Shield Vs other devices - Shield Android TV Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

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.
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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
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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.

Related

Why are (or aren't) you getting a Project Shield?

Nvidia's first in-house android device is due out Q2 of this year (it seems they are aiming for a June release date) - and I am a bit surprised by the lack of conversation going on here at XDA about this device!
Why are (or aren't) you getting a Project Shield? Right now everyone is only able to speculate on price and exact availability, but as it draws closer to June we are sure to get loads of more information.
I'll go first!
I will be ordering one as soon as they become available. This is exactly the device I have been waiting for, for several reasons.
First, I have always never enjoyed on-screen joysticks/buttons as a control for touch-based games. It seems like a backwards way to do it. This eliminates that issue and will make me actually purchase some of these neat Android games.
Secondly, I am a PC gamer at heart, and the one thing I have always been jealous of the XBOX/PS3 guys is that they can lay back on the couch when they get home from work and relax while playing their favorite games. I already use a controller with a bunch of games on my PC (exclusing FPS and Strategy), so this seems like a natural fit for me! As well, once Nvidia gets the streaming to TV working, I can leave my big PC rig in my office while still being able to play my games on the nice HDTV in the living room, using this as the controller. I could not ask for it to be easier, especially with Steam's lovely new Big Picture mode.
Lastly...emulators. Lots and lots of emulators. Nvidia's Tegra 4 seems to be one powerful chip, certainly powerful enough to run all of the emulators on the play store. This will be perfect for SNES/NES/PSX/N64 emulation on my tv..
I'm interested to hear your guy's opinions! Hopefully we can bring some life to this board over the coming months.
Basically you gave every reason i will also purchase one
Can't wait ehehe
I think the Nvidia Shield is a very good idea, as long as you fit within it’s very, very narrow niche targets. Most people won’t, which is why I think it will sell in low numbers despite being some decent hardware. I think I will be buying one though. I’ll explain.
I fit into one of the very few practical uses for this device. I have a high-end (for now) gaming PC with a GTX670 installed. This gaming PC is in my front room, behind my TV. It is there because my PC room became a nursery when I became a dad in 2011. There is no other room in my stupid tiny house for a PC desk. It has to be behind the TV.
To compound matters, I foolishly went and signed up for TiVo. (Freeview reception is woeful in my area). Now my wife has a hard drive chock full of hour after hour of mindless tat (I hate TV. 99% of it bores me silly) which I end up having to watch most nights. It’s driving me mad. I’m frequently sat there just waiting for her to p*ss off to bed so I can start my evening and bleed off the frustration built up from watching 4 hours of sh*te. This is typically around 11pm, by which time, any of my friends on Steam have also gone to bed.
(Apparently this TV consists of “quality time together” in her mind. When I asked her if she would like watching 4 hours of gaming each night and have to wait until 11pm so she could watch her recordings, she thinks this would be unfair and selfish. But I never have to raise a finger around the house and she brings me cold beer so it’s swings and roundabouts I suppose.)
When I read about Shield it seemed to answer the problem. I would be able to sit on the sofa, next to my wife, (quality time) and play on my PC titles whilst she absorbs hours of Celebrity Pets On Ice Makeover Factor. Whilst I am a little unconvinced that I’ll be able to play games like Planetside 2 on a 5” screen, at least I will have the option to play smaller scale stuff like Skyrim or Sim City. Games I can easily pause when she has something to say!
As I already have a nice setup for my keyboard and mouse and headset already able to reach my sofa, all I really needed was the small, portable screen. I thought I could make my own solution for a lot less than the Shield is likely to cost, and get a slightly larger screen. I was wrong. All small 7” to 10” screens were unsuitable for one or all of the following reasons;
1. USB input only, meaning my CPU would be driving the display, not my GPU. Also possible latency issues depending on drivers.
2. Awful resolution. They can all support up to 1080p inputs, but natively they are rarely above 480.
3. Terrible response times. They seem to be ok for desktop computing or widget monitors, but high speed gaming would be motion-blur city.
4. Cost. The only small, portable, high resolution LCD/LED displays with HDMI input and decent response times were for high-end professional photography DSLR camera rigs, costing around £1200.
Anyone with their own computer desk won’t need an Nvidia Shield. Anyone who wants an Android gaming experience can already do so for £30 with an Android device they already own and a PS3 or Xbox360 controller (http://buy.thegameklip.com/) and won’t need an Nvidia Shield. Anyone who wants the hand-held PC gaming experience and doesn't already have at least GTX650, is looking at a starting cost of an additional £200 on top of the eventual cost of the Shield. How many people are going to go for that?
If I could have found a separate small screen that would have been up to spec, I wouldn’t be looking at a Shield either. I’ll be amazed if Nvidia shift many of these upon release. If they cost it much above £250 I’m going to have a hard time justifying it myself.
I am looking forward to being able to lie in bed and play Sim City before going to sleep. There are plenty of Android apps (I use Unified Remote) that can remotely shut down/hibernate your PC over network. I suspect the Nvidia Shield (if they’ve though this through) will also have this though.
I am not getting one but I hope it does well... here's why:
I bought a Moga Pro (which has not arrived yet as their free shipping is the slowest domestic service I've ever experienced). With the controller combined with the LGOG (and it's Tegra 4/Snapdragon 800 based replacement this fall), I expect it to match most of the Project Shield functionality.
I own a high end phone (LG OG + 64gb card) and a high end tablet (Nexus 10 32). To the extent I want a 3rd piece of portable electronics, It would need to do something that the LGOG/Nexus 10 can not do or play a game my devices cannot play. I'd sooner get a 3DS XL for the exposure to a unique gaming library.
The PC gaming has zero value to me (I have a modern laptop (Vaio i7 14" touch screen) but it's graphics are by ATI. There's no way I would get a bulkier laptop (for the 660 graphics) to stream to a more portable.
On the other hand, I hope it succeeds. The better shield does, the better the games android will recieve. I don't particularly like tegra exclusives (expecially since Chainfire's mod doesn't support JB) but most likely my next phone or tablet will have the Tegra 4
one simple reason why not.. thats because i don't own a nvidia GPU. im currently using AMD and don't plan on changing to nvidia anytime soon. from what i understand you can't use the project shield to stream games from PC without having a decent nvidia GPU
I will not be getting it either for the simple reason like stated above have an AMD card. This card is very capable of running games like this to a little device such as the Shield but they will never do it. Given I just bought my rig with some killer specs I am not willing to pay another 300 dollars for a nvidia card ton a system I already spent over 1000 on just to see the same performance out of the card. Its pretty pointless to me plus the precision you have with a mouse is far better then joysticks.
I'm still on the fence. If it's under $200 I'll definitely consider it. I'm basically looking at it as a higher quality alternative to something like the JXD S5300. I want it primarily for emulators, but also some Android games that I think would work well with a controller. If the JXD S5800 actually comes out and doesn't have any major issues I'll probably go with that, as I think that the layout (PS Vita like) would work better for games that still need some help from the touch screen.
I won't get it as it's the first time a device like this is being made, and there'll be unpredictable problems with the device. Sitting on the fence, and I'll be waiting for shield 2. Also, because I'm in no hurry.
One more reason is that I have gtx 560 ti and not 660.
Sent from my C6602 using Tapatalk 2
Def getting one here, I think it's a novel concept and I applaud Nvidia (and any other company) for trying to make a product that is unique. I do have a drawer full of "unique devices" though so it will really be up to Nvidia to stick by the device to make it successful. It is for sure priced at a premium and I believe that will be a barrier for many but, if you are a real hard core PC gamer you are used to spending pretty big bucks for a fast setup so from that perspective the price might be ok.
I pre-ordered one because it has physical buttons. I've been using an Asus Transformer Infinity tablet with a PS3 controller to play emulators when I'm bored at work. Not very Ideal. This morning I sold the infinity on craigslist, took the cash over to gamestop and pre-ordered a shield.
Android Emulators
PC Streaming
Opening new worlds with Root access
These are my reasons OP. I'm hoping that with root access we will find a way to stream the PC games without being on the same wifi network. I have amazing internet at work and at home. My gaming desktop is HUGE.
This is my steam library I have an extremely beefy desktop with an Nvidia card I built.
Well, I saw this section on XDA, and thought it was quite interesting, but I'm definately not going to buy the shield.
- It's marketed by Nvidia, I expect huge prices.
- I'm an eyefinity gamer (this means I play on a resolution of 5760x1080), scaling down to a -7- 5 inch device, while I'm even on the same network? My chair is as comfortable as the couch :/ so I see no reason to stream. (Also, I use ATI cards as Nvidia ones are overpriced over performance. "But ye, I don't have to bull**** about drivers and it just works" - You know what kind of people have that argument as well? People that buy apple)
- It's not even out yet, and pre-ordering is just insanely stupid. You're laying down money for a product that is not even tested, and you're purchasing it for the highest price possible, as products only get cheaper over time. I will even go as far as simply declaring people that pre-order products, may it be games or actual products are extremely retarded.
Svardskampe said:
Well, I saw this section on XDA, and thought it was quite interesting, but I'm definately not going to buy the shield.
- It's marketed by Nvidia, I expect huge prices.
- I'm an eyefinity gamer (this means I play on a resolution of 5760x1080), scaling down to a 7 inch device, while I'm even on the same network? My chair is as comfortable as the couch :/ so I see no reason to stream. (Also, I use ATI cards as Nvidia ones are overpriced over performance. "But ye, I don't have to bull**** about drivers and it just works" - You know what kind of people have that argument as well? People that buy apple)
- It's not even out yet, and pre-ordering is just insanely stupid. You're laying down money for a product that is not even tested, and you're purchasing it for the highest price possible, as products only get cheaper over time. I will even go as far as simply declaring people that pre-order products, may it be games or actual products are extremely retarded.
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Wow, that's a pretty large set of arrogant statements with no good backing. Why do you have an ATI card? If you stuck with a Trident card for longer, the price on that ATI card would come down even more! Calling people who preorder "extremely retarded" only means you're completely removed from rational discussion. I pre-order games if I don't want to have to worry about them on launch day. I pre-order hardware that may be hard to get on launch day (or shortly after). Maybe the real problem is that you can't afford to pre-order products, and you're jealous of people who can? Maybe you're happy with older technology until the dust has settled? Those are good reasons to claim you're not going to pre-order a product. But to announce that everyone online is "extremely retarded" is really just showing your own ignorance and cry-baby mentality.
Svardskampe said:
- It's marketed by Nvidia, I expect huge prices.
- I'm an eyefinity gamer (this means I play on a resolution of 5760x1080), scaling down to a 7 inch device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you call us retarded but can't get any facts for yourself before commenting.
A) price is already up. There is no price to expect when it has already been announced.
B) its 5 inches not 7.
C) It doesn't just dream, its a fully fledged android device and very capable of playing games offline, there are quite a few good games coming out on android now.
I want go get shield but its not up for pre order in the UK yet, looks to be around the £230 mark if you do a straight price conversion although if you follow existing trends they will charge £300 or more in the UK because everyone hates us and charges us more for no reason. I can't afford the £230 price tag right now, let alone if it does get a price bump.
If I get one it will likely get loaded with emulators and then it might make an interesting device to make apps for. I couldn't care less about streaming. I just see it as what the PS Vita should have been, a high end android device with a gamepad (yes it is my opinion that the vita would have been much better if it was an android device).
Oh I'm sorry, this is the internet, I need to back up the fact that a cigar is a cigar on every post I make?
The US prices are released, not any international ones. With the current rate, it should come down at €270. Hell no, it will get that tag in Europe. It could go as far as €300 to €400. That's still a huge difference.
And yes, I would go as far as claiming that pre-ordering products is an extremely retarded action. Why would you pay the royal jackpot for a product, that has no one ever reviewed yet, that no one ever put to day-to-day use and could report how it functions. You pay that royal jackpot for a mere idea or concept, led by marketing and manufacturers claims. I cannot see how this could be a good decision in any daylight.
"But to announce that everyone online is "extremely retarded" is really just showing your own ignorance and cry-baby mentality."
Why would that claim be untrue? I see no valid reason why you would not be retarded if you just believe a manufacturer by the nice blue colour of their eyes. I see no ignorance from my side, only those of who pre-order stuff. I see no cry-baby mentality in that statement, only from you who are quite tense in defending your purchase.
It's alright though, it's your purchase, your good decision to do so, and I do not say you can't do that. You're just not that sane in my opinion, just as you think negatively about me. I see you are quite tense. Don't get pushed that much by someone on the internet.
See, I know a lot more about the product than you. I've been playing with it for months. My decision to pre-order has nothing to do with marketing or hype. I choose to pre-order the product based on solid facts, hands on testing, specific knowledge of the features, and specific plans of what I intend to do with it. When I pre-order software, it is generally after either beta testing it or careful homework on the software in question with the knowledge that my friends and I will be playing it on release day together. Since I live in the US, I know the price, and I know whether it will be coming down any time soon. And they aren't allowed to charge me until they ship, so it's not profit to them yet either, I can cancel at any time.
I pay a premium to remain on cutting edge technology, and because of it, I have done well in my career. I owe my current position on getting involved with Android earlier than most people, and diving into the technical aspects of it. That's what I do.
So you can think of me as retarded all you want. I'm thinking you're just too lazy to be an informed buyer until after everyone else already has it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
PR0XIDIAN said:
I have an extremely beefy desktop with an Nvidia card I built.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dat misplaced modifier
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Jsusgarcia179 said:
Dat misplaced modifier
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
LOL! you are right. I was tired when I wrote that. I built the desktop not the Nvidia card
I will definitely be buying one as well. I have already pre ordered the shield. Some of the features that I like are obviously streaming PC games to the device so I can play them while sitting on my couch or in another room. I also like the shield for the controls so I can play games like Shadowgun, modern combat and other games like those. I also like that I can also use it just like any other Android device.
The speakers are here are incredible and it was shown that you can actually play music and use as a speaker alone which I think is a neat idea as well. Lastly I think a lot of developers are going to be making some pretty awesome games for this device and this device especially has endless possibilities.
I already have a set up that will provide a great experience for streaming PC games so don't need to buy anything extra for it to work right out of the box. I currently use Moga pro to play games on my Nexus 10, but it is a pain to carry around both devices for this to happen.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
I`ve pre-ordered mine on May 16, 2013 for a fun reasons like to help developers in test with custom recoveries, kernels, systems or such things. I hope there is going to be guys who willing to develope for this thing something because it got some good potential.
Ixz said:
I`ve pre-ordered mine on May 16, 2013 for a fun reasons like to help developers in test with custom recoveries, kernels, systems or such things. I hope there is going to be guys who willing to develope for this thing something because it got some good potential.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Recovery looks like it will lack touch for a while, but developing ROMs for it shouldn't be overly difficult.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app

Android tv box strictly for XBMC

Hello everyone,
I want to buy an android TV box and am planning to use it strictly for XBMC.
I have been reading quite a lot on these devices over the past weeks, but I would still like to get some advice.
The CS968 seems like a nice solution, but I think it does not support hardware acceleration at the moment (RK chipset).
Is it better to take a quad core without h/a to run xbmc or a dual core with supported h/a.
Which one would you recommend me? 720p streaming, maybe 1080 in the future and I just want a smooth XBMC experience and a good wifi signal offcourse.
This is the 1.000.000 USD question, which one to buy for media streaming and use of XBMC.
This is mostly due to 2 things, first is that these boxes are still not 1080p approved (you will need to experiment with several kernels that claim to have this output), and second is related to their power. They cannot play 1080p content, not even 720p content without the H/W acceleration.
What does this mean in practice? Well first is that even if you have a flawless version of Android (stable and 1080p content on it), you still need XBMC (in this case) to be able to H/W decode the content, or else you are unable to use it properly for any HD content.
The good news is that XBMC is about to release a stable version with the promised H/W acceleration, however its not out yet.
Now for the options: If you want good streaming, you need a reliable network connection, and unless your router is just next to the Android TV stick, you'll need a wired connection. This is not normally a problem, just be sure to get a true 100Mbit USB adapter (if it is not already built in), as some of them are only 10Mbit which is a bit slow for HD.
I myself bought a Tronsmart T428, as it has both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wifi module. However the available ROM's are not that many and I still can't use it as a daily driver for my media needs.
Another thing that you might consider is how to control it. A good remote will make or break the deal, as it's not easy to navigate android without the touch input. I sometimes us a mouse and keyboard (and it works quite well), but for HTPC purposes it's not the best. I also have a Mele F10 which is not bad, but the new version is well worth the extra (Mele F10 pro).
Good luck with your quest. If I were you I would wait a little bit until the new XBMC stable version gets out (12.3) and then see what others are using.
Hope it was helpful.
Lewy20041 is doing great work on these relatively cheap devices.
Take a look at the link below and if you haven't already head over to the FreakTab forums.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2494284
rayill said:
Hello everyone,
I want to buy an android TV box and am planning to use it strictly for XBMC.
I have been reading quite a lot on these devices over the past weeks, but I would still like to get some advice.
The CS968 seems like a nice solution, but I think it does not support hardware acceleration at the moment (RK chipset).
Is it better to take a quad core without h/a to run xbmc or a dual core with supported h/a.
Which one would you recommend me? 720p streaming, maybe 1080 in the future and I just want a smooth XBMC experience and a good wifi signal offcourse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are talking about XBMC and let alone other things, the Matricom GBox MX2 is a fantastic Android TV Box, at least for me. It has HWA out of the box and I am able to play 1080p very smoothly.
There is a review online you can watch:
hxxp://liliputing.com/2013/05/g-box-midnight-mx2-tv-dual-core-tv-box-is-made-for-android-xbmc.html
Having said that, the GBox MX2 doesn't have the best specs in comparison with other Android TV Boxes out there but if you are looking for a smooth XBMC experience, this is the box for you (IMO). (Or... look for a MX2 clone).
dookie23 said:
If you are talking about XBMC and let alone other things, the Matricom GBox MX2 is a fantastic Android TV Box, at least for me. It has HWA out of the box and I am able to play 1080p very smoothly.
There is a review online you can watch:
hxxp://liliputing.com/2013/05/g-box-midnight-mx2-tv-dual-core-tv-box-is-made-for-android-xbmc.html
Having said that, the GBox MX2 doesn't have the best specs in comparison with other Android TV Boxes out there but if you are looking for a smooth XBMC experience, this is the box for you (IMO). (Or... look for a MX2 clone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a couple of Android boxes. The ones based on rockchips are not the best in XBMC as there is no hardware decoding. There are some builds out there that that have been hacked to make a callout to play media in MX player. My rockchip box sit in the cupboard. I have a couple that have the Amlogic M3(single core ATV510b) that can run Android XBMC but there is also a linux-xbmc distro for it. Great for a pure XBMC experiance. It will run 1080p no prob. Ive also got a ATV520(M6 dual core) but only runs android. Both can do hardware decoding in XBMC and play 1080p. Both are great little boxs.
I would rather a dual or even a single that has h/a than a quad that cant do h/a. A friend got a quad rockchip and it cant play 1080p. he hates it. Cant play crap in XBMC. It needs hardware
the gBox uses the same chip as the ATV520. There is also the ATV1200 has the same hardware as the ATV520 but more connections and external aerial. imports if you going to wifi.
hope this helps.
cheers
rayill said:
Hello everyone, I want to buy an android TV box and am planning to use it strictly for XBMC.
I have been reading quite a lot on these devices over the past weeks, but I would still like to get some advice.
The CS968 seems like a nice solution, but I think it does not support hardware acceleration at the moment (RK chipset).
Is it better to take a quad core without h/a to run xbmc or a dual core with supported h/a.
Which one would you recommend me? 720p streaming, maybe 1080 in the future and I just want a smooth XBMC experience and a good wifi signal offcourse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at these, and possibly go for the device with the highest # cores, highest android version (4.2.2+), highest RAM (2GB+), and one or two external antennae. The devices with Android 4.2.x + can be setup for multiple users {see this post}. Analog video/audio out is a plus, especially for direct hookup to speakers or old television. Some have quad-core Rockchip, which xbmc should support as of version 13 (Gotham) as mentioned in xbmc wiki, but not necessarily. NOTE: Some do not have bluetooth whatsoever (and probably no support for USB bluetooth dongle) such as the Ugoos UT1 box :
Ugoos boxes and sticks:
UM2 stick and UM1 box look good.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2424451
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2373469
http://blog.geekbuying.com/?s=ugoos
http://www.apad.tv/apadforum/forumdisplay.php?64-Ugoos-Android-Mini-PC-and-TV-Box-Tech-Support
I think most Ugoos' are around $100 USD or less with stock parts/accessories on Amazon.com as of this writing.
MINIX boxes:
NEO X7 looks good. Quad core CPU and GPU!
http://www.minix.com.hk/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2440708
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2439433
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2494284
MINIX X7 should be $120 USD or more, but the other models might be okay too.
Satechi tv box seems good too.
on Amazon
Matricom Gbox .
Midnight MX2 looks good. These can do OTA update.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2002758
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1835588
http://matricom.net/
Mele boxes
Some can do OTA updates.
http://en.mele.cn/ (English)
http://mele.cn/products/3.htm (Chinese)
http://forum.mele.cn:81/viewforum.php?f=14
MyGica (Geniatech) boxes and sticks.
Their latest ATV1800 is awesome! All should do OTA update.
http://www.geniatech.com/pa/android-tv.asp
http://www.mygica.com/products.asp
... and the list goes on and on wow
- Measy
- Unuiga
- Jesurun
- ...
Also: native Linux on these boxes:
RK3188 based: link to thread
AML8726 based: link to thread
but you gotta do loads of research to make'em work!
I tested XBMC "gotham 13 alpha 10" monthly release {see post here} on my phone and it works quite well, even playing 1080p movies with 2 or 3 gigs file sizes.
*I say all that above, but honestly, I am just listing devices for others to see. Since you may want to connect a wired/wireless USB-based mouse and/or keyboard and want to play tons of 1080p videos and do many different things over time, then I think a small laptop or netbook with HDMI and hardware-acceleration running linux or windowz and XBMC desktop version will be much much better. Albeit the higher price, this kind of laptop can handle more and do more, thus more usable & valuable, especially under constant/heavy usage. Note that the $99 devices may be like $0.99 food = looks good, but tastes bad and is unhealthy for you.
rayill said:
Hello everyone,
I want to buy an android TV box and am planning to use it strictly for XBMC.
I have been reading quite a lot on these devices over the past weeks, but I would still like to get some advice.
The CS968 seems like a nice solution, but I think it does not support hardware acceleration at the moment (RK chipset).
Is it better to take a quad core without h/a to run xbmc or a dual core with supported h/a.
Which one would you recommend me? 720p streaming, maybe 1080 in the future and I just want a smooth XBMC experience and a good wifi signal offcourse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The team ATV xbmchub are recommending ouya
Everything I have read indicates a very capable device, if you want arm
It uses a modified version of xbmc (stock version still a bit iffy on android) that's apparently very good
I used a MyGica ATV120 and found that works nicely for XBMC and video was super smooth.
Sent from my CM11 Samsung Galaxy S4
Any boxes that have a linux build.
Sumvision Cyclone Nano
Gbox MX2
pivos xios
generic MX G18REF based boxes - these can be found on ebay for under £50
These boxes are all... pretty much the same thing, the use AML8726 and the same gpu, and under their linux builds have hardware decoding.
The build I use on my generic MX box is MX Linux from croniccorey
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2418029
The ui closely matches the desktop experience and video does match it.
I've tested it with 55Mbps mkvs and it's played them fine.
Ofcourse the problem with linux builds is... bugs, the builds for all these mx devies, even from sumvision and pivos, have some bugs but they run XBMC much better than it will run under ever the most powerful android device
And all Geniatech ATV400/ATV520/ATV1200/ATV3200
wason92 said:
Any boxes that have a linux build.
Sumvision Cyclone Nano
Gbox MX2
pivos xios
generic MX G18REF based boxes - these can be found on ebay for under £50
These boxes are all... pretty much the same thing, the use AML8726 and the same gpu, and under their linux builds have hardware decoding.
The build I use on my generic MX box is MX Linux from croniccorey
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2418029
The ui closely matches the desktop experience and video does match it.
I've tested it with 55Mbps mkvs and it's played them fine.
Ofcourse the problem with linux builds is... bugs, the builds for all these mx devies, even from sumvision and pivos, have some bugs but they run XBMC much better than it will run under ever the most powerful android device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are all based on Aml8726-MX
Android and XBMX
Tried a lot out and found this OTT TV Box to work great with hardware decoding and XBMC. It comes rooted based on the Amlogic 8726 chip. Has integrated camera and mic for video chat. The XBMC version comes fully loaded so you just plug and play, even 2 skins are pre-set. Believe me I've spent nights with boxes and sticks and always something did not work. Audio and video out of sync and so on. I think everybody went through those issue. Give it a try it has great Wifi connectivity due to the external antenna and comes with a simple remote, looks pretty cool as well. I think it's fairly priced and the support is great. This is my personal experience.
wwwdotamazondotcom/gp/aw/d/B00IXQTFDQ
Ive just bought the Justop K10A and it is amazing. You can control it as well with a proprietry rockchip app using your android phone or tablet.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
How does those TV box go with the newest version XBMC 14.1 ?
Tronfy said:
How does those TV box go with the newest version XBMC 14.1 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
14.2
Best Android Tv Box
Got this as a Christmas gift from my aunt. I can watch movies in Full HD now. This android TV box is awesome. This is fast and runs full hd without any issues. I am very happy to have it. A must need device if you love to watch movies.
What is the name of your android box?
Sam787 said:
Got this as a Christmas gift from my aunt. I can watch movies in Full HD now. This android TV box is awesome. This is fast and runs full hd without any issues. I am very happy to have it. A must need device if you love to watch movies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You did not mention any name or brand for your android tv box??
Really satisfied from my new Android box TV
I recently bought My Matrix TV and if you are interested in anything ask me. I have been using it intensively for the last two months and I can answer any questions related to it. It is the first Android Box TV that I own and after I bought it it my only source of streaming media.

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.

NVIDIA SHIELD CONSOLE? Android TV SuperComputer Cloud Gaming? WOW

EDIT: Can everyone who visits this thread please take the time to do a official request for adding the SHIELD Console forums? Just visit the below thread and put in your request please. Thanks
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1660354
ORIGINAL POST:
Is this a new device coming out this Summer? I don't even see a section at XDA for it, or any mention of it here in these Shield threads, yet its based on Android TV and the Tegra X1, with the below specs. I'm in the market for a Android TV, so this interests me.
http://shield.nvidia.com/
http://shield.nvidia.com/console
Specifications:
Processor NVIDIA® Tegra® X1 processor
256-core Maxwell™ GPU with 3GB RAM
Video Features 4K Ultra-HD ready with 4K playback and capture up to 60 fps (VP9, H265, H264)
Audio 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound pass through over HDMI
High-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192 kHz over HDMI and USB
High-resolution audio up-sample to 24-bit/192 kHz over USB
Storage* 16 GB
Wireless 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.1/BLE
Interfaces Gigabit Ethernet
HDMI 2.0
Two USB 3.0 (Type A)
Micro-USB 2.0
MicroSD slot
IR Receiver (compatible with Logitech Harmony)
Software Updates SHIELD software upgrades directly from NVIDIA
Gaming Features NVIDIA GRID™ game streaming service
NVIDIA Share
NVIDIA GameStream™
Power 40 W power adapter
Weight and Size Weight: 23 oz / 654 g
Height: 5.1 in / 130 mm
Width: 8.3 in / 210 mm
Depth: 1.0 in / 25 mm
Operating System Android TV™, Google Cast™ Ready
Included Apps = PLEX
It is a new android TV console made by Nvidia. The Cpu/GPU is the latest tegra X1 that is insanely fast! Much faster than Snapdragon 810 and Exynos 7.
Release date is in may and will cost 199$
Just saw some games that will be released like Metal Gear rising? will those be on the cloud or it will run natively on the shield it self? if its only on the cloud the this is not a console its just a streaming device that requires very fast internet which not all countries have specially here in the Philippines
RollWii said:
Just saw some games that will be released like Metal Gear rising? will those be on the cloud or it will run natively on the shield it self? if its only on the cloud the this is not a console its just a streaming device that requires very fast internet which not all countries have specially here in the Philippines
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Games like Crysis 3 will run natively on it (not in the cloud).
(Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)
Correct, there are a few big-name games being modded/re-written to run natively on the platform. Of them, "Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel" , "Doom 3: BFG Edition" , and "Crysis 3". They demoed all of these. Doom3 and Crysis looked like they ran pretty well. Borderlands ran like a slug and obviously needed a lot more optimization.
That being said, they were really pushing the GRID services heavily, and a number of the announced launch titles were actually GRID games (AKA, PC games virtualized in a server center and streamed to your natively like OnLive or Gaikai/PS-Now, but with the improvements that nVidia has learned from the virtualization and distributed/parallel computing sectors). Anybody who has a current SHIELD device (portable or Tablet) and is within the USA should try it on their current devices at least a few times before it goes subscription model. It is currently in beta and free for all Shield devices, but the servers are in the USA, and the lag times may be unacceptable for some games if you are overseas or just have a laggy connection in general. It will officially come out of beta at the time when the Shield Console goes on sale, which will end the year-plus free ride so far.
ryocoon said:
Correct, there are a few big-name games being modded/re-written to run natively on the platform. Of them, "Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel" , "Doom 3: BFG Edition" , and "Crysis 3". They demoed all of these. Doom3 and Crysis looked like they ran pretty well. Borderlands ran like a slug and obviously needed a lot more optimization.
That being said, they were really pushing the GRID services heavily, and a number of the announced launch titles were actually GRID games (AKA, PC games virtualized in a server center and streamed to your natively like OnLive or Gaikai/PS-Now, but with the improvements that nVidia has learned from the virtualization and distributed/parallel computing sectors). Anybody who has a current SHIELD device (portable or Tablet) and is within the USA should try it on their current devices at least a few times before it goes subscription model. It is currently in beta and free for all Shield devices, but the servers are in the USA, and the lag times may be unacceptable for some games if you are overseas or just have a laggy connection in general. It will officially come out of beta at the time when the Shield Console goes on sale, which will end the year-plus free ride so far.
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I'm more interested what it will eventually do for media myself. And it MUST be rootable for me to even consider it as an option. The specs, at least for the Android world are nothing short of brilliant. However, again I want media apps mainly, such as Kodi, Plex, Netflix playback and casting to be flawless. For now the Nexus Player still turns me on more even with it being wifi only. However, If the NVIDIA Console becomes rootable with FULL custom Android ROM's I am going to change my mind in a heartbeat though, haha.
Considering that all of the nVidia devices to date have been extremely easy to unlock and root, I'm going to say that, yeah, it is mostly likely going to be root-able. Whether it can handle Kodi/Plex/Netflix/Etc at 4K is up to those developers. I know NetFlix has 4K content, but I'm not sure how they differentiate and enable it to be honest.
I have the Nexus Player, and I honestly feel a bit like a chump for getting it and so soon this device is announced. I can always use it in another room or something though.
The big rub with Android TV so far is that the default UI, the LeanBack Launcher, will not display some apps unless they declare themselves as leanback capable (which includes some XML, an art asset or two for different shape/size icons, navigation by controller/keys, and search-ability in some cases). This is a problem I've run into on my Nexus Player. Now, nVidia may snub the LeanBack launcher and may integrate some LeanBack function into their nVidia Hub (like on the Shield Tablet and Shield Portable) which recognizes dozens of media apps, games, and some other things and has a launcher in its own UI. However, if apps make themselves noted for LeanBack, they show up fine on the normal AndroidTV interface. What is better, if they include search, then you can voice search for titles in media apps, and if it includes some sort of rating or recommendation feature (like Hulu or YouTube) they can integrate that and you can get recommendations of what to watch directly in your launcher UI on the top row. Less important for games, maybe important for Game discovery, but definitely an interesting thing for the media watchers amongst us. I doubt recommendation would work on something like Plex, and KODI is its own UI entirely, skipping LeanBack or even nVidia hub (to be honest, I've never been a fan of XBMC's UI, and Kodi hasn't won me over yet either... too fidgety and I can't trust a 'normal' person to be able to understand and operate it). Like I stated above, the machine has the horsepower, but it will be up to app developers to show up with a "flawless" app that will work on it well.
Casting works pretty damn well on my Nexus Player, so I bet with MIMO capable AC spec WiFi, and also ethernet inclusion, you will get pretty damn good casting from Chromecast apps, as that is built into AndroidTV's OS.
Mind you a lot of this is based upon speculation on specs, existing hardware, and my knowledge of the AndroidTV OS and how it functions. Your mileage may vary, terms and conditions subject to actual reality upon device launch.
Yeah chances are my mileage will most likely vary, unless for some odd reason I am forced to run the stock Android TV experience. Since 2010 I have not ran anything stock, so not even sure what that is like, and pretty sure I don't want to know, lol. I was thinking about a full rom flashed on it immediately out of the box, installing Nova Launcher, my Planets live wallpaper, throwing up all the streaming apps onto the home screen, and hoping it just works like it did for the Nexus Player user on Youtube. I want to setup my own media streamer home page and experience. 4K would be future proof, but I have no plans to get rid of the 1080p TV that this device will be attached to, not before it naturally dies on me. I still like the Nexus Player as it will fit right in with all my other Nexus devices. I just need to see more development work taking place on it.
SkOrPn said:
Yeah chances are my mileage will most likely vary, unless for some odd reason I am forced to run the stock Android TV experience. Since 2010 I have not ran anything stock, so not even sure what that is like, and pretty sure I don't want to know, lol. I was thinking about a full rom flashed on it immediately out of the box, installing Nova Launcher, my Planets live wallpaper, throwing up all the streaming apps onto the home screen, and hoping it just works like it did for the Nexus Player user on Youtube. I want to setup my own media streamer home page and experience. 4K would be future proof, but I have no plans to get rid of the 1080p TV that this device will be attached to, not before it naturally dies on me. I still like the Nexus Player as it will fit right in with all my other Nexus devices. I just need to see more development work taking place on it.
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I'm still waiting for this device. Hopefully it's better than the garbage that the Razer Forge TV was. The mods and such at the nVidia forums still say it's coming out in may. The Forge didn't release with Netflix, and there might be a chance the same will happen with the Nvidia Shield Android TV, but I'd be ok with Nvidia as they're going to have 4k display support for netflix.
https://forums.geforce.com/default/...blet/nvidia-shield-tv-console-release-date/2/
I just got an email from NVIDIA saying its almost here. It starts out saying the wait is over, but then goes on to say its still not available and that they are giving away one Shield Console everyday until it is available to the public. I hate emails that start off telling you the wait is over but then asks you to wait some more, lol...
Its out!
Although only can see USA and Canada
$199.99 for 16GB
$299.99 for 500GB
http://shield.nvidia.com/android-tv
I'm not personally too interested in the gaming aspects but that amount of GPU power will prove very, very interesting. My main hope is that somebody can produce a minimal linux install for HTPC with Kodi and mpv builds, or perhaps just a release of Debian.
This device is the perfect low-cost HTPC. It should have more than sufficient CPU power for 10-bit h.264 and h.265 decode as well as sufficient compute power on the GPU side for EWA-type resamplers for chroma and image. I'm given to understand the X1 has full desktop opengl compatibility so it ought to be fully compatible with mpv (though I'm unsure of the state of the ARM builds).
The denver CPU should be more than enough to handle metadata crawling and the likes via Kodi in a non-sluggish fashion too. Christ, this device needs more videophile attention...
Just ordered mine on Amazon. It'll be here Sunday.
XDA needs a forum for it. This old shield handheld forum is for a completely different device.
Just ordered mine from Amazon US to be delivered to the UK next week by expedited delivery. What an absolute beast of a machine.
skrowl said:
Just ordered mine on Amazon. It'll be here Sunday.
XDA needs a forum for it. This old shield handheld forum is for a completely different device.
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me too!
returning my fire tv to them for a full refund, and getting this
this will be great to stream my pc to the tv so i can play games like witcher 3 in full 4k 50" vs 1080p 24"
and all the other stuff it does
Full review
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9289/the-nvidia-shield-android-tv-review
Shield Console Rooting Experience Thus Far...
Got mine this afternoon and after futzing a bit, tried to root it. It came with developer mode already enabled, one hassle for me is that rebooting to fastboot makes the screen blank so I had to fly blind to oem unlock. So, I've got an unlocked system at the moment, but Super SU is still not working because their is no su on the device. Anyone make it any further than me? I also went ahead and cracked it open to see if there were obvious serial port connection points. Looks like there's a nice spot for a laptop hard drive that is probably populated in the Pro model.
I'm going to look into building my own kernel + ramdisk to try and get the necessary tools in place so SuperSU can work, but I'm a bit worried that the screen isn't going to work and so I'll essentially be flying blind through the whole process.
ericvh said:
Looks like there's a nice spot for a laptop hard drive that is probably populated in the Pro model.
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Does that that mean there is an internal SATA connector or not?
A.N.Droid said:
Does that that mean there is an internal SATA connector or not?
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Yeah no SATA connector but there is an option in the settings to install all apps to an external hdd or micro sd card anyways
PS. Anyone know if this will be getting a dedicated XDA Forum? I'll probably be picking one up soon
A.N.Droid said:
Does that that mean there is an internal SATA connector or not?
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Hard to tell for sure, looks like there might be solder points for it, but no header. I've got the 500GB on order, will post the diffs when it arrives.

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