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+--- Thread: Please help a newby (/showthread.php?tid=215607)
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Please help a newby - Magoo - 2015-01-20
Hi guys and gals I'm brand new to this TV box thing so please be patient with me.
Okay here goes.
I am going to buy a Android box and I know there are a bunch of "Which box should I buy threads"
I have tried to look through all the recommendations and a lot of the threads but I'm still confused.
I am looking for something to run Kodi at 1080p. I think I have narrowed it down to 2 boxes.
1- Tronsmart Draco AW80
2- MINIX NEO X8-H Plus
My problem is in the hardware recommendations Wiki I can't make heads or tails out of it.
Like I said I am far from an expert on this subject. I would really appreciate some advice on which one will do a better job
running Kodi and some add-ons.
Edit: I forgot to mention that I also would like to hook up 2 external hard drives to play contend I have stored.
Thanks Magoo
RE: Please help a newby - Magoo - 2015-01-20
I have been doing a lot more reading.......and now I'm more confused than ever.
I have been reading that the tronsmart is not that good. Confused.
Please somebody take this newby under your wing and help me.
Any and all recommendations welcome.
RE: Please help a newby - noggin - 2015-01-20
You probably need to give us a bit more information :
What country are you from? (Different countries need different frame rate support)
What media do you watch and from what sources? (Don't tell us about illegal stuff, we don't want to know)
What sound quality do you need - stereo (you just listen through your TV or a stereo amp), Dolby Digital/DTS (i.e. you have an optical or coax amp with surround speakers) or DTS HD MA/Dolby True HD (i.e. you have an HDMI amp with surround speakers and a source of Blu-ray quality content)
Do you want to do stuff other than core Kodi/XBMC stuff - like Netflix, Amazon video, play games etc.
Do you want to watch Live TV through a DVB tuner?
Are you connecting to a TV via HDMI, or a monitor via VGA?
Do you need WiFi or a cabled network connection?
Are you a purist when it comes to picture quality?
RE: Please help a newby - Magoo - 2015-01-20
(2015-01-20, 03:04)noggin Wrote: You probably need to give us a bit more information :
What country are you from? (Different countries need different frame rate support)
What media do you watch and from what sources? (Don't tell us about illegal stuff, we don't want to know)
What sound quality do you need - stereo (you just listen through your TV or a stereo amp), Dolby Digital/DTS (i.e. you have an optical or coax amp with surround speakers) or DTS HD MA/Dolby True HD (i.e. you have an HDMI amp with surround speakers and a source of Blu-ray quality content)
Do you want to do stuff other than core Kodi/XBMC stuff - like Netflix, Amazon video, play games etc.
Do you want to watch Live TV through a DVB tuner?
Are you connecting to a TV via HDMI, or a monitor via VGA?
Do you need WiFi or a cabled network connection?
Are you a purist when it comes to picture quality?
Thank you
I am from Canada.
I would like to watch programs through Kodi/XBMC and with some add-ons, also my own content on two hard drives 1 is 2.0 USB the other is 3.0 USB.
Would love to have 5.1 surround sound as we are building a new house and will have a dedicated theater room. he new amp will be full HDMI right now I'm using 5.1 surround with optical audio. Would really like to get the full Home Theater experience with the Android box that is why I don't mind spending a little more to get a good one.
Sometime in the future Netflix might be added and maybe a game or two but nothing to extreme.
I'm not sure what a DVB tuner is but I will say yes to this anyway.
I have Wifi and a Lan line available.
Will be hooking up to a 60 inch Panasonic Plasma via HDMI
As far as picture quality goes better quality is always better.
Thank you very much
I'm sorry I never gave the right information I hope this helps. Your questions helped a lot.
RE: Please help a newby - noggin - 2015-01-20
Is your content mainly movies and scripted TV shows (i.e. is it mainly progressive)?
If it is then either the Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV stick could be a good, low cost, solution. I'm in Europe so don't run one as they have limitations for us to do with frame rate switching. They seem popular in these parts.
You could go for any of the myriad Android boxes - but I can't recommend them specifically as i don't use them. They're not really suitable for watching 'interlaced' content but it doesn't sound like this is an issue for you. If you want to feed your Plasma 24p rather than 60p with 3:2 then the Android boxes may not be suitable as they don't frame rate switch automatically.
The Chromebox (with a little bit of hacking) to run OpenElec is fantastic as a Kodi/XBMC solution but does require a little bit of hacking. I love mine. They're very good quality and cope with pretty much everything you throw at them. But Netflix/Amaxon on the Chromebox with OpenElec means dual boot with Chrome OS - not straight forward from a remote control. (My TV has Netflix and Amazon so it's no an issue for me) I watch Live TV on mine from a TV tuner - and that is interlaced so de-interlacing is important to me and the Chromebox with OpenElec does it very well, and it also dynamically frame rate switches, so I get 24p at 24p. Suspect it's a bit too hacky for you.
And you're in Canada - so you definitely don't want a DVB tuner... (That would get you OTA TV in Europe/Aus/NZ)
RE: Please help a newby - wrxtasy - 2015-01-20
Big hint, if looking at anything Android you MUST have good support for the inevitable issues that will pop up.
The best support i have seen lately is from Wetek, as they have a very competent ex-Amlogic coder over there that seem to be making very good progress:
Have a good look at this thread:
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213747&pid=1886633#pid1886633
RE: Please help a newby - Magoo - 2015-01-20
The more I read the more confused I get and I have read a lot.
Do I need pass through audio? Is it called pass through audio in the specs?
What other options and specs do I need to look for?
I'm about ready to pull my hair out over this.
Am I in over my head here I am defiantly not as knowledgeable as the members here.
Maybe I should just order a preloaded box from e-bay?
Any and all recommendations will be welcomed.
RE: Please help a newby - jknight2014 - 2015-01-20
Just my opinion but if you really want a good home theater setup go with something intel or amd based.
Run openelec on it. You will spend the same as a good android stick with not so much headache.
I have a asrock q1900dc-itx. Its just a motherboard, I have it mounted in a cabinet on the wall. Works excellent for kodi and sonarr and couchpotato.
RE: Please help a newby - malcolmbarr - 2015-01-20
Magoo - take a deep breath.
Do I need audio pass through? Just about all boxes will pass 5.1 channel sound to a receiver to be decoded. What is more testing is whether they can pass the fancier new HD audio formats over to your receiver for decoding. Does the Receiver you have support 7.1 channel HD audio? If the answer is no, then I would not worry about this.
A "preloaded box" from ebay is going to come with a lot of XBMC add ons which you may or may not want. It doesn't chnage the fact that you still need to know if the underlying hardware would suit your needs.
The issue with the Android based boxes, like wrxtasy says, is support. Getting XBMC working and providing smooth video on Android is not a piece of cake, and there are many boxes that promise a lot but where delivery is questionable, and you can find yourself a beta tester.
I have one of the MiniX 8-H plus, and would describe it as okay but not perfect. they do have a decent support forum and provide a build of XBMC specifically for their box, and they have had some time to try and get that right with the prior version of the box. it does refresh rate switching, but not HD audio pass through.
Just be aware that none of the Android based boxes are perfect, and agonising of the specs of one versus another is not necessarily going to help you that much. If there was one Android box that ruled them all, we would tell you!
RE: Please help a newby - wrxtasy - 2015-01-20
Lets try this another way then, suggestion go with something proven and popular.
The boxes mentioned below will all run Kodi, some with limitations, others with very few.
1. Most popular, proven with superior graphics, audio and video refresh rates for the $$$ payed = Chromebox
2. Most popular Android box, again proven here on the forums = Amazon Fire TV
( Beware Android Fire TV needs to rooted to hook up external drives, see http://www.aftvnews.com for instructions)
3. Cheapest, proven and fully capable streamer to run Kodi only = Raspberry Pi (superior video display modes to No.2)
4. Chromebox + Windows 8.1 + extras = Zotac BI320
5. Completely over the top spec wise just to run Kodi = NUC
6. Feel like tinkering, and ironing out bugs for feedback to developers = most Android media boxes available
Suggestion, if you just want to run Kodi and don't want to get burnt by a buggy Android box, just buy a cheap Raspberry Pi B+ for $48
This Kit is all you need:
http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Original-Preloaded/dp/B008XVAVAW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421774856&sr=8-2&keywords=CanaKit+Raspberry+Pi+B%2B+Complete+Starter+Kit
I have one and have a library of over 3400 media files and it plays everything superbly. Live TV. Deinterlacing. The Lot.
More pro / cons Amazon Fire TV / Chromebox below.
!!
V
RE: Please help a newby - Tobor - 2015-01-20
Magoo,
Why are you so certain that you want an Android box? Is that because you want something preloaded with Kodi? Some of the other options mentioned above are not Android and not pre-loaded but seem to more accurately hit your target. You just might have to be ready to do some tinkering.
(2015-01-20, 16:50)Magoo Wrote: Do I need pass through audio? Is it called pass through audio in the specs?
If you want "the full home theater experience" and you have a receiver that supports DTS-HD MA and/or Dolby TrueHD, then look for a unit/system that supports audio pass-through. (This will not work with your optical audio link, it must be HDMI.) It may not say so in the specs, so you might have to do some more research. And if your receiver doesn't support it, forget it.
RE: Please help a newby - Magoo - 2015-01-20
I really don't need or stuck on Android. I'm just looking for something that will work with out a lot of messing around. I am not that tech savy. A friend told me about something called
Showbox (if this is inappropriate to mention on here mods please delete ) can this be run on any tv box operating system. I will be getting a new amp with all the bells and whistles so audio will be important. Actually I would rather go with a windows system so if anybody has suggestions please help. But I really want showbox.
Man this is messing with my mind. Lol
Thanks everybody
RE: Please help a newby - Magoo - 2015-01-20
Okay let's try this. What would your perfect set up be to run Kodi with a bunch of add - ons along with showbox? Running1080p up to 4k with HD sound operating system or manufacturer doesn't matter as long as it works.
RE: Please help a newby - malcolmbarr - 2015-01-20
For me a "perfect" set up is a self built htpc running openelec Kodi provided I don't need 3D.
A Chromebox provides much the same functionality.
Magoo - have a read of the Chromebox wiki entry and think about whether that install looks like a stretch to you. If it looks like you can handle it, then consider it.
RE: Please help a newby - wrxtasy - 2015-01-21
Chromebox - most popular - does everything - easy to use - don't try and re-invent the wheel and buy some obscure media box or you will get your fingers burnt !
Suggestion with the Chromebox is get a Bluetooth PS3 remote or a similar compatible Bluetooth one to control Kodi.
Never heard of Showbox, stop listening to your friend and take advice from here from people who actually have a lot of knowledge of Kodi and Hardware to run it on.