What does Jow Forums consider the best set-top box for TV and why?
What do you personally use?
I hear the AppleTV is overpriced and the Nvidia Shield is great value only if you play games. How does the Xiaomi Mi Box fare by comparison? How about the other alternatives? Can non-Android Smart TV OSes compete?
What you using it for? >Are you gaming get the shield. >Are you gay? Get the apple >Just apps/tv/Netflix? 4k fire stick $25. >Mi box S? Comparable to the fire stick 4k. Both are missing Ethernet.
Josiah Hall
I actually already have a Shield. I'm making this thread because this technology interests me, and may affect what I gift others.
I'm Australian and hear Fire Sticks are still trash here. One of our alternatives is the Vodafone TV, which is very affordable, has an ethernet port, and is produced by a large, non-chink company, but it's still on Android 7 and doesn't support Kodi auto Frame Rate Matching.
Angel Gutierrez
Apple TV 4k is better IF you get it to buy movies in the long run as an investment and have other devices that can benefit from it too. It's app integration is only ok. Better than the Roku stick but worse in some ways to the Shield TV. Here's the thing: UHD benefits 35mm movies the most since it's almost 1:1 transfer. Newer movies are held back by CGI and go through an odd process of downscaling to match 2k CGI and then upscaling to 4k. The quality difference at that point makes the UHD disc kind of pointless when you can usually get the Apple TV equivalent at comparable quality for cheaper. The sales on movies are really cheap. But the consequence is you can't download movies and only stream them. (I really wish they would change this. The damn thing has up to 64gb of space it's never going to get around to using) Apple TV with something like Infuse is pretty good at playing videos over the network with the right Dolby and DTS audio stream sampling. Fire TV is kind of crap overall but it's cheap and ok at it's job.
Samuel Hernandez
Just get a chromecast
Sebastian Young
Why the fuck would you use anything other than a pi 4 running kodi to access your movies from your nas? Chromecasts and bokus, really? Get the fuck off my Jow Forums you fuckin plebs
Gavin Fisher
The fire stick 4k is Decent. The regular firesticks are trash.
>Pi4 Mehhh. I'm using a Zgemma, runs Kodi and it's natural tv interface for IPTV can't be beat.
Parker Lee
Firestick 4k has a faster soc than mibox s
Samuel Roberts
t. brainlet
Elijah Ross
whats the best plex stb (client, already have a server)
Can I open the firestick 4k and rip out the microphone?
Justin Parker
They're literally stupidly priced pointless shit if you are even remotely technical. A fanless mini PC costs like not much more than a complete R Pi kit (which is also a great option).
Stick Kodi on it if it has enough storage of its own, otherwise Plex Client and stream from a server. If you spend not much more and get one with a discrete graphics card like the Intel Hades Canyon you can get a console replacement/VR system.
Grab an all-in-one wireless keyboard, anything from a full sized Microsoft or Logitech media keyboard down to a little Chinkshit Bluetooth controller and you have a proper HTPC set up.
mi box is cheaper than raspberry pi but has more performance and run android
Carter Miller
Agreed re Mi Box. Based Chinks. The major Western brand options fucking suck tho.
Colton Brown
most likely you have an xbox or ps4
Why do you need another gimped pc for basic links ?
Jordan Hughes
I have the Mibox S, shield blows it out of the water. I prefer my Mibox S to the firestick 4k I have as well though. I just enjoy the Android TV interface.
Brody Nguyen
t. idiot
Owen Hill
Because contrary to what you believe, retard, most people actually don't own either and prefer to play games on PC.
Also, if you've ever used either of them, they're clunky as fuck and require a remote to be purchased separately. Android TV boxes are much faster and better optimized for streaming.
Joshua Ramirez
>I have the Mibox S, shield blows it out of the water In what way?
Jace Lopez
cool phone, user
Elijah Sanders
Unironically the xbox, since it's the only one that can play 4k bluray
Anthony Harris
Apple TV is the most powerful of them, but $200 is a lot compared to the alternatives.
Jonathan Cooper
>Apple TV is the most powerful of them lmao no, the Shield is objectively more powerful.
Matthew Thomas
>the Shield is objectively more powerful [citation required]
Adrian Ortiz
Show me an Apple TV emulating Dolphin at 60fps, idiot.
The Shield was designed for gaming and has the same chip as the Switch. It's always going to be the most powerful you braindead idiotic Apple fanboy.
Carter Hernandez
I just use a hacked first generation Apple TV. I had a second generation one, but it only output HDMI, which needed an adapter for my TV. You can get a first gen Apple TV for around $20 now.
Bentley Diaz
>gaming Fucking child.
Lucas Gray
What do you use then?
Adrian Jenkins
t. Netflix shill
Cooper Brown
Can you run youtube.com/tv in a browser with adblock on this?
Benjamin Fisher
Odroid + libreelec
Boot via eMMC + external SSD storage.
>Add in a tuner for OTA HDTV ATSC 3.0 >Add in monitor led GPIO hue for KODI >IR reciever for any remote or use a airmouse with keyboard with remappability
Sebastian Wilson
Hey idiot, not everyone wants a fucking keyboard for TV use. Products like the Mi Box and Nvidia Shield are good because they're versatile, easy to use and have very small form factor.
Luke Scott
What's the point of the LEDs? Do you really need the IR receiver or can it be controlled through HTPC?
Gavin Harris
>HTPC CEC I mean
Jayden Ortiz
You don't have to use the keyboard you retard. You can use a regular remote if you want. Those products are good if you only use streaming services with shit selection and low quality.
Bentley Wilson
>Those products are good if you only use streaming services with shit selection and low quality You are only further proving your idiocy here.
Ryder Carter
Why don't you share with the rest of the class why I'm wrong?
Blake Thompson
I use a Vontar Z8 Arc, which is the same motherboard as M8S Pro or whatever the fuck.
It has Amlogic S912 and 3gb DDR4 RAM, 32gb NAND storage, and I've flashed an Android TV rom to it which works great. Seems like this is the next best step inbetween Mibox (S905) and nvidia shield. I really wish there was more options, as the mibox is too slow, the shield is fine but it's too expensive for the use cases of these boxes.
I find it funny that it's my most used computer these days and it cost $70, and I can just leave it on all the time because it draws like 5 watts. My PC is connected to the TV as well but mostly it's this box doing everything. I bought a Minix keyboard remote thing for it and it's awesome.
Apple tv 4k has hdr and dolby atmos, also has apps support for plex, and vlc. Thats pretty good value for money if you already have some apple devices and bought movies on itunes.
Lincoln Ortiz
There are cheaper options that can play Blu-Rays.
Connor Collins
PS4 is shit for Plex
Brandon Carter
works for me :^)
>he only uses it for blurays
James Hernandez
>works for me What's your setup?
Samuel Rogers
>>he only uses it for blurays I didn't say that. But that is the only thing that would be special about it. A $30 rPi can play HD video just as well.
Jaxon Sanders
very simple, pms on my desktop, plex on the ps4
>But that is the only thing that would be special about it maybe if youre not a gaymer besides, shields are not that much cheaper than a slim
Dylan Wood
>maybe if youre not a gaymer I'm an adult, so no. I do not play with toys.
Brayden Clark
>very simple, pms on my desktop, plex on the ps4 There's a lot of unstability reports. Crashes very often, etc.
Matthew Johnson
a new shield is releasing some time in November alongside Google's shitadia. is it worth it to wait for that or to buy a shield now? I worry about software update support (should I even worry?)
Samuel Scott
Firetv stick 4K. It's all you need.
Owen Price
You do watch jewish propaganda though
Adrian Ward
No I don't. Tell me exactly what you mean. Video games are Jewish propaganda, by the way. Designed to infantilise the modern male.
Jace Roberts
Wtf do you need it for? Make your own media center and hook it up to tv. You're not a fag are you user? With pc hooked up you can emulate anything and watch anything
Ethan Nguyen
>Apple >Investment Lmao.
Lucas Gomez
there used to be yes, but not anymore
give it some rest Hans
Ayden Rogers
There's rock64pro as well. More open source as well
>What do you personally use? Playstation 4 and Plex
Daniel Thompson
>building a pc for your tv Not everyone is a complete idiot like you are.
It's better to build a NAS for your router that streams content to all the TVs and phones within the household.
Colton Mitchell
Same user here. Well if you are already invested in the apple ecosystem it makes sense. Personally I use a combination of chromecast and xbox one for all my media needs.
Blake Peterson
Or xbox one with kodi and xstream plugin
Its fugging awsome guys
Dylan Bell
This. Xbox One is mega value for money in the media player department.
Adam Smith
WHere the fuck do you get that keyboard pls link u bitch
Xavier Gonzalez
>It's better to build a NAS for your router that streams content to all the TVs and phones within the household. Lets face it user, you live alone and you will most certainly die alone
Robert Wright
Odroid N2 + Coreelec
Boot via eMMC + gigabit access to NAS storage
>IR Receiver with Odroid Remote
This is the best
Nathan Ortiz
Once there is proper software support for the new Pi4, I think it will be a killer cheap media box.
Sebastian Ortiz
Just buy a dell optiplex from ebay or craigslist, $80-100 or less. The size of an xbox. Throw in a 1050 ti or whatever other video card if you need gaming. Will outperform the shit out of the other two and doesnt rely on shitty apps that go obsolete.
For that price or even cheaper you can get an xbox one s.
Colton Butler
$150-200? No, I dont think so, plus its harder to watch torrented shit on an xbox
Lincoln Stewart
Whoop meant for
Oliver Phillips
Depends on use. If you're also playing. PC is better. If streaming only, a raspberry Pi would suffice
Jose Martin
I use the Apple TV, works like a charm, has Netflix and the likes, Youtube, music, remote is great to use. Has some lighter gaming abilities if my nephews and family are visiting. VLC works well with playing videos. I don't really feel the need for more.
Chase Cox
Or get the pc and have a way bigger game library and access to far more media services
Nolan Roberts
You don't use your NAS to torrent and play them on your xbox one with vlc? Thats strange.
Justin Davis
Why when I can just do it all from 1 place
Dominic Brooks
I own both. Apple TV is overpriced, but it does have a more premium feel to it in terms of the remote, the UI etc If you have Ipad/Iphone it's the obvious choice.
Nvidia Shield is better if you are value oriented or want to turn it into your media server.
Gavin Robinson
Rpi 4. Cheaper than the shield and the only things the shield can emulate and not the rpi are some GameCube games, and the shield does those poorly anyway
Luis Butler
Yeah sure, if you want a stuttering mess on 4K playback get the Pi 4.
Lincoln Myers
>Don't bought h96 max h2 with a S905X2 Best price/performance you can get.
Connor Young
Actual Pi-owners don't even shill this memedevice as hard as you guys do. It's trash for anything but low-powered server ops and old-school emulation. Stop.
Justin Watson
Why not just use an old pc for that purpose?
Lincoln Martin
Pi4 is old Optiplex level now, you can even use it as generic browser/word processor desktop machine, even light video playing is doable. Of course you need to add a proper heatsink. The next iteration will be Mac mini/barebone PC level which is more than enough for 95% of the people's computing needs.
Blake Parker
S905X2 is slower than S912 and newer. It wasn't out yet. I've had this box like 2yrs.
Samuel Garcia
Or just any laptop with HDMI works great, I use a cheap $20 keyboard with a trackpad just to have the two in the same place, trackballs work great on a couch too
Evan Sanders
AppleTV has fat and away the best user interface and responsive ui. My fire 4K was a fucking nightmare to use because the ui was so slow. Got an AppleTV and never looked back.
Adrian Robinson
Not bad but a noisy as fuck, ugly aesthetically, high power consumption, too many mechanical parts. An R Pi in a decent case or mini PC/NUC with a discrete graphics card are better more aesthetic options. But yeah not rolling your own streaming device from your own machine pre-built or otherwise and own app selection is retarded if and shitty if you browse here.
this thing is great >30bucks >uses little power, 5v 2a >no fans so its silent >its tiny >usb3.0 port so I plug in my 2tb hdd with full of movies/tv series/roms/anime/other shit >plays 4k videos no problem >emulates upto psp >runs fairly new android(8.1) >also has good custom rom support >good specs and runs fast >rooted out of the box >build-in ethernet >has google play the remote that comes with it sucks but you can use any wired/dongle/bluetooth remote/keyboard/mouse/controller to control it