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Any suggestion as to which Android box to buy?


BeeGee

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BeeGee

OK, I'm ready to buy my box.

What I want to do is watch Emby/ Kodi on my TV as simple as possiable.

I do have a Roku but seems like I would get more channels from an Android box.

Any Suggestions?

 

I'm ready to buy the Android box.

My only problem is which component to buy?

 

 

Fire Stick?

Android Box?

Android TV Nano?

 

559426bf7fd39_AndroidTVBox.jpg

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5594273eb3d65_playergrid21600.jpg

 

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If you wish to use our actual app (or other modern ones) I wouldn't get the Nano as it appears to be only running Android 4.0.

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BeeGee

If you wish to use our actual app (or other modern ones) I wouldn't get the Nano as it appears to be only running Android 4.0.

 

Thank You ebr. What about specs? I'm leaning towards the Android box with the Kodi install already on it. Any suggestions to that or is there other ways? I was reading a little about Nas but I'm not that familiar with it. <_<

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CBers

Nexus Player with either the Emby for Android TV app, or install Kodi and use the Emby for Kodi addon.

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CBers

CBers, Can I just buy the Nexus Player and install emby/kodi apps?

Yes.

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BeeGee

I'm cheap. ha,ha,ha :lol:

I broke down and bought the Android CS918 Quad Core Android 4.4 Smart TV Box XBMC WiFi Full 1080P Media Player 8G EU and the wireless keyboard mouse touch-pad. I figured I would experiment with this box and then invest in a more expensive box. Besides everything is always changing.

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mjktg99

Im thinking about this device when it becomes available. Its supposed to be out in July.  S/PDIF is a big selling point for me... I have an older receiver that doesn't have HDMI.  Currently running stock Android 5.1 but they are working on the Android TV launcher as well..

 

Tronsmart Orion R86

 

http://www.tronsmart.com/news/tronsmart-will-launch-the-world-s-first-cota-core-64-bit-android-5.1-tv-box-orion-r68

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jasonmcroy

I see that you have already bought a box but mentioned that you may upgrade to a more expensive box later on. Just to give you my experience, I bought the Nexus Player about a month ago and I use it in the bedroom and have my HTPC computer in the Living Room. However, last week I bought the Nvidia Shield box and so far I really like it. I still get decent performance from the Nexus Player but the Nvidia Shield seems to handle my Live TV needs much better. I have been using the Emby App on both as well as the Kodi App with the Emby addon. I have been testing a bit between the two and I haven't yet decided which App I like better as they both do a pretty good job overall.

 

Anyway, just thought I would give you another user's experience.

 

-Jason

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CBers

I have been using the Emby App on both as well as the Kodi App with the Emby addon. I have been testing a bit between the two and I haven't yet decided which App I like better as they both do a pretty good job overall.

 

Would be nice if we could get an Emby skin for the Kodi addon :)

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jasonmcroy

Would be nice if we could get an Emby skin for the Kodi addon :)

 

That would be sweet! A skin to match the Emby color scheme and other UIs.

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CBers

That would be sweet! A skin to match the Emby color scheme and other UIs.

Perhaps someone should suggest it in the Kodi Skins forum ;)

 

.

Edited by CBers
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  • 1 month later...
TheShanMan

With the pending death of WMC Netflix I grudgingly need to consider switching to something like an Android TV box. It's a new world for me (other than that I have an android phone with Emby on it). I see ebr's comment about making sure it has a newer release of android, but is there anything else I should consider for the best possible Emby experience (and Netflix, of course)?

 

How stable and solid is the Android TV app? My occasional use of Emby on my phone has been almost entirely disappointing in terms of reliability and/or usability (granted I haven't really spent much time checking out the recent overhaul), so if I'm potentially going to be in for more of the same with the Android TV app, I'd rather grin and bear it in WMC until I can count on a great daily experience with the Android TV app.

 

And the main Emby page for Android TV doesn't seem to say anything about the player itself as far as I saw. Does player controls in Android TV match or exceed player controls in WMC? Does it have 30 second skip/instant replay? Does it let you quickly navigate to specific points in a video (like pressing 3-0-play in WMC to go straight to the 30 minute mark)?

 

I've been so comfortable in WMC and wife/kid approval factor is a major consideration so I want to avoid plunking down a bunch of money for a box only to be disappointed in the usability in comparison to WMC.

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I feel the Emby ATV app is a very good experience right now and we are working on improving it every day.

 

However, the remote controls for these devices have like four buttons on them.  They are designed for simplicity.  So, you won't have things like direct jump based on number entry (because there are no number buttons).  You do have seeking to chapters and jump forward and back though.

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TheShanMan

Thanks for the responses. Ebr, I was looking at the Minix that was mentioned in this thread and apparently it has a full keyboard on the back side of the remote so it seems like direct jump is doable, isn't it? Is there anything that would make up for the lack of direct jump, like does it support good seeking like you get with Netflix? Or are any of these improvements coming?

 

I'd really like to avoid a switch to Kodi but I suppose I ought to at least have a look at how well it would meet my needs.

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AdrianW

@@TheShanMan If you're using WMC for Emby, then why not use the Win 8 Netflix app for your Netflix viewing? 

 

It is possible to get a remote to perform basic navigation in that app (by using an AutoHotKey script) but you do need some kind of mouse or trackpad to perform some functions (like audio track selection).

Edited by AdrianW
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Heuer

All the Android TV boxes respond to the full remote commands although some. like Minix, have a second remote with simple commands for normal use. Choice of box seems to come down to whether you need co-axial or SPIDF audio output and whether you want Wi-Fi or ethernet connection. I am currently using a Mbox's from AMlogic and they can use either ac WiFi or ethernet and with the latter can also be a Wi-Fi access point which is a big bonus. All the boxes come with Kodi already loaded and some have custom skins. They are delightful to use and cheap to deploy - one per TV and use Emby as the server. 

 

In an ideal world all TV's would be running Android but the manufacturers are going off in different directions and changing their OS as they go:

tvs.jpg

So the Android boxes give you a buffer and the same family experience no matter what make or generation of screen you are using. The only thing I cannot understand is why the Emby developers seem to have overlooked the boxes and lumbered them with EATV with its distinct lack of functionality. Emby for Android would be perfect on these boxes and it would offer the opportunity of a headless solution. Transition from mobile to Windows to Mbox would be seamless to keep family members happy and the only thing preventing it happening is IR remote access has been disabled (well apart from page up/down for some reason).

 

Please Guys, put the IR remote function back in Emby for Android. Seems crazy I can use a Windows as a HTPC with full Emby control but not an Android HTPC! And apologies to the developers but IMHO and that of my family the EATV app is not a good experience (especially the field of green).

 

Besides why do we need two Android apps - surely one would cover all needs? Still trying to understand the reasoning in that decision  :huh:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Vidman

The reasoning is a handheld mobile touchscreen device is a vastly different user experience to a large screen tv with remote control

Edited by Vidman
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Heuer

Not in my experience! Everything I can do on the Emby web browser with a mouse I can do on my Android phone with a finger. I can use a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard to navigate my way around Emby for Android (on the Mbox) on my large screen - the 10' interface experience is damn good -  yet I am not allowed to use the IR remote (apart from page up and page down, obviously). And let me get this right, it is not a technical limitation but the developers telling me, as the customer/end user, that my experience and expectations are flawed. Is that correct?

 

The only thing that is "vastly different" is the layout and functionality of Emby when you pause a movie on your phone and pick up where you left off on the big screen. I am sure EATV is fine if you run it as an app on a Sony or Sharp TV but the Android boxes are so much more powerful and cross platform. I am currently using an earlier EA on the Mbox and that is a great user experience at 10' so why has the IR been summarily disabled on the latest versions? If you want Emby acceptance in the living room the developers are going to need a different mindset.

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It's not disabled, more like lost in translation. It can be restored, but like everything else, level of demand is a big factor. So if you can rally some more troops then we'll probably spend more time on it.

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TheShanMan

Well a good 10'/remote control experience seems to be getting in the way of me migrating to a better setup, so one more troop has been rallied. :)

 

So a kodi client works with Emby server? I might just have to look into that if it provides a better experience.

 

As for Win 8 plus Netflix app, I've always gotten the impression that it doesn't have a good 10'/remote control experience. I probably wouldn't care about audio track selection so if "normal" usage is completely covered by AHK, it might be a viable route. That said, it seems like a dying route just like WMC7, since Win10 has no WMC.

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