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FingerlessGlovs
Posted (edited)

Hi Guys,

 

I recently picked up a Amazon FireTV Stick, which is great but wish I had something better. Its wifi only, I got it connect to my Asus RT-n66u router (Full Signal) and I have issues with playback sometimes stops and I have to start it again does it alot more on youtube app then emby app though. I have most of the time watch emby with no pausing and but youtube it does it atleast once, Its done it 5 seconds on to youtube. I've tried 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. The interface isn't the fastest either, quite sluggish even if you just using it for Prime TV.

 

I wondering what Android TV box is best. I have seen the cheap quad core things but they never as good as you think, poor android builds(not optimized). The Nvidia Shield quite nice but expensive as you have to buy a controller as well as the unit. What do you guys recommend?

Edited by MrJonny
Posted

The shield is the best but the fire 4k is a definite upgrade from the stick.

FingerlessGlovs
Posted

What do you recomended? FireTV or Shield

 

What do you use?

Posted

If you don't need amazon services, I recommend the shield. You can control it with Cec so the remote isn't mandatory

Posted (edited)

As @@ebr mentioned, if you like also Amazon stuff, then Fire TV 4K.

 

If you like gaming, Nvidia Shield.

 

 

If you cannot answer the above statements with a clear "Yes", I would like to recommend at least  also the HiMedia Q5/Q10 Pro (Q10 just if you need an internal HDD), which is capable of all the latest codecs. https://www.amazon.com/SUNKINFON-HiMedia-High-end-Firmware-Streaming/dp/B01GU6DRG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1471113821&sr=1-1&keywords=himedia+q5+pro

Edited by shorty1483
FingerlessGlovs
Posted

Nvidia Shield looks a good way to go.

RanmaCanada
Posted

Shield is expensive.  If you want a budget player, get anything based on the S905 chipset.  30 bucks from China (Gearbest, geekbuying, amazon), and they will play pretty much everything through SPMC using external player option(VLC support is still not 100%, but close!)

 

The S905X still doesn't have all the bugs worked out yet.  As Emby has matured I am finding that these 30 dollar boxes were the rights choice, at least for me.

jasonmcroy
Posted (edited)

I now have two Shields (I bought a Pro after my 1st one which was the 16gb version performed so well).

 

By the way, if you need Amazon on the device there is an apk out there right now that works great on the Shield (not sure for how long though) and that there have been rumors that Amazon may release an actual App for the Shield later on this year.

 

I own and have used the FTV, Nexus box and Chromecast (never tried the Fire Stick) but the Shield is now the only device I use in our house.

Edited by jasonmcroy
FingerlessGlovs
Posted (edited)

I now have two Shields (I bought a Pro after my 1st one which was the 16gb version performed so well).

 

By the way, if you need Amazon on the device there is an apk out there right now that works great on the Shield (not sure for how long though) and that there have been rumors that Amazon may release an actual App for the Shield later on this year.

 

I own and have used the FTV, Nexus box and Chromecast (never tried the Fire Stick) but the Shield is now the only device I use in our house.

I order the Shield last night on amazon and its arriving today :) ,

I don't need amazon.

 

I'm going to get the remote if the CEC on my TV is not very good. My Panasonic TV has CEC but not how what would be used as the home button.

 

I read that you can change the home screen. So I'm going to do I think. Only really need like 3 apps.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.i.akihiro.halauncher&hl=en_GB

Thats the one I'm going to use. Gonna test out the normal one first. But I want kodi/Emby/Youtube at the top, to make it easy to access. Less loving around the home screen the better :)

Edited by MrJonny
  • Like 1
jasonmcroy
Posted

When you receive the Shield, if your remote isn't working to your satisfaction, try connecting the Fire Stick remote to the Shield. I have read in another forum that some people have done that with some success. 

 

I bring that up because the Shield TV remote is kind of expensive and since you already have the Fire Stick then maybe that remote could work for it instead.

Posted

The Shield TV remote is just fine.

 

It does everything you need it to do.

 

I have the controller as well, but never use it.

 

I have 2 Shield TV's, both with a remote and controller.

  • Like 1
Posted

It does everything you need it to do.

 

Well, with the glaring omission of a play/pause button... 

FingerlessGlovs
Posted

I've had a play with it now. Lovely and fast. I installed HALauncher. I disabled Leanback launcher app via ADB. Now HAL is the default.

 

Kodi works well, plays a 20GB Video with ease. Just need to test a 40GB file but I don't have one yet.

 

CEC support seems to be ok. Going to test it out for a while and see if I can live with out the nvidea remote.

 

Do you guys use the default launcher?

Posted

Well, with the glaring omission of a play/pause button... 

Two quick presses on the centre button will pause, ditto to resume play.

  • Like 1
Kramerika
Posted

I have the Shield TV remote because it came as a deal when I bought the Shield TV, but I wanted one remote to control my TV, Shield TV, and receiver.  So I bought this remote at the link below which is half the price of the Shield TV remote and does a lot more.  It works perfectly and allows you to control other aspects of your home theater in addition to the Shield TV.  The only downside is that it uses batteries rather than being USB charged, but I use rechargeable batteries in all my remotes.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M4JYTWA/

Posted

Fire TV remote works and has all the buttons.

FingerlessGlovs
Posted

I've been using the CEC function using my TV remote. Has all the functions I want but two but Home button and menu button. So in Kodi I can't bring up the item menu, but don't really use it, only use it to mark as watched.

FingerlessGlovs
Posted (edited)

Fire TV remote works and has all the buttons.

100% support? Including the play/pause? Kinda like the idea of this :). I thought the Fire Controller was quite good.

Edited by MrJonny
Posted (edited)

I've been using the CEC function using my TV remote. Has all the functions I want but two but Home button and menu button. So in Kodi I can't bring up the item menu, but don't really use it, only use it to mark as watched.

What version of kodi are you using? As of 16 you should be able to bring up the menu function using a long press of the select/ok/enter button Edited by Vidman
  • Like 1
FingerlessGlovs
Posted

What version of kodi are you using? As of 16 you should be able to bring up the menu function using a long press of the select/ok/enter button

Yeah 16.1, I'll have to try that later. Not sure it it will work on CEC but worth a go.

FingerlessGlovs
Posted

So all the buttons work?

Posted

Two quick presses on the centre button will pause, ditto to resume play.

 

Actually, a single click on that button will pause and resume items in our app - when playback is in progress.

 

What is missing is a play button to use as a fast launch method from a list.  Double clicking a button on a remote is not only difficult for a lot of people to do but is pretty much completely un-discover-able.

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