[Dan30]

New budget box help, mainly for android use, kodi, YouTube app, some iptv, media via hdd.

Contemplating the x96 air (ventilation issues?), a95x f3, vontar x3, would be happy to hear more options in that price range.

[wrxtasy]

New budget box help, mainly for android use, kodi, YouTube app, some iptv, media via hdd.

Contemplating the x96 air (ventilation issues?), a95x f3, vontar x3, would be happy to hear more options in that price range.

Hi, welcome.

Suggestion, at the cheap end of the Android market get something Android with great Firmware support + decently engineered hardware for thermal heat dissipation:

https://ugoos.com/x3-tv-box-family-serie...ndroid-9-0

It's the reason why we have been suggesting the Ugoos X3 Cube (& included Wireless G20S or G30S Air Mouse remote) from Aliexpress or similar.
Because you can dual boot it for great CoreELEC Kodi use and also use this great Android TV ROM (click)

@clarkss12 might have more input if you want a regular Android Kodi box.

[Jeffers24]

New budget box help, mainly for android use, kodi, YouTube app, some iptv, media via hdd.

Contemplating the x96 air (ventilation issues?), a95x f3, vontar x3, would be happy to hear more options in that price range.

Hi, welcome.

Suggestion, at the cheap end of the Android market get something Android with great Firmware support + decently engineered hardware for thermal heat dissipation:

https://ugoos.com/x3-tv-box-family-serie...ndroid-9-0

It's the reason why we have been suggesting the Ugoos X3 Cube (& included Wireless G20S or G30S Air Mouse remote) from Aliexpress or similar.
Because you can dual boot it for great CoreELEC Kodi use and also use this great Android TV ROM (click)

@clarkss12 might have more input if you want a regular Android Kodi box.

I have been looking at the ugoos boxes and they look like good boxes with good support.

The only thing that puts me off buying one is the board layout, where USB sockets are on the front - could live with that, but why put the hdmi socket coming out of the side - hdmi is a big plug with a thick cable?

My preference to have a clean looking installation would be usb sockets on the side and all other sockets at the back.

[wrxtasy]

New budget box help, mainly for android use, kodi, YouTube app, some iptv, media via hdd.

Contemplating the x96 air (ventilation issues?), a95x f3, vontar x3, would be happy to hear more options in that price range.

Hi, welcome.

Suggestion, at the cheap end of the Android market get something Android with great Firmware support + decently engineered hardware for thermal heat dissipation:

https://ugoos.com/x3-tv-box-family-serie...ndroid-9-0

It's the reason why we have been suggesting the Ugoos X3 Cube (& included Wireless G20S or G30S Air Mouse remote) from Aliexpress or similar.
Because you can dual boot it for great CoreELEC Kodi use and also use this great Android TV ROM (click)

@clarkss12 might have more input if you want a regular Android Kodi box.

I have been looking at the ugoos boxes and they look like good boxes with good support.

The only thing that puts me off buying one is the board layout, where USB sockets are on the front - could live with that, but why put the hdmi socket coming out of the side - hdmi is a big plug with a thick cable?

My preference to have a clean looking installation would be usb sockets on the side and all other sockets at the back.

Yes I'm hearing you.

I noticed that with the nice clean rear layout of the ports the ODROID N2+ has which is more like a NUC in it's packaging.

Really for regular cheap Android OS devices, you need to research over on the Freaktab forum for device internal pics & Firmware support and then go and read over on the CoreELEC forums to see what works, is popular and has the best online user help.

There simply are too many of those cheap China sourced Android devices to cover in depth here on the Kodi forums.

Having said all that the cheap X96 Air has good CoreELEC support and also good Android Firmware support in the form of the SLIMBox ROM's (click)

The X96 Air - 4GB RAM version should have Gigabit LAN

[Dan30]

Thank you all for your kind advice, i believe i would go for the x96 air, probably adding a vent and a fan if need be.
I am coming from an over priced Minix box which really annoyed me over the years, i bought it (150$) thinking it was a big name (relatively speaking), i got exactly one firmware update, and when Kodi moved to a minimum android 5 policy, was left with a very unstable lollipop version and allot of hardware annoyances, so decided to go a cheaper route this time and when need be, just replace with a newer cheap box.

If i could bother you with few more noob questions, how do all those new boxed turn on, remote only? i am use to a physical button, can they be turned on via a WIFI remote? or only shut down?

[noggin]

Thank you all for your kind advice, i believe i would go for the x96 air, probably adding a vent and a fan if need be.
I am coming from an over priced Minix box which really annoyed me over the years, i bought it (150$) thinking it was a big name (relatively speaking), i got exactly one firmware update, and when Kodi moved to a minimum android 5 policy, was left with a very unstable lollipop version and allot of hardware annoyances, so decided to go a cheaper route this time and when need be, just replace with a newer cheap box.

If i could bother you with few more noob questions, how do all those new boxed turn on, remote only? i am use to a physical button, can they be turned on via a WIFI remote? or only shut down?

You can program some of them (including the x96 air) to switch on and off using an IR code.  (I think the BL301 or similar approach is what is used)

[wrxtasy]

Thank you all for your kind advice, i believe i would go for the x96 air, probably adding a vent and a fan if need be.
I am coming from an over priced Minix box which really annoyed me over the years,

What Model is it ?
If it's a U1 or U9 with a S905 or S912 chipset in it simply run CoreELEC Kodi on it:

https://coreelec.org

[Dan30]

@noggin thanks but at this point I'll be mainly using Android, so ill go for a remote wiyh programable IR power button.

@wrxtasy Its s805, no one was able to run CE on it. Plus its getting slow by the day, time for a refresh.

[Tyberious Funk]

My main Kodi HTPC (more than 6 years old now) bit the dust a couple of weeks ago, and I've been looking at options...

I know there's a lot of recommendations for the ODROID N2+, but here in Australia it looks like it's retailing for $159AUD.  When I add in a case, power supply and shipping, it will probably be over $200AUD.  

For the same price, I could replace the MB/CPU/RAM on my existing HTPC and re-use case/psu/hdd.  Doing a quick scan of local PC shops, it would probably need to be a H410 chipset motherboard and celeron CPU, in order to be cheaper than than ODROID.

I have a 1080p TV, so I don't really care about 4K.  But I have quite a few HEVC rips, which my old HTPC struggled with.  I'm guessing a much newer CPU should handle software decoding on 1080p fine. 

I've generally been uncomfortable purchasing ARM devices in the past, because of patchy OS support... at least with an HTPC you know it's going to work, and continue to work for a very long time.  But it looks like ODROID support is pretty good these days, so I'm kinda on the fence.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[wrxtasy]

My main Kodi HTPC (more than 6 years old now) bit the dust a couple of weeks ago, and I've been looking at options...

I know there's a lot of recommendations for the ODROID N2+, but here in Australia it looks like it's retailing for $159AUD.  When I add in a case, power supply and shipping, it will probably be over $200AUD.  

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Buying direct from HardKernel WebShop S.Korea:
4GB RAM N2+
Oz Power Supply
16GB eMMC
Black Case
Fedex fast Shipping

I get around USD$130

You can install CoreELEC Kodi from a microSDHC card to eMMC if you do THIS (click)

You might want to read THIS (click) Oz Whirlpool post then to get a slightly slower (not much to be honest) S905X3 chipset - X96 Air package for AUD$100 - includes a snappy Infra Red learning - Wireless Air Mouse remote.

CE Kodi can be installed to internal eMMC (dual boot or single boot) on AMLogic chipset - Android based devices by following THIS (click)

And whilst I'm at it to keep all info in one post HDMI-CEC tweaks, Suspend, Wake Up & WOL can be added by BL301 injection (click) functionality.

---

Want to reuse SATA Hard Drives and run 4K HDR & HD audio CE Kodi ?
Then have a look at the upcoming ODROID HC-4 (click)

W.

[C0nvert]

Hey Guys i need help to pick the right box for me.
A box around 30-60€ without 4k support.
It should be possible to install Kodi 19 (Matrix) and have Linux as the os. 
I need the Catchup function from pvr.iptv simple addon and it seems this is only working on versions above Kodi 19.
Maybe someone knows a good device.. I thought about an Amlogic device but i didn't find a tutorial for installing Kodi Matrix on it.

[wrxtasy]

Hey Guys i need help to pick the right box for me.
A box around 30-60€ without 4k support.
It should be possible to install Kodi 19 (Matrix) and have Linux as the os. 
I need the Catchup function from pvr.iptv simple addon and it seems this is only working on versions above Kodi 19.
Maybe someone knows a good device.. I thought about an Amlogic device but i didn't find a tutorial for installing Kodi Matrix on it.

You must be confused because the Linux based CoreELEC has has Catchup - IPTV Archive support included in it's Kodi v18 Leia since late 2018....

CoreELEC with IPTV Archive support (click)

[C0nvert]

Oh really ?
I didn't now this haha
Only saw that simple iptv implemented it in Matrix.
That's perfect!!!!!!!
Which Box would you suggest?

[wrxtasy]

Which Box would you suggest?

See post #1 of this thread, it covers all the AMLogic chipset choices as well as Plug n Play Wireless remotes.

Also the CoreELEC forums have a bunch of threads for cost effective devices that use S905X3's.

[iblank12]

Hi all, looking for advice on an android box to play my USB enclosure with 4 2TB HDDs (NTFS); don't need any streaming or internet connection, this will be used on a boat in the ocean.  Big focus is using it as a kodi player, open to using coreelec as the OS, but good with Kodi as an app as well. Also need a remote for ease of use that comes working out of the box.  i'm open to all boxes, all price ranges, thank you