[ontap]

Android devices, entry level Intel, and some Linux type boards comes with varying degrees of quality of internal eMMC Flash storage, that the Firmware, OS, Software & Apps runs from.

There is also cheaper microSDHC cards that can be used for device storage, but they are slower for day to day usage, especially when saving Random bits of Artwork, Thumbnail data etc, that Kodi does regularly - and long term regular, cheap microSDHC is not as reliable.

So it's a trade off, do you want cheap - or something faster, with better long term reliability.

The ODROID N2 has removable high quality, fast eMMC flash storage modules available that can be user configured to any OS you want easily.
The CoreELEC edition of the N2, uses a more robust, Industrial spec. Sandisk microSDHC - but it will still be a bit slower vs eMMC flash storage.

Thank you, so eMMC flash storage can be installed on the N2 simply as plug and play purchasable piece of hardware and swapping the Corelec OS from the default SD card to the new flash drive us doable from a layman's perspective ? Asking because an about to order an N2, 

Yes you follow the instructions HERE (click) after SSH logging into CE running on the N2. (all further info is on the CE forums)

The 16GB eMMC modules are faster vs the smaller 8GB ones.

Just be aware if you want to flash any other OS to eMMC you will need one of these (click) You then use a microSDHC > SD card adapter as well.

Also I highly recommend a separately purchased MINIX A2 lite mini keyboard remote. It makes for a seamless OFF / ON functionality with CE on the N2 once setup.

MINIX are about to release an updated, backlit version of that A2 lite remote. 

Yes thanks for all that , I havent looked into the links you posted but being honest with myself , the SSH side of it might be too much for me, I currently have amongst other devices , a BB2 Pro , that i flashed with CoreELEC , works fine but to add files to or edit kodi, I have to log in as a guest from my iMac , cant get SSH to work, so maybe the N2 , is not for me, dont see the point in using it with the OS on an SD card if the eMMC is going to be faster. Once again thanks.

[wrxtasy]

Thank you, so eMMC flash storage can be installed on the N2 simply as plug and play purchasable piece of hardware and swapping the Corelec OS from the default SD card to the new flash drive us doable from a layman's perspective ? Asking because an about to order an N2, 

Yes you follow the instructions HERE (click) after SSH logging into CE running on the N2. (all further info is on the CE forums)

The 16GB eMMC modules are faster vs the smaller 8GB ones.

Just be aware if you want to flash any other OS to eMMC you will need one of these (click) You then use a microSDHC > SD card adapter as well.

Also I highly recommend a separately purchased MINIX A2 lite mini keyboard remote. It makes for a seamless OFF / ON functionality with CE on the N2 once setup.

MINIX are about to release an updated, backlit version of that A2 lite remote. 

Yes thanks for all that , I havent looked into the links you posted but being honest with myself , the SSH side of it might be too much for me, I currently have amongst other devices , a BB2 Pro , that i flashed with CoreELEC , works fine but to add files to or edit kodi, I have to log in as a guest from my iMac , cant get SSH to work, so maybe the N2 , is not for me, dont see the point in using it with the OS on an SD card if the eMMC is going to be faster. Once again thanks.

Here you go a simple DIY over in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2894545

[wrxtasy]

Hi All,
I am struggling between the ODROID-N2 4GB CoreELEC Edition and the Vero 4K +
- I have a gigabit LAN NAS for movie and music storage
- I would like to play the best quality music through hdmi (flac 24/192)
- I currently own a 1080p projector, planning to upgrade to 4K in the near future, so I would like to play my movie rips in the best quality

The Vero looks much better and as far as I have read it is PnP right out of the box.
Can you please help which one is OK for me?

4K meaning HDR ?

There is one thing that is really important if you are going to be using a 4K HDR projector that has it's own auto Tone Mapping.
Yes Auto Tone Mapping projectors do make a difference for 4K HDR if fed correct data.

And that is MaxCLL/FALL HDR Infoframe data.
A bunch of info about that found in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2823690

Also you may want to pay close, particular attention to the Projector link in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2864863 and read about Vero 4K+ HDR usage with those display devices.

I will let you make up your own mind.

---

- I do not want to tinker, I would really like an out of the box plugnplay system that updates itself automatically, etc.
I read that the ODROID has stronger HW, but I do not know how much you have to tinker with it, also it doesnt look good

ODROID N2 CoreELEC Edition = unpack from box, slide supplied microSDHC card into front slot, slide top cover on.
Plug in cables and power ON. Job done.
The CE OS will even auto update for you when there are new stable updates avail.

Also get a wireless MINIX A2 lite - Plug n Play remote, because it mini keyboard comes in real handy after long term Kodi usage for Kodi keyboard shortcuts and Kodi data entry. Batteries last 8+ months with the A2 lite for daily use.

[Sam.Nazarko]

Hi All,
I am struggling between the ODROID-N2 4GB CoreELEC Edition and the Vero 4K +
- I have a gigabit LAN NAS for movie and music storage
- I would like to play the best quality music through hdmi (flac 24/192)
- I currently own a 1080p projector, planning to upgrade to 4K in the near future, so I would like to play my movie rips in the best quality

The Vero looks much better and as far as I have read it is PnP right out of the box.
Can you please help which one is OK for me?

4K meaning HDR ?

There is one thing that is really important if you are going to be using a 4K HDR projector that has it's own auto Tone Mapping.
Yes Auto Tone Mapping projectors do make a difference for 4K HDR if fed correct data.

And that is MaxCLL/FALL HDR Infoframe data.
A bunch of info about that found in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2823690

Also you may want to pay close, particular attention to the Projector link in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2864863 and read about Vero 4K+ HDR usage with those display devices.

I will let you make up your own mind.

---

- I do not want to tinker, I would really like an out of the box plugnplay system that updates itself automatically, etc.
I read that the ODROID has stronger HW, but I do not know how much you have to tinker with it, also it doesnt look good

ODROID N2 CoreELEC Edition = unpack from box, slide supplied microSDHC card into front slot, slide top cover on.
Plug in cables and power ON. Job done.
The CE OS will even auto update for you when there are new stable updates avail.

Also get a wireless MINIX A2 lite - Plug n Play remote, because it mini keyboard comes in real handy after long term Kodi usage for Kodi keyboard shortcuts and Kodi data entry. Batteries last 8+ months with the A2 lite for daily use.

Just to clarify: The 4K + does output MaxFALL/MaxCLL under the 4.9 kernel which will be released in the next update. We have moved to 4.9 as it is an LTS kernel and will help us maintain our software update commitments until 2023.

It may be worth updating that information when the update is generally released

[JustATest]

@wrxtasy 

lol, two days ago they released an ODROID N2 2GB  + SD CARD + Case + power supply for 80€ or 100 for the 4GB version

question: The 2GB version is enough?
I have no USB keyboard or remote. Meaning that I would have to pay an remote with keyboard or remote + keyboard. Which would be +~30€.
Is the remote/keyboard recommended? I can see that it would be useful for searching in Kodi.
If I don´t take an remote/keyboard is it possible to just SSH to the board without any config directly needed?

What´s with the Shield TV or the upcoming Shield Stick. Is the N2 better than it?
Because with a remote I would be at 110€ ~ 150€, depending if I take the 4GB version and the eMMC, although I don´t see why I would take the eMMC over the SD card. And the Shield Stick is expected to be around 170€.

[huoc]

Hi All,
I am struggling between the ODROID-N2 4GB CoreELEC Edition and the Vero 4K +
- I have a gigabit LAN NAS for movie and music storage
- I would like to play the best quality music through hdmi (flac 24/192)
- I currently own a 1080p projector, planning to upgrade to 4K in the near future, so I would like to play my movie rips in the best quality

The Vero looks much better and as far as I have read it is PnP right out of the box.
Can you please help which one is OK for me?

4K meaning HDR ?

There is one thing that is really important if you are going to be using a 4K HDR projector that has it's own auto Tone Mapping.
Yes Auto Tone Mapping projectors do make a difference for 4K HDR if fed correct data.

And that is MaxCLL/FALL HDR Infoframe data.
A bunch of info about that found in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2823690

Also you may want to pay close, particular attention to the Projector link in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2864863 and read about Vero 4K+ HDR usage with those display devices.

I will let you make up your own mind.

---

- I do not want to tinker, I would really like an out of the box plugnplay system that updates itself automatically, etc.
I read that the ODROID has stronger HW, but I do not know how much you have to tinker with it, also it doesnt look good

ODROID N2 CoreELEC Edition = unpack from box, slide supplied microSDHC card into front slot, slide top cover on.
Plug in cables and power ON. Job done.
The CE OS will even auto update for you when there are new stable updates avail.

Also get a wireless MINIX A2 lite - Plug n Play remote, because it mini keyboard comes in real handy after long term Kodi usage for Kodi keyboard shortcuts and Kodi data entry. Batteries last 8+ months with the A2 lite for daily use.              

Just to clarify: The 4K + does output MaxFALL/MaxCLL under the 4.9 kernel which will be released in the next update. We have moved to 4.9 as it is an LTS kernel and will help us maintain our software update commitments until 2023.

It may be worth updating that information when the update is generally released             

Thank you for the answers.
I already own a keyboard+airmouse, it is not Minix, but Rikomagic RKM. I used to have an Intel+Win10 based HTPC with Kodi.
I tried to understand the linked posts, but without digging myself really deep I dont think I can fully comprehend all the info.
I will most probably (99%) get the Optoma UHD40. "The UHD40 is only capable of recreating the smaller Rec.709 colour space, meaning that while the projector can accept HDR content, it’s unable to fully show off the true range of colours available." - this is what I found, I dont know if it is relevant

so, to summarize my criteria:

criteria	OD N2	V4K+
play from NAS via LAN	x	x
play hi-res audio via HDMI(24/192 flac)	x	x
7.1 Audio, DTS:X, Atmos, etc. newest surround sound formats	x	x
Air mouse+keyboard (minix, etc)	x	x
fully PnP out of the box	x	x
Auto update, tinkerless, carefree	x	x

At first glance it seems to me both are OK, but I know the devil is in the details, that is why I asked on the forum. And you already mentioned something regarding HDR (but it seems that will be OK as well for both). Are there other differences I should take into consideration?

[hdmkv]

V4K+ supports 3D MVC (beta w/some issues), and mounting network shares is highly recommended IMO (especially for 4K). See this.

[JustATest]

lol, two days ago they released an ODROID N2 2GB  + SD CARD + Case + power supply for 80€ or 100 for the 4GB version

question: The 2GB version is enough?
I have no USB keyboard or remote. Meaning that I would have to pay an remote with keyboard or remote + keyboard. Which would be +~30€.
Is the remote/keyboard recommended? I can see that it would be useful for searching in Kodi.
If I don´t take an remote/keyboard is it possible to just SSH to the board without any config directly needed?

What´s with the Shield TV or the upcoming Shield Stick. Is the N2 better than it?
Because with a remote I would be at 110€ ~ 150€, depending if I take the 4GB version and the eMMC, although I don´t see why I would take the eMMC over the SD card. And the Shield Stick is expected to be around 170€.

Okay, it´s not long ago that I posted this but now that I have seen that an new Fire TV Cube is out, I have to ask.
The Cube has the same CPU as the N2, a remote, eMMC and WLAN.
Why not take the Cube over N2?
Is there anything the N2 can do that the Cube can´t? Does it have also has stutter in high-bitrate Videos due to Software (as the 4kStick)?

[Sholander]

Is there anything the N2 can do that the Cube can´t? 

Does Cube have removable eMMC ? Can it run 7 (at present) other OS images apart from Android ? Can it run Android and another OS of choice from same eMMC ?
The choice depends on ones needs...

[timstephens24]

Why not take the Cube over N2?
Is there anything the N2 can do that the Cube can´t?

Main reason to take the N2 over the new Cube is lossless audio. The main reason to take the new Cube over the N2 is all the apps.

Personally I use an N2 for Kodi and an Apple TV 4K for everything else.

[wrxtasy]

@wrxtasy 

lol, two days ago they released an ODROID N2 2GB  + SD CARD + Case + power supply for 80€ or 100 for the 4GB version

question: The 2GB version is enough?

Yes. Optimised Linux (CoreELEC, LibreELEC, OSMC) Kodi is lean and mean - you really only need 1GB RAM for even the highest bitrate video streaming. Plus Gigabit Ethernet.

I have no USB keyboard or remote. Meaning that I would have to pay an remote with keyboard or remote + keyboard. Which would be +~30€.
Is the remote/keyboard recommended?

Very useful to me personally. Entering Kodi text for searches. Quick Kodi Keyboard shortcuts. A bigger remote for Man sized hands.
MINIX A2 lite 8+ months battery life in a 100% reliable, Wireless remote connection is absolutely Gold Class performance with any remote.

If I don´t take an remote/keyboard is it possible to just SSH to the board without any config directly needed?

No

What´s with the Shield TV or the upcoming Shield Stick.

An update of the existing Shield to add a more reliable, sensible remote, DolbyVision(not with Kodi) and better upscaled (720/1080p > 4K) picture output quality mainly.
Shield is for easy to use Android TV Apps + Kodi. It's an Android Nerds wet dream !

Is the N2 better than it?

It is for Kodi - because you can throw anything at a device like CoreELEC running on the N2 and not worry about Kodi not playing it back. With all the auto Frame Rate / auto Resolution / auto Colorspace switching working properly.
CE Kodi is better for Networking as well.
It's really a mini Linux PC that runs 4K HDR / HD audio Kodi very well - better than any Android, FireTV, Intel, AMD - Kodi media player on the market.

[JustATest]

Well, I only need it for Kodi...
The additional OSes are nice, but I only need Kodi and for PiHole I will buy an RPi4.

But lossless audio sounds good enough for me

[wrxtasy]

Good luck with the RPi4 - it's really no where near as polished as the options I mentioned above, see this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2883260 as one example.
You are dealing with Alpha or Beta software on it - expect bugs - or wait until Kodi v19 Matrix drops in mid/late 2020.

[Sam.Nazarko]

V4K+ supports 3D MVC (beta w/some issues), and mounting network shares is highly recommended IMO (especially for 4K). See this.

To be completely clear, we won't have 3D MVC working fully for a couple of months yet.
We're leaving things as they are for 3.14 and our next round of improvements will be with the 4.9 kernel.

We're considering shimming mounts automatically to OS level mounts with VFS substitution so that users can take advantage of fstab mount performance but without needing to use the command line. This is beneficial in some scenarios like watching 4K over WiFi.

Sam

[vlix]

...
question: The 2GB version is enough?
I have no USB keyboard or remote. Meaning that I would have to pay an remote with keyboard or remote + keyboard. Which would be +~30€.
Is the remote/keyboard recommended? I can see that it would be useful for searching in Kodi.
...

2G is more than enough, mine never uses more than 50% of RAM.

While the MINIX A2 Lite is a very good remote/keyboard, I learned that I don't actually need it.
Bought the remote and the N2 at the same time, and the remote is now collecting dust..
Granted, I never search.. and only use Kodi to play my media on my NAS..

All I need is the TV remote. With HDMI CEC I could control Kodi with the TV remote.
I only need the Navigation, Enter, Back, and 4 colored buttons to control Kodi.

CoreELEC HDMI CEC default is ON, so you can use the TV remote on the first setup.
The most important thing when first setting it up is to install Keymap Editor Add-on, and map the "Context Menu" to one of the button in your remote.
You can do pretty much anything on Kodi after that.
Mapping "Info" to another button is also useful.