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thebearnecessit · (This post was last modified: 2014-03-15, 16:51 by thebearnecessit.)

I've started this thread to try and help people figure out which android box to buy. But the thread needs YOU to post in it, or the thread won't work. If you have ever bought an android box, then post a reply in this thread just to say whether its any good or not.

Come on people. It's difficult for people to know which box to buy. If you have bought an android box or android stick then post a message here saying whether you would recommend it or not.

Even a one line message will help if loads of people do it.

So many people work so hard to make XBMC great. It's threads like this that allow everyday users to give a little back to the community by posting a quick message,

Just state the model, and whether you would recommend it or not recommend it.

***********************************************************************************************************************
EDIT: below is a quick summary of what the xbmc community on this thread thinks of the android boxes available.

An honourable mention should go to the raspberry PI which is not an android machine but is in the same price bracket roughly and is a popular choice for xbmc users.

geniatech atv1200 (box) - recommended by SIX posters

mk808 (stick) - recommended by THREE posters (don't confuse this with the mk808b)

minix neo g4 (stick) - recommended by TWO posters
minix x5 (box) - recommended by TWO posters (note: this box has a "not recommended" vote in this thread as well)

atv520 (box) - recommended by one poster
Sumvision Cyclone x2 (box) - recommended by one poster (march 2014)
mk888b (box) - recommended by one poster
OUYA - recommended by one poster (the xbmchub website)
JUSTOP Droibox MX (XBMC Special Edition) - - recommended by one poster
UG007 - recommended by one poster
ouya (box) - recommended by one poster (xbmc dev who's had a play with one early march)
android 4.0 google tv player (box = clone of the gbox midnight) - recommended by one poster
odroid xu - recommended by one poster (december 2013)
odroid -x2 - recommended by one poster (and by another poster who hasnt tried it but wants to Big Grin

)
pivos xios - recommended by one poster
mk802IIIs - recommended by one poster
atv3000 - recommended by one poster
favi hdtv smartstick - only just recommended by one poster
gk802 - recommended by one poster (NOTE: another poster said they wouldn't recommend)
mk808b - recommended by one posters (NOTE: another poster said they wouldn't recommend)

before i get to the boxes that posters on this thread have said they WOULDN'T recommend, here are some boxes that no-one has mentioned on this thread. i include them here because they might be worth considering as i have heard some positive things about using xbmc on them:
jynxbox (box)
midnight (box) and the newer version called the midnight MX2 is getting great reviews.
uhost2 (stick)
ouya (a great new $US99 games console out in June 2013 (as far as i know) that XBMC will work on)
odroid-u2 (similar idea to the Rasp Pi with no case, but much more powerful).

And these ones below are not recommended by the people that bought them:

prestigio multicenter - NOT recommended by one poster (march 2014)
ug008 - NOT recommended by one poster (jan 2014)
mk902 - NOT recommended by one poster (jan 2014)
pivos - NOT recommended by one poster (december 2013)
jynxbox - NOT recommended by one poster (december 2013)
droid mx - NOT recommended by one poster (december 2013)
vs-atv-106 - strongly NOT recommended by one poster (december 2013)
asus cube - NOT recommended by one poster (december 2013)
justop android 4.0 tv box - NOT recommended by one poster
minix - NOT recommended by one poster (don't confuse this with the recent & decent "minix neo g4" and the recent & decent-ish "minix x5").
minix x5 - NOT recommended (yet) by one poster
mini x5 2 - NOT recommended by one poster (march 2014)
"s6h" and/or "at-s6h" - NOT recommended by one poster
genitech atv3000 - NOT recommended by one poster
mk808b - NOT recommended by one poster
mk802 - NOT recommended by one poster
cx-01 - NOT recommended by one poster
gk802 - NOT recommended by one poster (for now)

I do recommend the Sumvision Cyclone x2, and DO NOT recommend the X5-II.

~~Ned Scott~~ · 2013-01-23, 13:17

Best android stick ever

Darjk · 2013-01-23, 13:19

MK808B - Android Stick - Dual-core A9 Cortex (Rk 3066), 1GB ram, Mali 400 GPU
It currently (with latest stock firmware) runs the experimental stagefright builds of XBMC quite nicely, however I wouldn't recommend it as I find the whole thing quite messy, full of bloatware in the stock rom, and doesn't seem to run smoothly.

Geniatech ATV1200 - Android Box - Dual-core A9 Cortex (Amlogic 8726-MX), 1GB ram, Mali 400 GPU
Latest firmware and latest XBMC XIOS build runs great, very smoothly and seems to be overall an efficient little box. Only gripe I have is with the aspect ratio of 1080p movies being wrong but thats an issue with file permissions I believe.

davilla · 2013-01-23, 17:12

Did kim dotcom approve this thread ?

thebearnecessit · (This post was last modified: 2013-01-23, 17:29 by thebearnecessit.)

(2013-01-23, 17:12)davilla Wrote: Did kim dotcom approve this thread ?

As usual davilla, your post is beautifully cryptic Big Grin

Do you mind if I politely enquire as to what you are on about?

Oh and why not tell us if you have an android box yourself and whether you would recommend it? Wink

Leema · 2013-01-23, 17:37

ATV1200 best atm Cool

davilla · 2013-01-23, 17:38

megathread -> megaupload, mega, etc. Smile

ok I have these;

Pivos AmLogic M1/M3. M3 is better. more ram, slightly faster CPU clock. Both are playing great and getting better and better since I head the development at Pivos for them.

Custom AmLogic MX set-top/stick, both shows promise, the base firmware is still buggy. XBMC plays great on it aside from base firmware issue.

Hardkernel ODroid-U2, also shows promise, using this for libstagefright testing. lots of ponies Smile

Nexus 7, nice tablet. Don't use it much beyond periodic testing.

To stay neutral, I do not give recommendations but I will say that I would not be working for Pivos if I thought their boxes were crap Smile

thebearnecessit · (This post was last modified: 2013-01-23, 17:48 by thebearnecessit.)

davilla, ahh, megathread, i get you now. I've just read Kim Dotcoms wiki page and I have to say if there is anyone online I don't want to piss off it's probably him! Big Grin

maybe i should ask him for copyright permission.

What is this 'custom' box you mention, is it one that is presumably not available to the public?

(2013-01-23, 13:17)Ned Scott Wrote: Best android stick ever

nice work.

c'mon though, join in the fun, do you use xbmc on any android devices?

davilla · 2013-01-23, 18:20

I could but then I'd have to... you know Smile

spikey911 · 2013-01-23, 19:26

Mk802 - Uberoid Rom - XBMC XAF builds.

Works pretty well streaming live SD content. Works well with MX Player hardware decode.

I would never advise buying one for Xbmc unless you just want to tinker.

lartomar2002 · 2013-01-23, 22:34

Waiting delivery of a OUYA and a Game Stick.

thebearnecessit · 2013-01-23, 22:43

the ouya isnt due out till march/april is that right?

lartomar2002 · 2013-01-23, 23:57

Correct, same with the Game Stick. I pre-ordered the OUYA 1 day after the Kickstarter program ended so am hopeful for March delivery. Suppose to come with XBMC pre-installed.

~~Ned Scott~~ · 2013-01-24, 03:48

I've got an Allwinner A10 called the "Mini X" that I got to play around with for emulators and stuff. Originally it sounded like Allwinner was very hacker friendly, which it's not too bad with, but turned out to be a bit of a dead end for XBMC. I strongly recommend avoiding Allwinner if you want to use XBMC on it.

I've got another cheapy stick called the CX-01 (by some. It's got a few names) back when it was the cheapest Android stick for $40. I haven't tried XBMC on it in a long time, but a button on it that would put it into "USB drive" mode to be connected to the computer, ripped off the circuit board by simply pressing on it. Another one that's not bad at all for emulators or dinking around with, but I would not recommend it for XBMC.

I have a Pivos XIOS on the way, somewhere. I've also been eyeballing the ODROID-U2 or even just the ODRIOD-U. They seem like the most powerful pieces of raw android/arm power you can get for your money right now.

galvan · 2013-01-24, 13:27

Minix Neo G4 (4.0.4) - SD files ok with official XBMC RC3. HD files - no
Minix Neo G4 (upgraded with last 4.1.1) - there is huge progress with experimental stagefright builds. Last build (21st Jan) gave very good results with testing files (Planet, Shrinkage) crashing with Birds only. One interesting thing about last Minix firmware - they add useful auto-hide bottom bar function. So screen is all available now - looks great watching movies.