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2020-05-17, 16:07
(This post was last modified: 2020-05-21, 04:50 by wrxtasy.)
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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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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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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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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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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What are the android (lineage OS) limitations for Kodi on N2? Does HDR work?
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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).