Hi guys,
I have been using my two Raspberry Pi 2 with Kodi (Xbian to be exact)
for over two years now.
In recent months I have realized a lot of files are done with the new HEVC
codec and are therefore not playable by Pi 2 (or 3 for that matter).
So, now I am searching for a new low-priced TV box, that supports Kodi
and HEVC coded files and is using as less power as a Pi (or less).
Which one for under 40 (or 50) bucks would you recommend? The OS
does not matter, as long as there is a strong community with developing
Kodi behind it.
Thanks, guys.
Might be worth trying a Milhouse nightly build on the pi.
The HEVC will be better. You should find 8-bit 720p HEVC plays well.
An overclocked Pi3 can play most 8-bit 1080p HEVC.
(2016-07-27, 13:13)KoopaTroopa Wrote: [ -> ]Start here first, great thread
or
try this budget box thread
You're bound to find that suits your needs
Thanks, the NexBox MXQ Pro seems to be promising.
(2016-07-27, 14:20)popcornmix Wrote: [ -> ]Might be worth trying a Milhouse nightly build on the pi.
The HEVC will be better. You should find 8-bit 720p HEVC plays well.
An overclocked Pi3 can play most 8-bit 1080p HEVC.
Interesting, do you have a link for that?
Just be aware, these dirt cheap AMLogic Android boxes have been having issues with AC3 Audio in Android, plus a whole bunch of other problems.
You get what you pay for.
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=235305
Just looking at Tech Specs alone will fool you into buying some unsupported piece of crap. A LOT of people get fooled by marketing and tech specs.
And here is a BIG warning. These cheap, unsupported AML Android boxes are going to be next to useless if AMLogic don't get their act together before Kodi Krypton is released.
Cheap Android is a damn Minefield !!!
If its just Kodi you want run on the the device, seriously just get an ODROID C2. It will run rings around the RPi's for playing 1080p/2160p HEVC.
OR look in the
Budget AML S905 thread for a device that runs LibreELEC Kodi + HEVC well.
Don't buy any AMLogic S905 not mentioned in that thread.
(2016-07-27, 16:15)wrxtasy Wrote: [ -> ]Just be aware, these dirt cheap AMLogic Android boxes have been having issues with AC3 Audio in Android, plus a whole bunch of other problems.
You get what you pay for.
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=235305
Just looking at Tech Specs alone will fool you into buying some unsupported piece of crap. A LOT of people get fooled by marketing and tech specs.
And here is a BIG warning. These cheap, unsupported AML Android boxes are going to be next to useless if AMLogic don't get their act together before Kodi Krypton is released.
Cheap Android is a damn Minefield !!!
If its just Kodi you want run on the the device, seriously just get an ODROID C2. It will run rings around the RPi's for playing 1080p/2160p HEVC.
OR look in the Budget AML S905 thread for a device that runs LibreELEC Kodi + HEVC well.
Don't buy any AMLogic S905 not mentioned in that thread.
I bought now that NexBox MXQ Pro and hope, I am able to
get LibreELEC on it. I never used anything else than Xbian,
which has an easy and detailed approach. So, I hope, this
will be the same.
Unfortunately, those two links towards LibreELEC for the
NexBox MXQ Pro lead to a forum, which needs a registered
account and when I tried that (over ten times), I did get the
message: You did not answer the verification questions correctly.
But, of course, I filled it in correctly.
(2016-07-27, 16:15)wrxtasy Wrote: [ -> ]Cheap Android is a damn Minefield !!!
Don't buy any AMLogic S905 not mentioned in that thread.
True that... and speaking of
that thread, any boxes I should add/remove from post #1?
(2016-07-27, 17:18)syco Wrote: [ -> ]I bought now that NexBox MXQ Pro and hope, I am able to
get LibreELEC on it. I never used anything else than Xbian,
which has an easy and detailed approach. So, I hope, this
will be the same.
Unfortunately, those two links towards LibreELEC for the
NexBox MXQ Pro lead to a forum, which needs a registered
account and when I tried that (over ten times), I did get the
message: You did not answer the verification questions correctly.
But, of course, I filled it in correctly.
Since that forum often has technical issues I'm gonna qoute here post for OE build for Nexbox MXQ Pro.
Quote:another openelec build for nexbox mxq pro 4k, based on version for SPOT_i7 from 150balbes
https://mega.nz/#F!OMEH1LIB!VyloBDvKVvCk4OXFBa5fAA
can work from flash/sd
power button dont work 
(2016-07-27, 15:22)syco Wrote: [ -> ] (2016-07-27, 13:13)KoopaTroopa Wrote: [ -> ]Start here first, great thread
or
try this budget box thread
You're bound to find that suits your needs
Thanks, the NexBox MXQ Pro seems to be promising.
(2016-07-27, 14:20)popcornmix Wrote: [ -> ]Might be worth trying a Milhouse nightly build on the pi.
The HEVC will be better. You should find 8-bit 720p HEVC plays well.
An overclocked Pi3 can play most 8-bit 1080p HEVC.
Interesting, do you have a link for that?
There's a sticky thread in the Pi subforum.
(2016-07-27, 14:20)popcornmix Wrote: [ -> ]An overclocked Pi3 can play most 8-bit 1080p HEVC.
This is too vague to describe decoding capability.
Most what? Most of your personally encoded videos? Most from some torrent site/group?
Pi3 HEVC decoding capability is extremely weak and it will only play 'most' 1080p HEVC videos if your test pool comprises very low bitrate/complexity files.
Nobody should be recommending that people buy a RPi if HEVC is a requirement. If you already have one....sure, by all means try to squeeze the most from it. But when someone posts a thread asking for HEVC-capable recommendations, please don't say "RPi can play most 1080p HEVC". It's simply not true.
(2016-07-28, 16:08)voochi Wrote: [ -> ]Nobody should be recommending that people buy a RPi if HEVC is a requirement. If you already have one....sure, by all means try to squeeze the most from it. But when someone posts a thread asking for HEVC-capable recommendations, please don't say "RPi can play most 1080p HEVC". It's simply not true.
The original poster did mention he had a Pi and wasn't using a build that has the best HEVC performance, so it's worth a try.
But, yes, I agree, if HEVC is your main requirement and you need to buy a new device, then getting something with HW HEVC support is obviously the best option.
Popq
Sent from my SM-G361H
(2016-07-29, 03:07)jonas.wange Wrote: [ -> ]Popq
Sent from my SM-G361H
Wtf? What is that? Google told me nothing.
(2016-07-27, 19:36)bobrooney Wrote: [ -> ]Since that forum often has technical issues I'm gonna qoute here post for OE build for Nexbox MXQ Pro.
Quote:another openelec build for nexbox mxq pro 4k, based on version for SPOT_i7 from 150balbes
https://mega.nz/#F!OMEH1LIB!VyloBDvKVvCk4OXFBa5fAA
can work from flash/sd
power button dont work
Thanks for the link to the img file, but can you also show
me a step-to-step tutorial what to do with it?
Sorry, never
have done something like that. With my Pis and Xbian I
used an easy installer.