[wrxtasy]

Updated November 2020.

Kodi Fire TV users should be using the latest fritschfiretv Kodi builds, found HERE (click)

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I think this is worth talking about, especially with the great, chipset Tech it is packaging...

Amazon are releasing their new 2019 FireTV Cube, this time including the most powerful chipset in the AMLogic lineup - the S922Z - which includes a Neural co-processor for much faster, local voice recognition / control and also supports all the latest HDR technologies including HLG, DolbyVision and HDR10+

Android TV benchmarks compared to every Fire TV — 2020 Chromecast, Shield TV, Tivo Stream 4K, and Mi Box (click)

The underlying AMlogic v4.9 Linux Kernel should also support all manner of USB3 > Gigabit Ethernet adapters like the ASIX chipset ones.



Traditional strengths with recent 4K Amazon FireTV devices are:

• Bang for the buck is usually fantastic, especially when devices are on discount sale
  
• Reliable auto switching color spaces for SDR / HDR / DV
  
• the underlying OS is Android v9.0, which Amazon modify and optimise and call it FireOS
  
• Ongoing bug busting Firmware updates from a massive, major Tech company.
  
• *
  
• Properly implemented Dolby Audio Licensing to support older audio systems not capable of EAC3/DD+
  
• (this is not supported on the older 2015/2017 Nvidia Shield)
  
• lossy DD+/Atmos for various copy protected video streaming Apps.
  
• *
  
• The best Wireless remotes in the business
  
• better upscaled picture output quality for non 4K content vs the 2015/2017 Nvidia Shield, simply due to the more modern GPU.
  
• better Apps support for auto Frame Rate matching vs any Android TV devices.
  
• *
  
• a better, App ecoSystem vs the competing Android TV devices, like...
  
• 4K HDR YouTube
  
• an Apple TV App
  

What is supported in Kodi:

• auto Frame Rate Matching.
  
• auto Colorspace Switching
  
• VC-1 Bluray Rips playback properly, see HERE (click)
  
• *
  
• lossy 5.1 DD, DD+, DTS, DD+/Atmos audio support Confirmed HERE (click)
  
• Multichannel (7.1) HD audio decoding is supported and output as lossless LPCM, see HERE (click) for details.
  
• HDR to SDR Tone Mapping
  

Weaknesses for demanding 4K Kodi usage:

• Having to sideload Kodi (many guides, easily done)
  
• No Gigabit Ethernet included, a (Ugreen) USB3 > Gigabit USB Hub adapter would need to be used.
  
• No NTFS formatted hard drive support. FAT32 only.
  
• *
  
• No HD audio passthrough so no Dolby TrueHD/Atmos from Bluray Rips.
  
• an in your face Amazon FireOS user interface, that includes advertising. It really needs an GUI refresh as well.
  

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2019 Amazon FireTV Cube (click)

• SoC - AMLogic S922Z
  
• CPU - ARM A73 Quad Core @ 2.2GHz + Dual Core ARM A53 @ 1.8 GHz
  
• GPU - ARM Mali-G52 MP6
  
• RAM - 2GB of DDR4
  
• Storage - 16GB of eMMC 5.1 Flash
  
• Netflix Approved inc. legit DRM
  
• SoC licensing for DolbyVision & Dolby Audio.
  
• WiFi - Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi supports 2x2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
  
• Bluetooth 5.0 + LE
  
• Ethernet, includes an Amazon Ethernet adapter, it's 100Mbit only.
  
• 1 x micro USB
  
• HDMI 2.1
  
• Amazon Alexa Built in with 8 microphones.
  
• Built-in 1.6'' (40 mm) speaker
  
• Wired Infra Red, extension cable support.
  

W.