+- Kodi Community Forum (https://forum.kodi.tv)
+-- Forum: Discussions (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=222)
+--- Forum: Hardware (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=112)
+--- Thread: android boxes & android sticks megathread (/showthread.php?tid=153102)
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - funtasticguy - 2013-02-16
(2013-02-16, 18:30)denz13 Wrote: I'm looking at the possibility of replacing my Win 7 HTPC build with an android device and NAS.
Other than the obvious loss of Windows OS compatibility and functionality, do these devices have any disadvantages when it comes to audio/video file playback? Are there any things it can't handle e.g. DTS, 5.1, etc?
Android hardware is simply not ready yet, but it will get there. I have a Raspberry Pi running Raspbmc and with the final release, it is running well. It loads up in under a minute. I have no trouble with any 1080P, 720P, and SD video files. It also runs Navi X really well. It also runs 1080p DTS software decoding. Until the developers have hardware acceleration working on Android, the Raspberry Pi is the way to go.
Now, for those of you who have already invested in your Android boxes and have the Google Play Store on them, you might want to take a look at "Archos Video Player" until XBMC is finally working (it's the next best thing but I still prefer and like XBMC).
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - denz13 - 2013-02-16
(2013-02-16, 20:18)funtasticguy Wrote:(2013-02-16, 18:30)denz13 Wrote: I'm looking at the possibility of replacing my Win 7 HTPC build with an android device and NAS.
Other than the obvious loss of Windows OS compatibility and functionality, do these devices have any disadvantages when it comes to audio/video file playback? Are there any things it can't handle e.g. DTS, 5.1, etc?
Android hardware is simply not ready yet, but it will get there. I have a Raspberry Pi running Raspbmc and with the final release, it is running well. It loads up in under a minute. I have no trouble with any 1080P, 720P, and SD video files. It also runs Navi X really well. It also runs 1080p DTS software decoding. Until the developers have hardware acceleration working on Android, the Raspberry Pi is the way to go.
Now, for those of you who have already invested in your Android boxes and have the Google Play Store on them, you might want to take a look at "Archos Video Player" until XBMC is finally working (it's the next best thing but I still prefer and like XBMC).
Thanks for this, does the pi stream large mkv files well over ethernet from a nas? Is it possible to scrape music and movie info and art work on?
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - funtasticguy - 2013-02-17
(2013-02-16, 22:42)denz13 Wrote:(2013-02-16, 20:18)funtasticguy Wrote:(2013-02-16, 18:30)denz13 Wrote: I'm looking at the possibility of replacing my Win 7 HTPC build with an android device and NAS.
Other than the obvious loss of Windows OS compatibility and functionality, do these devices have any disadvantages when it comes to audio/video file playback? Are there any things it can't handle e.g. DTS, 5.1, etc?
Android hardware is simply not ready yet, but it will get there. I have a Raspberry Pi running Raspbmc and with the final release, it is running well. It loads up in under a minute. I have no trouble with any 1080P, 720P, and SD video files. It also runs Navi X really well. It also runs 1080p DTS software decoding. Until the developers have hardware acceleration working on Android, the Raspberry Pi is the way to go.
Now, for those of you who have already invested in your Android boxes and have the Google Play Store on them, you might want to take a look at "Archos Video Player" until XBMC is finally working (it's the next best thing but I still prefer and like XBMC).
Thanks for this, does the pi stream large mkv files well over ethernet from a nas? Is it possible to scrape music and movie info and art work on?
The Pi does stream 1080p mkv files. I stream 1080p and 720p mkv files over wifi all the time. I use SMB but I know it does NAS too. It also has an ethernet port for streaming. And yes since it is a genuine xbmc release, it does scrap movie info, rating, cover box, and movie backdrops. It looks exactly like the Android release but with hardware acceleration.
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - soonerlater - 2013-02-19
*removed by mod*
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - Ned Scott - 2013-02-19
Enough.
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - soonerlater - 2013-02-20
OP, I wish to change my recommendation regarding the Xios (from thumbs down to neutral) in light of the success that I've just attained in getting my Xios to read from my MySQL central library as explained in post #3 of this thread.
My previous recommendation (#61 of this thread) made these points:
Preivous: If you want hardware acceleration on video playback, you have to use the specially-tweaked version of XBMC that's only available from Pivos (the version straight from XBMC.org has no H/W accel, so playback is torture).
New: there's no downside to using the Pivos-tweaked version and it definitely runs better and smoother.
Previous: [The Pivos-tweaked version of XBMC]... ignores an advancedsettings.xml file, which is required if you want to run a central library managed by MySQL.
New: if you look at post #3 of this thread you'll see how this problem is solved.
Previous: You can hook a Logitech K400 USB wireless keyboard to it and even though it's not made for Android, the Android OS interprets the keystrokes as you would expect. However, the Pivos-tweaked version of XBMC misinterprets many keystrokes...
New: this is still a frustration. It's been mentioned on this thread to use a different "keyboard handler." After much research, I still have been unable to find where you set/choose the "keyboard handler" in XBMC for Android. Since my K400 works just fine in Android and only has problems in XBMC, I'm still struggling to find a solution to this particular problem. However, it's not enough to suggest to someone not to buy the Xios. Just a caveat. FWIW, this is merely a value issue (as in, is it worth paying $120 for a device that has this issue?) for a prospective buyer. However, to each his own. YMMV.
Previous: ...[the] Pivos remote... is crappy because it has a range of about 4 feet.
New: This is still an issue, but it's solved by "teaching" the signals to another remote that you own. It's not ideal and Pivos should make a better remote (and ship them free to existing customers IMHO), but again, it's not a reason not to buy the Xios. Again, just a caveat and a value issue like the keyboard.
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - thebearnecessit - 2013-02-20
sooner, thanks for your contribution, i've removed your negative review from the summary in the OP, but i feel like the OP will just get too massive and complicated and useless if i keep adding new categories, so there is no 'neutral' category.
I just want to see if i can give an indication in the OP as to which boxes are going down well with the community and which aren't, so I'm just trying to stick with boxes that are recommended or not recommended.
mini-reviews like yours might seem like nothing, but they are hugely valuable to people trying to suss out the situation, so thanks very much for contributing to the forum/thread
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - soonerlater - 2013-02-21
@thebearnecessit,
Thanks for your kinds words. On the off-chance that I later learn anything useful, I'll post back.
FWIW, I really appreciate threads like this when I'm trying to make a buying decision. Of course, everyone on this thread already made his/her buying decision, but your action of starting and maintaining this thread is really "paying it forward" for the benefit of those who are lurking, thinking, studying and still making their buying decision.
G
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - thebearnecessit - 2013-02-21
(2013-02-21, 02:31)soonerlater Wrote: @thebearnecessit,
Thanks for your kinds words. On the off-chance that I later learn anything useful, I'll post back.
FWIW, I really appreciate threads like this when I'm trying to make a buying decision. Of course, everyone on this thread already made his/her buying decision, but your action of starting and maintaining this thread is really "paying it forward" for the benefit of those who are lurking, thinking, studying and still making their buying decision.
G
yeah hopefully. i'm no techie so this kind of thread is all i can contribute really
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - o_ramos_pt - 2013-02-22
(2013-02-17, 00:33)funtasticguy Wrote:(2013-02-16, 22:42)denz13 Wrote:(2013-02-16, 20:18)funtasticguy Wrote: Android hardware is simply not ready yet, but it will get there. I have a Raspberry Pi running Raspbmc and with the final release, it is running well. It loads up in under a minute. I have no trouble with any 1080P, 720P, and SD video files. It also runs Navi X really well. It also runs 1080p DTS software decoding. Until the developers have hardware acceleration working on Android, the Raspberry Pi is the way to go.
Now, for those of you who have already invested in your Android boxes and have the Google Play Store on them, you might want to take a look at "Archos Video Player" until XBMC is finally working (it's the next best thing but I still prefer and like XBMC).
Thanks for this, does the pi stream large mkv files well over ethernet from a nas? Is it possible to scrape music and movie info and art work on?
The Pi does stream 1080p mkv files. I stream 1080p and 720p mkv files over wifi all the time. I use SMB but I know it does NAS too. It also has an ethernet port for streaming. And yes since it is a genuine xbmc release, it does scrap movie info, rating, cover box, and movie backdrops. It looks exactly like the Android release but with hardware acceleration.
And connected via usb to a external harddrive?
What PI version do you have? Is it with openElec?
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - funtasticguy - 2013-02-22
(2013-02-22, 19:00)o_ramos_pt Wrote:(2013-02-17, 00:33)funtasticguy Wrote:(2013-02-16, 22:42)denz13 Wrote: Thanks for this, does the pi stream large mkv files well over ethernet from a nas? Is it possible to scrape music and movie info and art work on?
The Pi does stream 1080p mkv files. I stream 1080p and 720p mkv files over wifi all the time. I use SMB but I know it does NAS too. It also has an ethernet port for streaming. And yes since it is a genuine xbmc release, it does scrap movie info, rating, cover box, and movie backdrops. It looks exactly like the Android release but with hardware acceleration.
And connected via usb to a external harddrive?
What PI version do you have? Is it with openElec?
I have also used it with an external hard drive via a powered USB hub. It works extremely well. I have the B or 512MB version of Pi. I use it with RaspBMC
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - p24hrsmith - 2013-02-24
I can recommend the MK808 for running XBMC I mostly only use 1Channel and films run very well. The only downside is there is no right click function (that I have found) so you can access menu for adding things to fav's or mark as watched and so on.
I good upgrade to the MK808 is the Finless 1.6 rom this cleans out all the useless factory apps bumps up base memory from around 1,5gb to 2gb and most important gives you a shutdown system as opposed to just unplugging which can brick it
Its not to hard to do all instructions and tools needed are in the download which you can find at
http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.php?3207-NEW-MK808-Finless-1-6-Custom-ROM
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - p24hrsmith - 2013-02-24
(2013-02-24, 11:39)p24hrsmith Wrote: I can recommend the MK808 for running XBMC I mostly only use 1Channel and films run very well. The only downside is there is no right click function (that I have found) so you can access menu for adding things to fav's or mark as watched and so on.**********************************
I good upgrade to the MK808 is the Finless 1.6 rom this cleans out all the useless factory apps bumps up base memory from around 1,5gb to 2gb and most important gives you a shutdown system as opposed to just unplugging which can brick it
Its not to hard to do all instructions and tools needed are in the download which you can find at
http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.php?3207-NEW-MK808-Finless-1-6-Custom-ROM
Have now found out how to access right click menu ,,,, select item then press the letter "c" to open this menu
Re: android boxes & android sticks megathread - kurisuccm - 2013-02-28
Thanks for the thread I'm in the market for something like these still unsure what I want though
RE: android boxes & android sticks megathread - thebearnecessit - 2013-03-01
Well I don't think there are any android boxes that work to a reliable level yet with xbmc. they each have there own little problems.
I am happy with my "MyGica ATV1200" after paying (UK) £90 and spending maybe 3 hours doing a total of about 5 fixes / tweaks that are discussed on the ATV1200 thread on this forum.
After doing the tweaks it now works with xbmc to a reliable level, and the android apps work really well too (spotify for example).
I would recommend this box if you don't mind fixing a few things/following instructions from the forum etc.
otherwise, just wait until you see a post that says "with the new firmware and xbmc app, everything just works!" that might be another couple months though IMO.