2015-08-07, 12:30
AFTV is 59 pounds delivered today only in UK. That's a great deal for an STB that requires no second remote to make it usable.
(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote:(2015-08-05, 17:10)Fist Wrote: Fire TV has a better remote, Ethernet, wider selection of apps, twice the RAM, plus easy access to USB storage.
My money would go that way.
The only thing the Nexus Player has going for it is you can download Kodi from the App store. In practice, that's not real important unless you're technically challenged.
The Google Nexus Player has way more software support than the Fire TV. It is the flagship device for Android TV. Amazon's app store is much more limited, and even moreso when you are looking for Fire TV approved apps.
Android boxes don't really see any difference between 1 or 2 GB of RAM. Some people won't ever see any difference between 512MB or 2GB of ram for Kodi usage. It might be important if you do a lot of Android gaming, but most of of the high-end Android games do just fine with 1GB of RAM.
Ethernet is easily added from a $10 adapter, but the wifi on the Nexus Player is amazing (and I normally hate wifi). Even better, you can get a $10 USB hub that includes the ethernet port: http://amzn.com/B0105URLHE . Since the Nexus Player is currently listed at $80, adding the ethernet/hub makes it pretty comparable to the Fire TV in my mind. I already had to add a USB hub to my Fire TV, since it only had one USB port, so I don't see it as a major hurdle for ether device.
Regarding remote controls, I would never judge a box based on the included remote control . Especially when both can easily use a massive selection of other remotes, including using each other's remotes
The Fire TV is a lot more of a pain to mess with. You can't change the launcher (although FireStarter is a great work around), you don't have full access to the Android OS, less bluetooth/USB devices supported, and less chance of getting proper video refresh rate switching (which is needed to get rid of that slight judder people sometimes see, depending on the video and TV used), etc.
The Nexus Player supports more video codecs, such as HEVC and VP9, has a much better default launcher, and is cheaper (especially if you don't need ethernet or USB drives), and is going to get more love and attention than most Android set top boxes out there due to being the flagship Android TV device for developers (not to mention Google's own support).
They're both good boxes, but I would not buy a Fire TV again. I would buy a Nexus Player.
(2015-08-08, 09:06)Ned Scott Wrote: Ignoring for a moment that it's still true that Google Play for Android TV still has more apps than Amazon's app store for For TV by a wide margin, AND that the only people to blame for not being in Google Play are the people who don't submit their apps to there (I'm looking at you, BBC)...
If sideloading is so acceptable to you on the Fire TV then why is it suddenly not acceptable on the Nexus Player? That's a fairly huge double standard in your argument.
(2015-08-07, 12:38)Fist Wrote: Nexus Player doesn't even have catchup TV, such as the BBC Iplayer or Tunein Radio in the UK.
Quote:You can get up and running straight out of the box with one Kodi sideload with the AFTV. That's not the case with Android TV. It's a mess, albeit not as bad as the pure Android experience.
(2015-08-08, 16:43)ChipsAhoy Wrote: Are the Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video apps on the Nexus player as remote control friendly as they are on the FireTV? This has been my objection to many hardware solutions I've tried, and one area where I feel the FTV excels.
(2015-08-09, 10:27)Fist Wrote: The point I was making about sideloading Kodi to the Fire TV is for versions other than the current release, such as a nightly. Is the Play Store going to release betas and alphas or stick with the final?
(2015-08-09, 10:27)Fist Wrote: Apart from Adbfire, it's also very easy to push any Android app (such as ES File Explorer) from your phone/tablet to your AFTV with apps such as Apps2Fire. Bearing in mind, the remote experience does not compare favorably to the native Amazon apps.
(2015-08-09, 10:27)Fist Wrote: Also, if you compare the Amazon and pure Android apps side by side you'll find other differences, some substantial. Tunein Radio, for example, has no ads. Ministry of Sound has several more stations.
(2015-08-09, 10:27)Fist Wrote: I also find the build quality, especially, the remote to be much more pleasing.
(2015-08-09, 10:27)Fist Wrote: By next year, Android TV might catch up, but right now, buy yourself a brand new Sony TV and, other than Kodi, you'll be watching apps on a separate system. The same system that's on the older models.
(2015-08-09, 10:27)Fist Wrote: In summary, buy an AFTV and you get mature apps, such as catch up TV, right now. Buy a Nexus Player and get the promise of the same apps coming some time soon. But if being able to download Kodi from the app store a couple of times a year trumps all else, get a Nexus Player. If you want 4K, and don't care so much about apps or maybe live in the USA, then Shield TV.
(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote: The Google Nexus Player has way more software support than the Fire TV. It is the flagship device for Android TV. Amazon's app store is much more limited, and even moreso when you are looking for Fire TV approved apps.
Android boxes don't really see any difference between 1 or 2 GB of RAM. Some people won't ever see any difference between 512MB or 2GB of ram for Kodi usage. It might be important if you do a lot of Android gaming, but most of of the high-end Android games do just fine with 1GB of RAM.
(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote: Ethernet is easily added from a $10 adapter, but the wifi on the Nexus Player is amazing (and I normally hate wifi). Even better, you can get a $10 USB hub that includes the ethernet port: http://amzn.com/B0105URLHE . Since the Nexus Player is currently listed at $80, adding the ethernet/hub makes it pretty comparable to the Fire TV in my mind. I already had to add a USB hub to my Fire TV, since it only had one USB port, so I don't see it as a major hurdle for ether device.
(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote: Regarding remote controls, I would never judge a box based on the included remote control . Especially when both can easily use a massive selection of other remotes, including using each other's remotes
(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote: The Fire TV is a lot more of a pain to mess with. You can't change the launcher (although FireStarter is a great work around), you don't have full access to the Android OS, less bluetooth/USB devices supported, and less chance of getting proper video refresh rate switching (which is needed to get rid of that slight judder people sometimes see, depending on the video and TV used), etc.
(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote: The Nexus Player supports more video codecs, such as HEVC and VP9, has a much better default launcher, and is cheaper (especially if you don't need ethernet or USB drives), and is going to get more love and attention than most Android set top boxes out there due to being the flagship Android TV device for developers (not to mention Google's own support).
They're both good boxes, but I would not buy a Fire TV again. I would buy a Nexus Player.
(2015-08-09, 16:05)NeoDuck Wrote: Can Android TV handle higher than 20mbps video?
Quote:Wired ethernet is FAR SUPERIOR than any WiFi. You're telling us that the GNP can get 100mbps wirelessly? Is the hub on the GNP USB 2.0 or USB 3.0?
Quote:(2015-08-06, 04:02)Ned Scott Wrote: Regarding remote controls, I would never judge a box based on the included remote control . Especially when both can easily use a massive selection of other remotes, including using each other's remotes
I'm sorry but this is just stupid. Bluetooth paired remotes are FAR SUPERIOR to any WiFi remote. WiFi remotes always have a lag time when initially connecting...ALWAYS. And then, there's the fact that most people use their phones for tons of other shit, so there's the lag time in having it reconnect again. Then, there's the advantage of having a TACTILE remote, which means you don't have to look at the remote to use it. Try that with a touch screen based remote. Yet another downfall to touchscreen remotes are REPEAT KEYPRESSES. Try scrolling down through 2000+ movies with a touchscreen based remote.
Quote:So what? People use the AFTV for running Kodi and the AFTV launcher almost never gets used. I'll give you the refresh rate issue. I hope it's fixed in the AFTV 2.
Quote:The GNP does support 2 more codecs but who gives a crap about those codecs? How much of the stuff that people download are going to be using HEVC or VP9? 0%