[wrxtasy]

its still android though...right. Are you saying android on these devices is on par to linux? in terms of video quality.

IMHO - Visually the AMlogic S805 I have appears to have better picture quality than the RPi2, the colours to me appear more vibrant. (Same TV, same HDMI input)
VPU Deinterlacing (again against the RPi2) is certainly superior using Advanced Motion Adaptive Edge Enhancing which is pretty noticeable during quick actions sports TV broadcasts.

Noggin will be the one to comment between the OC1/S805 deinterlacing quality compared to say an Chromebox.

Yes currently Android only for refresh rate switching and 23.976/59.94Hz video output on the ODC1. Unofficial OpenElec implements refresh rate switching only at the moment.

MINIX users should be able to add more info about the sorted out firmware capabilities of their devices. A bunch of info is in the link I posted previously.

Kodi Isengard RC on Android 4.4.2, running on the S805 I have, (Overclocked to 1.73Ghz) with a fast Class 10 microSDHC card is a pretty snappy responsive combo. Its playing everything I throw at it.

Like a lot of Kodi users I dismissed Android for quite a while until I needed a cheap 1080p HEVC decoding device. But Kodi Isengard on properly supported AMlogic Android firmware is maturing quite nicely now and I'm slowly turning into a believer.
Especially for the $35 price I payed for the HEVC decode capable ODC1

---

Potential purchasers reading this need to be very aware that only MINIX and possibly Wetek (confirmation needed), with their Wetek Play are the only ones Officially Supporting both 23.976/59.94Hz and Dynamic Refresh Rate switching in AMlogic Firmware currently.
A dirt cheap AMlogic S8XX device from Amazon with no firmware support will NOT have these desirable features and likely be a PITA for a novice user to reflash.

The 1080p HEVC capable MINIX NEO X6 is reasonably priced for a well sorted Android box.
You basically get what you pay for if you just want to plug in and quickly setup with little hassle and just enjoy the device.

http://www.cnx-software.com/2014/04/25/a...-and-s812/

[bmfrosty]

I guess if you want the simple remote and Google Play (I like native support!) then the Nvidia Shield and the Nexus Player are the only two ways to go right now?

I need both Wife and Mother-in-Law acceptance factors.....

[wrxtasy]

No. The Shield still has very immature Firmware, you will likely have complaints if you head in that direction for the WAF.

Have a look at the Wetek Play as well.
And these MINIX devices are well sorted and come with remote controls too.

Both these are mature Android products that run Kodi very well.

[Tinwarble]

I would not say that the Shields FW is immature, it is just has more limitations of standard Android (Android TV) rather than having those features "hacked" in. Android "M" which should be released in a few months will lift some of those limitations, as well Nvidia appears to be serious about making the Shield a good media player.

As well, and not to say they aren't good devices, the Shield offers things that the Wetek and Minix boxes don't.

Also, with the WAF in mind, Android TV is very easy to navigate. I doubt you'll get any complaints unless your wife and mother-in-law are just extremely picky.

[hdmkv]

Wetek is a nice box, but kinda slow, even with just OpenELEC. Their support is solid, so I'd be interested in whatever next gen box they release.