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Xbmc android dongle

Some of you that are considering firetv might want to look at android streaming media devices instead. I got tis one for 60 bucks from amazon.
http://amzn.com/B00FYI1DKO
Severa typesl available.
Even though it doesnt say it has xbmc preinstalled. Play store installed. Android jelly bean installed. Already rooted. Jhst load su .
Wjth a mouse very fubctionable. Add memory,load up nova and you have a very functionable straming device, and true android.
I do have a firetv whitch i like but other box mighr be a better solution for many of you.
Woody
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

woodsonmh said:
Some of you that are considering firetv might want to look at android streaming media devices instead. I got tis one for 60 bucks from amazon.
http://amzn.com/B00FYI1DKO
Severa typesl available.
Even though it doesnt say it has xbmc preinstalled. Play store installed. Android jelly bean installed. Already rooted. Jhst load su .
Wjth a mouse very fubctionable. Add memory,load up nova and you have a very functionable straming device, and true android.
I do have a firetv whitch i like but other box mighr be a better solution for many of you.
Woody
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For $60 it is way underpowered with an Allwinner A20. For a few dollars more there are quad core and have 2GB. But you also have the common issues like weak wifi, unstable Android firmware ( how much effort does a company put into the OS when they can't spell in the ad selling the device?) , and absolutely zero customer support after sale. I have 4 of the quad streamers and all of them have some little quirk.

kairnage said:
For $60 it is way underpowered with an Allwinner A20. For a few dollars more there are quad core and have 2GB. But you also have the common issues like weak wifi, unstable Android firmware ( how much effort does a company put into the OS when they can't spell in the ad selling the device?) , and absolutely zero customer support after sale. I have 4 of the quad streamers and all of them have some little quirk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And firetv has no quirks? The more you hack the firetv, two things are very possible. You will may loose support and you may loose firetv features. I dont know the current state of rooting other kindle products but you used to loose amazon featuress like video when rooted. This is why ive never rooted my kindles.
Any update might take all efforts to hack away. Who knows what will happen?
Just $20 may be a more expensive than its worth.
Just saying
Woody
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

I just picked up a 2013 model Sony Bravia TV. It has an MHL port which accepts Sony's Google TV Smart Stick, model NSZ-GU1. I managed to find one of these on eBay for $65 and thought I would try it out...
Although I do have a Fire TV and quite like it, this Bravia Smart Stick seems to outshine the Fire TV in usability, IMHO. There are limitations on Play Store apps you can install, however I have been able to sideload and run the latest Gotham release of XMBC and it runs remarkably well. Unfortunately, I am no a video collector so I can only speak for it's streaming capabilities with addons like MLBMC and a few other unmentionables.
Specs:
• Power supply: via micro USB port or MHL (HDMI) out port.
• Processor : Marvell (DE3108-A1)
• Memory: 1GB RAM / 8GB Flash
• Video out: 720p/60
• Video in: 480p, 720p/60
• Audio out: PCM, DD & DD+
• Audio in: PCM & DD
• Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Ethernet: none
• MHL (HDMI) out port
• HDMI in port
• IR Blaster out port
• USB 2.0 port: 1
• Bluetooth: ver 3.0
Although the specs pale in comparison to my Fire TV, the voice search capability blows away the FTV. When searching for TV shows or movies, I get result options for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu or Google Play from what I have seen so far. Also, I can do voice internet searches which are launched and displayed in the Chrome browser. Youtube searches are pretty sweet as well - search results are displayed as tiles across the homescreen and as you scroll through them, video titles and info are displayed as well. Can also voice launch applications, including XBMC. The remote works natively in XBMC and I can also toggle back and forth between XBMC and the Google TV environment. Pretty much the majority of features I find lacking in Fire TV are satisfied here. I almost wish I could replace the ROM from the Fire TV with that of the Bravia Stick. Trouble is the stick is limited to 720p, so perhaps it would only run that format, I don't know. At any rate, I'll keep it plugged in to my TV just for the convenient Youtube search functions if anything, and still run my Fire TV.

HemRoyd said:
I just picked up a 2013 model Sony Bravia TV. It has an MHL port which accepts Sony's Google TV Smart Stick, model NSZ-GU1. I managed to find one of these on eBay for $65 and thought I would try it out...
Although I do have a Fire TV and quite like it, this Bravia Smart Stick seems to outshine the Fire TV in usability, IMHO. There are limitations on Play Store apps you can install, however I have been able to sideload and run the latest Gotham release of XMBC and it runs remarkably well. Unfortunately, I am no a video collector so I can only speak for it's streaming capabilities with addons like MLBMC and a few other unmentionables.
Specs:
• Power supply: via micro USB port or MHL (HDMI) out port.
• Processor : Marvell (DE3108-A1)
• Memory: 1GB RAM / 8GB Flash
• Video out: 720p/60
• Video in: 480p, 720p/60
• Audio out: PCM, DD & DD+
• Audio in: PCM & DD
• Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Ethernet: none
• MHL (HDMI) out port
• HDMI in port
• IR Blaster out port
• USB 2.0 port: 1
• Bluetooth: ver 3.0
Although the specs pale in comparison to my Fire TV, the voice search capability blows away the FTV. When searching for TV shows or movies, I get result options for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu or Google Play from what I have seen so far. Also, I can do voice internet searches which are launched and displayed in the Chrome browser. Youtube searches are pretty sweet as well - search results are displayed as tiles across the homescreen and as you scroll through them, video titles and info are displayed as well. Can also voice launch applications, including XBMC. The remote works natively in XBMC and I can also toggle back and forth between XBMC and the Google TV environment. Pretty much the majority of features I find lacking in Fire TV are satisfied here. I almost wish I could replace the ROM from the Fire TV with that of the Bravia Stick. Trouble is the stick is limited to 720p, so perhaps it would only run that format, I don't know. At any rate, I'll keep it plugged in to my TV just for the convenient Youtube search functions if anything, and still run my Fire TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Video is one area the firetv shines. In my opinion, its better than roku chromcast or my android streaming device. It is fast loading programs, and i think streams better than some of tbe other devices if not all of them. I can understand your comment on voice. As limited as firetv is, and there are indications it will improve, helps overcome the cludgy interface. For inatance i dont have to look for netflix app but can get to it through voice command.
I do like it, but it does come with the Amazon way.
Woodg
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

Meh I have the imito mx2 box and the wifi range sucks ass. Its useless unless its in the room next to the router.
Fire TV much better in that aspect. The one linked has a exposed antenna so maybe better

FireTV is the fastest Android XBMC solution for a TV...correct me if I'm wrong. Why can't we have a rootable NexusTV running pure android and blasting XBMC Gotham with the full Android Play store as well? Until I can find the right people to take my money and make this happen I'll keeping blocking my FireTV from updating and hoping a glimmer of a FireTV root is coming soon.

HemRoyd said:
I just picked up a 2013 model Sony Bravia TV. It has an MHL port which accepts Sony's Google TV Smart Stick, model NSZ-GU1. I managed to find one of these on eBay for $65 and thought I would try it out...
Although I do have a Fire TV and quite like it, this Bravia Smart Stick seems to outshine the Fire TV in usability, IMHO. There are limitations on Play Store apps you can install, however I have been able to sideload and run the latest Gotham release of XMBC and it runs remarkably well. Unfortunately, I am no a video collector so I can only speak for it's streaming capabilities with addons like MLBMC and a few other unmentionables.
Specs:
• Power supply: via micro USB port or MHL (HDMI) out port.
• Processor : Marvell (DE3108-A1)
• Memory: 1GB RAM / 8GB Flash
• Video out: 720p/60
• Video in: 480p, 720p/60
• Audio out: PCM, DD & DD+
• Audio in: PCM & DD
• Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Ethernet: none
• MHL (HDMI) out port
• HDMI in port
• IR Blaster out port
• USB 2.0 port: 1
• Bluetooth: ver 3.0
Although the specs pale in comparison to my Fire TV, the voice search capability blows away the FTV. When searching for TV shows or movies, I get result options for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu or Google Play from what I have seen so far. Also, I can do voice internet searches which are launched and displayed in the Chrome browser. Youtube searches are pretty sweet as well - search results are displayed as tiles across the homescreen and as you scroll through them, video titles and info are displayed as well. Can also voice launch applications, including XBMC. The remote works natively in XBMC and I can also toggle back and forth between XBMC and the Google TV environment. Pretty much the majority of features I find lacking in Fire TV are satisfied here. I almost wish I could replace the ROM from the Fire TV with that of the Bravia Stick. Trouble is the stick is limited to 720p, so perhaps it would only run that format, I don't know. At any rate, I'll keep it plugged in to my TV just for the convenient Youtube search functions if anything, and still run my Fire TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is very cooool! Is that running v4.x of GoogleTV? I had Sony's NSZ-GS7 googleTV box and was hoping they would update, but that doesnt seem like it will ever happen. Pre-v4.x googletv sucks in all facets of life and the only thing I liked about that thing was the remote, which it looks you have with your unit, and the IR blaster capability. If they could have gotten that thing to run decently stable and updated it to V4 it would have been a great device.. That is why i ultimately decided to get my Fire TV.
I just posted a thread(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=52624668) seeing if anyone had connect that remote to the Fire TV since its so awesome.

I have an FTV, but so far I hate having to always go setting, installed apps to run anything i've sideloaded. I'm hoping with root, someone will figure out how to edit the home screen. I can care less about Prime or the front end of FTV. I bought it because of the hardware. I need something kid friendly though. I've tried the cheapo android sticks. Cheap is the best thing I could say about it. Everything ran choppy and very slow.
I loved my NSZ-GS7, Netflix and VIMU ran nice.but no HULU was a deal breaker for cord cutting. So far VIMU for FTV doesn't have AC3 & DTS passthru for MKV so a lot of my videos don't work. Sounds temporary for now...
Until then, I'm still looking for options. The MX2 looked good, but if Wifi suck, that hurts... Anyone used the Neo X7?
Is there a site that does bench marking to compare these devices?

skrypj said:
That is very cooool! Is that running v4.x of GoogleTV?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is running 4.something...I retired the TV and Bravia stick for a week or so while I finish off the room I'm putting it in, so I can't say the exact version. It also updated to Android 4.2.2. Without a doubt, the Smart Stick doesn't compare to the Fire TV in terms of hardware and video capabilities, however it is surprisingly usable out of the box, i.e. it did not require me sifting through a 160 page thread on XBMC forums or this entire sub-forum on XDA to get things to where it didn't require a large amount of acrobatic routines to enjoy an evening of media. Another interesting feature is that I am strictly running OTA signal through a Homeworx PVR-150 and was able to enable it through the Google TV Prime Time app such that I could utilize its guide feature and enjoy live TV right from within the Google TV environment. Pretty slick.
There are a number of devices out there, each with its on redeeming features but still no ideal one-box solution. I think Sony made a decent attempt with this particular device, however it is limited to only Sony televisions and at a retail price of around $149, it is certainly bested performance-wise by the FTV and other devices. All I can say is that if you have a compatible Bravia TV and can get one of these sticks for a song, I highly recommend it for casual use. I'm going to run mine until root opens up more possibilities on the FTV.

HemRoyd said:
Yes, it is running 4.something...I retired the TV and Bravia stick for a week or so while I finish off the room I'm putting it in, so I can't say the exact version. It also updated to Android 4.2.2. Without a doubt, the Smart Stick doesn't compare to the Fire TV in terms of hardware and video capabilities, however it is surprisingly usable out of the box, i.e. it did not require me sifting through a 160 page thread on XBMC forums or this entire sub-forum on XDA to get things to where it didn't require a large amount of acrobatic routines to enjoy an evening of media. Another interesting feature is that I am strictly running OTA signal through a Homeworx PVR-150 and was able to enable it through the Google TV Prime Time app such that I could utilize its guide feature and enjoy live TV right from within the Google TV environment. Pretty slick.
There are a number of devices out there, each with its on redeeming features but still no ideal one-box solution. I think Sony made a decent attempt with this particular device, however it is limited to only Sony televisions and at a retail price of around $149, it is certainly bested performance-wise by the FTV and other devices. All I can say is that if you have a compatible Bravia TV and can get one of these sticks for a song, I highly recommend it for casual use. I'm going to run mine until root opens up more possibilities on the FTV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they updated their NSZ-GS7 & 8 to google TV version 4.x then i think it would be killer combo. The key is being able to sideload apps which is currently not supported since GTV 3.x is so different from android as it exists on phones and tablets. Plus, GTV 4.x also came with the release of the development kit to the general public so anyone can screw with it.

I just ran quadrant on firetv with a score of 10936. This is a very respectable score. My asus infinity scores around 6200, rooted. This is about a 1500 over stock. My galaxy note 10.1 2014 scores about 20000.
Given what firetv is set up to or better yet not to do this score outdoes many if not most tablets other than the very best.
I'll test my dongle but I pretty sure it won't even be close. Don't know how to test roku or Chromecast.
Woody
Dongle wouldn't play quadrant for some reason.
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

Would you like the option to buy a $149 Nexus Player with 64gb, 2gb ram, & Ethernet?

Would you like the option to buy a $149 Nexus Player with 64gb, 2gb ram, & Ethernet?
Hell throw in some full size USB 3.0 ports and an sd card slot and I would gladly pay $199 for the device.
I don't understand why Google didn't unveil two versions of the Nexus Player, one with more storage for $50 more. They have always released a more expensive bigger capacity version of all their Nexus devices, phones and tablets in the past.

I suspect that price and those specs would be a fantasy. I would suspect that for $149, you'd get 32GB internal and 2GB RAM, or 16GB internal, 2GB RAM, and ethernet.

If they were to release another device with better specs, I might get it, but only as something to run Ubuntu on.
My thinking is: this is designed as a streaming device. You don't need insane specs to stream a video or some music. It is also designed to handle games, but generally arcade-style games; light on the graphics and more targeted as a family/party gaming device. This also has plenty of power for emulators.
The point of high specs on a phone or tablet is so that you can play games when you're away from home. If you're going to plan on playing graphics-intensive console games in your living room, there are already devices for that. It's going to be quite a few more years before the big game franchises are running commercials that say "Coming this November to Xbox, PlayStation, and Android."
Again, with storage, if you've already got some big library of movies and music, it's going to be on your computer, and you can always stream it over your network.
The only major hardware failing, in my mind, is that they really missed the opportunity to upsell with a $15 Nexus-Player-branded OTG Ethernet dongle.

Plus when you start geting in the $150-$250 price range, you open up a lot better options in home streaming that leave android based systems behind. Non-android HTPC's start at that price point and nothing in the android line can compete because everything including speed, audio, and video out performs android. The android market is a $100 plug and play unit, something simple to set up and cheap.

I don't see the need for 64gb, unless you plan on installing 30 games.
Ethernet would be useful, but not necessary as long as you have a good WiFi router and you're not trying to use the router from your cable provider.
I don't see the need for USB 3.0 either. Most peripherals work fine on 2.0, even interface devices don't need more than USB 1.0. The only advantage I see 3.0 having is when connected to a storage device, and even then you wouldn't really have an advantage over 2.0. Then again, connecting storage defeats the purpose of a streaming device.

jaykresge said:
I suspect that price and those specs would be a fantasy. I would suspect that for $149, you'd get 32GB internal and 2GB RAM, or 16GB internal, 2GB RAM, and ethernet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That should be awsome 1GB ram i think is a bit to low

OP pics u still rockin that TILT or i dnt believe u

The fire TV has more RAM and it's the same price.

I would.
Some may suggest I stream everything from my PC, but what if I want to bring my collection with me? 8gb HD, so really 7gb usable. A couple big games, a little bit of music, and 2 HD movies, and that's full. Doing TV, you could fit MAYBE a full season of a 1-hour show on there, and you'd need to uninstall your games.
Am I the only one who brings my blu-ray player and a binder of movies with me when I travel?

I want 64gb of storage because it would be an amazing gaming and emulator machine with that. It has an amazing cpu and gpu, way better than even the firetv. If only it had some more storage, it would be perfect.

I think storage is the main issue with the device. Yes, it is made for streaming video but it is also designed as a gaming device (hence the official gamepad accessory). 8GB of storage is just not enough. 16GB would be adequate but 32GB is really ideal. with 8GB of storage you'd only end up with about 5.5GB of usable space, and there are games that take up over 1GB on their own.

I don't think I would. $99 is kind of the sweet-spot for a standalone TV "puck", IMO. Any higher than that just feels like a half measure to me. If you're going $150, then you might as well just go to $200-$300 and run an atom or i3-based PC.
Also, the ethernet thing is way overblow. Get an AC router and sleep well at night.

I would certainly jump on some of that price tag. Would also like to have more information on the soc it use, I do not see much information on it around!

Jon Stewart said:
Hell throw in some full size USB 3.0 ports and an sd card slot and I would gladly pay $199 for the device.
I don't understand why Google didn't unveil two versions of the Nexus Player, one with more storage for $50 more. They have always released a more expensive bigger capacity version of all their Nexus devices, phones and tablets in the past.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but I'd like a $99 version with 4GB RAM and replaceable SSD.
TBH I cant ever see the player being the "right" value point, as it stands might as well go buy a lowend NUC(or like) device and have pretty much the freedom to load it up with whatever amt of ram/storage and then IF you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to install x86 android, but personally I'd just slap a lightweight linux distro, xbmc, plex, and steam on it... maybe dual boot a tiny android setup, but linux would be the default...
I did finally pick up a chromebook though, but the highend C720 i3/4GB that got SSD upgrade and croutonized for now. CrOS was less useless than I expected it to be, but running CrOS alone only the cheapest models are of any value purely as 2ndary or tertiary notebooks. I;m actually using Cros quite a bit for web browsing, probably never touch another tablet again unless I need an ereader in a pinch if I forget to charge the kindle(and it;s not a bright sunny day/location so lets hope batt only croaks at night).
So how does this add in? I found tablets only slightly useful for web browsing and occasional PDFs. Entry of anything relatively complex was a PITA -> overgrown phone -> Crbook (conceptually my tablet replacement , small, light, has keyboard and trackpad and as a bonus can be semi-useful linux notebook). TV, well I currently have a Roku 3 which is OK, but since AppleTV, GoogleTV, chromecast, amazon stuck in amazonland stick, generic Android/ARM sticks weren't enough to supplant the Roku3, HOWEVER I am(/have been) considering what I wrote above with a NUC or like as a tiny HTPC running linux and that sums up how I feel about most of these devices. So many looking for a problem to solve or partially solving a problem that superior devices already do so at similar(with better specs) or MUCH lower prices.
I'm not going to talk about the "smart" watches other than the above also applies in an even worse case to them(no problem to solve at all) and that they're not actually smart at all(mostly and the ones that are kinda smart are just idiot savants in a useless field).
Glass OTOH could potentially be very useful with a capability of recognizing and overlaying schematics/etc but not $1.5k useful.
So long and short player is already too expensively useless, why make it more so?

cutterjohn said:
No, but I'd like a $99 version with 4GB RAM and replaceable SSD.
TBH I cant ever see the player being the "right" value point, as it stands might as well go buy a lowend NUC(or like) device and have pretty much the freedom to load it up with whatever amt of ram/storage and then IF you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to install x86 android, but personally I'd just slap a lightweight linux distro, xbmc, plex, and steam on it... maybe dual boot a tiny android setup, but linux would be the default...
I did finally pick up a chromebook though, but the highend C720 i3/4GB that got SSD upgrade and croutonized for now. CrOS was less useless than I expected it to be, but running CrOS alone only the cheapest models are of any value purely as 2ndary or tertiary notebooks. I;m actually using Cros quite a bit for web browsing, probably never touch another tablet again unless I need an ereader in a pinch if I forget to charge the kindle(and it;s not a bright sunny day/location so lets hope batt only croaks at night).
So how does this add in? I found tablets only slightly useful for web browsing and occasional PDFs. Entry of anything relatively complex was a PITA -> overgrown phone -> Crbook (conceptually my tablet replacement , small, light, has keyboard and trackpad and as a bonus can be semi-useful linux notebook). TV, well I currently have a Roku 3 which is OK, but since AppleTV, GoogleTV, chromecast, amazon stuck in amazonland stick, generic Android/ARM sticks weren't enough to supplant the Roku3, HOWEVER I am(/have been) considering what I wrote above with a NUC or like as a tiny HTPC running linux and that sums up how I feel about most of these devices. So many looking for a problem to solve or partially solving a problem that superior devices already do so at similar(with better specs) or MUCH lower prices.
I'm not going to talk about the "smart" watches other than the above also applies in an even worse case to them(no problem to solve at all) and that they're not actually smart at all(mostly and the ones that are kinda smart are just idiot savants in a useless field).
Glass OTOH could potentially be very useful with a capability of recognizing and overlaying schematics/etc but not $1.5k useful.
So long and short player is already too expensively useless, why make it more so?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm glad you stopped by a forum dedicated to a device you clearly have neither the desire nor need to use. And thank you also for providing us with you opinion on a bunch of things that have nothing to do with it.

razor is making a android tv box but they haven't released specs, im assuming it will have much of what people want since its centered around gaming

jhumps said:
razor is making a android tv box but they haven't released specs, im assuming it will have much of what people want since its centered around gaming
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally though their products are a little... overpriced. However, if the specs are better and still able to be used as easily as a streaming player, I might get one.

jhumps said:
razor is making a android tv box but they haven't released specs, im assuming it will have much of what people want since its centered around gaming
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Razer's product is vaporware, at the moment. Lollipop is out, the Nexus Player is out, and not a peep from Razer. They have a bad habit of hyping up products just to see them delayed, never released, released in limited quality, and/or cancelled altogether. Never did see their Razer Edge in stores (was supposed to hit MS stores upon release). They were delayed, quietly released in limited quantities, and are now VERY difficult to find. Razer also doesn't have a very good brick and mortar distribution channel for their higher end products outside of mice/keyboards.
I wouldn't get my hopes up on this product. If it actually gets released, I'm expecting it to have the best specs of any late 2014 ATV player, but to be released in limited quantities before Christmas 2015, and at a higher price point as well.

Still waiting

After all the hype this past summer about Android TV powered by NVidia I spent the last half of 2014 keeping my eyes peeled for Android TV news. Then the release of the Nexus with atom/vr was a big disappointment! Now of all things Razer which I thought for sure would use NVidia goes for Qualcomm another disappointment! There is the upcoming Snail Games OBox which looks interesting but does not appear to be Android TV based? Am I the only one who would like a K1 or for that matter X1 powered box? Yes I admit I am a NVidia fan I can notice graphics that come from NVidia colors are different just personal choice.
Contrary to what most of you here enjoy(Mods, Sideloading, etc.) these things should be a choice not something that has to be done to make the system work for such things as storage for games? I currently own FireTV, Madcatz Mojo, Ouya, ADT1 and it seems to me that android still has a way to go before it truely is ready for the living room out of the box? The issue is difficult one player has HBO Go while the other can load apps and Kodi I have been searching for that box that can do all of this DAY 1 ? I am getting older and while I enjoy reading this forum and all the talent it contains I just don't have the energy to perform all these mods just to get what I consider to be that perfect box that just works when you plug it in:victory:?

Very true. I'd consider myself an Android "enthusiast" and got the original Logitech Google TV and then the Sony Google TV. Big disappointments! The Nexus Player is great when compared to those two, but I'm only using it for games right now. The Roku 3 is still superior in terms of media consumption - at least in my eyes.

wastate2014 said:
After all the hype this past summer about Android TV powered by NVidia I spent the last half of 2014 keeping my eyes peeled for Android TV news. Then the release of the Nexus with atom/vr was a big disappointment! Now of all things Razer which I thought for sure would use NVidia goes for Qualcomm another disappointment! There is the upcoming Snail Games OBox which looks interesting but does not appear to be Android TV based? Am I the only one who would like a K1 or for that matter X1 powered box? Yes I admit I am a NVidia fan I can notice graphics that come from NVidia colors are different just personal choice.
Contrary to what most of you here enjoy(Mods, Sideloading, etc.) these things should be a choice not something that has to be done to make the system work for such things as storage for games? I currently own FireTV, Madcatz Mojo, Ouya, ADT1 and it seems to me that android still has a way to go before it truely is ready for the living room out of the box? The issue is difficult one player has HBO Go while the other can load apps and Kodi I have been searching for that box that can do all of this DAY 1 ? I am getting older and while I enjoy reading this forum and all the talent it contains I just don't have the energy to perform all these mods just to get what I consider to be that perfect box that just works when you plug it in:victory:?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I don`t disagree with you, you can wait forever for the latest hardware or UI. There will always be a better chip or box just around the corner and that next release of code is coming any day now. The way I look at it is we are at about gen 1-2 of these devices (I have had a couple already) with a few more to go. You can either sit on the sidelines for another 1-2 years or understand the limitations of what you are getting and play with it. Remember Android TV was released less than a year ago and has some growing up to do. The alternative is a stock Android OS, which requires customization.
I have the NP and think the specs are reasonable for the cost I paid. I could pay to play for all the google services, or tinker (as I have) and install Kodi and a bunch of other apps.
The only problem with your strategy is that in order to get a turn key solution with no tinkering, it will likely come from your friendly cable or IPTV provider with an additional subscription fee.

Wilberry said:
While I don`t disagree with you, you can wait forever for the latest hardware or UI. There will always be a better chip or box just around the corner and that next release of code is coming any day now. The way I look at it is we are at about gen 1-2 of these devices (I have had a couple already) with a few more to go. You can either sit on the sidelines for another 1-2 years or understand the limitations of what you are getting and play with it. Remember Android TV was released less than a year ago and has some growing up to do. The alternative is a stock Android OS, which requires customization.
I have the NP and think the specs are reasonable for the cost I paid. I could pay to play for all the google services, or tinker (as I have) and install Kodi and a bunch of other apps.
The only problem with your strategy is that in order to get a turn key solution with no tinkering, it will likely come from your friendly cable or IPTV provider with an additional subscription fee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your so right, Its a never ending cycle with new products all the time. It just seems in this case you either have a good OS with ahhhh...specs! , or great specs with terrible software (example: Madcatz Mojo). My worst habit is I shop by specs which gets expensive:silly:
I dont mind spending $$$ for a box but even then the market is bare save PS4 or Xbox....maybe Tivo? Looking forward to a true Android Game Console...Storage and all!

I'm definitely keeping my eyes on the Obox!
If I have to wait, wait I shall. Lol!

Could someone please advise me here.
In terms of longevity of use, lowest cost to own, and performance.
I currently have a Amazon firetv stick. I have been on the fence about buying a game controller as it's $40.
I have seen many ADT-1s sell on eBay for less than $100 with a remote and game controller. It is my understanding that the memory on the adt1 is superior to the nexus player.
However I don't want to buy something that down the road won't be supported. My roku 2xd still works and gets updated. But once I used my firetv stick I was hooked on speed.
I prefer Google devices and love my Nexus 7 2013. It has lots of support too.
Bottom line, and sorry for taking over, but could someone advise me on if I'd be better buying a Nexus Player or adt-1. FYI I'm not a gamer and don't play them often. I prefer my NES and n64. In fact I'd probably love using n64/nes/snes/gbaoid on one of these android tv devices lol.
What's the best for long term stability?
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2jlz3z/the_developer_adt1_vs_the_nexus_player_vs_amazon/
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM

jfriend33 said:
Could someone please advise me here.
In terms of longevity of use, lowest cost to own, and performance.
I currently have a Amazon firetv stick. I have been on the fence about buying a game controller as it's $40.
I have seen many ADT-1s sell on eBay for less than $100 with a remote and game controller. It is my understanding that the memory on the adt1 is superior to the nexus player.
However I don't want to buy something that down the road won't be supported. My roku 2xd still works and gets updated. But once I used my firetv stick I was hooked on speed.
I prefer Google devices and love my Nexus 7 2013. It has lots of support too.
Bottom line, and sorry for taking over, but could someone advise me on if I'd be better buying a Nexus Player or adt-1. FYI I'm not a gamer and don't play them often. I prefer my NES and n64. In fact I'd probably love using n64/nes/snes/gbaoid on one of these android tv devices lol.
What's the best for long term stability?
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2jlz3z/the_developer_adt1_vs_the_nexus_player_vs_amazon/
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, you should get either of these 3:
Mad Catz Mojo Tegra 4
Kepler GPU
£120
Razor Forge TV Snapdragon 805
Adreno 420 GPU
£100
Snail Games Obox Tegra X1
Kepler GPU
£150
Other consoles like Amazon fire TV, Ouya all have outdated specs and you will get a lot better quality with what I mentioned above.
Look up each console and decide what you want.
I personally, want an Obox for the raw power of the X1 soc.

LiamAtkins90 said:
In my opinion, you should get either of these 3:
Mad Catz Mojo Tegra 4
Kepler GPU
£120
Razor Forge TV Snapdragon 805
Adreno 420 GPU
£100
Snail Games Obox Tegra X1
Kepler GPU
£150
Other consoles like Amazon fire TV, Ouya all have outdated specs and you will get a lot better quality with what I mentioned above.
Look up each console and decide what you want.
I personally, want an Obox for the raw power of the X1 soc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very cool I will look into them. Almost bought the Madcatz ctrlr for my firetv stick. Lots of good reviews.
What do you think about this :
http://m.geekbuying.com/ItemDescription/336181
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM

jfriend33 said:
Very cool I will look into them. Almost bought the Madcatz ctrlr for my firetv stick. Lots of good reviews.
What do you think about this :
http://m.geekbuying.com/ItemDescription/336181
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks good, I'm not really a fan of mediatek chipsets though. But for £100 it's an OK price.

Ordered mine.... what now?

Hello fellow Humans,
I ordered my shield TV this weekend directly from nvidia and should get it this week! :victory:
I was wondering if there is something I should do like avoiding updates that block rooting or something like that. I know that on Amazon's Fire TV and sticks rooting is not possible due to updates.... is there maybe anything else like Hardware related that I should keep an eye on? When it comes to the Shield TV I'm a total noob. I would simply like to know what I definitely should and shouldn't do.

chieco said:
Hello fellow Humans,
I ordered my shield TV this weekend directly from nvidia and should get it this week! :victory:
I was wondering if there is something I should do like avoiding updates that block rooting or something like that. I know that on Amazon's Fire TV and sticks rooting is not possible due to updates.... is there maybe anything else like Hardware related that I should keep an eye on? When it comes to the Shield TV I'm a total noob. I would simply like to know what I definitely should and shouldn't do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Standard or Pro model?

Sub-Negro said:
Standard or Pro model?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the 16gb Ver. because I own a NAS for all my media files. so I thought I won't need a 500gb drive. Apps I believe I won't install many of them. And besides doesn't it have a micro sd card slot + 2 USB ports... they have a promotion going on right now (at least in Germany) where i got the remote for free. So Shield TV and the remote for 199€ which is still expensive but that seems to be the price for the best Hardware u can get. Also big part on me deciding to get the Shield TV was the headphone jack on the remote and controller for private listening. Do you think I made a mistake by choosing the Standard Ver.? Also what do you think about the headphone jack does it work perfect or are there any issues?

chieco said:
I got the 16gb Ver. because I own a NAS for all my media files. so I thought I won't need a 500gb drive. Apps I believe I won't install many of them. And besides doesn't it have a micro sd card slot + 2 USB ports... they have a promotion going on right now (at least in Germany) where i got the remote for free. So Shield TV and the remote for 199€ which is still expensive but that seems to be the price for the best Hardware u can get. Also big part on me deciding to get the Shield TV was the headphone jack on the remote and controller for private listening. Do you think I made a mistake by choosing the Standard Ver.? Also what do you think about the headphone jack does it work perfect or are there any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the free remote is being offered everywhere. Yes the 16 gig is probably fine if you're not a heavy gamer. I don't have access to the 500GB hard drive which makes it somewhat useless and it also might be one of the recall unites. The headset seems to work fine I would love to try it with a microphone if they had any multiplayer android games.

chieco said:
I got the 16gb Ver. because I own a NAS for all my media files. so I thought I won't need a 500gb drive. Apps I believe I won't install many of them. And besides doesn't it have a micro sd card slot + 2 USB ports... they have a promotion going on right now (at least in Germany) where i got the remote for free. So Shield TV and the remote for 199€ which is still expensive but that seems to be the price for the best Hardware u can get. Also big part on me deciding to get the Shield TV was the headphone jack on the remote and controller for private listening. Do you think I made a mistake by choosing the Standard Ver.? Also what do you think about the headphone jack does it work perfect or are there any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 16 GB also and have have a NAS like you, with 11 TB in it The shield does have a MicroSD and and two USB ports so you can add TONS of external storage, also Marshmallow (whenever Nvidia finally releases it) will suppport external storage as native storage, you can already store stuff on the MicroSD but not on the HDD. I currently have a 64 GB MicroSD and a 500 GB HDD connected to mine, I have a bunch of ROMs on the external HDD for RetroArch. Even though the Shield is touted as a gaming machine, I rarely play games on it, not because it sucks at gaming, mostly because I don't find a lot of the indie games that interesting and I find the Steam and GeForce experience apps useless for me since my PC is literally right next to my TV, so an HDMI connection to my TV from my PC is far better than going throught the Shield. Nvidia GameStream is pretty cool though and as cheap as Netflix, but once again there aren't a lot of interesting titles to me. I mostly just use it for Netflix and Kodi.
IMO root doesn't really add much to it, I took the plunge and rooted my first one (The v1.4 update bricked it) and then was like "now what?" there aren't really any custom kernels for it (that I know of, haven't really been active in this section in a while) and it lacks a lot of the normal root apps that one would find in the play store. If you want to use "normal" Android then that's a different story, I put normal Android on mine....and hated it. I'm perfectly happy with it using the stock Android TV build, which is extremely odd because I usually immediately root and flash a custom ROM to any Android device I get. Also getting into the bootloader/recovery menu is a MAJOR pain in the a$$ since there aren't any physical buttons on it, just the single capacitive button on top and you have to do a morse code-like tapping of that button to get into the recovery from a cold boot. Most annoying thing ever.
The only gripe I have with the Shield is that there isn't an on/off switch on the controller so I have to charge mine like every other day or so because it constantly stays on when I'm not using it. It seems to have a mind of it's own because sometimes it will stay on for an hour when untouched, other times it will turn off after 10 minutes of not being used.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

brando56894 said:
Marshmallow (whenever Nvidia finally releases it) will suppport external storage as native storage, you can already store stuff on the MicroSD but not on the HDD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah saw that advertised in the official nvidia announcement video on youtube.
I currently have a 64 GB MicroSD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
was also planing to put my good old 64gb microsd card from my note 3 days in there which currently isn't used.
Even though the Shield is touted as a gaming machine, I rarely play games on it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also don't plan on gaming on it very much. I heard someone in a unboxing video mentioning that there is a Free 3 Months trail for their game streaming service maybe I use that trail but after looking up the titles online doesn't seem that much interesting.
Maybe some psx, psp, gamecube/wii emulation.
I mostly just use it for Netflix and Kodi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Kodi was the reason why I got the Shield. I wanted the best possible experience for it.
IMO root doesn't really add much to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My main question regarding was that I was wondering if there is a certain FW or Build or something that would block all rooting. Right now I can't think of a reason for rooting the Shield but who knows maybe some App in the future needs root access.
Would I be out of luck if I would update my Shield to the most up to date FW? I would like to know. Or does it not matter on which FW I am and still root my Shield even with future updates?

I doubt anything would block root on it, Nvidia and Google seem to be pretty open about hacking it, they seem to treat it like a Nexus device (they provide system images for it and the bootloader is easily unlockable via the standard method) so I wouldn't really be worried about losing root in the future. We'll probably be seeing some new awesome games for it in the near future since Vulkan was officially released a few days ago (it's a low-overhead, bare metal, cross-platform GPU API) and Nvidia has already implemented it, along with Google and Valve (Steam).

I just ordered one as well. I'm currently using a Nexus Player, and it's not too bad, I just can't help knowing I'll have better results with everything with 3 gb vs 1 gb of ram. Having said that, I've used all of them at this point, and unlocking/rooting this will be closer to unlocking a Google device than the amazon fire. Unlocking that was one ridiculous task. The upside to rooting would be the ability to side load some apps and others like ad away, which could help out with folder apps (for example, EXFile explorer) and Youtube.

Shield Vs other devices

Hi,
I currently have a Roku, firetv and raspberry pi for Kodi and emulation and I would like something which I like one device to rule them all - Kodi, prime video, Plex and Netflix all in one. Shield can do that - which is great!
However, I'm struggling to justify the cost. Aside from the 2019 rehashed version putting the price up a bit, I'm starting to feel Nvidia may give up on this platform in a couple of years with stadia and other providers taking the streaming gaming market. £200 is a lot to waste if they dump it in a couple of years.
So my current setup is I use Roku daily, and Kodi for some films at weekends, and I have a second SD card for emulation. Why would I spend £199 on this when I could replace my Roku and RPI with newer 4k models for a cheaper price?
There are also alternatives although I'm struggling to find a similarly CPU powered unit for this money. On the emulation front I would really like to get to GameCube and 1080p N64, let alone Dreamcast. Annoyingly, all this can be emulated on my powerful android phone! But I don't want a phone or a switch like dock - I want something wired in.
So alternatives here are like odroid or other RPI like cards which provide the grunt and power, but more these would be a Kodi box replacement rather than the one device to rule them all. HTPCs are out of the question afaik as they would be too expensive, but is this still the case?
(Please note, this thread is intentionally blunt to drive out conversation)

even if nvidia dumps it in a few years itll still b the best you can buy.. i also have all those devices and none of them even get close to the shield for years running..
heck, the 2017 model still holds its own against the 2019 model..
also i think the game streaming argument is not even an argument lol.. i can almost guarantee any device google or anyone else will put out will still not come close to the shield.. not to mention if its a streaming service.. nvidia is officially supporting android tv os so dont be surprised if the services become available on the shield down the road..
to top it off, nvidia has been streaming games just fine for years now so they definitely have a leg up already in that aspect also..
i alsi think the price argument is not valid.. you get what you pay for lol.. im sure if u went with a shield to start you wouldnt have wasted money on shotty rokus or pis.. the amount of $$$ you already spent on sub par devices probably amounts to more than you wouldve paid for a shield

It depends on what you want to do with it.
For pure movie watching the Shield's PQ is just not very good. I highly recommend picking up a cheap Amlogic based Android box and installing CoreELEC on it. For the money they can't be beat, and the PQ is leaps and bounds ahead of the Shields. I have a $30 S912 generic box with CoreELEC on it and it looks amazing compared to my $200 Shield.

Hi
Wagmans said:
It depends on what you want to do with it.
For pure movie watching the Shield's PQ is just not very good. I highly recommend picking up a cheap Amlogic based Android box and installing CoreELEC on it. For the money they can't be beat, and the PQ is leaps and bounds ahead of the Shields. I have a $30 S912 generic box with CoreELEC on it and it looks amazing compared to my $200 Shield.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not noticed any picture quality differences between Amlogic and Nvidia Shield, besides given it's all digital and decoding is easy and just mathematics, why should the picture quality be different? Something else may be going on with the setup perhaps?
I've really wanted to love Amlogic, but what I have found with Amlogic is bugs, I've not found a box yet that will play video back without some issue (frame's being drop, strange artefacts, issues with HDMI frame rates, or no support for streaming services due to not having the necessary DRM etc), now this isn't so much the fault of Amlogic but the rubbish support of the cheap Chinese manufacturers that don't test or update their software, and third party firmware not having access to the latest codecs and drivers to improve the situation. The S905x2, I tried 2 different boxes and countless different ROMs and couldn't stop it from having issues with decoding certain videos, videos that played without issue everywhere else, including the Amlogic S905 non x2, but that had other issues! In the end I bought an Nvidia Shield and have had no problems at all.
Regards
Phil

PhilipL said:
Hi
I've not noticed any picture quality differences between Amlogic and Nvidia Shield, besides given it's all digital and decoding is easy and just mathematics, why should the picture quality be different? Something else may be going on with the setup perhaps?
I've really wanted to love Amlogic, but what I have found with Amlogic is bugs, I've not found a box yet that will play video back without some issue (frame's being drop, strange artefacts, issues with HDMI frame rates, or no support for streaming services due to not having the necessary DRM etc), now this isn't so much the fault of Amlogic but the rubbish support of the cheap Chinese manufacturers that don't test or update their software, and third party firmware not having access to the latest codecs and drivers to improve the situation. The S905x2, I tried 2 different boxes and countless different ROMs and couldn't stop it from having issues with decoding certain videos, videos that played without issue everywhere else, including the Amlogic S905 non x2, but that had other issues! In the end I bought an Nvidia Shield and have had no problems at all.
Regards
Phil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The note about HDMI quality - so a couple of things. Believe it or not, a decent cable can make a difference in visual quality, in particular the colour in which with a decent cable you can get much richer and warmer colour along with better looking bitrate image. Hard to believe I know as it's only digital - but if the cable does not deliver a consistent bit rate then you see degradation on the image - particularly on large 4k screens.
However, the thing that makes the most difference is the source. If you have a quality source, then you get quality output. I've heard the shield suffers from bland colourisation, along with some screen tearing. For £200 I would expect it to match the quality of my 4k Blu-ray, which from what I'm hearing it doesn't.
I wasn't quite thinking of the armlogic route but it is something of consideration as they are indeed cheap. The question here - is a £200 device that much better image and does it have that many features to warrant the £200. I'm not sure it does, but it would be good to obtain some objective feedback.
On a side note, if I wanted the most powerful emulation device for the same money, is the Nvidia the answer? Ideally I would like to run GameCube games (as getting out the old box and games is a bit annoying), but I hear dolphin emulation struggles on the Nvidia (mainly down to poor optimization, the hardware should be capable). Is there such a device and ideally one that can run Kodi also.