reicast with any game like Luigi's Mansion on Dolphin,but specifically Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 on Reicast since they gave me the most trouble with reboots on my Fire TV.
I am curious if it does not reboot at all with Reicast and if Dolphin actually works since there is KitKat and OpenGL ES 3.0 support on mini x8h.

retroben said:
Anyone with a mini x8h please try out Dolphin and Reicast with any game like Luigi's Mansion on Dolphin,but specifically Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 on Reicast since they gave me the most trouble with reboots on my Fire TV.
I am curious if it does not reboot at all with Reicast and if Dolphin actually works since there is KitKat and OpenGL ES 3.0 support on mini x8h.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi retroben i bought a x8-h just for reicast and sa1 and sa2 run really good, no reboots only after applying beta 8 firmware and hardware guru's firmware patch. :good:

Did it have issues before patching?
Are you going to try Dolphin emulator to see if it even runs?
My Fire TV has started running at superb speed since I applied a certain UI tweak.
If you are reading this rbox,I can confirm that nothing bad has happenned since that forced GPU tweak,and I am hoping that you will tell others how to apply said tweak.

retroben said:
My Fire TV has started running at superb speed since I applied a certain UI tweak.
If you are reading this rbox,I can confirm that nothing bad has happenned since that forced GPU tweak,and I am hoping that you will tell others how to apply said tweak.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate on what the UI tweak is and does? I'm always looking for ways to improve the Fire TV experience.

Lol Rbox holding out on us

I have a MINIX X8-H, Minix Neo Z64 and the Fire TV. I have to say out of the three the Z64 is my favourite. It fixed some of the quarks that the X8-H had and is a lot more customizable than the Fire TV. I actually only use the Fire TV for games now. I just got tired of going to the systems pane to access my apps. In this regard both the Z64 and X8-H are much better. I also absolutely love the air mouse and keyboard remote, light years ahead of the Fire TV's remote. Anyway, grab the Z64, its defiantly the winner, you can also install Windows 8 or Linux, which the Fire TV can't do.

calden74 said:
I have a MINIX X8-H, Minix Neo Z64 and the Fire TV. I have to say out of the three the Z64 is my favourite. It fixed some of the quarks that the X8-H had and is a lot more customizable than the Fire TV. I actually only use the Fire TV for games now. I just got tired of going to the systems pane to access my apps. In this regard both the Z64 and X8-H are much better. I also absolutely love the air mouse and keyboard remote, light years ahead of the Fire TV's remote. Anyway, grab the Z64, its defiantly the winner, you can also install Windows 8 or Linux, which the Fire TV can't do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, it fixed some quarks? Far enough, I'm in!
Seriously though, the Chinese boxes look tempting but their support is somewhat lacking. They move to a new model and abandon the last, bugs and all are left unfixed and you are relying on enthusiasts to make them usable. Also, look at the price difference, in Europe the Z64 is 50% more expensive than an AFTV.

the_chinaman said:
Wow, it fixed some quarks? Far enough, I'm in!
Seriously though, the Chinese boxes look tempting but their support is somewhat lacking. They move to a new model and abandon the last, bugs and all are left unfixed and you are relying on enthusiasts to make them usable. Also, look at the price difference, in Europe the Z64 is 50% more expensive than an AFTV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but your also getting a lot more, specifically, a customizable UI, which is, to me anyway, worth every penny. I got absolutely sick of having to go to the System menu to access my side loaded apps. There is also a plethora of ports, another area in which the Fire TV falls extremely short. Each to his own tbough but I guarantee that you'll be a lot more happier with the MINIX than the Fire TV. The Fire TV is still better than the Apple TV though, I'm actually dumbfounded as to why people by that thing, just a horribly inadequate TV set box. Oooohhh we now have HBO, says the bloggers on Apple extremist sites, yeah, well I've had it since its incarnation with my MINIX and Fire TV.

23.976/24 fps Support

I just saw this on another forum:
....You are limited to 24, 50 and 60Hz Output refresh rates with AMlogic and Rockchip devices. 60Hz only on the Amazon Fire TV + Stick and even the new NVIDIA Shield believe it or not. Although Frame rate switching is a built in feature of the new Android 5.0 Lollipop OS
In Kodi 15.0 Isengard – Beta 2 - they have a new option:
Refresh rate switching and 4K Playback on Android - One of the limitations of the Android platforms always was that it wasn’t capable of switching your screen to the same refresh-rate as the current playing video. This could cause a slight video stutter occasionally as video frames had to be duplicated to keep audio in sync. Since Android 5.0 there’s at least a way to set the preferred refresh-rate of the video output that could solve several of these problems.
Can I assume that the AFTV still doesn't support (hardware limitation) 23.976/24fps or has it been or can it be added?
If not mines going straight back - I'll just refuse delivery - as all my files are 23.976fps which my WDTV Live plays fine and has done for the last 5 years.
I can't stand the stutter when playback of source material is different from the encoded frame rate.
Fingers crossed... the AFTV looked perfect apart from that LITTLE problem....
Strange thing is there are hardly any posts about this - so either people don't notice the stutter or are putting up with it. Very strange.

24fps videos will stutter on the FTV, output is either 50hz or 60hz. Many people won't notice or modern TV will somewhat compensate. I think it is terrible. As u mentioned, starting android 5, it is possible in theory. I doubt that amazon will update from KK to LP

shaksbeer said:
24fps videos will stutter on the FTV, output is either 50hz or 60hz. Many people won't notice or modern TV will somewhat compensate. I think it is terrible. As u mentioned, starting android 5, it is possible in theory. I doubt that amazon will update from KK to LP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Fire TV does not run KitKat, it runs Jellybean. Hopefully the will update to KitKat soon.

porkenhimer said:
The Fire TV does not run KitKat, it runs Jellybean. Hopefully the will update to KitKat soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct, sorry for that.
But good news, Android 5 is coming! https://developer.amazon.com/public...10/Announcing-the-Fire-OS-5-Developer-Preview
Hopes up ?!

Her'e's the relevant part of the article:
"June 19, 2015
Mike Hines
Annoucements, Fire Tablets
Starting today, developers have the opportunity to participate in a Developer Preview of Fire OS 5, the next generation Android-based operating system that powers Fire tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. And because Fire OS 5 is based on Android Lollipop, we can make this update while preserving even more compatibility with existing Android apps than ever before. This means that even more of your apps should work on Fire devices with no additional engineering effort. "

So does this mean if it gets OS 5 based on Lollipop, that the 24fps frame rate playback will be an option or is it impossible due to the hardware limitations of the chip used in the Amazon Fire TV?
System on Chip (SoC) Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon ARMv7
CPU Qualcomm Quad Core Krait 300, up to 1.7 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache (APQ8064)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 320, 400 MHz
PS I have the AFTV sitting here next to me all nicely wrapped up (delivered to my neighbour so couldn't refuse delivery) - but if 24fps is going to be supported I will hold onto it! If not it's going back on Monday. :0

shaksbeer said:
correct, sorry for that.
But good news, Android 5 is coming! https://developer.amazon.com/public...10/Announcing-the-Fire-OS-5-Developer-Preview
Hopes up ?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not good news at all. The Fire TV is still running Fire OS 3 and the Fire Tabets have been running Android 4.4 for 8 months, so if thats any indication, it will be a very very long time before the Fire TV is running Android Lollipop. The Fire TV has continued to run Jellybean for 8 months while the Fire tablet has been running KitKat, so expect the same after Lollipop is released for the tablets. Around a year after the Fire Tablet gets Fire OS 5 then the Fire TV should be getting it. Even the Fire Phone has been running KitKat for two months. Its clear that Amazon sees the Fire Tablet and Fire Phone as being more important that the fire TV, which is understandable, because they are mobile and can be used anywhere. I think thats the same reason why Apple said the Apple TV was just a hobby, cause it can be used in your home or a hotel room, while the iphone and ipad could be used everywhere. So like I said, if the past is an indication, which in most cases is, the Fire TV being upgraded to Fire OS 5 is a long way off.

Thinking of getting Fire TV Stick

Stationed overseas, looking at buying a FireTV Stick to run Kodi and other apps on it.
What are the pro's and con's of it?
What apps should I install on it?
I have a ton of movies/tv shows, could I stream from my iMac to it? (This isn't needed to much)
I've had Kodi before on my devices, so figured a FireTV Stick would be a cheap alternative to have it on my Sharp Smart TV.

May be as you said, FireTV Stick would be a cheap alternative, but if you have the extra money, the FireTV BOX is always the best solution, because it is faster, have USB Port and more memory, that can be expanded with memory stick (on the 1st Gen.) or use Micro USB Cards (on the 2nd Gen.), to move some some data of the installed APPs...
I am the owner of: 2 FireTV Sticks and 2 FireTV Units (1st Gen. and also 2nd Gen.), and I really think that you should better consider to get the Fire-TV BOX instead of the Stick, because I started using my FireTV Stick for KODI, and I was forced to rapidly change, and I had to decide to install KODI and TVMC on my FireTV BOX, because the FireTV Stick was too Slow and was not enough to handle KODI!
So, I although the processing power and the memory of the FireTV Stick are too limited, it can run programs like: KODI, TVMC, SPMC and XBMC, but all of them always will run very slow and with lags...
I don't want to force you to buy the FireTV BOX version, but when the BOX and STICK are compared, you immediately notice a very big difference in speed between these two models and then will understand why the FireTV it's cheaper!
I think that you should wait a little, because it could be possibly that Amazon will offer some kind of discount or special price for all FireTV products, in the next coming months...
I really hope this information could help you to make a good decision!

I have a fire tv stick and like you I find it slow to handle kodi, I want to confirm if Amazon improved the specs on the new fire tv stick 2015?
I really want to update to a newer model with better specs but don't want to invest in a fire tv yet.

What is your budget and goals? Do you plan to use other streaming services such as Amazon instant video or Netflix or Hulu? How do you feel about installing Plex server on your iMac?
Kodi can be a bit of a resource hog for a device like the (original) FireTV stick, but I find that Plex runs just fine. I gave my FTV stick to my parents and set it up so they have access to my Plex server over the internet and their crappy DSL and it's great. Netflix and Hulu also work just fine. A FireTV is a step up for sure, and a nVidia Shield Android TV is an even bigger performance boost that will also get you into console quality gaming.

Hello Silenus21,
I am not fully sure because Amazon has not released yet the FireTV (2015) with the New Voice Remote yet, but I think that Amazon has Not improved the hardware specs on the new FireTV Stick (2015), only difference is that now it came with the new WIFI Remote and Also FireOS-5, that supposedly all FireTV Sticks are going to receive it today October 22nd!...
http://www.aftvnews.com/fire-tv-stick-may-receive-update-to-fire-os-5-tomorrow-october-22nd/
However, I thought that you would like to know, that Amazon has delayed all orders for the Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote bundle, and that will Give a $10 Credit to all customers who ordered the new Stick bundle:
http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-dela...ick-with-voice-remote-bundle-gives-10-credit/
Edit:
Unfortunately it Seems that today again Amazon has now changed their FireOS-5 release date to the 13th November!

I have 2 sticks and I spent a couple of weeks with a box (gen1) setting it up for someone else:
- The box is excellent, I think the best set top box on the market, especially for $100.
- The stick is good, and unbeatable for $40.
For me, the stick has two drawbacks and one important quirk:
- Wireless only can be a problem. Personally I was impressed by the wireless strength, but you want to make sure you have a decent signal wherever you are going to place the stick. For reference, I was getting ~18Mbps with a FTV stick vs mid-20Mbps with an Android box vs. mid-30Mbps with a FTV box (2.4G wireless n).
- No USB port means (1) no way to play local media except through your network, via wireless, so you're back to the importance of the wireless signal, and (2) no way to connect an average air-mouse, so you have to go through hoops a little if you want to use apps like Showbox or Movie HD (Plex and Kodi both work fine with the standard remote). To get around (2), there are bluetooth air-mice (relatively expensive), bluetooth touchpads (not my favorite), and Mouse Toggle for FireTV (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluxii.android.mousetoggleforfiretv), which I haven't tried yet.
- The quirk is, don't plug the stick into a surge protector. Two different sticks, plugged into two different surge protectors, ran like crap for me. Each of them when plugged directly into an outlet or a standard extension cord were just fine, responsive enough to make me happy and running Kodi with no issues.
In terms of use (of either the stick or the box):
- Kodi is a one-stop-shop for access to local media (if it's in a shared folder on your PC) and nearly unlimited media streaming from the internet. Personally, I don't like the way many addons require you to manually check one source at a time to see which will play effectively.
- Plex is very god for local media (requires you to run Plex Media Server on your PC in parallel) and ok for internet media streaming.
- Showbox and Movie HD are excellent for internet media streaming, better than Kodi in my opinion but not with the same breadth of content, and they will not function with only the standard remote.
- Firestarter is a must-have to access your non-Amazon Appstore apps.
- Curnchyroll works well, with the standard remote

Thank you, I'll hold off for now I suppose. ****ty part about holding off though is Amazon doesn't ship FireTV outside the US, so I'd have to wait until I'm stateside again or mail it to a family member and they can mail it to me.

I have Amazon Prime, so I'll be using that along with Kodi for movies/tv as well.
I can set up a Plex server on my iMac, I've done it before but ran into issues of using the DLNA on my Smart TV. But shouldn't Xbox One see the Plex server?
Reason for wanting to use Kodi is for the streaming add-on's for TV. Being in Europe, we don't get to many US channels.

What features make the shield better than $50 android boxes?

Before anyone says game streaming I wanted to know if there was any other features that I should consider when deciding over a cheap android box and the shield. I owned a cheap android box for 2 years and it was really good but it was slow and never got updates but kodi worked perfectly until 17 update, but it's hard justifying a $300 price tag for the 16gb over $50 for the cheap one.

1. CPU performance, much faster then any s912, especially it have active cooling make it can keep in full speed, if you use any old amlogic box you will know you just can't decode any 1080 hi10p due to either the HW decoder not support or CPU not fast enough for SW decode. The shield can do it by CPU with 50-70%cpu usage max. Also although newer amlogic such as S912 support h265 but it is very buggy, the shield TV on the other hand is very stable.
2. For Android gaming I don't think you can find any android box in this size/price can better then it. Sure you can get a x86 box but that will much more expensive and larger.
3. Support 1080 ycbcr 422 12bit , I don't have 4K so dunno what is support, but as I remember there are no other cheap android box will support this output. (Sure you will need to take care the HDMI version mismatch problem if you got AVR)
If you will not use Plex and don't need IR then I suggest you just get the 16GB version, by the way I attach a 128GB USB stick to store my mame rom, much faster then hdd version.
Previous I use mi box and some other android box, but I can say shield TV is the most problem free and the fastest one for me.

$50 android boxes are junk, period. These things should be illegal to sell in USA. The manufactures are horrible at support & you never get updates. The only time a cheap android box is worth buying is if there are active private developers. Here's where the price difference matters, your $50 box lasted you 2 years. I've had my shield tv for almost 2 years & my guess is it'll still be alive & kicking in 10 years & still be my main media center. The shield tv was released as a future proof device, meaning it has a long life span while the $50 junk boxes have a very short limited life span hardware & software wise, you'll be replacing these types of boxes every 2 years.

Since when was the 16GB version $300?!

What feature(s)?!
In One Word... Widevine L(evel)1 support. (Ok tht was Two Words, whatever...)
Why is this a big deal? In Two Words this time. Amazon, and Netflix. In full UHD, let alone FHD. Your ~50$ 'Droid Box most likely will never have it. The only exception to that rule would be the Xaiomi Mi Box. Which like the Shield TV is a licenced AndroidTV Box. Which is based on the well known AmLogic S905 SoC. I have no ideas on how, or if Amazon will ever be ported to it. For now I gather it's a bit of a Shield exclusive. But, Netflix should be fine, along with the other usual suspects.
There is also the Gaming, and Emulation side of the Device, that puts it well ahead of the competition. With its small but exclusive Titles under the nVIDIA Lightspeed Studios. But, that may not be enough to convince a mass take up of it considering the initial cost.
If all you need is a cheap Kodi Box than by all means. You could pick one up, and gamble that you get a working one. Note I got burnt TWICE with an AmLogic S912 SoC Device. The first One cooked itself, while using Chrome, and the Second came with a defective WiFi Chip. So you take your chances with an unknown when buying One of these Devices.
When it comes to Updates, you'd be lucky to see a few Bug fixes before whoever's in charge gets bored, and moves on. nVIDIA have been supporting the Shield TV since it came out in 2015, and they will probably still be supporting it for a while yet with the 2017 version.
One last thing you might like to know about Kodi, and these Cheapo Boxes. Unless those Manufactures get off their​ butts, and code their CODECs to Android spec. Kodi will only ever function in Software mode only. Which will have a major impact on Video performance. Alas I don't know if the Mi Box also has that problem. Given its a specialized AmLogic build, perhaps not? But, a native Netflix App does not a Kodi make.
Of course there is One other thing that separates both the Shield TV, and the Mi Box. (Which I hinted at earlier.)
They are both Licenced AndroidTV units. And, in case that isn't quite clear to you. Then a word of caution to you. AndroidTV​ ≠ Android (e.g. Some generic 'Droid Box.), You should expect to see virtually nothing in the (AndroidTV), PlayStore. Certainly nothing like what most People probably imagine, after getting off the PlayStore on their Samsung Phablet. And, you can thank Google for that!
se1000 said:
Since when was the 16GB version $300?!
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Probably since nVIDIA weren't able to meet the demand for the Device which drove Scalpers to scalp it along with the Pro for Upwards of 600€'s, and no I wish I was making that up. The only time the Shield came down to reasonable levels, was just before they announced the Shield 2 (a.k.a. The Shield TV Slim), which was rightly rejected by those who already had a Shield. Seeing that I was able to get a used '15 Pro for 'round 200€ back in January. Good luck finding one now, for that price. If I wanted to spend nearly 300€ on a used One. I would rather just buy the new '17 Model for a fraction more. (i.e. 329€).

Ichijoe said:
What feature(s)?!
One last thing you might like to know about Kodi, and these Cheapo Boxes. Unless those Manufactures get off their​ butts, and code their CODECs to Android spec. Kodi will only ever function in Software mode only. Which will have a major impact on Video performance. Alas I don't know if the Mi Box also has that problem. Given its a specialized AmLogic build, perhaps not? But, a native Netflix App does not a Kodi make.
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You are correct on this, most cheap android box had broken mediacodec support, as KODI remove the amcodec support so either 1. switch to old version/spmc which have amcode, 2. SW decode, but the cpu not fast enough most of the time.
the google version of mi box's mediacodec are ok, but it still cannot hw decode hi10p (main reason I switch from mi box to shield tv)

DummyPLUG said:
You are correct on this, most cheap android box had broken mediacodec support, as KODI remove the amcodec support so either 1. switch to old version/spmc which have amcode, 2. SW decode, but the cpu not fast enough most of the time.
the google version of mi box's mediacodec are ok, but it still cannot hw decode hi10p (main reason I switch from mi box to shield tv)
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Outside of actively getting off my [REDACTED] to search for some hi10p Materials, back when I was still knee deep in Linux VDR (i.e. HTPC). The chances of actually encountering anything actually encoded at 10bits is extremely rare. And I do likes me some KissAnime. So I would chalk it down as a nice to have feature, and not the Killer One, that Widevine Level 1 is. As only the Select TVs running ATV, or the MiBox, and Shield TV are capable of such high end DRMs, for legaly being able to watch Netflix in either FHD, or UHD.
Since those other Boxes only have Widevine Level 3. You'd be lucky to watch Netflix in 480p MAX!
So for me that's a bigger deal going forward. Mores the pitty that the MiBox is virtually useless outside of North America though.

Not going into hard core comparison as far as audio support and video support but just general laymen comparison.
As reference current devices I own a A95x cheap android box, Fire TV Sticks, Nexus Players and 2nd Gen Fire TV, Roku2, Shield TV Gen 1
1. Performance - I didn't think the difference would be that huge since I mainly just use streaming services and apps like Netflix and Kodi to name a few but it's noticeable even in just those two areas. My FTV2 was snappy I thought compared to my other devices but the Shield just Launches apps quicker and goes through local and internet streams a lot smoother. Not a gamer but I have used them and let kids use them to try games and again just performance is amazing.
2. Ease of use my gripe with the a95x cheapo is It was IR remote and the interface just sucked. FTV2 and FTV sticks had their own interface over Lollipop and this too I am not a big fan of. Nexus Player and Shield TV are very straightforward and use the Leanback Launcher IMO easier to use and get google play store unlike Amazons offerings.
3. You get what you pay for. It's an investment that hopefully it will last. Performance wise I'm not worried about having to get a new box for a while now. Also the build and the remotes just are more appealing with the metal finish and all and they are rechargeable (yes the drawback is it's not replaceable batteries). It's running official Android TV yes the Playstore is limited for TV devices but for average user that doesn't want to side load and just works great out of the box it's perfect.
If cost is an issue like it was for me just wait for a deal or find one used if you're willing to take the chance. I just got my 1st gen Shield 2 weeks ago because I bought it used for $120 and had I tested it beforehand I never would have bought my a95x, fire tv sticks. I am happy with the Nexus Players I scored those for $40 but it's discontinued and my FTV2 but the Shield TV kicked those devices out of the family room and now those are in mine and kids bedrooms.
If performance isn't a huge deal then I wouldn't upgrade. If it is but cost still too high there are alternatives Fire TV (Just ew Amazon interface) and Nexus Player (Discontinued) or Mi box (Owned for a month and returned it performance wasn't as good as Nexus Player).

I have 2 fire sticks, a firetv box, and the new version of the shield TV. The shield is fast and responsive, but I don't think its performance justifies the price. If you not going for game steaming... I would just use a firetv box. Kodi performance is on par.
Here is my problem with the shield TV. Ram. For its price point I would expect 4gb of ram. This was a huge mistake I feel when they released the new version.
Don't get me wrong, I love my shield but if I didn't get mine for 175 with a deal, I would have not got it.

I couldn't disagree more with the majority of what's been said. It is true that the shield is an investment. It's worth it in the long run to get a shield. Talks of "4gb of ram" are comical at best. You want 4gb of ram buy a jetson tx1 for $500+ The point is, 4gb of ram isn't required when you have a constant power source. Take the Nintendo switch for example, yea sure it's basically a jetson tx1 (4gb ram) but clocked at a much lower speed to run on battery.

I would say it depends greatly upon how you want to come to the Shield TV. If your looking at it as just another in a long line of 'Droid Boxen, then that is how you will see it. If your like me, and your coming in from the huge running costs of an HTPC, with VDR Recording capabilities. Then the Shield becomes self-evident. As it can do those same jobs in a much tighter Footprint, and use just a microfraction of the Electricity to do it. Everything else is just a nice bonus. e.g. The Games, Emulations, Android itself.
So no Op is correct the Shield TV isn't the right answer for everyone. If for example Op wanted just the cheapest Box to do the most basic streaming (Amazon, Hulu, Netflix HBO Go, etc....), Then the Amazon Fire TV, would be right up his street. But IIRC, that only had 2GB of RAM, not that you would need it.

Also, if you want extra storage, you're better off getting the 16GB model and adding an external HDD. The way Nvidia set up the Pro model is kinda dumb - everything (including the system ROM) runs on the HDD, not flash, so it's really slow. It's also not user-replaceable without voiding the warranty and a lot of hassle. 4 TB portable drives are a bit over $100, so you can get a lot more storage for almost the same price.

Mogster2K said:
Also, if you want extra storage, you're better off getting the 16GB model and adding an external HDD. The way Nvidia set up the Pro model is kinda dumb - everything (including the system ROM) runs on the HDD, not flash, so it's really slow. It's also not user-replaceable without voiding the warranty and a lot of hassle. 4 TB portable drives are a bit over $100, so you can get a lot more storage for almost the same price.
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That might be true... But it's not like you couldn't just clone the contents of the Original SSHD, and then write that to the heavier, faster SSD. There are at least Two Threads on that subject, that I'm personally aware of. As to it being slower? That only applies when doing things like unlocking the Bootloader (a precursor to rooting), or factory resetting​ it where in both cases it'll take the best part of 2h to complete. Under day to day use However, I greatly doubt there is any major difference in the overall speed.
Also the newer Slim (and, light) Shield TV, also lack a few things, like the IR Port (for Harmony Remotes), and the OTG MicroUSB Port, and worse of all the MicroSD Slot.
Also one thing about Adopted Storage, e.g. adding external Storage. Just because you could add a 4TB SS/H/DD, doesn't give you licence to go 'round installing everything to your heart's content as not everything will be installed to External (Adopted), Storage and you will most likely be scratching your head about not having enough Space to install some Game even if you have the best part of 4+ GBs left inside in your External Storage. Just the way it is on my Phablet alas Adopted Storage is kind of a lie. As I see it.

If you replace the Pro HDD with an SSD, you're paying $100 just for the hard drive bay. (Edit: I did not realize the Pro hardware was basically unchanged.) Also, I would not recommend using an HDD as adopted storage anyway. Better to leave it as NTFS since Android network transfers are so slow.
Finally, it is possible to boot the Shield TV from an external SSD. You need a special boot image (MM only unfortunately) and an SSD in a USB enclosure. It's a bit tricky to set up but works pretty well. A Nougat version is in the works.

Ichijoe said:
That might be true... But it's not like you couldn't just clone the contents of the Original SSHD, and then write that to the heavier, faster SSD. There are at least Two Threads on that subject, that I'm personally aware of. As to it being slower? That only applies when doing things like unlocking the Bootloader (a precursor to rooting), or factory resetting​ it where in both cases it'll take the best part of 2h to complete. Under day to day use However, I greatly doubt there is any major difference in the overall speed.
Also the newer Slim (and, light) Shield TV, also lack a few things, like the IR Port (for Harmony Remotes), and the OTG MicroUSB Port, and worse of all the MicroSD Slot.
Also one thing about Adopted Storage, e.g. adding external Storage. Just because you could add a 4TB SS/H/DD, doesn't give you licence to go 'round installing everything to your heart's content as not everything will be installed to External (Adopted), Storage and you will most likely be scratching your head about not having enough Space to install some Game even if you have the best part of 4+ GBs left inside in your External Storage. Just the way it is on my Phablet alas Adopted Storage is kind of a lie. As I see it.
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Try enable force app install on external in developer options, I had no problem to save everything to my USB.