[noggin]

good news:

Himedia Q5/Q10 has incredible picture quality, I expect this will always be better than Shield. The HiSilicon chipset is simply better for video than the Tegra in Shield. The Kodi wrapper solution is not perfect, but it works and it delivers excellent 3D + 7.1 HD-Audio now. Not probably in six months. Q5/Q10 are also still being worked on and firmware will continue to improve.

A bit on a tangent, but next year (not before March) I expect Himedia to release a new Q5, using the same hardware but reduced spec / reduced cost (no LCD, no SATA, different casing etc). It will use the same firmware. This new product will guarantee continued Q5 firmware development well into 2016 and beyond.

But doesn't a wrapper around a non-Kodi player (particularly if that player is closed source) mean that you are at the mercy of HiMedia for Kodi updates. If they get bored or decide to concentrate on newer updates you don't have the option of installing your own Kodi builds (or those built by supporters of the platform)?

That's always my concern when closed source external player solutions are suggested, particularly as it goes against the whole point of Kodi and the Open Source movement.