Android box and IPTV - Kodi problems

[Allstars]

1 hour ago, Encid said:

It sounds like this box is obsolete before I start.

Well it was discounted on Lazada from 8,800 baht down to 1,880 baht so I guess you get what you pay for.

 

I noticed another box on the Lazada site: this one.

It is running Android Lolipop 5.1 so I assume that will last longer than 1 year?

It has been discounted from 12,500 baht down to 2,380 baht so seems like a good deal.

I could return the soon-to-be-obsolete box and use the refund as a deposit on the new box.

Thoughts?

 

By the way, I watched the Kodimaster webpage video on the repo build and tried to install it.

I followed the instructions to the letter but it appears that the version of Kodi used in the video is not quite the same as the version I downloaded yesterday, but I did manage to find where the commands were within Kodi File Manager.

I managed to add the Kodimaster repo as a source, install from zipfile, install from repository, and enable the Kodimaster Wizard as a program addon.

However when I exit to the Main Menu and select Programs, the Kodimaster Wizard is not listed so I cannot select a build.

Any suggestions?

 

BTW @Allstars I will send you a PM separately but thought that my questions and the answers you guys have been giving may provide other members of the forum some useful advice as well.

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

That box is better but also old technology, and Amlogic doesn't support Android 5.1 on the S812 platform, reason also why Minix X8 H Plus  which has the same processor also not get updated. So the firmware on that box is modified by the box manufacturer but not supported by the processor manufacturer.

 

Look for a box with a S905 processor with Android 5.1. Try to avoid S905X as it is a cheaper version of the S905, not really a bad choice, but the latter is preferable. The only advantage the S905X has is that it can handle 4K movies but, however there are a few addons that have a small selection of 4K movies, we are still along way from streaming 4K movies in Thailand.

 

Some will say look for a S912 box with Android 6, as that is the very latest, but very much of those boxes have still firmware bugs.

 

Oh and don't fall for that discount trick, because those boxes have never costed that even near that kind of money

Edited January 11, 2017 by Allstars

[guzzi850m2]

16 hours ago, Allstars said:

 

 

By the way, all boxes with that look have Android 4.4.2 as operating system and will be useless before the end of the year, since the latest Kodi 17 which was released on 30 December requires Android 5.1 or higher.

 

The operating system can not be upgraded, so expect that before the end of this year all addons will stop working in Kodi 16.1, since the developers will not support Kodi 16.1 any more.

 

 

Now that is what I call good info, so don't get a box running Android 4.4.2 but 5.1 or higher.

 

I think my Mi box is already on 6.0 and the developer will roll out updates, which many China TV box manufacturers never will.

 

Kodi runs pretty well on it.

 

https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/17/mi-box-is-an-affordable-4k-hdr-streamer-but-dragged-down-by-android-tv/

Edited January 11, 2017 by guzzi850m2

[Encid]

I'm just finished installing the Ares Wizard on Kodi.

Not at all impressed with the video feeds... very jerky video although the sound tracks are good.

Cannot compare with the video feeds using Showbox... 720p smooth clear picture and good sound.

Could this be related to the TOT fiber network problems currently due to the flooding in the south of Thailand?

 

[Encid]

2 hours ago, Allstars said:

Look for a box with a S905 processor with Android 5.1. Try to avoid S905X as it is a cheaper version of the S905, not really a bad choice, but the latter is preferable. The only advantage the S905X has is that it can handle 4K movies but, however there are a few addons that have a small selection of 4K movies, we are still along way from streaming 4K movies in Thailand.

Thanks for the tips... I've sent you a PM.

[steve187]

50 minutes ago, Encid said:

I'm just finished installing the Ares Wizard on Kodi.

Not at all impressed with the video feeds... very jerky video although the sound tracks are good.

Cannot compare with the video feeds using Showbox... 720p smooth clear picture and good sound.

Could this be related to the TOT fiber network problems currently due to the flooding in the south of Thailand?

 

try different sources for the video, some are slow

[AJBangkok]

On 1/11/2017 at 11:35 AM, Encid said:

It sounds like this box is obsolete before I start.

Well it was discounted on Lazada from 8,800 baht down to 1,880 baht so I guess you get what you pay for.

 

I noticed another box on the Lazada site: this one.

It is running Android Lolipop 5.1 so I assume that will last longer than 1 year?

It has been discounted from 12,500 baht down to 2,380 baht so seems like a good deal.

I could return the soon-to-be-obsolete box and use the refund as a deposit on the new box.

Thoughts?

 

By the way, I watched the Kodimaster webpage video on the repo build and tried to install it.

I followed the instructions to the letter but it appears that the version of Kodi used in the video is not quite the same as the version I downloaded yesterday, but I did manage to find where the commands were within Kodi File Manager.

I managed to add the Kodimaster repo as a source, install from zipfile, install from repository, and enable the Kodimaster Wizard as a program addon.

However when I exit to the Main Menu and select Programs, the Kodimaster Wizard is not listed so I cannot select a build.

Any suggestions?

 

BTW @Allstars I will send you a PM separately but thought that my questions and the answers you guys have been giving may provide other members of the forum some useful advice as well.

Thanks.

 

 

 

Kodimaster is a bit of a bear to install as it takes 15-20 minutes to execute the wizard setup and if you have a line drop you can lose it or it won't work. Last time I installed it it took 3 times but once installed it runs like a charm. 

 

One thing that you do need to install it is a fresh version of Kodi and there should be an option in the kodimaster wizard to recover Kodi to a clean version. If you don't do this chances are it won't work.

 

Once you do get up and running if you are using any android box ( not just yours ) remember to clean you cache and delete old addon updates regularly. There is a maintenance program add on (which may be already installed depending on the build you downloaded )that does this for you. If you don't do this regularly it will slow your system and increase the likelyhood of buffering. 

 

Once you get hooked on Kodi you may want to buy a better box I use a widows 10 based intel NUC with an I5 processor, 16mb of ram and a 250g SSID hard drive. It's what you'd call a HTPC or home theatre pc. It's about the size of a minix box but it's the most powerful computer in the house. I have no issues running even the biggest bloated builds and no buffering unless there is something wrong with the link I use. When I bought it it cost 30k but the same setup I have now will cost 12k .check eBay.

[AJBangkok]

Sorry 16Mb of ram

[AJBangkok]

On 1/11/2017 at 11:35 AM, Encid said:

It sounds like this box is obsolete before I start.

Well it was discounted on Lazada from 8,800 baht down to 1,880 baht so I guess you get what you pay for.

 

I noticed another box on the Lazada site: this one.

It is running Android Lolipop 5.1 so I assume that will last longer than 1 year?

It has been discounted from 12,500 baht down to 2,380 baht so seems like a good deal.

I could return the soon-to-be-obsolete box and use the refund as a deposit on the new box.

Thoughts?

 

By the way, I watched the Kodimaster webpage video on the repo build and tried to install it.

I followed the instructions to the letter but it appears that the version of Kodi used in the video is not quite the same as the version I downloaded yesterday, but I did manage to find where the commands were within Kodi File Manager.

I managed to add the Kodimaster repo as a source, install from zipfile, install from repository, and enable the Kodimaster Wizard as a program addon.

However when I exit to the Main Menu and select Programs, the Kodimaster Wizard is not listed so I cannot select a build.

Any suggestions?

 

BTW @Allstars I will send you a PM separately but thought that my questions and the answers you guys have been giving may provide other members of the forum some useful advice as well.

Thanks.

 

 

 

Go to SYSTEM, ADDONS, MY ADDONS, PROGRAM ADDONS  and it should be there.

 

if you want to try adding it again you may have to do A clean wipe ( in the maintenance section of the wizard ) and start again by reinstall the kodimaster repo 

[WorriedNoodle]

23 hours ago, AJBangkok said:

Kodimaster is a bit of a bear

 

I tried Kodimaster (Kodimaster 3.4 build) but the Flawless IPTV video addon doesn't start when selected for me - not sure why. Gave up and went back to Kodimaster Prodigy 1.1 build. Kind of tiring of Prodigy look vs latest Kodimaster 3.4 but I prefer all menu bar options on one home screen as Prodigy offers rather than scrolling left-right across and off the screen as Kodimaster 3.4.   

[Allstars]

1 hour ago, WorriedNoodle said:

but the Flawless IPTV video addon doesn't start when selected for me - not sure why.

 

A wild guess would be because you don't have a paid subscription

[Encid]

I want to thank everyone for their input to this topic.

There are some very experienced, informed, and helpful members out there.

 

I'd like to say that I have had all my problems resolved with the help of one particular forum member.

A number of issues were resolved (including a home network problem that I didn't even know about) and I now have a fully functional Android box running an excellent Kodi build.

If anyone is interested in more, feel free to send me a PM and I will share the information with you.

 

Many lessons learned and I guess the most important one was this: don't buy the cheapest box available... it will most likely be under-specked and will not perform to your expectations.

[Encid]

By the way, I returned the box to Lazada for a full refund.

[Old Croc]

So guys, what's the best box to buy right now with money not the deciding factor?

I'm thinking this, but will be guided by the better tech minds here.

Smart Android TV Box ( NEW 2017 ) MINIX NEO U9-H

Edited March 26, 2017 by Old Croc

[JaseTheBass]

So guys, what's the best box to buy right now with money not the deciding factor?
I'm thinking this, but will be guided by the better tech minds here.
Smart Android TV Box ( NEW 2017 ) MINIX NEO U9-H

Nvidia Shield

[Old Croc]

On ‎3‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 7:22 AM, JaseTheBass said:

 

Nvidia Shield

 

Thanks for responding Jase.

Obviously the best around, but even though I said money is not the deciding factor, I cant justify 60k+ for two boxes. (and I'm not into gaming) 

[Peterw42]

On 3/27/2017 at 0:41 AM, Old Croc said:

So guys, what's the best box to buy right now with money not the deciding factor?

I'm thinking this, but will be guided by the better tech minds here.

Smart Android TV Box ( NEW 2017 ) MINIX NEO U9-H

I have a minix neo u1 box and it works great. Lots of software updates and their own supported version of kodi. I have had a couple of cheaper boxes and usually something is not right and no software updates etc. 

[JaseTheBass]

Fair enough.

For me, the Fire TV is the next best, especially if you want to watch Netflix in HD (something other Android boxes generally don't offer). It does require sideloading of non-Amazon apps though.

[chrgrims]

I have used x92, nexbox a95x, ms8, ms8+, Xiaomi mi box, Beelink G1, Beelink mini MX III, MXQ, Zoomtak H8, Zoomtak V plus, t95m and some other boxes i forgot about.

 

Some users have reported problems using boxes with the amlogic s912 processors, but i think these issues are mostly ironed out by now. the x92 has a s912, and it worked fine. You will get the occasional crash with any computer. But if stability is of utmost importance to you because you are running a pub for example, a box like the Mi box or the minix will crash less than the cheaper ones. Minix are getting very good reviews, but i have no personal experience with them.

If you have big fingers or generally have problems with remotes, avoid a95x. The remote isnt that good.

Mi box is a very good, stable box, but comes without an ethernet connector, one must use wifi. Or buy a usb to ethernet connector if you want to use ethernet connection.

Himedia boxes in general are good boxes.

Ms8 are good for the price, but people who dislike plastic and low end should avoid it.

Beelink are good boxes, remotes above average. You need to load the latest firmware though.

As always it depends on your needs, what you think is expensive  and if you will use it for only streaming or not.

As other have said a  general advice is to avoid 1 gb ram boxes. When the boxes fill up streaming becomes a problem. With 2 gb ram you have some memory to work with making streaming easier for the box. Get android 6 if you can.

 

 

 

 

[AJBangkok]

You may want to consider a windows based box. I use a intel NUC which runs windows 10 has an i7 processor and 16mb of ram. It’s overkill for Kodi but I never have to worry about updating hardware and software is automatically updated. 

 

There are plenty of windows based boxes on the market but they are more pricey with the cheapest ones starting around 6k I think. I’d get as much ram as you can if possible 

[suzannegoh]

20 hours ago, AJBangkok said:

You may want to consider a windows based box. I use a intel NUC which runs windows 10 has an i7 processor and 16mb of ram. It’s overkill for Kodi but I never have to worry about updating hardware and software is automatically updated. 

 

There are plenty of windows based boxes on the market but they are more pricey with the cheapest ones starting around 6k I think. I’d get as much ram as you can if possible 

If spending that much I'd be more inclined to get a NVIDIA Shield.

[AJBangkok]

I actually have a nivida shield as well and yes it’s good but at the end of the day my NUC is easier for me to manage and the shield I’d gathering dust most of the time.

[Stocky]

On 10/13/2018 at 9:39 AM, AJBangkok said:

You may want to consider a windows based box. I use a intel NUC which runs windows 10 has an i7 processor and 16mb of ram. It’s overkill for Kodi but I never have to worry about updating hardware and software is automatically updated. 

 

There are plenty of windows based boxes on the market but they are more pricey with the cheapest ones starting around 6k I think. I’d get as much ram as you can if possible 

+1

 

I gave up on Android boxes recently and also opted for a Windows box, I looked at the Intel NUC but opted for an Asus Vivomini VM45 instead. Very happy with it.

[MJKT2014]

22 hours ago, AJBangkok said:

my NUC is easier for me to manage

Isn't this just like running a PC - I must admit I have only used PC and not NUC? I cannot myself find a PC easier than a simply Android box and remote to watch TV. OK, Kodi maybe easier slightly to manage on a PC, but every other useful software for IPTV seems easier to run on Android from the dearth of options I have found on Windows?

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, MJKT2014 said:

Isn't this just like running a PC

Yes, just a mini PC that's not much larger than an Android box.

[MJKT2014]

47 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Yes, just a mini PC

Thanks , sticking with Android then, much simpler.

[Stocky]

3 hours ago, MJKT2014 said:

Thanks , sticking with Android then, much simpler.

I don't find Win 10 as an interface any less simple than Android.

 

It all works well with the TV, soundbar and a remote keyboard/touchpad. The little PC is tucked away next to the DVD player.

 

 

[skippy121]

how does the remote work whenusing windows boxes, can you still flick between channels if using iptv on windows and the remote

[Digitalbanana]

On 10/17/2018 at 9:52 AM, skippy121 said:

can you still flick between channels if using iptv on windows and the remote

This is what I like about Android boxes and remotes. Wondering same myself on Win boxes.

[JaiMaai]

If you had an air mouse and were using an app such as Kodi, it would work in exactly the same way.

What other apps there are I'm not sure.

[AJBangkok]

I have IPTV on my NUC and I use a wireless keyboard to flip between channels. I do have a remote which also works but I just tend to use the keyboard as it’s easer to type searches and move the cursor for me. Yes I know you can get remotes with keyboards on the back and gyro cursor movement but I.ve found that my hand eye coordination isn’t that great so it’s easer for me to use the wireless keyboards trackpad.