2019-05-31, 09:41
In order of preference for Android Kodi Leia:
1) NVIDIA Shield
(auto Kodi Resolution & auto Kodi frame rate matching/refresh switching + Kodi HD audio passthrough)
2) 2016 Xiaomi Mi Box
(auto Kodi frame rate matching/refresh switching + Kodi HD audio passthrough, auto Kodi resolution switching a bit buggy for 4K TV users, buggy DD+ audio passthrough - use the Kodi Netflix Addon & DD audio transcoding instead)
3) 2018 Xiaomi Mi Box S
(auto Kodi frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough, auto Kodi resolution switching a bit buggy for 4K TV users, buggy DD+ audio passthrough - use the Kodi Netflix Addon & DD audio transcoding instead)
4) Equal, and country Specific...
USA = Jetstream 4K Ultra HD (NO Kodi auto frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough), plus..
Australia = Vodafone TV (click) (NO Kodi auto frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough, Android TV Nougat 7.x, but does have a DVB-T TV tuner)
5) Wildcard new entries, the MECOOL KM3 and KM9 Pro (NO Kodi auto frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough, NO Netflix approval).
These new AMLogic S905X2/Y2 devices will be noticeably snappier vs everything else except the Shield.
They are also running an even further AMLogic / Google optimised Android TV - 9.0 Pie OS.
Firmware support is the big unknown.
I believe all the MECOOL devices cannot stream video when using the Kodi Leia Netflix Addon any more either. They appear to be Netflix blacklisted.
It seems, except for the Shield and the Japan only S912 - CCC Air Stick 4K - only the cheaper budget chipsets get used for Android TV media players.
But they are getting more powerful, especially the newer ARM Mali GPU's
Such as the ARM Mali G31 found in the AML S905X2/Y2 & the ARM Mali G71 found in the MediaTek MT5893 in Sony's 2019 new Oreo equipped smart TV's.
I would be nice to see a relatively powerful AMLogic S922X - Google certified / Netflix Approved -> Android TV device, as a mid market Android TV OS option somewhere down the track from a major manufacturer that can provide good Firmware support. I'm very likely dreaming tho.
Video Streaming Apps - Dolby Audio (audio downmixing/remixing) and DolbyVision support appears to be either buggy or non existent on all external - Android TV devices.
1) NVIDIA Shield
(auto Kodi Resolution & auto Kodi frame rate matching/refresh switching + Kodi HD audio passthrough)
2) 2016 Xiaomi Mi Box
(auto Kodi frame rate matching/refresh switching + Kodi HD audio passthrough, auto Kodi resolution switching a bit buggy for 4K TV users, buggy DD+ audio passthrough - use the Kodi Netflix Addon & DD audio transcoding instead)
3) 2018 Xiaomi Mi Box S
(auto Kodi frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough, auto Kodi resolution switching a bit buggy for 4K TV users, buggy DD+ audio passthrough - use the Kodi Netflix Addon & DD audio transcoding instead)
4) Equal, and country Specific...
USA = Jetstream 4K Ultra HD (NO Kodi auto frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough), plus..
Australia = Vodafone TV (click) (NO Kodi auto frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough, Android TV Nougat 7.x, but does have a DVB-T TV tuner)
5) Wildcard new entries, the MECOOL KM3 and KM9 Pro (NO Kodi auto frame rate matching/refresh switching, NO Kodi HD audio passthrough, NO Netflix approval).
These new AMLogic S905X2/Y2 devices will be noticeably snappier vs everything else except the Shield.
They are also running an even further AMLogic / Google optimised Android TV - 9.0 Pie OS.
Firmware support is the big unknown.
I believe all the MECOOL devices cannot stream video when using the Kodi Leia Netflix Addon any more either. They appear to be Netflix blacklisted.
It seems, except for the Shield and the Japan only S912 - CCC Air Stick 4K - only the cheaper budget chipsets get used for Android TV media players.
But they are getting more powerful, especially the newer ARM Mali GPU's
Such as the ARM Mali G31 found in the AML S905X2/Y2 & the ARM Mali G71 found in the MediaTek MT5893 in Sony's 2019 new Oreo equipped smart TV's.
I would be nice to see a relatively powerful AMLogic S922X - Google certified / Netflix Approved -> Android TV device, as a mid market Android TV OS option somewhere down the track from a major manufacturer that can provide good Firmware support. I'm very likely dreaming tho.
Video Streaming Apps - Dolby Audio (audio downmixing/remixing) and DolbyVision support appears to be either buggy or non existent on all external - Android TV devices.
