I'm wanting a newest version of Android box. .
From what I understand, 2G RAM, 16G ROM is the most up-to-date hardware.
If this is correct, I only found the following models
Idroidnation I-Box "PRO" - RK3368 64bit Octa core Cortex A53
GooBang Doo XB-II - GPU Octo-Core Mali-450
Jabond M8S Plus - GPU Octo-Core Mali-450 - Half price of GooBang Doo XB-II ?? Cant figure out why.
What others do you recommend or which one from the list ?
Big thanks and appreciate the feedback.
Nvidia shield, wetek hub.
Nvidia is interesting. Not a gamer. Avid real RC racer though.
Just making sure i buy the latest box
Appreciate the feedback Rickr
fwiw, I would stay away from (cheap Chinese) manufacturers/vendors whose main selling point is pre-installed Kodi.
(2016-07-14, 01:09)braderb Wrote: [ -> ]Nvidia is interesting. Not a gamer. Avid real RC racer though.
You don't need to be a gamer to have the Shield. Having the "latest hardware" isn't going to matter if you don't get support for your box.
That's were the Shield and Wetek products come in and what you're not going to get from those "no name" cheap Chinese boxes. Not only that, but looking purely at specs doesn't mean you are getting a great box, especially when something says it has a "octa core" SoC.
Spec wise though, there is still nothing out there that comes even close to the X1 SoC in the Shield ATV.
By the way, " 2G RAM, 16G ROM" does not mean something has the "most up-to-date hardware"
And stay away from anything with a Rockchip (RK) SoC (e.g. RK3368)
(2016-07-13, 21:26)nickr Wrote: [ -> ]+1 Nvidia shield
I bought the IDROIDNATION box. Piece of crap IMHO. I tried for weeks to get a hold of them for support but never got any return call or email. I must have tried 10 times. I had image pixelization problems with most movies. Eventually I gave up and got the nVidia SHIELD. I'm so happy with it I bought three more. the IDROIDNATION box looks good on paper however it's completely unsupported BOTH by them and by the Kodi community because they use the RockChip which the programmers here hate. Apparently it needs special tweaks to get it to work right and they will not program for them, instead they want the rockchip people to follow the android rules.
Whatever you do, DON'T get the IDROIDNATION BOX. Mine is gathering dust.
For more details on most of the above, look in the various threads in the
hardware section.
The above posts have summarised it quite nicely, but there is more discussion there if you want to delve deeper.
I have a fire tv 2 and i like it. I had the Shield but i hated the remote with it and hated the gaming remote too. I don't game but it was supposed to be fast so i gave it a shot. I mean its ok i just hate the remote included with it. for 1 there is no context menu button.
Anyway We use netflix, Amazon prime as well as KODi and i have a ton of my blu rays on a 5Tb networked drive and so far the fire tv 2 works great. I think in all out speck showdown the Shield wins but allot of that i think would never come into play with KODI.
But it depends on what all you plan on doing with the box. Because we are prime members we like the fire. However i have found less stuff i enjoy in Prime compared to what i use to.
I do hope that for us cable cutters that maybe the shield or fire will follow in Apples steps like the Apple tv 4 with the 1 sign in for all your apps. As it stands i have to sign into hulu, netflix, showtime anytime, HBO Go, EXT and that 1 sign in would be great.
I think the only thing i have found on my fire tv 2 it has trouble playing is 10 bit video in KODI but maybe thats a kodi thing
(2016-07-14, 04:17)ilovemymac Wrote: [ -> ]Anyway We use netflix, Amazon prime as well as KODi and i have a ton of my blu rays on a 5Tb networked drive and so far the fire tv 2 works great. I think in all out speck showdown the Shield wins but allot of that i think would never come into play with KODI.
Yeah, because of the fact that it will pass-through HD audio (including Atmos & DTS:X), something the last I checked the Fire TV 2 doesn't do, doesn't come into play. Neither does, I guess, the fact that you can download Kodi/SPMC directly from the Play Store or the fact that you can actually play 4K video in Kodi come into play either.
And as far as the remote goes, you know that Kodi supports long press Select for bringing up the context menu, you don't need a dedicated button. Plus, the Shield supports IR & BT Harmony remotes out of the box.
I could care less about the play store. Most of the apps on there are not designed for a TV like the ones on the fire are.
If the shield was in the same price range id consider it but at a min with the remote its $150 more
I can play 4K video on the Fire tv last i checked.
IM hoping that they will enable support for the DTS HD passthrough.
One of my things i love about the fire is all the apps are designed for use on a tv like for instance i have a T8 PLUS from Zoomtak and its a solid box i have had no issues with it i also use to have a minix and both all the apps you get form the play store are like made for a tablet or something.
Does the Shield not do this?
(2016-07-14, 05:37)ilovemymac Wrote: [ -> ]If the shield was in the same price range id consider it but at a min with the remote its $150 more
I can play 4K video on the Fire tv last i checked.
In Kodi? Last I heard 4K was not supported but in a few apps, Amazon, Netflix, etc, but not supported system wide.
And it's not about the Play Store, it's about being able to install Kodi, have it automatically update and not having to jump through hoops just to get a Kodi icon on the launcher.
(2016-07-14, 05:37)ilovemymac Wrote: [ -> ]Does the Shield not do this?
All the apps for the Shield are Android TV compatible, so all the available apps are made for the TV, just like the Fire TV. Though you can still sideload non Android TV compatible apps. But I thought you said you "had" a Shield ATV? You would know this if you did.
And unless they [Amazon] update the Fire TV to Android 6.x or backport API leve 23 for audio (which is doubtful) then it will never get HD audio support. And it will not get True HD audio support unless they do what Nvidia did and hack it in, update to Android 7 or backport API level 24, all of which are doubtful.
If the original FTV is any standard of how they update their boxes, then what you have is all you'll have. Unlike Nvidia who is always adding new features and who has already promised that the Shield will be updated to Nougat once it's released.
BIG THANKS for the advice so far. Special thanks to Tinwarble and deaded. I almost bought the IDROIDNATION box. On paper, it looked the best.
Just looking for KODI functionality, not gaming.
The more i read, I'm beginning to think boxes are about to change. No clear answer box to buy yet.
Appreciate your views !!
(2016-07-14, 05:55)Tinwarble Wrote: [ -> ] (2016-07-14, 05:37)ilovemymac Wrote: [ -> ]If the shield was in the same price range id consider it but at a min with the remote its $150 more
I can play 4K video on the Fire tv last i checked.
In Kodi? Last I heard 4K was not supported but in a few apps, Amazon, Netflix, etc, but not supported system wide.
And it's not about the Play Store, it's about being able to install Kodi, have it automatically update and not having to jump through hoops just to get a Kodi icon on the launcher.
(2016-07-14, 05:37)ilovemymac Wrote: [ -> ]Does the Shield not do this?
All the apps for the Shield are Android TV compatible, so all the available apps are made for the TV, just like the Fire TV. Though you can still sideload non Android TV compatible apps. But I thought you said you "had" a Shield ATV? You would know this if you did.
And unless they [Amazon] update the Fire TV to Android 6.x or backport API leve 23 for audio (which is doubtful) then it will never get HD audio support. And it will not get True HD audio support unless they do what Nvidia did and hack it in, update to Android 7 or backport API level 24, all of which are doubtful.
If the original FTV is any standard of how they update their boxes, then what you have is all you'll have. Unlike Nvidia who is always adding new features and who has already promised that the Shield will be updated to Nougat once it's released.
I just wish they made a cheaper model as I don't need the gaming I don't new most of the features I just want HD audio in kodi. And a few apps for cable cutting which I'll have to check out again. Should have gotten a shield on prime day yesterday. Oh well they should discount it for Black Friday.
Thanks for the info.
Sent from my iPhone 6+
(2016-07-14, 07:02)braderb Wrote: [ -> ]Just looking for KODI functionality, not gaming.
Well, just forget about the gaming aspect of the Shield. Yes they push it more as gaming device, but in the end it's just an Android TV device.
The Shield, in this since, is no different if you bought a Fire TV game bundle (which comes with a game controller) or if you bought a Sony TV, which also runs Android TV, and it happened to come with a game controller. The Shield just also happens to be a good gaming device as well as a good streaming and Kodi device.
And keep this in mind which is especially true with Android devices, you get what you pay for. If you want a cheap Android device then you're going to get a cheap experience.