Real world compare? Shield 2019 vs ODROID-N2
#1
I'm looking to get a 'it just works' box for 4k + TrueHD & DTS-MA pass through. It for my Home Theater so running a Projector, not a TV.   I have a Win10 PC but its not ideal for kids/guests to use.

Research looks like the ODROID-N2 or Shield 2019 might be the best options... anyone do real-world use of both to be able to compare how they run KODI (I dont care about anything else)? I know the Shield an run Amazon, etc which is nice but I also have a Roku to that.

thx for the input!
I'm not an expert but I play one at work.
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#2
I will flip it on it's head and give you the reasons I did not go down the Nvidia Shield route for 4K HDR + HD audio Kodi playback.

1) Google and or Nvidia stuffing up colorspace outputs/switching with every major Android OS upgrade. (that still happened again with the 2019 Shield v9.0 Pie Firmware)

2) The 2015/early 2017 Shield at the time had an absolute rubbish, unreliable Wireless remote that included a really stupid touch sensitive volume controller.

3) With CE Kodi I can very easily backup my entire setup and store in a .tar file in case anything goes wrong. Restoration is child play as well.

ODROID N2 + MINIX A2 lite keyboard remote running 4K HDR / HD audio CoreELEC Kodi = "just works" and is reliable. CE support is excellent. Smile

If I had needed Android TV Apps, it would have been a different story.

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#3
(2020-05-18, 04:34)wrxtasy Wrote: I will flip it on it's head and give you the reasons I did not go down the Nvidia Shield route for 4K HDR + HD audio Kodi playback.

1) Google and or Nvidia stuffing up colorspace outputs/switching with every major Android OS upgrade. (that still happened again with the 2019 Shield v9.0 Pie Firmware)

2) The 2015/early 2017 Shield at the time had an absolute rubbish, unreliable Wireless remote that included a really stupid touch sensitive volume controller.

3) With CE Kodi I can very easily backup my entire setup and store in a .tar file in case anything goes wrong. Restoration is child play as well.

ODROID N2 + MINIX A2 lite keyboard remote running 4K HDR / HD audio CoreELEC Kodi = "just works" and is reliable. CE support is excellent. Smile

If I had needed Android TV Apps, it would have been a different story.

WOW - thank you!  Great info. I dont have 4k Projector yet but planning to in the next year as prices drop. I need it to 'just work' for my kids, wife and guests... we use Emby on Roku on all our TVs, and Like it a lot since we also use other channels on it, especially Amazon Prime Video, BUT for Home Theater its not good since it does not pass TrueHD/DTS-MA.

I may have to get an ODROID N2 ... you know if Amazon Prime Video works on it?
I'm not an expert but I play one at work.
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#4
(2020-05-18, 18:00)Livin Wrote: I may have to get an ODROID N2 ... you know if Amazon Prime Video works on it? 

The N2 running CoreElec may well allow you to watch Netflix and/or Amazon Prime Video - but the user interface won't be the same as the apps/website navigation you are used to if it does work. Certainly last time I checked the interface was very much a Kodi interpretation - a bit like the way Kodi add-ons for public service broadcaster catch-up platforms (BBC iPlayer, SVT Play etc) are very different from their apps or websites.
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#5
I have both devices, for only Kodi usage I would go N2 for sure. Coreelec is really optimized well. But as soon as you start talking Amazon Prime 
or Netflix thats when the Shield has the advantage. In my personal opinion the Netflix and Amazon add-ons leave much to be desired, they can get you 
by in a pinch but I would never consider them for daily viewing.
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#6
I know there are various ways devices can lie to you about what's actually being played but I can direct play Dolby TrueHD+Atmos and DTS-HD using my own blu-ray rips.

This is using Emby on Nvidia Shield Pro (2019) directly connected to LG C9 TV. So if you are already an Emby user that might be an option.

I can also direct play these audio formats with Kodi on the same setup.
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#7
I would add another device that is a "it just works" box for Kodi which is a Vero 4K+.

I have one of these plus a couple of N2's and both devices are great, I slightly prefer the N2's but I'd say they are a little more DIY than a Vero,
and CE support is good but OSMC's support for their Vero's is excellent and unsurpassed imho.
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#8
Love both Vero 4K+ and ODROID-N2 w/CoreELEC. Once you set Kodi up the way you want, it's a just leave it and enjoy experience.

The right remote is key for family/guests use. Vero's supplied remote is excellent, but for Vero and N2, I use my Harmony Ultimate remote paired via Bluetooth (need a $5 BT dongle for N2, while Vero has BT built-in), as well as an Amazon Fire TV remote w/volume controls (also paired via BT). My wife & kids find the Amazon remote easier to use.
[H]i-[d]eft [M]edia [K]een [V]ideosaurus
My Family Room Theater
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#9
One thing to not discount is the shield's built in chromecast ability. I have both the N2 (for traveling) and Shield, and we have the Shield on our main TV. 

Granted, I've had the Shield since it came out, and I've gotten the setup very stable, so I have been a bit lazy in terms of switching out with the N2. For most real world purposes, you can't really go wrong with either, so long as you replace the shield remote with a different one (I use a G20 remote, and it rocks).
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#10
What are the android (lineage OS) limitations for Kodi on N2? Does HDR work?
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#11
(2020-05-20, 21:25)ozkhan1 Wrote: What are the android (lineage OS) limitations for Kodi on N2? Does HDR work?
I don't think that anybody here runs Kodi on Android to compare it with Kodi on CoreElec
I tried it once several months ago just to see how it works, but comparing Kodi on CE to Kodi on Android PIE is like I'm running my car with handbrake on.
Did not try HDR, but I'm sure it works, no reason why it would not.
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#12
(2020-05-20, 22:40)Sholander Wrote:
(2020-05-20, 21:25)ozkhan1 Wrote: What are the android (lineage OS) limitations for Kodi on N2? Does HDR work?
I don't think that anybody here runs Kodi on Android to compare it with Kodi on CoreElec
I tried it once several months ago just to see how it works, but comparing Kodi on CE to Kodi on Android PIE is like I'm running my car with handbrake on.
Did not try HDR, but I'm sure it works, no reason why it would not.

Yeah I hear you. It’s just that the benefit of running other android apps such as gaming emulators and steam is just too attractive. I wish there was a more effective solution than dual boot with CoreElec. I am itching to pull the trigger on this SBC, but a family man has way too many requirements .. gotta have apps for the wife, kids and all.

Shield has served me well but I feel these newer boards have much better PQ and upscaling. The firestick looks much better than the shield at least to my eyes.
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#13
I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I figured I'd add a post to explain why I am looking to move off of an nVidia ShieldTV.  I don't know if this is an nVidia thing or an Android TV thing, but every once in a while new items get shoved on to my home screen to advertise services I don't care about and certainly do not want.  I have to re-customize my home screen to get rid of "Channels" that I did not add in the first place.  I already paid for the damned device; I shouldn't have to deal with this marketing tactic.

I like the small footprint, efficiency, and performance of the Shield TV (I have a 2017 model).  I also do like the built-in Chromecast feature as someone else mentioned.  However, I do not like a device that I seem to not have complete control over.  Seeing as how I use it almost exclusively for Kodi I think I will start looking to replace it with something like an ODROID device (N2, C4, whatever).
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#14
I was getting ready to eBay off my 2017 Shield, but decided to keep it for playback of certain videos Vero 4K & ODROID-N2 w/CE can't play (or do so well). My Zidoo Z9S gives me a 'cannot play' error. No issues on Shield.

Here's a sample of one, a MPEG4 4:2:2 C-Band satellite capture w/31 Mb/s bitrate. Here's a different sample, also 4:2:2, at 35 Mb/s, previously shared by another Kodi user.
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#15
(2020-06-10, 23:46)Mike_xbmc Wrote: I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I figured I'd add a post to explain why I am looking to move off of an nVidia ShieldTV.  I don't know if this is an nVidia thing or an Android TV thing, but every once in a while new items get shoved on to my home screen to advertise services I don't care about and certainly do not want.  I have to re-customize my home screen to get rid of "Channels" that I did not add in the first place.  I already paid for the damned device; I shouldn't have to deal with this marketing tactic.

I like the small footprint, efficiency, and performance of the Shield TV (I have a 2017 model).  I also do like the built-in Chromecast feature as someone else mentioned.  However, I do not like a device that I seem to not have complete control over.  Seeing as how I use it almost exclusively for Kodi I think I will start looking to replace it with something like an ODROID device (N2, C4, whatever).

Well there are alternate launchers for Android tv if that’s is your main pet peeve. Mine is the upscaler and the PQ just doesn’t look as good as compared with other modern day players (appletv, fire cube) .. it does do pretty much everything though..

I won’t be getting rid of my shield tv any time soon. I think it’s the perfect box for an HD TV. But you start noticing issues when you move to a 4k setup.
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Real world compare? Shield 2019 vs ODROID-N20