TV Set Top Box..

[marrmrrs]

Hi...

Need help!!... I want to buy a TV set top box.... Had a quick search online and You Tube and a confusing amout and all giving multiple technical jargon i know nothing about....

So please can anyone suggest a reasonably priced (does not have to be the cheapest) that is SIMPLE to set up and i can get TV from the UK and America...

 

Help would be appreciated...

 

Cherrs in anticipation..????????

[nasa123]

I bought a iptv box from Aliexpress with all channels Europe, but really only need the Scandinavian, box delivered to your door here in Thailand. All channels in 36 months everything came on 4100 Bath and everything works 100%. And very good support.

[giddyup]

9 minutes ago, nasa123 said:

I bought a iptv box from Aliexpress with all channels Europe, but really only need the Scandinavian, box delivered to your door here in Thailand. All channels in 36 months everything came on 4100 Bath and everything works 100%.

Please explain to a luddite how that works. Obviously the box is connected to your TV, does the box then access the internet via wi fi to find channels?

[marrmrrs]

39 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Please explain to a luddite how that works. Obviously the box is connected to your TV, does the box then access the internet via wi fi to find channels?

You are correct!.. 

[marrmrrs]

40 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Please explain to a luddite how that works. Obviously the box is connected to your TV, does the box then access the internet via wi fi to find channels?

That sounds like exactly what i want...You need only Scandinavian and i really only need UK channels...So thanks for the advice. It is much appreciated...

Am off the check out Ali Express... Cheers!!

[LivinLOS]

I would strongly suggest avoid buying cheap chinese junk boxes.. Been there, done that, have a pile of different ones I have upgraded through.. 

Currently I am happiest with Amazons FireTV boxes (or the new fireTV 4k stick with volume).. Combine that with some IPTV (piracy but paid) apps, a quality VPN and iPlayer, 4oD, ITV hub, etc etc.. Add in TVPlayer app.. Netflix.. Amazon Prime accounts.. And you have a lot going on. 

Then learn about Kodi.. Add ons.. RealDebrid.. Gaia+Orion.. And you have a powerhouse of content but a lot of complexity.. 

Next best is the AndroidTV option of the nvidia shield box.. but at 3x or 5x the cost of a fireTV. Note androidTV is not just an android clone box. 

[fruitman]

Right now we have bbc-earth on the tv by box but all the channels are with a voiceover in Thai which you don't want i guess....so ask for that....(don't know what we have)

[nasa123]

10 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

I would strongly suggest avoid buying cheap chinese junk boxes.. Been there, done that, have a pile of different ones I have upgraded through.. 

Currently I am happiest with Amazons FireTV boxes (or the new fireTV 4k stick with volume).. Combine that with some IPTV (piracy but paid) apps, a quality VPN and iPlayer, 4oD, ITV hub, etc etc.. Add in TVPlayer app.. Netflix.. Amazon Prime accounts.. And you have a lot going on. 

Then learn about Kodi.. Add ons.. RealDebrid.. Gaia+Orion.. And you have a powerhouse of content but a lot of complexity.. 

Next best is the AndroidTV option of the nvidia shield box.. but at 3x or 5x the cost of a fireTV. Note androidTV is not just an android clone box. 

So all chinese electronics are shit for you? For a little information to you, then 99.99% of all electronics in your house are manufactured in China. The iptv box I bought at Ali Express seems far beyond my expectations, getting into all Scandinavian TV channels. And the support is actually absolutely great, I bought a box and 3 years of prepaid channels for 4100 Bath delivery on my spor whit Thai post. 

[fruitman]

I would buy one from Banggood. Take the most expensive one cause cheap ones are slow to startup

[marrmrrs]

18 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

I would strongly suggest avoid buying cheap chinese junk boxes.. Been there, done that, have a pile of different ones I have upgraded through.. 

Currently I am happiest with Amazons FireTV boxes (or the new fireTV 4k stick with volume).. Combine that with some IPTV (piracy but paid) apps, a quality VPN and iPlayer, 4oD, ITV hub, etc etc.. Add in TVPlayer app.. Netflix.. Amazon Prime accounts.. And you have a lot going on. 

Then learn about Kodi.. Add ons.. RealDebrid.. Gaia+Orion.. And you have a powerhouse of content but a lot of complexity.. 

Next best is the AndroidTV option of the nvidia shield box.. but at 3x or 5x the cost of a fireTV. Note androidTV is not just an android clone box. 

Cheers.. I have just ordered the new Amazon 4k stick... Seems like the best option for me... Thanks for the advice...Cheers.

[janclaes47]

17 hours ago, nasa123 said:

So all chinese electronics are shit for you? For a little information to you, then 99.99% of all electronics in your house are manufactured in China. The iptv box I bought at Ali Express seems far beyond my expectations, getting into all Scandinavian TV channels. And the support is actually absolutely great, I bought a box and 3 years of prepaid channels for 4100 Bath delivery on my spor whit Thai post. 

Hard to believe at that price, but why don't you post a link to the Aliexpress listing, it's not against forum rules.

 

How long ago you bought it?

[Stocky]

12 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

How long ago you bought it?

If everything's still working, probably last week.

[LivinLOS]

On 11/19/2018 at 11:15 PM, nasa123 said:

So all chinese electronics are shit for you? For a little information to you, then 99.99% of all electronics in your house are manufactured in China. The iptv box I bought at Ali Express seems far beyond my expectations, getting into all Scandinavian TV channels. And the support is actually absolutely great, I bought a box and 3 years of prepaid channels for 4100 Bath delivery on my spor whit Thai post. 

You didnt read my response properly did you ?? I specifically said the clone android box makers. 

The majority of the android clone boxes are in some way sub par.. Poor ROMs, poor remotes, lacking in interface, etc etc.. These devices generally are purchased and cause lower tech skilled folks to have a lower quality user experience. They then think 'an android box' which they connect to thier TV is AndroidTV, which it isnt. Sure with work you can get them just about working but for ease of use and high quality output they are lacking. 

Try a high quality branded item, such as the nvidia shield, running androidTV 8, with solid developer support hence netflix @ 4k and HD audio bitstreaming, with custom apps like iPlayer for AndroidTV, with good remote and hardware.. and its a night and day experience. Or look at the new FireTVs with 4k@60hz for smooth pans, 10Bit HDR support, etc etc. Even pair this with an alexa dot and integrate into smarthome tech.. These devices are simply superior in overall user interface and hardware ability but have a higher price point. 

I would have reccomended the cheap MiBox 3 running AndroidTV but Xaiomi realy screwed the pooch with a forced firmware update this year and really broke the box in some fundamental ways. 

So no, not all devices made in china are cheap chinese clone box junk. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 11/19/2018 at 8:10 PM, LivinLOS said:

I would strongly suggest avoid buying cheap chinese junk boxes.. Been there, done that, have a pile of different ones I have upgraded through.. 

Currently I am happiest with Amazons FireTV boxes (or the new fireTV 4k stick with volume).. Combine that with some IPTV (piracy but paid) apps, a quality VPN and iPlayer, 4oD, ITV hub, etc etc.. Add in TVPlayer app.. Netflix.. Amazon Prime accounts.. And you have a lot going on. 

Then learn about Kodi.. Add ons.. RealDebrid.. Gaia+Orion.. And you have a powerhouse of content but a lot of complexity.. 

Next best is the AndroidTV option of the nvidia shield box.. but at 3x or 5x the cost of a fireTV. Note androidTV is not just an android clone box. 

 

Right now is Amazon's Black Friday sale in the U.S., so pretty much all the Fire TV devices are having big sales right now, including the just released Fire Stick 4K that's selling for $35 (regular price $50).

 

https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Fire-TV-Stick-4K-with-All-New-Alexa-Voice-Remote/dp/B079QHML21/

 

But Amazon won't ship this particular device directly to Thailand, so a buyer would either need to make arrangements with a reshipper or have someone in the U.S. send it along.

 

BTW, it looks like it's also on sale for 35 pounds from Amazon UK.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-TV-Stick-4K-Ultra-Hd-With-Alexa-Voice-Remote-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B079QB9BD7/

 

But it looks like Amazon UK won't ship it directly to Thailand either.

 

Lastly, Walmart in the U.S. right now is also having a sale on the just released Mi Box S Android TV for $50, and I believe it's regularly $60. But I'm pretty sure they won't ship directly to Thailand either.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Xiaomi-Mi-Box-S-4K-HDR-Android-TV-with-Google-Assistant-Remote-Streaming-Media-Player/677842593

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 11/20/2018 at 2:21 PM, marrmrrs said:

Cheers.. I have just ordered the new Amazon 4k stick... Seems like the best option for me... Thanks for the advice...Cheers.

 

I'm guessing, a Fire TV device owner can register their device to either  U.S. or UK Amazon account depending on what their content interests are. AFAIK, the Fire sticks/boxes are the same whether sold by Amazon U.S. or Amazon U.K.  But it's the available content that varies depending on the country of one's Amazon/Amazon Prime account.

 

I also picked up a Fire Stick 4K on sale this week, and it probably will replace a current Fire Stick (HD) 2nd gen model at home, to go along with a remaining Fire TV 2nd gen box that will remain in place.

 

But after my and many others' tortured experience (experiment?) with Xiaomi's original Mi Box Android TV device these last few years (though it still works and I still use it at home running Oreo OS), no way was I going to be shelling out any more money to Xiaomi to have another go-round with their lousy customer support, shoddy firmware updates, broken promises, etc etc.    Who knows, maybe they'll do better the second time around with the Mi Box S, but I'm not going to be their guinea pig again.

 

[stud858]

There is also the option to just hook up a phone to a TV with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and install the appropriate apps that give you all the content you could ever watch in a lifetime. 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

29 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

These devices are simply superior in overall user interface and hardware ability but have a higher price point. 

 

I agree with everything you wrote in your post above, except... Right now, Amazon's prices for the Fire Stick 4K, the prior 2hd gen Fire Stick HD, Echo Dot 3rd gen, Echo Dot 2nd gen and various other products are CRAZY cheap!  And actually, even the Nvidia Shield is on a big sale right now, down to a price for the device and remote of $140.  Roku's also got a bunch of their products on sale.

 

So I guess my point is, with the exception of the higher priced Shield, all the sale prices for the Fire TV devices and the Rokus right now are actually less expensive for good quality stuff than even the cheapest, no-brand name, questionable quality Chinese streaming devices.

 

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/roku-fire-tv-the-nvidia-shield-will-all-be-on-sale-for-black-friday/

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, stud858 said:

There is also the option to just hook up a phone to a TV with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and install the appropriate apps that give you all the content you could ever watch in a lifetime.

 

 

Are you talking about Chromecasting from a phone to a TV, or talking about making some kind of cable AV connection?

 

 

[LivinLOS]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I'm guessing, a Fire TV device owner can register their device to either  U.S. or UK Amazon account depending on what their content interests are. AFAIK, the Fire sticks/boxes are the same whether sold by Amazon U.S. or Amazon U.K.  But it's the available content that varies depending on the country of one's Amazon/Amazon Prime account.

 

I also picked up a Fire Stick 4K on sale this week, and it probably will replace a current Fire Stick (HD) 2nd gen model at home, to go along with a remaining Fire TV 2nd gen box that will remain in place.

 

But after my and many others' tortured experience (experiment?) with Xiaomi's original Mi Box Android TV device these last few years (though it still works and I still use it at home running Oreo OS), no way was I going to be shelling out any more money to Xiaomi to have another go-round with their lousy customer support, shoddy firmware updates, broken promises, etc etc.    Who knows, maybe they'll do better the second time around with the Mi Box S, but I'm not going to be their guinea pig again.

 

Yes when you buy the fire stick or fireTV via your amazon account its linked by default (like a kindle is) but otherwise signing in with your amazon details sets it to your account. 

 

I also discovered just last week that my gen3 fireTV box seems to have a functioning casting solutions from youtube etc.. I dont think my gen2 fireTVs worked that way (but dont have them here to test) but my wife appreciates that as a lot of thai series are on youtube and she can cast from tablet to TV easy enough for her. 

While the amazon front end is too amazon centric and a bit cluttered, the app library is superior to AndroidTV (iPlayer a huge lack for me) and between a few paid accounts (netflix / prime) a few geo-unlocked streaming apps (iPlayer, 4oD, ITV hub, TV player, etc) legal apps (al jazera, sky news) pirate apps (many) and kodi for home media and adds ons (Gaia / Orion with real debrid) its a very fully functional box. 

When you consider all this is 35 quid, when I used to pay that for a decent box set DVD, its a steal. Just hook one on every TV in the house. 

[janclaes47]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Right now, Amazon's prices for the Fire Stick 4K, the prior 2hd gen Fire Stick HD, Echo Dot 3rd gen, Echo Dot 2nd gen and various other products are CRAZY cheap!

Yeah crazy cheap, but just wait until Amazon blocks the install of Kodi or IPTV apps, similar to what Roku did.

[LivinLOS]

10 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Yeah crazy cheap, but just wait until Amazon blocks the install of Kodi or IPTV apps, similar to what Roku did.

1 theres no evidence that this is likely and 

 

2 so I am out 35 pounds.. thats going to make or break my day !! 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

45 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

1 theres no evidence that this is likely and 

 

2 so I am out 35 pounds.. thats going to make or break my day !! 

 

Some Kodi users have fretted about that issue (being locked out) ever since the Fire TV devices came into being. And with each successive device, repeated that concern. And now we're up to, what, like the 5th generation of such devices, and they still allow installation of Kodi and pretty much anything else that's Android compatible.

 

BTW, unlike Xiaomi, Amazon has pretty regularly continued to update, patch and otherwise improve their forked version of the Android OS, even for prior generation devices. And most of the time, their updates work well and don't create many problems. And in the rare case where something goes awry, Amazon usually is pretty quick to remedy it. Gotta give them points for that.

 

[LivinLOS]

In fact the fireTV has become better.. Initial versions hid non amazon store installed apps so we had to use alternative home screen apps, or 'link creator' apps to make a home page launch icon. 

Later fireOS roll out improved the process for sideloaded apps and the downloader app makes sideloads trivial. Its become more side load friendly over time not less. 

I havent tested it but can you use smart playlists in Kodi18 beta to create a 'watch next' ribbon on the home screen like you can with AndroidTV ?? I notice we now have a netflix watch next but not had time to redo my kodi builds. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

just fyi, on a related topic here, I just saw that the U.S. movie-TV streaming service Hulu is having a Black Friday special of a 12-month subscription to its limited commercials (regular) plan for 99 cents per month plus tax. And it's valid for both first-time subscribers and prior subscribers. But I don't think you can use this promo with an already active subscription -- may have to use/create a different ID, unless you have a spare/inactive one.

 

https://www.hulu.com/welcome

 

Looks like the offer is valid for signups until midnight on Nov. 26 PST.   Regular price is $7.99 per month, though Hulu also has had a lot of $5.99 per month promotions lately.

 

Because this is a U.S. streaming service, naturally, it requires a U.S. IP address by the user, and you have to be careful that any VPN service you may be using isn't being blocked by Hulu.

 

 

[mtls2005]

BASIC Firestick is also on sale for $25. (I don't have a 4K TV, yet.)

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZV9RDKK/ref_=fs_ods_fs_smp_tk

 

While they won't ship to Thailand, theAmazon T's & C's say you can use it here.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201624360

 

 

A lot of new TVs have apps built-in and/or downloadable.

 

And a lot of newer TVs can be cast to directly (from a mobile app) without the need of a secondary device.

 

The choice of an add-on device, or even if one is required, is probably dependent on the desired source material, and to a lesser extent, the available LAN and WAN topology?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Amazon still has the full line of Fire TV devices on sale right now. Not sure if those will end at midnight PST in an hour or so, or continue on into the U.S. weekend.

 

 

NVidia Shield with remote still on sale for $140 as well.

 

https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA-SHIELD-Gaming-Streaming-GeForce/dp/B075RXV2VR/

 

Under "Edition," have to click the bottom button that says "Shield with remote".

[JHolmesJr]

On 11/19/2018 at 8:00 PM, giddyup said:

Please explain to a luddite how that works. Obviously the box is connected to your TV, does the box then access the internet via wi fi to find channels?

wifi is an option but the most stable operation comes from plugging in an ethernet cable from the 'out' ports selection on the back of your router directly into the tv box. 

[stud858]

On 11/22/2018 at 9:55 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Are you talking about Chromecasting from a phone to a TV, or talking about making some kind of cable AV connection?

 

 

Casting wirelessly is possible if you have a smart TV with the option or you buy a cast dongle to plug into a spare hdmi port. The cast selection should be found in the Android settings menu. All newer phones should handle it,  with some working better than others with smooth playback.

 

I prefer MHL wired connection. Need Mhl adapter plugged into usb of phone. Then can use standard hdmi cable. Wireless sounds cool but it's more convenient for me to be able to plug in. Not all phones have Mhl. 

Newer Sony and Samsung have this function. 

It's easier and more chance of smoother playback.

There's YouTube videos describing Mhl.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, stud858 said:

Wireless sounds cool but it's more convenient for me to be able to plug in. Not all phones have Mhl. 

Newer Sony and Samsung have this function. 

It's easier and more chance of smoother playback.

 

 

That's the reason I was asking. Indeed, not all mobile phones are MHL output capable, and I'd imagine, a lot of the Chinese brands circulating around here are not.

 

On my bedroom TV, for the time being, I've used up all its HDMI ports, one for Fire TV, one for Mi Box and one for Roku TV. But I still have a laptop I used to have connected by HDMI and for now at times cast wirelessly from the Win 10  PC to various of my TV boxes.

 

Usually, it's an iffy proposition.

 

--On the Roku, you just have to turn on a setting in the menu to allow cast reception by default, and then do nothing else other than send from the source. It's a one time setup deal. But it doesn't always work, and sometimes tries and fails several times before finally succeeding, or not.

 

--On the Fire TV stick or box, every time you want to receive an incoming cast, AFAIK, you have to turn on that capability in settings to allow it. You can't just leave it on by default, which is a hassle. And again, the success rate is spotty.

 

--On the Android TV MiBox, I believe it's Chromecast capable. But when I'm casting from my PC, it's usually not from within a Chrome browser. So I haven't really fiddled with the MiBox method as much. Since I'm usually starting out from a PC and not a mobile device.

 

I had been using an HDMI splitter previously that provided some extra ports, but the Mi Box was having problems with the HDMI handshake in the wake of the Oreo OS update. But now they've done a couple of beta fixes, so perhaps it's time to go back and see if I can use the HDMI splitter again without making the Mi Box totally unusable. And thus regain a direct HDMI connection from my adjoining PC notebook.

 

 

 

 

[cyril sneer]

IPTV via Amazon Fire TV is the way forward i've heard...

 

They have them on lazada for 3600 baht, would the basic Firestick for 1700 do the same job?