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New to this forum and basically an IOS guy going way back (user not developer) I had a along discussion with a Samsung rep about the new 10.5 "S" tablet really like the device BUT so far it does not run windows
I currently I enjoy using Windows 7 Pro on a Macbook Pro by way of parallels!
MY question IS there a way to use Windows 8 ( so we can use the touch) on a Galaxy 'S' I have would love to use a couple windows programs on this device currently they need a full windows OS ... IS there a way to do this? IF NOT can it be developed? this is not just a passing flirt I want to do this !
If anyone is able to tackle this project please post.
Short answer: It's not possible.
Longer answer: Windows 8 runs on x86 hardware only which the Tab S does not have (Windows RT runs on ARM but it's so locked down there's probably no realistic way to port that either). The only way is to use some Remote Desktop application to access a Windows desktop from the Tab S.
Windows 7??
qcjulle said:
Short answer: It's not possible.
Longer answer: Windows 8 runs on x86 hardware only which the Tab S does not have (Windows RT runs on ARM but it's so locked down there's probably no realistic way to port that either). The only way is to use some Remote Desktop application to access a Windows desktop from the Tab S.
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Click to collapse
is it possible to do something with windows 7or even XP ?
the software I want to run runs on either of those as well .... so a surface Pro 3 is the only choice .... that kind of sucks !!
I hope there is a different answer than that really like the 10.5 "S" for factor for what I want to do and the screen is awesome
someone ??
Velocityhaus said:
is it possible to do something with windows 7or even XP ?
the software I want to run runs on either of those as well .... so a surface Pro 3 is the only choice .... that kind of sucks !!
I hope there is a different answer than that really like the 10.5 "S" for factor for what I want to do and the screen is awesome
someone ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would have the same problem with Windows 7 or XP. They all run on x86 architecture which the Tab S does not have.
so the other way is to maybe......
so if that is not doable then maybe the other way it to make the software I want to use work on android OS ?
is that doable ? Maybe ?
if you want a windows8 tablet , you should buy asus tranformer book
Velocityhaus said:
so if that is not doable then maybe the other way it to make the software I want to use work on android OS ?
is that doable ? Maybe ?
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Click to collapse
No. No. No. No. NOOOOOO......
You really only have two options:
1) Buy a Windows 8 tablet(I have the Dell Venue 8 Pro and like it).
2) Find an app the does what you want for an IOS or Android tablet.
Mac OS and PC (desktop Windows) using x86 while iOS, Android and Windows Phone (as well as Windows RT) using ARM. You can't install software made for one instruction set onto another.
You could emulate the CPU but you would end up with only 5 - 10 percent of the performance.
Bottom line, if you want Windows on your tablet by a Windows tablet.
Sure its possible, is anyone likely to write the emulation code required for free? Well I know its not going to be me.
what i want
really just LIKE the form factor and SCREEN of the Galxy S 2500x 1600 rez !
What we want to do is replace a laptop for viewing data aquisiton that we use for the race team ... widely used by a large number of people , MoTeC ... see it at Motecusa.com
maybe we can not but I would really like to !!
certainly not for free
eousphoros said:
Sure its possible, is anyone likely to write the emulation code required for free? Well I know its not going to be me.
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I am not expecting a freebee here ! certainly it will need funds to make it work ! if it is HUGE well maybe not worth it . but if modest it maybe a worthy project?
Velocityhaus said:
I am not expecting a freebee here ! certainly it will need funds to make it work ! if it is HUGE well maybe not worth it . but if modest it maybe a worthy project?
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We are probably talking a team of 5 a year to do. Only because wine, but even then there is a lot of code that would need to be ported to 1) surfaceflinger 2) arm vs x86.
Lets just stick with its not possible
eousphoros said:
We are probably talking a team of 5 a year to do. Only because wine, but even then there is a lot of code that would need to be ported to 1) surfaceflinger 2) arm vs x86.
Lets just stick with its not possible
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Click to collapse
1.) Wine has nothing to do with x86 emulation.
2.) Wine has nothing to do with installing an OS. You can't install Windows onto Wine.
3.) Why 5 years and not 10 years or 5 months?
4.) There are x86 emulators available for Android right now: QEMU would be the usual choice.
5.) It has already be done, with multiple OS versions by different people For example here or here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auIZtmbPu_Y
6.) It has no practical use! It's just way to slow!
P. S.
I don't want to be rude, but please don't talk about things with clarity that you have not at least rudimentary knowledge about. Way to many misconceptions and rumors start that way.
Still MAYBE useful for MY particular need
TheGoD said:
1.) Wine has nothing to do with x86 emulation.
2.) Wine has nothing to do with installing an OS. You can't install Windows onto Wine.
3.) Why 5 years and not 10 years or 5 months?
4.) There are x86 emulators available for Android right now: QEMU would be the usual choice.
5.) It has already be done, with multiple OS versions by different people For example here or here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auIZtmbPu_Y
6.) It has no practical use! It's just way to slow!
P. S.
I don't want to be rude, but please don't talk about things with clarity that you have not at least rudimentary knowledge about. Way to many misconceptions and rumors start that way.
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Click to collapse
maybe NOT so unusable for my specific need . I LOVE the Screen rez (approx 2500x 1600 OLED) and form factor of Samsung's latest tab
I wouldn't really need it to be a fully functioning PC exactly .. if I could ONLY use it to down load our data acquisition logged files thru the USB3 port and arable to manipulate the graphing functions et all in this one application I would be VERY happy it currently runs on any windows version from XP on up ... I use it now on a Mac BookPro in windows 7 Pro via parallels,
IF i could do that with the the 10.5 OLED tab and that was about all except maybe run email and Excel do do some file sharing that would be pretty cool for me and I would suspect a number of other folks too ... granted this is not a world wide appeal deal but also not talking 5-6 people either.
the Computing POWER need to deal with the data acquisition display and all that is pretty modest ... even when running an inset on board video that is synced up to a spot on a particular LAP is about as tough as it would get .. the LOGGED files are not huge either ... 8-16 MB for a 1/2 hour of running on the track at most .. even if you tripled that STILL not MUCH .. the videos MIGHT make those files grow somewhat .. but .. still not nutty .. a tab with a 64GB Micro SD card would be PLENTY of space to work with ..
So as you see its a lot more specific and from the poster quoted here SEEMS doable .. if the scope was just aimed at THIS and not making the tab a WINDOWS 7 or 8 do everything device ..
I just love the form factor and screen for what we specifically want to do .. just seems a shame it can't be done.. if there was an iOS eek virtual keyboard too do things like name files fill in notes where needed small stuff like that and maybe send an email or export file to a XLS file (maybe much more difficult ) then that would be about it .. the native screen resolution is also key as that is a HUGE thing when looking at the data graphs the more detail you can see the better ALSO bear in mind this would be being looked at while seated in the cockpit of the race car and again the form factor (smallish compared to a laptop) is key .. never would be farther than 1/2 arms length from the viewer BUT maybe viewed in the bright sunlight at times .. thus the OLED would be awesome !!
still think not practical use ?
I hope not .. BUT thanks for the education so FAR
Hopefully Samsung will come out with a 12 or 13 inch ultrabook with an oled screen next.
Why not get a Surface Pro 3?? Even then, I would find it very hard to do work on such a small device. I work with Windows all day long and I need multiple, huge monitors There is no way I could do what I need to do on a tablet. The tablet for me replaces the magazine in the bathroom!
Velocityhaus said:
maybe NOT so unusable for my specific need . I LOVE the Screen rez (approx 2500x 1600 OLED) and form factor of Samsung's latest tab
I wouldn't really need it to be a fully functioning PC exactly .. if I could ONLY use it to down load our data acquisition logged files thru the USB3 port and arable to manipulate the graphing functions et all in this one application I would be VERY happy it currently runs on any windows version from XP on up ... I use it now on a Mac BookPro in windows 7 Pro via parallels,
IF i could do that with the the 10.5 OLED tab and that was about all except maybe run email and Excel do do some file sharing that would be pretty cool for me and I would suspect a number of other folks too ... granted this is not a world wide appeal deal but also not talking 5-6 people either.
the Computing POWER need to deal with the data acquisition display and all that is pretty modest ... even when running an inset on board video that is synced up to a spot on a particular LAP is about as tough as it would get .. the LOGGED files are not huge either ... 8-16 MB for a 1/2 hour of running on the track at most .. even if you tripled that STILL not MUCH .. the videos MIGHT make those files grow somewhat .. but .. still not nutty .. a tab with a 64GB Micro SD card would be PLENTY of space to work with ..
So as you see its a lot more specific and from the poster quoted here SEEMS doable .. if the scope was just aimed at THIS and not making the tab a WINDOWS 7 or 8 do everything device ..
I just love the form factor and screen for what we specifically want to do .. just seems a shame it can't be done.. if there was an iOS eek virtual keyboard too do things like name files fill in notes where needed small stuff like that and maybe send an email or export file to a XLS file (maybe much more difficult ) then that would be about it .. the native screen resolution is also key as that is a HUGE thing when looking at the data graphs the more detail you can see the better ALSO bear in mind this would be being looked at while seated in the cockpit of the race car and again the form factor (smallish compared to a laptop) is key .. never would be farther than 1/2 arms length from the viewer BUT maybe viewed in the bright sunlight at times .. thus the OLED would be awesome !!
still think not practical use ?
I hope not .. BUT thanks for the education so FAR
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Click to collapse
The cheaper option is to buy a surface 3 then run a remote tool like VNC to access Windows 8 from the tab s. Get the best of both worlds for a lot less than paying developers to build something you'll never see.
tell me more !!
creedicd said:
The cheaper option is to buy a surface 3 then run a remote tool like VNC to access Windows 8 from the tab s. Get the best of both worlds for a lot less than paying developers to build something you'll never see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just assume I am STUPID ... not far off maybe .. but you are saying I could USE a TAB s 5 to access a PC close by .... say 40 Ft away .. and just use the Tab s5 to display what it ons the real windows machine WHATEVER IT was even a MAC via Parallels ?
WHAT is VNC ?? again I am not very well versed in this kind of thing excuses my ignorance ..
thanks !!
this sounds doable .. as If I can just use the TAB when i am in the cockpit of the car (very small NO room for me and a laptop 10.5 device is perfect)
qcjulle said:
Short answer: It's not possible.
Longer answer: Windows 8 runs on x86 hardware only which the Tab S does not have (Windows RT runs on ARM but it's so locked down there's probably no realistic way to port that either). The only way is to use some Remote Desktop application to access a Windows desktop from the Tab S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I do. I travel a lot and some hotels do not do VPN's so I cannot connect to my companies portal. The Tab s has remote pc under gifts in the galaxy store. I just leave my computer on at home and connect to it wherever I am and my desktop appears on my 10.5. I can do anything on it that I can do at home. Works great.
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
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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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
I'm surprised nobody is talking about this here. This is pretty big.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.en...05/nintendo-wii-gamecube-nvidia-shield-china/
none24 said:
I'm surprised nobody is talking about this here. This is pretty big.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.en...05/nintendo-wii-gamecube-nvidia-shield-china/
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Yeah I've been checking on here to see if anyone had mentioned anything about it. I'm curious to see what the difference is between the Chinese version of the Shield and the current one.
I'm presuming there will be a TV version of the JD.com app but I'm wondering if there will be any different framework in the ROM so that this app and the Wii/GC games only work on that variant.
Andy4Shurr said:
Yeah I've been checking on here to see if anyone had mentioned anything about it. I'm curious to see what the difference is between the Chinese version of the Shield and the current one.
I'm presuming there will be a TV version of the JD.com app but I'm wondering if there will be any different framework in the ROM so that this app and the Wii/GC games only work on that variant.
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according to sources, its gonna be HD remakes of the games and all upscaled to 1080p, and people are speculating that they'll be downloads so ppl might make APK mods and end up being free.
none24 said:
according to sources, its gonna be HD remakes of the games and all upscaled to 1080p, and people are speculating that they'll be downloads so ppl might make APK mods and end up being free.
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When I say ROM I specifically mean the Nvidia firmware. When Nvidia released shield exclusive games in the past they put certain checks in them and referenced Nvidia graphics libraries to play the games.
Hopefully we will have the same graphics libraries in the firmware but if we have different framework information then I'm guessing that would have to be bypassed in the APK or spoofed/installed on our Shield TV version.
It's too early to say if all this is possible I guess.
has not been talked about here because this is old news. Before the second gen shield tv was released, before the nintendo switch was released, it was stated that nintendo would be porting over a couple of games to the shield and they would not receive a North American release. Most likely part of the nvidia nintendo switch deal. Doubt nintendo does the actual porting though. Also shows how easily wii games could be ported to the switch. Goes to show, the shield tv isn't really meant to be much of a gaming system though, not in nvidias eyes. I say this because nvidia could have partnered with game developers to bring AAA ports and AAA exclusives. Look at all the game developer love the switch has gotten and continues to get, in theory all of those games should run on the shield. Afterall, the switch is a shield tv with an extra gb of ram, but the switch cpu gpu and ram are under clocked and under voltage to allow longer battery life.
techjunky90 said:
has not been talked about here because this is old news. Before the second gen shield tv was released, before the nintendo switch was released, it was stated that nintendo would be porting over a couple of games to the shield and they would not receive a North American release. Most likely part of the nvidia nintendo switch deal. Doubt nintendo does the actual porting though. Also shows how easily wii games could be ported to the switch. Goes to show, the shield tv isn't really meant to be much of a gaming system though, not in nvidias eyes. I say this because nvidia could have partnered with game developers to bring AAA ports and AAA exclusives. Look at all the game developer love the switch has gotten and continues to get, in theory all of those games should run on the shield. Afterall, the switch is a shield tv with an extra gb of ram, but the switch cpu gpu and ram are under clocked and under voltage to allow longer battery life.
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its old news that it was supposed to happen. now its actually happening tho id think ppl would at least discuss it was my point in my question. its still big news im sure someone will find a way to spoof the games to run on USA versions of the shield like the guy above mentioned, i agree with everything you said except the part about the AAA games, they already did that and have some thats what geforce now is for.
Andy4Shurr said:
When I say ROM I specifically mean the Nvidia firmware. When Nvidia released shield exclusive games in the past they put certain checks in them and referenced Nvidia graphics libraries to play the games.
Hopefully we will have the same graphics libraries in the firmware but if we have different framework information then I'm guessing that would have to be bypassed in the APK or spoofed/installed on our Shield TV version.
It's too early to say if all this is possible I guess.
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yeah ik what u meant, i was just making the point about modded apks and such since the games do seem to be something that can be downloaded.
but i agree its too early to say, lets keep hope alive tho
Except they haven't done that. How many AAA games run on the shield? Hardly any, couple out dated games got ported. GeForce now is a joke & doesn't count as AAA titles for the shield since they aren't running on the shield. Any android device can stream games.
It's probably all down to money. I'm guessing they make a lot more from their Geforce Now service than they would porting games.
Shield TV also isn't portable like the Nintendo Switch so doesn't have that niche selling point (it's up against Sony and Microsoft if it pitches itself as a gaming device and it's always going to lose that one) and Nintendo has a fairly big die hard following so game developers are more inclined to make games for the Switch... they will sell.
It's a shame that we probably won't see the Shield reach its potential as a gaming device but to be honest I use it more as an all round media device that can do a lot of things so I'm fairly happy.
Did anybody have any luck with finding the APK files for the Nintendo games? I want to see if the games work with GLTools like Half Life and Portal does.
Farfala said:
Did anybody have any luck with finding the APK files for the Nintendo games? I want to see if the games work with GLTools like Half Life and Portal does.
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Isn't it only the Tegra 4 (shield portable) compatible games that work with GL Tools?
Steam is going to be released on chrome os very soon and was wondering if it's possible to port chrome os on the z fold 3 to potentially be about to install steam nativity? Imagine being able to play your steam library anywhere for those not lucky enough to get a steam deck
I'm gonna guess that's a solid "no."
A very long shot here, but you could install UserLAnd, install a Linux environment and then stream into that environment. But I don't know if steam is available for arm64 on eg. Ubuntu, if the game you want to play is available for arm64 and if the graphics system of the Fold is able and powerful enough to play that game
AssAssiN FtC said:
Steam is going to be released on chrome os very soon and was wondering if it's possible to port chrome os on the z fold 3 to potentially be about to install steam nativity? Imagine being able to play your steam library anywhere for those not lucky enough to get a steam deck
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thats why there is xcloud and geforce now and steam
I know there is geforce now and x cloud I was just wondering about having it native instead of streaming. I figured It was a long shot just hopeful since Chrome os is getting steam soon that maybe there was a way
AssAssiN FtC said:
Steam is going to be released on chrome os very soon and was wondering if it's possible to port chrome os on the z fold 3 to potentially be about to install steam nativity? Imagine being able to play your steam library anywhere for those not lucky enough to get a steam deck
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Running chromeos to get steam support is really convoluted, Steam works on chromeos via a Linux container, you'd be better off trying to get steamOS working as a Linux container directly.
The main issue is that the zfold3 has an arm64 cpu, and valve are only just experimenting with arm support, using several abstraction layers such as proton and moltenvk.
Once the new steam deck comes out, I'm sure others will work on porting steamos to other devices if its possible.
That'd be amazing. But do you really want local play on that chip?
You already have options, really good ones too if you have an Nvidia card in your PC.
Right now on a pixel 4a5g I have both steam link installed as well as moonlight (moonlight streaming). Both work incredibly well for streaming games from my PC at home and even out and about, though we have 5g all over Taipei so that helps. Steam link works out of the box, moonlight takes a bit of config, both though once set up are great.
I'm actually considering the zfold because Samsung actually supports HDMI over usbc unlike google which has apparently hardware locked it in my phone? Anyway with my PC having my entire steam library installed, as well as an nes, SNES, N64, gb, GBA, DS, 3ds, GameCube, Wii, Wii u, PS2, and PS3 emulators with libraries on it, I have in my pocket the best gaming rig I've ever had in my life.
I am still really looking forward to the steam deck though
Here's a quick screen I took last night testing onscreen controls for moonlight while running a GameCube emulator. Stream was flawless over 5g.