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Any experience with one of these android TV boxes. Turns your normal standard TV into a smart one. Think they come pre-loaded with apps that link to streaming and downloading sites. Seems there are plenty of variants on the market, but the Android ones seem to offer the biggest variety of download options from what I have heard so far.
I want a low cost alternative to Sky. Movies and kids channels mainly. Would be interested to hear of peoples experiences with them.
Ive got one of these in the flat in france rigged up to an old PC monitor.
Will host USB memory, and also accept USB wireless dongle for a keyboard/trackpad.
Generally it's surprisingly good. Esp for such little cost
I use to play ITVPlayer (TdF, naturally) when out there. I dont think it's great at iPlayer (but I cant be sure as I cant run iPlayer over a french IP address with it) but that may be just me.
It has XBMC pre-installed (media player/decoder/streamer for online sources or local SD cards) and google play so you can download loads of google apps (not all, some of them wont work I bet, but Ive not found one yet)
I just need a descent Bluetooth speaker (BT onboard)
Yes, I've got one & I got it as an alternative to sky too.... and it's just not as good or as slick as sky is, sorry but that's the truth, however, you can run iplayer all4 itv player etc and Netflix and (& this is key really) cartoon hd... so all the latest TV series on demand... if you're wanting live sport then (in my experience at least) it's a bit pants....
Stoner, that unit is cheap. Its worth a punt at that price. Might use it to see if I can wean the family off the sky movies etc and see how it goes. I guess the other alternative, is keep sky on basic package, so keep the recording capability, HD channels and BT sport and use the android to stream films, box sets etc... cheers.
why not try a chromecast?
Better quality. Still not v expensive.
I think the only bit of live TV watched in this house is the Mrs watching Downton. Apart from that we watch:
kids = iplayer CBBC, DVDs
me = iplayer, BT sport (chromecast from tablet/phone)
us = google movies (TV series like des Engrenages.)
me = xxxxx series on xxxxxx stream site via webcast app on android cast to chromecast
I might try Netflix one day, but we prefer to pick a series, buy it (when Im not being naughty, usually as long as I can get it legit on Google Play, I'll buy it, if not well, erm....) and plough on.
I use Kodi with various add ons on my tablet. its very good on a small 10" screen.
You could always try it for free and then try a chromecast to transfer it to the big screen.
I've got a minix neo x8-h plus. It's brilliant. Nearly everything I watch is now on xbmc or iplayer. Got rid of sky and haven't watched 'live' tv in months. No point me having a TV license anymore. Now that gives me an idea...
Just get a Fire stick, which uses Fire OS which is a fork of Android 😉 . Though the full Fire TV box is far more powerful. Nice bit of kit but could come down in price.
As for low cost alternative to Sky, there is Now TV, which is owned by Sky. Still subscription for premium content, but short of piracy you'll have to pay for that stuff whatever (and soon under the new laws the gov will be keeping track of all those "download" sites you visit 😉 )
Droidstick T8 here. Entertainment box as they are now known. You get a logon to the Wookie Kodi addon too, so all the streams are setup for you.
Being Android, not only do you have Kodi, but any Android app you have on your phone if you wish. I have Showbox, World Sport Streams, Plex, Youtube, Chrome installed on mine as well.
Wookie installs
http://wookiespmc.com/
i have the M8 one. have not watched terrestrial since. but i dont spend much time in front of the tv tbh. use kodi with add ons Genesis and Pheonix.
wookie looks interesting superfli. cheers
Kodi is probably the only app you will use.
Phoenix addon will show Prem League games in HD, I only use it for Saturday 3pm games as I have Sky Sports anyway.
Apart from that, I don't use it. But the kids use it all the time for TV and Film stuff, chiefly, 1Channel, Genesis and Showbox addons.
Oh, and get a wifi keyboard...
I've got one of those HDMI android dongle thingys, works well, was on android 4.0, but managed to kick that up to 4.4 with a bit of jiggary pokery so the likes of showbox work ok now, though I'm preferring moviesHD at the moment.
basically turns your TV into a non touch android tablet and you have access to play store and non play APK's
As mine was quite old I didn't bother with wireless keyboard, I just use a USB mouse.
I got one, but then I've found I end up using a Chromecast far more in real life.
It's all about where the computing power is based, and I end up running it from whatever tablet/phone/laptop is closest. Currently running Tunein Radio through my phone.
We use a [url= https://www.roku.com/en-gb/ ]Roku[/url]. I don't know how it compares to some of the alternatives above, but its quite easy to use.
We mainly use it for Google Play/ You Tube.
It also means if we buy anything on Play its on all of our android devices e.g tablet for when we go on holiday; as long as you download it.
We have an Android box here, it's brilliant for films and US shows that are on PPV or not shown in the UK, not found it great for sports though. A little bit tricky to first get the hang off, but my wife & 13yo have worked it out so it can't be too bad.
No need for a box... Search tv addons in google. Download which format you want ie. Win. Apple. Android. Install and run on wireless via phone or tab linked to tv or via hdmi out on a lappy.... All set up ready to use self updating and has genesis and pheonix etc all there installed ready to use.