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+--- Thread: The best Android XBMC / Kodi boxes (/showthread.php?tid=182936)
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - poofyhairguy - 2015-02-25
(2015-02-25, 23:08)scubascuba3 Wrote: But fire TV isn't android? And I guess you have to sideload? Alot of people won't know how to do that.
That is what the wiki is for:
http://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_on_Fire_TV
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - scubascuba3 - 2015-02-26
(2015-02-25, 23:27)poofyhairguy Wrote:Yes, my point is, a lot of people are not techy enough to want to sideload /run code etc, for them fire TV probably isn't a good idea. Plus no Play Store, I assume there's a convoluted workaround for that also.(2015-02-25, 23:08)scubascuba3 Wrote: But fire TV isn't android? And I guess you have to sideload? Alot of people won't know how to do that.
That is what the wiki is for:
http://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_on_Fire_TV
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Tinwarble - 2015-02-26
(2015-02-26, 03:44)scubascuba3 Wrote:(2015-02-25, 23:27)poofyhairguy Wrote:Yes, my point is, a lot of people are not techy enough to want to sideload /run code etc, for them fire TV probably isn't a good idea. Plus no Play Store, I assume there's a convoluted workaround for that also.(2015-02-25, 23:08)scubascuba3 Wrote: But fire TV isn't android? And I guess you have to sideload? Alot of people won't know how to do that.
That is what the wiki is for:
http://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_on_Fire_TV
If they're not "techy" enough to sideload Kodi, then they're probably not techy enough to use Kodi (or too even know what it is).
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Koying - 2015-02-26
Haha... +1
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - scubascuba3 - 2015-02-26
-2
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Koying - 2015-02-26
Just have a look at the posts in the android support forum, and you'll notice that a lot of them comes from people barely having a clue of what they have bought/installed
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - scubascuba3 - 2015-02-26
(2015-02-26, 09:43)Koying Wrote: Just have a look at the posts in the android support forum, and you'll notice that a lot of them comes from people barely having a clue of what they have bought/installedExactly
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Tinwarble - 2015-02-26
-8 +2 /18
(2015-02-26, 10:00)scubascuba3 Wrote:(2015-02-26, 09:43)Koying Wrote: Just have a look at the posts in the android support forum, and you'll notice that a lot of them comes from people barely having a clue of what they have bought/installedExactly
And who's fault is that?
If you can't take the time to read the instructions, it's your fault if all the parts don't fit together.
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Koying - 2015-02-26
Yep. To be clear, my remark was meant to mean that the zero-techy people shouldn't buy android boxes for Kodi at all.
The most "non-techy-friendly" Kodi setups are probably OpenElec (and alike) ones, as the OS is completely hidden, and then again Kodi itself needs some learning curve to grasp.
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - speedracerx0509 - 2015-02-27
As mentiond earlier, I have two rooted fire tv boxes loaded with Llama, stickmount, etc. Ikono icon swapped out for xbmc, box boots to xbmc etc. I'm techy enough to set that up and can certainaly do that for my inlaws. I just don't want to get the phone call where they say; :That xbm something or other logo is gone and some Ikono tv thingy is now there and we don't know why", or a million other things that might go wrong (loosing root and usb HD no longer works). So, I've been looking at the G-Box q. This little box looks like something my 70+ old inlaws can handle after I fine tune xbmc for them. That's all I was getting at when I mentioned "Tech savy" in the earlier post. Anyway, why is firetv recommended over other android boxes? Even if I did go firetv for them, I'm not sure I can still pick up one with an early enough firmware to root. Thanks!
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - poofyhairguy - 2015-02-28
(2015-02-27, 21:02)speedracerx0509 Wrote: Anyway, why is firetv recommended over other android boxes?
Because the reason to do Android over a Pi 2 or a Chomebox is the ability to have Kodi, Netflix and Amazon on the same box. Otherwise you are dealing with a worse platform for HTPC duties for no reason.
With every other Android box the Netflix app used is the phone app, which doesn't do a great job being driven by a remote. For the FireTV Amazon has forced Netflix and themselves and the rest to create apps meant to be driven by a remote.
I agree with some here- Kodi out of the box doesn't do a lot. You have to add sources, or plugins, or something else to have the content to make it useful. Anyone that can figure that stuff out can sideload a Spmc apk.
I don't think you need root for any of those. Only reason you need root on a FireTV is if you plan to use a USB drive with it.
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Tinwarble - 2015-02-28
(2015-02-28, 00:09)poofyhairguy Wrote: With every other Android box the Netflix app used is the phone app, which doesn't do a great job being driven by a remote. For the FireTV Amazon has forced Netflix and themselves and the rest to create apps meant to be driven by a remote.
Not completely true. The remote friendly Netflix app (Netflix ninja) was redesigned for Android TV (the OS) and was first available on the Nexus Player (& in the Google Play Store, but could only be installed on Android TV devices). Later it was added to the Amazon appstore for the AFTV.
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Koying - 2015-02-28
(2015-02-28, 04:46)Tinwarble Wrote: Not completely true. The remote friendly Netflix app (Netflix ninja) was redesigned for Android TV (the OS) and was first available on the Nexus Player (& in the Google Play Store, but could only be installed on Android TV devices). Later it was added to the Amazon appstore for the AFTV.I agree that the Android TV has definitely the potential to become #1 for me.
However, re Netflix, they also "handpick" the devices that they "approve" for HD. Afaik, only the AFTV and Nexus Player (+ ADT-1) android boxes are so approved (+ probably actual TVs with android embedded).
So, as much as I prefer Android TV for its openness vs. the Fire OS, there is no guarantee that "no-brand" Android TV boxes will be "HD approved", but there is a high chance that coming TV with android embedded will be.
As of Nexus Player vs. AFTV, ethernet on AFTV gives it the edge for me
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Tinwarble - 2015-02-28
(2015-02-28, 10:35)Koying Wrote: As of Nexus Player vs. AFTV, ethernet on AFTV gives it the edge for me
Which is why I'm waiting to see what comes of the bastard child of the AFTV & Nexus Player, the Razer Forge TV.
RE: The best Android XBMC boxes - Koying - 2015-02-28
Indeed. Seems of very strong contester if the price tag is actually $100 (Snapdragon 805 = 4K + h265).