[Implopde]

Hi,
I am a complete newbie in the field of android tv boxes. I would like to choose the best tv box , considering connecting it to devices I already own. Here is the list :
1. Denon AVR X-2300
2. SmartIdea S1080p FHD Projector.

I am on a tight budget, I 'd like to pick a box that would benefit from all capabilities of my avr reciever.
I would like  to have kodi and netflix support, and ideally loseless 7.1 HD audio..
Projector can output 1080p/60hz fine, so I think I do not need 4k hdr device, but is there anyway to improve image quality even if only FHD ? I am a complete beginner, please help ! Any advice from a more experienced ursers is highly aprreciated !

[wrxtasy]

Gday Welcome,

Rule #1 with a bullet for 1080p Netflix - you HAVE to buy a media player that is Netflix Approved - which means the big well known brands, not some dirt cheap hacked thing from China.

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Tight budget with 5.1 Netflix to a DD+ capable AVR, Kodi and 7.1 HD audio passthrough = 2016 Xiaomi Mi Box (click), model MDZ-16-AB
It has to be model MDZ-16-AB because that particular one still has IEC61937 audio support, needed for Kodi 7.1 HD audio passthrough, inc. Atmos.
The 2018 Mi Box "S" no longer has IEC61937 support.

Option #2, faster chipset, has great 5.1 Netflix support, where you sideload Kodi (easily done), but cannot do 7.1 HD Kodi audio passthrough, only 5.1 = Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (click)

Option #3, if you were in Australia is the AUD$72 Vodafone TV (click), 5.1 Netflix, only 5.1 AC3 / DTS Kodi audio support. Has Fast Ethernet which the other two above do not have. It even has a DVB-T TV tuner.

Option #4, grab a Second hand Nvidia Shield - it will slaughter everything else I just mentioned and give you what you want and more. It's the King of Android Kodi devices.

Option #5, a left field option, the (refurbished) Apple TV HD (1080p), does really excellent 5.1 Netflix, but no Kodi or Kodi Addons. You use the excellent Infuse or MrMC Apps (click) instead and all audio is output as lossless 5.1 / 7.1 LPCM (for no loss in HD audio quality) or 5.1 Dolby Digital.

Highest picture quality, Plug n Play = Apple TV 4K, but that would likely blown the budget, and no Kodi.

THIS (click) Android TV device comparison will come in handy

W.

[Implopde]

Wow, thank you for a really quick reply ! Lot of useful information in your answer, so it gets down to these devices :

Option 3 is out of the question for me, as I live in Slovakia (Middle Europe), so the Vodafone TV  is not aviable in my country.

Option 4 is out too, no second hand Nvidia Shields aviable in my area at the moment.

Option 5 are either Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K, but the former is not as common in online stores in Slovakia as in the US, and the 4K version exceeds my budget by quite a lot. I searched for refubrished and second hand units , but I was only able to find first, second and third generetion Apple TV from second hand markets. No HD model either refubrished or second hand aviable right now..

I think, I reduced my choices for Options 1 and 2  - 2016 Xiaomi Mi Box  model MDZ-16-AB or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K . I clicked on both links, I realize that fw update for Xiaomi box fixed some of the major issues, but other persisted. I found a link to an eshop that has MDZ-16-AB model in stock, (https://skyelektro.sk/product-detail/809...-mdz-16-ab).

I am considering Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K too, but I really am a kind of an audio freak, and I'd like to fully take advantage of denon x-2300 capabilities, HD 7.1 loseless audio would be really nice.

Can you please suggest which of these two options would be the BEST for me ? Thanks again. I

[wrxtasy]

I am considering Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K too, but I really am a kind of an audio freak, and I'd like to fully take advantage of denon x-2300 capabilities, HD 7.1 loseless audio would be really nice.

Can you please suggest which of these two options would be the BEST for me ? Thanks again. I

Be aware to get any Netflix approved Android TV OS / Amazon device to stream 1080p Netflix using the actual Netflix App, you need a HDMI connected display / projector with...
HDCP 1.x support
Use the Android DRMInfo App to see what your projector is capable of.

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The main problem is trying to find 7.1 Kodi HD audio support plus 1080p Netflix App support.

And really your only affordable options in a single device is either the Nvidia Shield or the 2016 Mi Box.

Just be aware if you bought a 2016 Mi Box, that has working Kodi HD audio support with Oreo 8.0, be VERY careful about Firmware updating it. Let others be the Firmware update guinea pigs first.

We have already seen the virtually hardware identical Mi Box S, with Oreo 8.1 drop Kodi HD audio support.

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At the cheap end of the Kodi market a bunch of people grab cheap AMLogic Android S905X(2) boxes and then the run the well supported DIY CoreELEC Kodi Leia (click) on them from either a USB Stick or Class 10 U1 microSDHC card.

If all they watch is Netflix Original content, then 1080p Netflix with 5.1 DD+ audio is possibly using the Kodi Leia Netflix Addon (click). Movies that are not Netflix originals will only stream at 960x540p max resolution with that Kodi addon.

Kodi will run much better on such a CE setup with everything working if you pick the right device inc. 7.1 HD / Atmos Audio, but be aware the Kodi Leia Netflix Addon is not 100% guaranteed to work going forward.

An Android TV / Amazon device with an actual Netflix App would be almost certain to continue to work reliably into the future.
I suppose a dirt cheap FireTV Stick, on regular discount sale would fill that requirement if the Kodi Netflix Addon ceases to work.