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START HERE - Pick the Right Kodi Box (updated Dec 2020)
(2016-02-27, 21:15)smallclone Wrote:
(2016-02-27, 19:03)jakejm79 Wrote: I'd take a look at the Chromeboxes, depending on how intensive your windows use is an i-core NUC might be a better bet.
Would need a little more information about your usage and media library to give a specific recommendation, but something like the Revo might work.

Cheers man. I have around 1200 rips. Most are ok quality (3 or 4 GB mkvs etc). I will not b using windows for intensive things. Literally just browsing, office, media etc

Well I was referring to if the content is 4K, HD Audio, etc. Based on the little info provided and the guess that you don't need 4K I would take a look at Chromebox, but if you have the budget for a higher end NUC then go right ahead.
(2016-02-28, 02:19)jakejm79 Wrote:
(2016-02-27, 21:15)smallclone Wrote:
(2016-02-27, 19:03)jakejm79 Wrote: I'd take a look at the Chromeboxes, depending on how intensive your windows use is an i-core NUC might be a better bet.
Would need a little more information about your usage and media library to give a specific recommendation, but something like the Revo might work.

Cheers man. I have around 1200 rips. Most are ok quality (3 or 4 GB mkvs etc). I will not b using windows for intensive things. Literally just browsing, office, media etc

Well I was referring to if the content is 4K, HD Audio, etc. Based on the little info provided and the guess that you don't need 4K I would take a look at Chromebox, but if you have the budget for a higher end NUC then go right ahead.

Chromebox OK for 2160/30p and below in H264. Wouldn't suggest it for 2160p HEVC/H265 or >30p.
(2016-02-28, 02:19)jakejm79 Wrote:
(2016-02-27, 21:15)smallclone Wrote:
(2016-02-27, 19:03)jakejm79 Wrote: I'd take a look at the Chromeboxes, depending on how intensive your windows use is an i-core NUC might be a better bet.
Would need a little more information about your usage and media library to give a specific recommendation, but something like the Revo might work.

Cheers man. I have around 1200 rips. Most are ok quality (3 or 4 GB mkvs etc). I will not b using windows for intensive things. Literally just browsing, office, media etc

Well I was referring to if the content is 4K, HD Audio, etc. Based on the little info provided and the guess that you don't need 4K I would take a look at Chromebox, but if you have the budget for a higher end NUC then go right ahead.

Is there ANYTHING decent out there for 4k content though? Chromebox looks tasty and will do what I want. Think I'll look at it further. cheers
OSMC Vero 4K, Intel NUC Celeron 847, ODroid N2+, Raspberry Pi3 LibreELEC. Amazon Fire TV
Vizio  Atmos 7.1
LG 65" OLED
You really need to define what type of 4K you will be viewing ?

Decent - 8-bit 4K@30Hz / H264 / HEVC = Intel devices listed on Page #1 or a AML S812-H device like the WeTek Core.

Decent - HDMI 2.0 / 10-bit / HEVC 4K@60Hz capable = nVIDIA Shield. Plus this will also do 4K Netflix.
Kodi will limit video output to 8-bit on all 10-bit capable platforms.

If you are brave and like to gamble with Firmware quality - an 10-bit 4K HDMI 2.0 AML S905 device.
No 1080p or 4K Netflix on those. MINIX provide decent quality Firmware with their U1, which you pay for.

Limited to 4K at up to 30Hz + a proper 4K Amazon Prime streaming App = Amazon Fire TV2
This device also limits 4K video output to only certain "Approved Amazon Apps"

Rip your own 4K / UHD Blurays, well then your completely out of luck due to copy protection. Even the Software companies supplying the tools for Home Ripping use have either given up or been driven out of business by the MPAA or related entities.
See this recent article on DVDFab:
http://www.myce.com/news/dvdfab-we-will-...ome-78698/

The real problem is availability of 4K video content and AACS 2.0 copy protection. That has not been cracked. The dodgy 4K re-ripped HEVC movies I've seen are 100GB+ for a single 90 min movie alone.
The other question is can you visually see the difference vs 1080p on a 55 "TV anyway, especially after you read some 4K info in links from over HERE

At the moment, you really are just better off using instant playback - better bitrate (compared to 1080p) - 4K DRM video streamer platforms like the Shield and the AFTV2 if you are interested in 4K video content.

There are also 4K HEVC DVB Satellite test streams in parts of Europe currently.
I need to warn people that you need to be very careful with hardware choices if you want to view such content properly.

Yep - right now the only legally available UHD content you can play in Kodi is likely to be either stuff you shoot yourself or the DVB test streams in Europe.

The former you can export in a format compatible with your player platform, the latter probably needs 10bit HEVC 2160/50p and 59.94p compatibility.
I do know iPhone's 6S and later as an example shoot and record video in 2160p HEVC at 30fps, not sure if its 10-bit or 8-bit. These phones also use this codec for cellular Facetime calls.

(2016-02-29, 05:49)wrxtasy Wrote: Decent - 8-bit 4K@30Hz / H264 / HEVC = Intel devices listed on Page #1 or a AML S812-H device like the WeTek Core.

If I understand correctly even lesser budget Intel devices (eg: Baytrail Z3736F type) also play this level of video, as well as offering HD support for Netflix and similar apps via browser or windows app store. Maybe they should be included on the front page too as a competitive option compared to the better Android boxes (without being as expensive as the other Intel boxes you mention) ? Smile Smile
If I have helped you or increased your knowledge please click the 'Thumb Up - Like' button to show me your appreciation :)
For YouTube questions see the official thread here.
Two problems:

- Unless I'm mistaken, the Baytrail Z3736F cannot Hardware decode HEVC content, nor does it pack enough CPU grunt to Software decode 1080p HEVC. I'm assuming properly decoding 1080p HEVC is the required standard in 2016.

- The Intel Cherry Trails, and Braswell hardware have superseded Intel Atom Baytrail Hardware

- Windows and Netflix GUI navigation may have improved with a Helper App like:
http://sticky-ux.com/apps/NetflixRemoteController/

Ultimately is still won't be as integrated as using a proper Netflix App on Android, especially if your using the Android TV OS version with its very easy GUI navigation.

@wrxtasy - Referring to this - linked - post of mine - Can you suggest what Chip/Box direction I could go? This whole new chip series has me confused Smile
Haswell, Broadwell, or Braswell

Quote:Hmm.. interesting mix up.. And how/ where does Skylake fit into the comparative of these 3?

I ask because I wont need 4K content anytime in 1-2 years. But I will have a 4K monitor driven by my Laptop/ Surface Pro 3.
So, 720p content mostly & 1080p if I can do HEVC i.e. Save Space

But, I need to get 2 SLAVE boxes:

1 - Sophos UTM / PFSense - Dual NIC or add a NIC for SOHO/ SMB

2 - Slave Box to do things that I can dump/ delegate off my Primary Laptop
e.g.
Daily Slave jobs:
Torrent/ Downloading
XBMC/ OSMC/ Kodi box - 1080p upscaled to 4K monitor - Currently using ATV1 (move to parents/ living room) on 1080p Monitor
Once in a while - Overnight slave jobs
Format/ Zero/ DBan/ Ghost/ Clone/ Image some NAS/ 3.5"/ 2.5" hard drives - Basically hacking around without bugging my primary

3 - OSX86 - For some Xcode - Not planning to code a lot - But play now n then - Hence going through Compat lists on their forums.

Trying to figure out what would be most cost efficient/ value for money - Yet do the above 1 separately - 2 & 3 as a Unit together
(2016-02-29, 13:09)wrxtasy Wrote: Two problems:

- Unless I'm mistaken, the Baytrail Z3736F cannot Hardware decode HEVC content, nor does it pack enough CPU grunt to Software decode 1080p HEVC. I'm assuming properly decoding 1080p HEVC is the required standard in 2016.

- The Intel Cherry Trails, and Braswell hardware have superseded Intel Atom Baytrail Hardware

- Windows and Netflix GUI navigation may have improved with a Helper App like:
http://sticky-ux.com/apps/NetflixRemoteController/

Ultimately is still won't be as integrated as using a proper Netflix App on Android, especially if your using the Android TV OS version with its very easy GUI navigation.
(2016-02-29, 10:44)jmh2002 Wrote:
(2016-02-29, 05:49)wrxtasy Wrote: Decent - 8-bit 4K@30Hz / H264 / HEVC = Intel devices listed on Page #1 or a AML S812-H device like the WeTek Core.

If I understand correctly even lesser budget Intel devices (eg: Baytrail Z3736F type) also play this level of video, as well as offering HD support for Netflix and similar apps via browser or windows app store. Maybe they should be included on the front page too as a competitive option compared to the better Android boxes (without being as expensive as the other Intel boxes you mention) ? Smile Smile

Z3736F and similar Bay Trail devices are now pretty much obsolete. They had a disappointing GPU and weak CPU. The x5-Z8300 Cherry Trail devices that have replaced them have a much better GPU and HEVC 8 bit decode in hardware, though still a pretty weak CPU.

If you need Windows 10 then I'd go for Cherry Trail now.
(2016-02-29, 09:04)wrxtasy Wrote: I do know iPhone's 6S and later as an example shoot and record video in 2160p HEVC at 30fps, not sure if its 10-bit or 8-bit. These phones also use this codec for cellular Facetime calls.
It's 8-bit. I got a 6S for work. Quality is very good, but as 30fps, playback isn't that smooth, especially in pans.
[H]i-[d]eft [M]edia [K]een [V]ideosaurus
My Family Room Theater
(2016-02-27, 21:21)jubilex Wrote: I was all set to buy a Google Nexus Player but there seems to be no way to control it with Irule (remote control app), which is how I control everything, either via IR (through itach) or HTTP/IP.

Is there anything under $100 that is Android (so I can use Moonlight app to stream games from my desktop PC in the basement), has 1080p Netflix, and has either IR or IP/TCP control? Wired ethernet port ideal.


Sorry for the bump, I was afraid this would get lost and I'm trying to find something within the next week or so. Forgot to mention I would also be using it to stream live tv from HDHomerun Prime, probably with Homerun View app (not through Kodi). In fact realistically live tv and Netflix would be the most common uses.
(2016-03-01, 04:44)jubilex Wrote:
(2016-02-27, 21:21)jubilex Wrote: I was all set to buy a Google Nexus Player but there seems to be no way to control it with Irule (remote control app), which is how I control everything, either via IR (through itach) or HTTP/IP.

Is there anything under $100 that is Android (so I can use Moonlight app to stream games from my desktop PC in the basement), has 1080p Netflix, and has either IR or IP/TCP control? Wired ethernet port ideal.


Sorry for the bump, I was afraid this would get lost and I'm trying to find something within the next week or so. Forgot to mention I would also be using it to stream live tv from HDHomerun Prime, probably with Homerun View app (not through Kodi). In fact realistically live tv and Netflix would be the most common uses.

I don't know what the Nexus Player is like at deinterlacing - which will be a key requirement for HDHomerun content if you aren't transcoding it first (transcoding usually deinterlaces). With a few exceptions (AMLogic, nVidia Shield) - Android deinterlacing is pretty basic (sometimes just a Bob)
I've been looking into deinterlacing recently on Android platforms as it appears there is some trouble with mpeg2 Interlaced content and the Android mediacodec(stagefright) decoder. If its H264 Interlaced content only you are watching that is Transcoded from a HDHomerun you will likely be fine.

Basically the Android OS looks like it refuses to hardware decode this mpeg2 Interlaced combo using mediacodec.
The FireTV's have issues, the Google Nexus HERE, the nVIDIA Shield is having problems HERE , and the new AML S905, if its using mediacodec will also have issues. Basically its a Google Android OS problem.

EDIT: It appears the Shield is using VPU Hardware deinterlacing after all in most instances.

For excellent quality mpeg2 TV broadcast hardware deinterlacing on a budget you grab a RPi2/3 or a AMLogic box, preferably a AML S812-H or a S905, and use amcodec to hardware decode with the VPU doing the Motion Adaptive deinterlacing.

If you want 1080p Netflix with a AMLogic box the only option is a WeTek Core, that can also run the remote control friendly Android TV OS version of Netflix with Android OS dynamic refresh rate switching, just recently being included into that.

Thank you guys for your well input here about pick up the right Kodi Box. Glad to got it. Thanks!
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