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.
Related
I currently use a jailbroken AppleTV 2 for 2 purposes - streaming media off my NAS device through XBMC, and watching Netflix. That is it.
Is XBMC for FireTV yet stable enough to replace my AppleTV? A jailbroken Apple TV 2 still goes for $150-$250 on eBay so I could even turn a profit if I switch to FireTV, plus I would have access to more apps.
Yes it is a complete replacement solution, also you get full 1080p
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Free mobile app
martyxng said:
I currently use a jailbroken AppleTV 2 for 2 purposes - streaming media off my NAS device through XBMC, and watching Netflix. That is it.
Is XBMC for FireTV yet stable enough to replace my AppleTV? A jailbroken Apple TV 2 still goes for $150-$250 on eBay so I could even turn a profit if I switch to FireTV, plus I would have access to more apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. You might also want to look at a blu ray player - many of the smart players can read SMB or NFS shares and have Netflix and other stuff baked in, and then you get a movie and music transport for physical media, too. You do need to shop carefully for them - the codec support in some dvd players isn't great, and some are dlna-only.
The fireTV has pretty good codec support in XBMC, basically as good as the WDTV live plus box it replaces for me - the WD was solid but was never going to get Prime and I wanted the flexibility of having Prime as well.
yes, i sold my apple tv 2.
the atv2 is very low compared to Fire TV
I sold my Jailbroken ATV2 on eBay for about $225 about a month ago and got a FireTV instead. Loving it!
Yep, sold mine also. Realise the value of it now. Far superior. I'm running a heavy skin on XBMC (Aeon Nox 4.1.9) and it zips through everything, no crashes.
Cool. Thanks a lot guys! Looks like there is no reason for me not to sell my Apple TV at a PROFIT after several years, and get a brand new device for FREE! I just ordered a Fire TV.
Yes, I am selling mine having test the Fire TV for a few weeks.
Steve
Hi all,
I got my Amazon Fire TV a few days ago, and have sideloaded XBMC for media playback. Although I was ideally looking to do that via USB, until there's a root method for the latest UK firmware, streaming will have to do, I guess.
However, the issue I am having is with playback quality. I do not know if this is down to XBMC/Kodi or AFTV, but videos are not as smooth and lovely as they are when played directly via my TV's USB port. Even my TV is not as good as my previous device, which was a Sony DVR. It had the MOST wonderful video playback, with beautiful colours, perfect balance and no noise. It failed, so I started using my TV's USB port. Video quality is not as good - it's slightly grainer, a bit overexposed.
I got Amazon Fire TV because I was expecting something better than what my almost 4 year old Samsung TV can do. All those extra bells and whistles are fine, but playback quality is THE most crucial thing for me. I am not an expert, and I do not know if Sony and Samsung have some state-of-the art upscaling, but I'm baffled that a quad-core device with a dedicated GPU is worse than both of them. Playback via XBMC is just a huge let-down.
Am I doing something wrong? Is it supposed to be like this? Am I expecting too much? Are there any settings I can try?
I'd love to hear what you all think!
Lisali said:
Hi all,
I got my Amazon Fire TV a few days ago, and have sideloaded XBMC for media playback. Although I was ideally looking to do that via USB, until there's a root method for the latest UK firmware, streaming will have to do, I guess.
However, the issue I am having is with playback quality. I do not know if this is down to XBMC/Kodi or AFTV, but videos are not as smooth and lovely as they are when played directly via my TV's USB port. Even my TV is not as good as my previous device, which was a Sony DVR. It had the MOST wonderful video playback, with beautiful colours, perfect balance and no noise. It failed, so I started using my TV's USB port. Video quality is not as good - it's slightly grainer, a bit overexposed.
I got Amazon Fire TV because I was expecting something better than what my almost 4 year old Samsung TV can do. All those extra bells and whistles are fine, but playback quality is THE most crucial thing for me. I am not an expert, and I do not know if Sony and Samsung have some state-of-the art upscaling, but I'm baffled that a quad-core device with a dedicated GPU is worse than both of them. Playback via XBMC is just a huge let-down.
Am I doing something wrong? Is it supposed to be like this? Am I expecting too much? Are there any settings I can try?
I'd love to hear what you all think!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having no idea what you are trying to play, what it's resolution is, what it's codec is, etc, makes it hard for anyone to say. My AFTV (rooted) with Kodi plays videos great. Everything is looking like it should, whether it's old doctor who episodes in divx, latest 720p TV releases, or 1080p movies. Previously I was watching stuff via a computer connected by a dvi- 15p vga connection. Both connections at 1080p on the TV.
And yes it is possible that your TV has a hardware upscaler that does a better job then software. If you usb tv thingy is connecting at a lower resolution then your AFTV then upscaler could play a factor. There is a post about how to change the resolution of what your AFTV connects at.
nyder said:
Having no idea what you are trying to play, what it's resolution is, what it's codec is, etc, makes it hard for anyone to say. My AFTV (rooted) with Kodi plays videos great. Everything is looking like it should, whether it's old doctor who episodes in divx, latest 720p TV releases, or 1080p movies. Previously I was watching stuff via a computer connected by a dvi- 15p vga connection. Both connections at 1080p on the TV.
And yes it is possible that your TV has a hardware upscaler that does a better job then software. If you usb tv thingy is connecting at a lower resolution then your AFTV then upscaler could play a factor. There is a post about how to change the resolution of what your AFTV connects at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi nyder,
Thanks so much for your response!
I play a variety of files, but mostly mp4 in SD and MKV in 720p. 720p an above looks OK - not as good as the TV's USB or Sony, but the biggest difference is with SD mp4 files. They look noticeably worse - oversaturated, overexposed, blocky, with artefacts.
Thanks for the tip about changing the AFTV resolution. I tried that, but it did not help. Hmm...What can I do now? Shall I try something else or look for another device?
Thank you!
Lisali said:
Hi nyder,
Thanks so much for your response!
I play a variety of files, but mostly mp4 in SD and MKV in 720p. 720p an above looks OK - not as good as the TV's USB or Sony, but the biggest difference is with SD mp4 files. They look noticeably worse - oversaturated, overexposed, blocky, with artefacts.
Thanks for the tip about changing the AFTV resolution. I tried that, but it did not help. Hmm...What can I do now? Shall I try something else or look for another device?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am new to UK fire tv but I have to say I have tried a few 1080p dd5.1 H264 and so far all looks very nice streaming localy
using xbmc-13.2-Gotham-armeabi-v7a kicked off from newest plex app
madusmacus said:
I am new to UK fire tv but I have to say I have tried a few 1080p dd5.1 H264 and so far all looks very nice streaming localy
using xbmc-13.2-Gotham-armeabi-v7a kicked off from newest plex app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you enjoying your device?
Yes - that seems to be the case. 1080p will look fine, but SD files look awful.
Lisali said:
How are you enjoying your device?
Yes - that seems to be the case. 1080p will look fine, but SD files look awful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Took me a few days to get past all the "you cant root this version" nonsense its OK now :¬)
I have firedtv and I used llama to make the old Plex app launch the new Plex app (sideloaded) and
I use air buddy to launch xbms as it detects its sideloaded and gives you a laod button :¬)
Its definatly a mark up from my old jailbroken ATV 2 - (RIP) - :¬)
Only bad thing its for me DD5.1 definatly does NOT WORK over HDMI (Netflix and amazon prime)
Fixed by buying optical cables - it its a real pain duplicating cables - grrr
XBMC of course works over either HDMI or OPTICAL
I am guessing this problem is UK version or a new firmware NERF they have done to ruin peoples life for a laugh and then buy optical cables from amazon :¬):¬):¬).
madusmacus said:
Took me a few days to get past all the "you cant root this version" nonsense its OK now :¬)
I have firedtv and I used llama to make the old Plex app launch the new Plex app (sideloaded) and
I use air buddy to launch xbms as it detects its sideloaded and gives you a laod button :¬)
Its definatly a mark up from my old jailbroken ATV 2 - (RIP) - :¬)
Only bad thing its for me DD5.1 definatly does NOT WORK over HDMI (Netflix and amazon prime)
Fixed by buying optical cables - it its a real pain duplicating cables - grrr
XBMC of course works over either HDMI or OPTICAL
I am guessing this problem is UK version or a new firmware NERF they have done to ruin peoples life for a laugh and then buy optical cables from amazon :¬):¬):¬).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear you're enjoying it. I really wanted to use it for USB playback. As the computer is in the same room, I do not want it being on all the time, so I'm a bit annoyed that it can't be rooted to allow for USB playback. I tried XBMC, but SD playback quality is just abysmal, so I'm not sure what to do at this point.
I did not know that 5.1 does not work over HDMI - that's odd, I'll have to try that. Thanks for the heads up!
[/COLOR]
Lisali said:
Good to hear you're enjoying it. I really wanted to use it for USB playback. As the computer is in the same room, I do not want it being on all the time, so I'm a bit annoyed that it can't be rooted to allow for USB playback. I tried XBMC, but SD playback quality is just abysmal, so I'm not sure what to do at this point.
I did not know that 5.1 does not work over HDMI - that's odd, I'll have to try that. Thanks for the heads up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might want to try "MX Player"(free) for SD or PLEX (but that involves and external server)
I might just be it does not like my HDMI tv or AUDIO
I obviously can be done because XMBC works flawlessly
I am using Amazon HDMI cables too :¬)
:¬( lowest I have gone so far is 720
I was having issues with some of the services I was trying to use on my FTV. Playback would be jerky here and there. I went ahead and disabled mediacodec and everything plays nice and smooth now.
Maybe try that incase it changes the quality as well?
Hello Lisali
the same issue goes for me too.
I am rather disappointed with the picture quality of AFTV. In most of the time, I play 1080p net-downloaded movies and TV shows such as Band of brothers, Dark knight, and etc. The pictures are too blocky and grainy.
I thought it was some kind of limitation of the mobile chip(?) cause I tried MX player for playback which resulted in the same picture quality, but it seems not everybody are having the same issue.
I wonder what the problem is.
Amazon Fire TV intentionally downgrading video playback quality
wonhorang said:
Hello Lisali
the same issue goes for me too.
I am rather disappointed with the picture quality of AFTV. In most of the time, I play 1080p net-downloaded movies and TV shows such as Band of brothers, Dark knight, and etc. The pictures are too blocky and grainy.
I thought it was some kind of limitation of the mobile chip(?) cause I tried MX player for playback which resulted in the same picture quality, but it seems not everybody are having the same issue.
I wonder what the problem is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - I see, the MX player did not help?
After some thinking, I think this is intentional on Amazon's part. Here's why: The main point of Amazon Fire TV is to promote Amazon services - Prime, App Store, music. When you look at Amazon Prime, you get a lot of content for free, but mostly in SD. Want HD? Pay more. If Amazon started upscaling their SD content, there would be no reason for people to pay to watch HD stuff.
This is quite devious, I must say. SD content = crappy. HD content = better. Pay even more for HD, Amazon makes more money. Devious - yes. Honest and honourable - no.
I and some others use SPMC and it works a lot better than xbmc
Regards
dbaseii said:
I and some others use SPMC and it works a lot better than xbmc
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - thanks for the response. That sounds good, but how is it at upscaling SD content? If this is a hardware limitation in Amazon Fire TV box, it may not be much better than Kodi. I will give it a go, thanks!
Looking at system info in SPMC it does use all 4 processors.
Other people have used the Ouya version with success.
---------- Post added at 04:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:53 PM ----------
Any of you guys in the UK. Head over to Amazon Fire TV UK group on fb.
if it is so, how come there are guys who are satisfied with the playback quality?
from the reply, i see other guys satisfied with their amazon TV's razor sharp picture quality.
wonhorang said:
if it is so, how come there are guys who are satisfied with the playback quality?
from the reply, i see other guys satisfied with their amazon TV's razor sharp picture quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They may be playing 1080p content, or are happy with the quality they get. I am not. Amazon Fire TV is NOT razor sharp.
Lisali said:
They may be playing 1080p content, or are happy with the quality they get. I am not. Amazon Fire TV is NOT razor sharp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have gone through a few android boxes including the Minix Neo X8-H. I thought that was a great box. But tha AFTV is better. Handles even the most demanding skins and excellent picture quality. As I said in a previous post I'm using SPMC.
Lisali said:
Hi - I see, the MX player did not help?
After some thinking, I think this is intentional on Amazon's part. Here's why: The main point of Amazon Fire TV is to promote Amazon services - Prime, App Store, music. When you look at Amazon Prime, you get a lot of content for free, but mostly in SD. Want HD? Pay more. If Amazon started upscaling their SD content, there would be no reason for people to pay to watch HD stuff.
This is quite devious, I must say. SD content = crappy. HD content = better. Pay even more for HD, Amazon makes more money. Devious - yes. Honest and honourable - no.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you in the UK as well? I ask as you mention Amazon Prime content being in SD, I only watch HD with my prime membership and i dont pay any extra. Granted i don't even think about looking at anything that would be in SD but everything i am interested in is always available in HD.
My experience is that SD looks like crap on any HD TV no matter how you slice it. Upscaling helps but you can still see the difference very easily
nujackk said:
Are you in the UK as well? I ask as you mention Amazon Prime content being in SD, I only watch HD with my prime membership and i dont pay any extra. Granted i don't even think about looking at anything that would be in SD but everything i am interested in is always available in HD.
My experience is that SD looks like crap on any HD TV no matter how you slice it. Upscaling helps but you can still see the difference very easily
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - yes, I'm in the UK. Some Prime content is in HD, but not all of it is. A lot of movies, especially older ones, are SD only. Some of them are included in prime as SD, but you have to pay extra for HD. I also watch a lot of my own content, which is not always in HD, and the box seems to degrade, instead of upscale those. It's just odd that my 5 year old TV's built-in USB playback function is so much better at this than Amazon Fire TV, which is a beast of a machine. When it comes to how much better it is, I'd say 20-30% for HD and 50-60% for SD content.
Lisali said:
They may be playing 1080p content, or are happy with the quality they get. I am not. Amazon Fire TV is NOT razor sharp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely false. I play US TV shows (typically downscaled HD broadcasts to SD or even 640 x 360) and full HD movies ([email protected]) and I see no real image quality difference compared to my Windows 8.1 HTPC also running XBMC. I usually disable any post-processing in XBMC, in the Windows video driver (if applicable) and on the TV itself.
The claim that Amazon is on purpose degrading the video is also BS IMHO.
How's it going Android community? I purchased an Amazon Fire TV partly to mirror my Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 to my TV. Unfortunately, when I try it doesn't work. Has anyone been able to make this work, and if so, how? Thanks.
It also didn't work with my Nexus 5 at first.
Try in the settings, wifi, advanced to force just the 2,4 ghz band.
This helped me
magdap said:
It also didn't work with my Nexus 5 at first.
Try in the settings, wifi, advanced to force just the 2,4 ghz band.
This helped me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying. Are you referring to the wifi settings on the Fire TV, or on the tablet? I looked in the Fire TV settings and didn't an option for it, or on my Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. I think I read that the next big update for the Fire TV will be this month on the 15th.
will4958 said:
Thanks for replying. Are you referring to the wifi settings on the Fire TV, or on the tablet? I looked in the Fire TV settings and didn't an option for it, or on my Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. I think I read that the next big update for the Fire TV will be this month on the 15th.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on the galaxy tab. settings, wifi, advanced, wifi frequency - only 2.4 ghz. the settings at your device might be different
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I have an adapter that connects the tab to my tv via HDMI. The cable on the adapter is very short, so I bought a 15 ft. HDMI cable from Amazon for $15. This allows me to sit on the sofa and use the tablet.
Whatever I'm doing on the tablet shows on the tv. Works fine.
Jacksmyname said:
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I have an adapter that connects the tab to my tv via HDMI. The cable on the adapter is very short, so I bought a 15 ft. HDMI cable from Amazon for $15. This allows me to sit on the sofa and use the tablet.
Whatever I'm doing on the tablet shows on the tv. Works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I know I could've done something like that, but the Amazon Fire TV look so cool, I thought I'd give it a shot. I know in the specifications for the Fire TV on Best Buy's site says you can mirror the Fire HD Tablet to it, but then the Fire TV Stick says you can mirror any Android phone to it. I went for the Fire TV because of it's ability to add external storage, which would let me install more than what the internal storage allows. If the Stick offered the same feature, I would've gone with that. My main purpose for mirroring the tablet is for gaming, and I have a lot of games on the thing, over 50 I think.
will4958 said:
Yeah, I know I could've done something like that, but the Amazon Fire TV look so cool, I thought I'd give it a shot. I know in the specifications for the Fire TV on Best Buy's site says you can mirror the Fire HD Tablet to it, but then the Fire TV Stick says you can mirror any Android phone to it. I went for the Fire TV because of it's ability to add external storage, which would let me install more than what the internal storage allows. If the Stick offered the same feature, I would've gone with that. My main purpose for mirroring the tablet is for gaming, and I have a lot of games on the thing, over 50 I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering how much fun I'm having with the stick version, the box, with it's additional capabilities, I'm sure is even moreso. I bought the stick primarily for Amazon Prime. Any additional apps, etc., are icing on the cake. If all the stick did was play Prime content, I still would have bought it, even at the regular price (got it at Best Buy for $25).The only games I have installed on my tablet right now are solitare, a word game called Jumbline 2, a crosswords game, and a hidden oblects game called The Room. I have a few dozen others on my Amazon cloud but I really don't play them enough to warrant installing them. Movies are my passion (TCM is the most watched channel in our house). As long as the stick continues to play movies from Amazon Prime, and from my PC ( which it does perfectly using Vimu player) I'm a happy camper. But I'm still reading and learning about things that can be done with both the stick version and the box version, so it's very possible I'll buy the box. If I do I'll connect the stick to a second tv.
Happy Gaming!
I want another player - for Kodi and occasional simple games.
I have the FTV and although I'm happy with the performance, I don't like the inability to root (inc. custom recovery etc) and to use external storage.
Any alternative suggestion at a nearby price? Or is FTV the only way to go at that price mark?
Id wait now, unless you're desperate.
There may be some android tv boxes coming out soon which may be better than the fire tv or amazon might have a sale.
Amazon might cut a tenner out of the price of FTV, but I really want to have the ability to root and not to be afraid that my box will one day be locked forever.
The minix X8 looks tempting
papars said:
Amazon might cut a tenner out of the price of FTV, but I really want to have the ability to root and not to be afraid that my box will one day be locked forever.
The minix X8 looks tempting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do this. search on ebay for new sealed firetv's. ask the sellers to send you the serial number. Pick up a rooted one. Once rooted you are golden. I essentially got an extra rooted new one in my bunker for future use or I may hook it up in the bedroom in future. I'm glad I picked up an extra rooted one when I could.
The biggest thing you will loose when getting out of an architecture from amazon is the native apps like Netflix, bbc etc. I would stick with amazon ftv and find a rooted one. I'm sure if you look hard you will find yourself a rooted one If you disable the updates you should be fine.
Your suggestion is valid but I'm in europe and not really in need for netflix.
The price for sealed older FTVs seems somewhat high and by reading articles I see that even the SN wont warranty a rootable box.
In the meantime I will try to h/w root my box and see what comes out of this.
I recently shelfed my Fire Tv for the same reason. I have to many streaming boxes kind of a habit of mine (Fire Tv, Google Adt1, Ouya, Madcatz Mojo, Tronsmart Draco). Fire Tv still has the best commercial content but the hardware is getting outdated for games and the OS is way to restrictive. AndroidTV devices are still open to root and side loading but the commercial content is lacking has a great interface. On the opposite end is the Mojo and Draco with raw Android out of the box. They allow root without risk to warranty. I have gone with the Draco for now as it is very fast, Antutu test out at almost 60,000 with Power VR graphics. Madcatz has great quality and controller.
There are allot of consoles coming in the next few months, Razer Forge, Snail Games Obox, Nvidia Shied, Roku 4, Apple TV, others. You will be able to take your pick. My opinion for what its worth
Pure xbmc, get a rasp pi 2. Fast, cheap and simple with openelec And no amazon os to deal with. My living room fire tv has been relegated to the drawer since getting one.
I have raspberry pi first gen. It works ok and decoding is great but is sloooooow as death.
I've replaced it with AFT and I don't want to go back.
pi 2 could be faster but the cost of getting it operational (case, psu, remote etc) is near the cost of a commercial box. I will check out the options listed in above posts.
papars said:
I have raspberry pi first gen. It works ok and decoding is great but is sloooooow as death.
I've replaced it with AFT and I don't want to go back.
pi 2 could be faster but the cost of getting it operational (case, psu, remote etc) is near the cost of a commercial box. I will check out the options listed in above posts.
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i've moved my fire TV to a bedroom and have been running 2 s802 m8n china boxes and if you dont care about android and games.. openelec is flawless on it for me, full CEC control, refresh rate changing, etc etc.. best 75$ i've spent so far.. after using these for a while you really notice how much better openelec runs than kodi on android.
nhumber said:
i've moved my fire TV to a bedroom and have been running 2 s802 m8n china boxes and if you dont care about android and games.. openelec is flawless on it for me, full CEC control, refresh rate changing, etc etc.. best 75$ i've spent so far.. after using these for a while you really notice how much better openelec runs than kodi on android.
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Openelec is an operating system which runs the XBMC/Kodi program the same way that Android is an operating system that runs XBMC/Kodi. The only difference is that Openelec is a minimal operating system that uses just enough to run XBMC/Kodi, while Android is a full operating system able to run several programs. A couple years ago when XBMC came to Android it sucked and I quit using it after about a week, but it has came along way since and my Openelec system running Kodi cannot compare to my Fire TV running Kodi.
papars said:
I have raspberry pi first gen. It works ok and decoding is great but is sloooooow as death.
I've replaced it with AFT and I don't want to go back.
pi 2 could be faster but the cost of getting it operational (case, psu, remote etc) is near the cost of a commercial box. I will check out the options listed in above posts.
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I have to chime in here. With some smart shopping ill bet you could get all you need for 60 or less. My rpi is still the most consistent , reliable kodi device but like you, i thought it was too slow (even running off usb 3.0)
But ive heard good things about rpi 2 just running it on a class 4 sd card. My advice--dont use a case, its not needed unless theres reason to think itll get damaged. My tv remote works fine with it and this might not matter cuz if you have b+ you should have a lot of the stuff u want or need. I heard you might want to upgrade the power supply. I bought one for the b+ that worked great for 8 bucks on ebay. If i didnt care about netflix thatd be the way imight go. Of course that could change in the upcoming months.
porkenhimer said:
Openelec is an operating system which runs the XBMC/Kodi program the same way that Android is an operating system that runs XBMC/Kodi. The only difference is that Openelec is a minimal operating system that uses just enough to run XBMC/Kodi, while Android is a full operating system able to run several programs. A couple years ago when XBMC came to Android it sucked and I quit using it after about a week, but it has came along way since and my Openelec system running Kodi cannot compare to my Fire TV running Kodi.
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thanks, im aware of the setups, had a firetv since day one.. had fedora installed on it at one point even, what im saying is that Kodi for linux (openelec in my case) is much more stable than kodi for android or maybe its just linux stability vs android stability.. i dunno. but you dont get hangs or freezes like you can sometimes get with the android boxes, i also said the main things that are better with openelec than with kodi on the fireTV are fulling working CEC control, refresh rate changing since im kind of an videophile and watching any movie on the fireTV results in less than perfect playback, and HD audio support is also another nice feature you cant get on a fireTV.
porkenhimer said:
Openelec is an operating system which runs the XBMC/Kodi program the same way that Android is an operating system that runs XBMC/Kodi. The only difference is that Openelec is a minimal operating system that uses just enough to run XBMC/Kodi, while Android is a full operating system able to run several programs. A couple years ago when XBMC came to Android it sucked and I quit using it after about a week, but it has came along way since and my Openelec system running Kodi cannot compare to my Fire TV running Kodi.
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Depend on the hw that your OE is running on, got myself an Asus Chromebox that costs slightly more than the Fire TV when it was on sale last Black Friday, it runs like a dream.
As for running Kodi/XBMC on FireTV vs generic Android box vs OpenElec/Xbmcbuntu/Linux + XBMC I'd say it doesn't matter any longer. I've run all 3 ways, and it used to make a difference. A cheap booksize miniPC running OpenElec or Xbmcbuntu was much better than any Android based solution for a variety of reasons. That just isn't the case any longer. Of course if you have better hardware things like menus or the time it takes to start streaming a show will be a bit quicker, but otherwise you can get a solid stable Kodi/XBMC environment on any of these.
Back to the original question, personally I'd hold out until some of the Google Android TV boxes (not generic Android boxes) start shipping. Not because I think they will be better than GATV boxes, but because there should be a better selection of options and one might be a better fit than your two AFTV choices. Either way, it's hard to beat AFTV and I expect similar results from GATV boxes. Side-loading isn't as easy as just installing from the app store, but there are options that have all the plug-ins ready to go. Unlike other setups, you don't have to figure out which remote to use or how to get it configured (yes, I know some generic Android boxes come setup for XBMC and even have their own customized XBMC, I have one).
In short, I used to have a mix of generic Android boxes and mini HTPCs running OpenElec/XBMCbuntu. Now I have AFTV boxes in daily use and two Rokus that are almost never used. For the price point, ease of use, stability and extra functionality above and beyond Kodi the AFTV and presumably GATV boxes just make more sense.
One last thing I almost forgot - the space limitation on the AFTV is a huge drawback. Until (unless) Amazon releases an update to let us use USB drives for apps and data this could be a big issue. If for some reason you absolutely require plenty of disk space, perhaps you don't have network storage and need all your media on the device itself, then AFTV may not be an option.
GATV might have the same lock as amazon regarding custom updates / root.
I would like to escape the proprietary ecosystem opposed by amazon and google if possible to avoid possible lockouts in the near future.
I like the amazon box, is fast and easy to use with its remote. I use a NAS for my media but I would like to have root and extra storage option on it.
The mojo looks like a good option, I might go for this.
I've been using a Fire TV Stick for about a week now, after you sideload Kodi (and then use your Amazon account to install Kodi on another device, so you trick the FireTV into showing Kodi in your Recent apps on the home screen) I don't think you can beat the bang for the buck.
I'm about to order the Minix X8-H Plus. This thing seems a lot better than the AFTV! I have a 256gb SD card lying around, so I can't wait to throw it in this thing. It has 2gb RAM, 2.0ghz Quad-Core Processor, SD slot, three USB 2.0 ports, gigabit ethernet, 16gb eMMC, 4K2K UHD video playback, Octo-Core Mali-450 GPU, Dual-Band Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 4K H.265 / HEVC Hardware Decoding Support.
It looks like they're going for around $150-$160. Check it out:
http://www.minix.com.hk/Products/NEO-X8-H-Plus-Android-TV.html
papars said:
Your suggestion is valid but I'm in europe and not really in need for netflix.
The price for sealed older FTVs seems somewhat high and by reading articles I see that even the SN wont warranty a rootable box.
In the meantime I will try to h/w root my box and see what comes out of this.
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I just got a firetv from ebay and its rootable. I've done about 28 mods and haven't seen one with series 305 which are the incorrect ones.
shutterslaps said:
I'm about to order the Minix X8-H Plus. This thing seems a lot better than the AFTV! I have a 256gb SD card lying around, so I can't wait to throw it in this thing. It has 2gb RAM, 2.0ghz Quad-Core Processor, SD slot, three USB 2.0 ports, gigabit ethernet, 16gb eMMC, 4K2K UHD video playback, Octo-Core Mali-450 GPU, Dual-Band Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 4K H.265 / HEVC Hardware Decoding Support.
It looks like they're going for around $150-$160. Check it out:
http://www.minix.com.hk/Products/NEO-X8-H-Plus-Android-TV.html
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Thats a sweet box for sure.. I am not too sure its a fair comparison though.. My AFTV cost me $80 and came with a remote. The $145 standalone box is more than twice as much if you get a controller. My Android MiniPC's (older) have been disappointing when trying to run Kodi etc.. which led me to the snappy performance of AFTV.. This box looks to have all the power you could need. Should be fun to have
This note on the webpage should be noted as well - The NEO X8-H Plus only supports standard definition Netflix. Netflix 1080p HD and 4K UHD resolution are not available on any MINIX NEO Series devices
I have been watching the Razer Forge TV box as well it looks to be a beast for $99
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.