After looking at the options of another Android Box or a mini-PC running Linux or Windows I ended up buying an ASUS VivoMini VM45 running Windows 10. Initially I was thinking of an Intel NUC running Linux Mint but I've recently had issues with getting Kodi apps to run properly on my Linux desktop, so took a little more time to search out other mini pc alternatives and came across the ASUS Vivo range. Better specs and cheaper than the NUC range when you consider it includes the OS license.

 

 

With an Intel Celeron 3865U CPU and Intel HD 610 graphics it will run 4K graphics on my Samsung 48" JU6000 flatscreen with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. Windows 10 lets you adjust scaling so you can see the icons and text so the screen is fine and I can interact with a simple Air Mouse. There a 500Gb 7200rpm HDD so plenty of space for music and video files. At 190 x 190 x 56.2 mm it's a bit bigger than a standard Android box, but it's not an especially big box. The installed Windows 10 Home license is legitimate.

 

I've got Kodi with the Incursion and the Magic Dragon plugins which let me watch most of what I want, and using a VPS in the UK I can connect to the BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, My4-All4 and My5 all of which stream nicely. The ASUS box is connected via an RJ45 connector and a AV1200 Poweline adaptor to my TOT Fiber2U 100/50 Internet connection. Locally I get about 80/45 via the Powerline, to Singapore it's 60/30, and to the UK it's 45/25 - so plenty fast enough for streaming.

 

 

 

At Bht10,990 from InvadeIT it wasn't the cheapest option, but it's more future proof than the average Android box, as a fully featured Windows 10 mini desktop it isn't classed as a 'naughty media box' and it comes with a 3 year warranty. 

 

Certainly worth considering if you're looking for a home media centre.

Interesting. How do you get the CNBC International link to work by interest? All my sources on IPTV seem to link to the US version only, so not much on daytimes local.

On 8/18/2018 at 11:35 AM, MJKT2014 said:

How do you get the CNBC International link to work by interest?

That's just a shortcut to the website, not had a working IPTV link in years - I miss Bernie Lo in the mornings.

31 minutes ago, Stocky said:

not had a working IPTV link in years

OK, sometimes it works on LiveNetTV but last week they switched to US stream.

cCloud usually has an intermittent working link for CNBC US Edition.