Best kodi TV box?
Discussion
Hi Guys - just wanted to canvas opinion on anyone who has a XBMC/Kodi TV box - what do yoiu have a nd would you recommend it?
I've had a 'the Iittle black box' for the last couple of years - but it seems to have lost all support/firmware upgrades.... think they had something to do with geekykit but I'm not that close to the coalface of what goes on with the streamers/sources etc.
I just really liked the way it would stream from my home network drive and the way it allowed old flatscreen TV's to effectively be 'smart'
anyhows - looking to get a replacement and wanted to know how everyones experience was with similar-ish kit
seen loads of android based boxes on the 'bay for relative pocket change but wondering if they are actually any good?
Is it worth spending or will the inevitable march of tech render pretty much anything out of date within a few years?
incidentally - this will be the fourth 'streamer' i've had - bought a Netgear thing in about 2009 (dogs
te), have a WDTV from 2011 (which currently serves as a network drive, as the interface is awful & most recently bought the TLBB in about 2013 (pretty much a two year lifespan for each...
so - any thoughts on what is on the market at the mo?
these any good?
I've had a 'the Iittle black box' for the last couple of years - but it seems to have lost all support/firmware upgrades.... think they had something to do with geekykit but I'm not that close to the coalface of what goes on with the streamers/sources etc.
I just really liked the way it would stream from my home network drive and the way it allowed old flatscreen TV's to effectively be 'smart'
anyhows - looking to get a replacement and wanted to know how everyones experience was with similar-ish kit
seen loads of android based boxes on the 'bay for relative pocket change but wondering if they are actually any good?
Is it worth spending or will the inevitable march of tech render pretty much anything out of date within a few years?
incidentally - this will be the fourth 'streamer' i've had - bought a Netgear thing in about 2009 (dogs
te), have a WDTV from 2011 (which currently serves as a network drive, as the interface is awful & most recently bought the TLBB in about 2013 (pretty much a two year lifespan for each...so - any thoughts on what is on the market at the mo?
these any good?
Amazon Fire Box/Stick?
The box is better as you can use a wired network. Easy to install Kodi, plenty of apps to download or easy to side load any apk.
Kodi or Plex allows streaming over a local network. The fire box has a usb on the back and this allows connection to a usb stick or external drive to watch your content.
The box is better as you can use a wired network. Easy to install Kodi, plenty of apps to download or easy to side load any apk.
Kodi or Plex allows streaming over a local network. The fire box has a usb on the back and this allows connection to a usb stick or external drive to watch your content.
Depends what you want to do with it.
Just local streaming?
Stream legit content (netflix/amazon/apple/now tv etc)
stream dodgy content?
How techy are you?
I have a FireTV, Fire stick and a RaspberryPI all running kodi and they work great. Little bit of fiddling to get them running but plenty of guides around.
The Pi is cheap, the fireTV(s) have the legit stuff nailed and can do the other bits.
Just local streaming?
Stream legit content (netflix/amazon/apple/now tv etc)
stream dodgy content?
How techy are you?
I have a FireTV, Fire stick and a RaspberryPI all running kodi and they work great. Little bit of fiddling to get them running but plenty of guides around.
The Pi is cheap, the fireTV(s) have the legit stuff nailed and can do the other bits.
Bullett said:
Depends what you want to do with it.
Just local streaming?
Stream legit content (netflix/amazon/apple/now tv etc)
stream dodgy content?
How techy are you?
I have a FireTV, Fire stick and a RaspberryPI all running kodi and they work great. Little bit of fiddling to get them running but plenty of guides around.
The Pi is cheap, the fireTV(s) have the legit stuff nailed and can do the other bits.
FireTV and Fire stick here too. Installed Kodi and then used TV Addon's for Phoenix, Genesis etc. We have Prime too. Just local streaming?
Stream legit content (netflix/amazon/apple/now tv etc)
stream dodgy content?
How techy are you?
I have a FireTV, Fire stick and a RaspberryPI all running kodi and they work great. Little bit of fiddling to get them running but plenty of guides around.
The Pi is cheap, the fireTV(s) have the legit stuff nailed and can do the other bits.
Very easy to set up and works well.
Bullett said:
Depends what you want to do with it.
Just local streaming?
Stream legit content (netflix/amazon/apple/now tv etc)
stream dodgy content?
How techy are you?
I have a FireTV, Fire stick and a RaspberryPI all running kodi and they work great. Little bit of fiddling to get them running but plenty of guides around.
The Pi is cheap, the fireTV(s) have the legit stuff nailed and can do the other bits.
Bit of a mix - its really to make the old phillips tele we have in the kids room 'smart' and networkableJust local streaming?
Stream legit content (netflix/amazon/apple/now tv etc)
stream dodgy content?
How techy are you?
I have a FireTV, Fire stick and a RaspberryPI all running kodi and they work great. Little bit of fiddling to get them running but plenty of guides around.
The Pi is cheap, the fireTV(s) have the legit stuff nailed and can do the other bits.
Already have an apple TV on it for netflix etc. BUT this (being apple) doesn't really play ball with the network drive wrt to getting content down...
not hugely techy - but have (through trial and error) managed to get most of this stuff working eventually....
Fire TV with KODI sounds like a good shout - i take it Amazon aren't as restrictive as apple when it comes to 'greyer' streams?
I have bought 2x Minix X8-H boxes this year for use in our kitchen and livignroom.
I also bought one for my brother in law and set him up on it.
I believe the spend is justified (£114) as the box is lightning fast and the free remote you get (with full qwerty keyboard on the back) is also a really solid, dependable piece of kit.
Compare this to the unit my next door neighbour bought (and asked me to set up).
I went through exactly the same setup process but there is a 1-2 second lag on every action you take, even scrolling from page to page.
He also got a free remote, shaped like an x-box controller and really flimsy.
Some of his remote keys stopped working during the install.
He paid around £55 for his box.
Having used it for an hour or two, I am so glad I decided to spend the extra on a much better box.
I also bought one for my brother in law and set him up on it.
I believe the spend is justified (£114) as the box is lightning fast and the free remote you get (with full qwerty keyboard on the back) is also a really solid, dependable piece of kit.
Compare this to the unit my next door neighbour bought (and asked me to set up).
I went through exactly the same setup process but there is a 1-2 second lag on every action you take, even scrolling from page to page.
He also got a free remote, shaped like an x-box controller and really flimsy.
Some of his remote keys stopped working during the install.
He paid around £55 for his box.
Having used it for an hour or two, I am so glad I decided to spend the extra on a much better box.
BERGS2 said:
from having a look - does Fire come with the option of a blutooth or wifi keyboard?
my recent experience of xbmc/kodi addons using a 'text' style remote have been painful in the extreme
No idea. However, I control mine with a Logitech programmable remote and that also allows me to use my phone/ipad so I can type on the phone and it displays on the screen.my recent experience of xbmc/kodi addons using a 'text' style remote have been painful in the extreme
Once you have kodi on there you would access local files and anything dodgy through kodi.
Same as if you jailbreak an ATV I guess. Codec support is much better on the FTV.
200bhp said:
If you want to be able to do ANY kind of media, legal and otherwise, you cant go wrong with an Intel Compute Stick.
Its basically a windows tablet without the screen and it runs windows so you can play anything and browse anything easily.
Or for £70 less just get a fire stick which does everything anyway.Its basically a windows tablet without the screen and it runs windows so you can play anything and browse anything easily.
Unless things have moved on massively very recently I wouldn't say the fire stick does everything? It might fine for streaming, but it's hopeless at live tv via a backend. Is 24p playback working properly yet - it wasn't a couple of months ago and the judder was painful. And no HD audio either.
If you want to use Kodi at its full potential, doing what it was actually designed to do, then I'd suggest the best value/performance is something like the HP260 at under £100. Or if you just want to play dodgy streams there's much better ways than using kodi + addons.
If you want to use Kodi at its full potential, doing what it was actually designed to do, then I'd suggest the best value/performance is something like the HP260 at under £100. Or if you just want to play dodgy streams there's much better ways than using kodi + addons.
I have a few machines running XBMC/Kodi:
- minix neox8-h plus : easiest out of the box set up. Works nicely. The remote control's a bit of a pain...the std one needs line of sight. The RF one is great but runs on rechargeable batteries so needs plugging into a USB port every now and then and is a bit of a pain to pair back up (restarting the box typically works).
- mac mini : overkill really. But works really well. Close to the Minix in terms of set up ease. Much, much more flexible on a polished basis than the Minix. But much more expensive (even used).
- jailbroken ATV2 : pain in the arse to set up. Once set up it's fine but I've always had a nagging suspicion that it will stop working and become a pain in the arse again. Also very expensive for what it is (fortunately I already had the unit, bought when they were 80 quid or so.
XBMC/Kodi is a great bit of software. There are nice things about Plex (central update of media being the main one), but it can't play DVD VOBs and the menu system doesn't pass the mother in law test.
- minix neox8-h plus : easiest out of the box set up. Works nicely. The remote control's a bit of a pain...the std one needs line of sight. The RF one is great but runs on rechargeable batteries so needs plugging into a USB port every now and then and is a bit of a pain to pair back up (restarting the box typically works).
- mac mini : overkill really. But works really well. Close to the Minix in terms of set up ease. Much, much more flexible on a polished basis than the Minix. But much more expensive (even used).
- jailbroken ATV2 : pain in the arse to set up. Once set up it's fine but I've always had a nagging suspicion that it will stop working and become a pain in the arse again. Also very expensive for what it is (fortunately I already had the unit, bought when they were 80 quid or so.
XBMC/Kodi is a great bit of software. There are nice things about Plex (central update of media being the main one), but it can't play DVD VOBs and the menu system doesn't pass the mother in law test.
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