Purchasing an Android TV box or anything that can stream HBO, Showtime, ETC

[sandrabbit]

I don't know if this is of help to anyone but I'm playing about with an Android stick (looks like a usb stick but plugs into the HDMI port on the tv) which runs Android 4.1.2 with 1GB of memory and I've been trying to get Exodus to work on Kodi 14.2. I was unable to install Exodus until I found these 2 articles, the 1st page is the bog standard installing  exodus addon

 

https://www.tvaddons.ag/exodus-kodi-jarvis/

 

which tells you that Indigo Tool is required which is then covered on the next page.

 

https://www.tvaddons.ag/indigo-kodi-jarvis/

 

I'm very impressed with the indigo tool for installing addons and it really is simple to use, this might be of some use to anyone who doesn't want to search through repos. The program lists itself in the video addons directory as well and even has a config wizard to 'automatically configure kodi with the best addons and tweaks' (their words). I'll try this wizard on one of my newer boxes to see how it turns out.

[janclaes47]

1 hour ago, sandrabbit said:

I don't know if this is of help to anyone but I'm playing about with an Android stick (looks like a usb stick but plugs into the HDMI port on the tv) which runs Android 4.1.2 with 1GB of memory and I've been trying to get Exodus to work on Kodi 14.2. I was unable to install Exodus until I found these 2 articles, the 1st page is the bog standard installing  exodus addon

 

https://www.tvaddons.ag/exodus-kodi-jarvis/

 

which tells you that Indigo Tool is required which is then covered on the next page.

 

https://www.tvaddons.ag/indigo-kodi-jarvis/

 

I'm very impressed with the indigo tool for installing addons and it really is simple to use, this might be of some use to anyone who doesn't want to search through repos. The program lists itself in the video addons directory as well and even has a config wizard to 'automatically configure kodi with the best addons and tweaks' (their words). I'll try this wizard on one of my newer boxes to see how it turns out.

Indigo installs only addons that are in the Fusion repo, as if that is the only repo in Kodi world (lol), and at the same time removes other addons that aren't affiliated with TVaddons..

 

http://koditips.com/indigo-deletes-addons-installs-itself/

 

 

[sandrabbit]

38 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

Indigo installs only addons that are in the Fusion repo, as if that is the only repo in Kodi world (lol), and at the same time removes other addons that aren't affiliated with TVaddons..

 

http://koditips.com/indigo-deletes-addons-installs-itself/

 

 

Glad you told me that but I was just looking for info to make my old stick useful and I tried it on a fresh install in another box and most of the addons don't seem very good. I tried the Apollo build yesterday and it's just way too much stuff so going to try some lite versions of new builds. Another thing I noticed tonight was a difference between my laptop and an android box running kodi, in exodus I wouldn't get the same list of streams for the same film - the laptop always found more streams.

[craigt3365]

5 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

Glad you told me that but I was just looking for info to make my old stick useful and I tried it on a fresh install in another box and most of the addons don't seem very good. I tried the Apollo build yesterday and it's just way too much stuff so going to try some lite versions of new builds. Another thing I noticed tonight was a difference between my laptop and an android box running kodi, in exodus I wouldn't get the same list of streams for the same film - the laptop always found more streams.

I'm not sure why the laptop would find more streams?  Both using Exodus?  Maybe your stick doesn't have a good internet connection?  It's one reason I didn't go with a stick.  Many reports say their wireless connections are not that good.

[sandrabbit]

4 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

I'm not sure why the laptop would find more streams?  Both using Exodus?  Maybe your stick doesn't have a good internet connection?  It's one reason I didn't go with a stick.  Many reports say their wireless connections are not that good.

It was both my Leotech Smartbox X2 Storage & Stick, it's got me interested now so will compare with my other boxes.

 

 

Edited March 31, 2017 by sandrabbit

[Jai Dee]

5 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

I'm not sure why the laptop would find more streams?  Both using Exodus?  Maybe your stick doesn't have a good internet connection?

The better the internet connection, the more streams (and better quality) will be detected by your video addons.

Also your scrapers will work better retrieving metadata information and artwork.

A hard wired network connection is always preferable to a wifi connection.

 

11 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

I tried the Apollo build yesterday and it's just way too much stuff so going to try some lite versions of new builds

Whatever you do, don't try the Kodimaster build... it's huge and full of "bloatware".

Good on a PC though.

[craigt3365]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

[Jai Dee]

11 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

I tried the Apollo build yesterday and it's just way too much stuff so going to try some lite versions of new builds.

Try this build... it looks pretty good for an Android stick.

[sandrabbit]

26 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

Try this build... it looks pretty good for an Android stick.

cheers, will try tomorrow as I'm about to take the dogs swimming on the beach then it's time for Aussie Rules and beer!

[Mooner]

https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=393&s1=d0833ee8-7011-4f94-82ea-de74f0d3509e&s2=d3JUN2UJ1BMNQ8K4HAD0RU28&s3=&s4=&s5=71339340

 

Heres one for people who want everything ready to go.

[vogie]

48 minutes ago, Mooner said:

https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=393&s1=d0833ee8-7011-4f94-82ea-de74f0d3509e&s2=d3JUN2UJ1BMNQ8K4HAD0RU28&s3=&s4=&s5=71339340

 

Heres one for people who want everything ready to go.

Am I right in thinking that it only Android 4? Kodi needs 5 or above to operate at its best doesn't it?

[craigt3365]

7 minutes ago, vogie said:

Am I right in thinking that it only Android 4? Kodi needs 5 or above to operate at its best doesn't it?

I'm no expert, but isn't that box a little lite technically to run 4k?  Not sure 4k will even run.

[Mooner]

9 minutes ago, vogie said:

Am I right in thinking that it only Android 4? Kodi needs 5 or above to operate at its best doesn't it?

Dont  know but the box is  included so they wpuld surely have kodi 5 on it

[janclaes47]

Just now, Mooner said:

Dont  know but the box is  included so they wpuld surely have kodi 5 on it

Kodi 5 doesn't exist, and in the spec it clearly says Android 4.4 installed, so Kodi 17.1 is a no go.

 

They don't even talk about the other specs, probably because that would make it obvious that it actually is nothing better than a door stop.

[Jai Dee]

1 hour ago, Mooner said:

https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=393&s1=d0833ee8-7011-4f94-82ea-de74f0d3509e&s2=d3JUN2UJ1BMNQ8K4HAD0RU28&s3=&s4=&s5=71339340

 

Heres one for people who want everything ready to go.

I cannot find any specifications at all on that particular box.

 

Apart from running Android KitKat 4.4. 

 

This is what you should be looking for in an Android TV box :

• 5.1 Audio Passthrough
• H.265 Hardware Decoding
• Android 5.1 Lollipop (or higher)
• Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching
• OTA Firmware Updates
• 1080p 3D
• HDMI 2.0
• USB 3.0
• Dual-Band Wi-Fi and\or Gigabit Ethernet
• The latest version of Kodi

This article is about 10 months old now, but it's a good guide to what you should be looking for in an Android TV box.

[Jai Dee]

51 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

Kodi 5 doesn't exist, and in the spec it clearly says Android 4.4 installed, so Kodi 17.1 is a no go.

Correct... so full HD (1080p) and HD (720p) streaming sources will be extremely limited because they are now using SSL (only supported by Kodi  17).

 

Here is a list of Kodi 17 Krypton changes and improvements:

• Brand new default skins! Gone is Confluence and in is Estuary and Estouchy (optimized for tablets).
• Improvements to DVDPlayer, which allow for playback of DVD discs/files.
• Updates to videorendering and openGL drivers.
• Complete rewrite of audio/video syncing (less offset audio).
• Improved playback of live streams. Internal buffers no longer fill up!
• Input stream add-ons – Add-ons can now be written to support multiple stream qualities or camera angles and you can select this on the fly in Kodi. For example, a stream might be offered in 540p, 720p, or 1080p and you can now switch on-the-fly in Kodi.
• Kodi PVR settings improved.
• Full HD audio passthrough support in Android.
• Android 5.0 Lollipop minimum. This means Android 4.4, which is now 2.5 years old, is not supported by Kodi. This should give you a good baseline for which Kodi boxes to avoid buying online.
• Custom AMLogic Kodi code has been turned off, which is one of the reasons that Android 4.4 firmware is no longer supported.
• If installing third-party add-ons, you have to acknowledge that the add-on is not supported by the Kodi foundation.
• You can now view which add-ons have been installed or updated.
• Settings section has now been made more clear.
• Music library improvements – tag reading and scraping, improved artists handling.
• Tons of other improvements.

 

[janclaes47]

9 hours ago, Mooner said:

https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=393&s1=d0833ee8-7011-4f94-82ea-de74f0d3509e&s2=d3JUN2UJ1BMNQ8K4HAD0RU28&s3=&s4=&s5=71339340

 

Heres one for people who want everything ready to go.

Ooooh, look here what I found on the Kodi support groups about the frog box

 

[Jai Dee]

There you go... avoid anything that is not running Android 5.0 or higher.

 

@Mooner You would do well to keep your money in your pocket rather than buying one of these TVFrog boxes.

[Mooner]

1 hour ago, Jai Dee said:

There you go... avoid anything that is not running Android 5.0 or higher.

 

@Mooner You would do well to keep your money in your pocket rather than buying one of these TVFrog boxes.

 I don't need to. I know how to use kodi.

I just thought it might be ok for older non tech guys. Should of read the spec.

 

[Jeffrey346]

Anyone who can read and watch YouTube can install a Kodi build. Buy the best box you can afford and if you need help ask here.. Do not pay anyone for a Kodi build.. JMO

[rogerarbogast]

I find kodi the best thing for streaming movies/tv shows for free these days and for those that are not aware or are unsure how to set it up here is a noobie guide.

 

First of download kodi from here for what ever platform you use:  https://kodi.tv/download

 

Second follow this guide to set it up 1channel:  https://freaksense.com/install-1channel-kodi/

 

The whole thing takes about 5-10mins depending on system/internet speed.

 

All you need is 1channel for all tv shows old and new and movies old and new, never fails any annoying pop ups or dodgy redirects just click a title load sources and click on one to play. For a better build, I suggest the tv add-ons build but a bit more messing about but hard to do.

 

[Martyjustice]

My box of choice is the nvidia sheild 500gig. Super powerfull, 4k graphics. Availablity in Thailand questionable though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johng]

Nvidia shield, 280 ukp

Raspberry pi 3, 31 ukp

 

 

 

 

[vogie]

On 12/02/2017 at 3:24 PM, Jai Dee said:

Have a browse through some of the other topics in the AV Forum... there are many recommendations and suggestions.

 

I think you're right... you need an Android box.

 

ThaiVisa used to have a supplier that sponsored the forum, but unfortunately not now.

 

I am sure that some of our members will point you in the right direction.

 

Where in Thailand are you?

JD, or anyone else for that matter, is it illegal to ship set top boxes into Thailand, I have just ordered a zidoo x10 from Lazada, the box is being delivered from China, somebody said they are being returned to sender at customs?

[Jai Dee]

I haven't heard of anyone rejecting them however back in late April the Thai government declared that producers, importers and distributors of Internet TV boxes were required to obtain permits from the broadcasting regulator or face two-year imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of two million baht.

 

See this topic.

 

The regulation requires producers and importers of Internet TV boxes, such as Media Box, Android Box, Apple TV Box, TV Stick, HDMI Dongle, and Chromecast etc. to apply for permission from the NBTC in accordance with Section 70 of the NBTC Act B.E.2008 to classify Internet TV boxes as controlled equipment.. 

 

See this topic.

 

In your particular case, Lazada (and not you) is the importer/distributor therefore their supplier would be subject to the regulation.

 

You are the consumer, and you have purchased from the Thai distributor, so I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[Jeffrey346]

1 hour ago, vogie said:

JD, or anyone else for that matter, is it illegal to ship set top boxes into Thailand, I have just ordered a zidoo x10 from Lazada, the box is being delivered from China, somebody said they are being returned to sender at customs?

If you ordered from Lazada, they handle customs and taxes. You should receive the box at your door no questions asked.

I know the X10 is the latest from Zidoo but wondering why you ordered the X10? I have the X9 and the HiMedia Q10 and never had need for a hard drive.

[vogie]

1 minute ago, Jeffrey346 said:

If you ordered from Lazada, they handle customs and taxes. You should receive the box at your door no questions asked.

I know the X10 is the latest from Zidoo but wondering why you ordered the X10? I have the X9 and the HiMedia Q10 and never had need for a hard drive.

It's quite a minefield out there when it comes to these boxes, as I'm sure you will know. I quite fancied the nvidia shield, but after some some research it would seem it is aimed at the gaming market, and a little pricey to boot. The box I have now is a H96 and I am having trouble with my iptv freezing, I have had my internet speed checked and its about 75 mbs download, so no problems there.

My H96 does tend to get a little hot, so could be the problem, so to cut a long story short, I thought I'd get a box with a built in fan, one less problem to worry about, I just hope it does the trick.

 

[Jeffrey346]

4 minutes ago, vogie said:

It's quite a minefield out there when it comes to these boxes, as I'm sure you will know. I quite fancied the nvidia shield, but after some some research it would seem it is aimed at the gaming market, and a little pricey to boot. The box I have now is a H96 and I am having trouble with my iptv freezing, I have had my internet speed checked and its about 75 mbs download, so no problems there.

My H96 does tend to get a little hot, so could be the problem, so to cut a long story short, I thought I'd get a box with a built in fan, one less problem to worry about, I just hope it does the trick.

 

I had an H96 and IMO it's garbage. I now have the Zidoo X9S and HiMedia Q10. Both are in the 4-5000 baht range and find them both working well and only get an occasional buffering when the internet is slow.

I would recommend the X9S over the Q10 as it is a much faster box and offers more HD content.

I can run both side by side and the Q10 will offer SD while  the X9 offers HD.

You can get the X9S from Lazada for 4400B 

[vogie]

5 minutes ago, Jeffrey346 said:

I had an H96 and IMO it's garbage. I now have the Zidoo X9S and HiMedia Q10. Both are in the 4-5000 baht range and find them both working well and only get an occasional buffering when the internet is slow.

I would recommend the X9S over the Q10 as it is a much faster box and offers more HD content.

I can run both side by side and the Q10 will offer SD while  the X9 offers HD.

You can get the X9S from Lazada for 4400B 

Yes it was the internal fan that swung it for me, the internal hdd never came into the equation, will I buy one though, quite possibly. Thanks for the advice. ☺

[Jai Dee]

Bump!

 

Any new suggestions for best streaming media Android boxes currently on the market?

 

Pros/cons?

 

Essential accessories?