[User 231261]

No one is advising OP to use Apple TVs. The Fire TV does not require root access to install XBMC. Root access is only required for special functions or using USB for storage.

I "gag" you because you're annoying the piss out of people, including me.

Look Ned.. you're not reading correctly..

So let me summarize for you:

OP post #1 quote..

I currently have a Apple TV 2 that I have been using for 2 years. It crashes when I play high-resolution media and 3d movies. I've been doing a little research on the Minix x8-h and it seems to be pretty great. Before purchasing it on one to post to the forum and get some different perspectives/opinions on the box and how it runs Xbmc/Kodi and high resolution and/or 3d movies.

post #2 quote...

Would suggest Amazon Fire TV instead, or wait for one of the Google Android TV boxes in the Fall/Winter.

OP: why?

then I chip in with basicly... stay away from closed systems...

then you come in heavy handed being still annoyed by probably another thread where we disagreed.

Your responses just prove that you have not really read the thread and start responding to the person and not to the content.... not the best thing to do on a forum but OK no hard feeling from my part.

As to the information you give on Amazon Fire TV and running xbmc there is a lot more useful xbmc stuff that requires Rooting the fireTV as opposed to an open android solution that the OP was investigating and others adviced.
And rooting a fireTV has been made impossible with the new fireTV firmware.... it is the same crap that apple pulled to prevent jailbreaking their appleTV boxes.

Missing the point and responding based on assumptions should be avoided.

I think you overplayed this one.... but let's forget about it.

[Ned Scott]

I've read every word. The Amazon Fire TV is not a closed system. Amazon themselves provide the tools needed to sideload XBMC/Kodi, and our plan is to eventually get Kodi directly on the Amazon store (as well as Google Play, etc). No rooting, no jailbreaking, just 100% supported installation methods that even Amazon approves of.

The only XBMC related function that requires root on the Fire TV is local USB storage.

Comparing the fact that Amazon hasn't enabled local USB storage to needing to jailbreak is just absurd.

You've said your advice. Your advice is bad. Op wanted opinions, and when someone says something that is bullshit then other people should call that person out on said bullshit. We have thousands of users already using FireTVs just from when they were only available in the US, and now they're available in the EU. It's not the very best, but it's a damn good little box, and you spreading this FUD helps no one.

[User 231261]

From a user perspective Amazon FireTV is an android fork with a closed shop objective.. the fact that it opens itself up to xbmc kodi is wonderful, but they control the OS layer and the HW functionalities that allows the user to playback stuff...
They thereby take responsibility/ownership for DRM compliance in future.... no mention of that during the happy joy joy product launch period of course..

Closing off root access does not in general show a great future for FOSS or the ambition of users to circumvent DRM constraints... and it's not about just xbmc it's also about modules, addons etc... that are now blocked off.
The word is now don't upgrade the Firmware and if you buy a new one check if it has the old firmware.... android fork is closed already for any user that want to update and keep his FOSS functionalities.

But if you're all OK with that.... then I'm just showing the opposite opinion.. calling that bullshit and getting personal is not the mature way of discussing something on a forum.. as that is what they are for.

It all reminds me of a RK3288 Gotham fork.. User are getting screwed there also.

[hdmkv]

...our plan is to eventually get Kodi directly on the Amazon store (as well as Google Play, etc). No rooting, no jailbreaking, just 100% supported installation methods that even Amazon approves of.

Would be great, but chances of this happening? I don't understand why Plex was available from the get-go; why would Amazon treat it differently?

[Martijn]

...our plan is to eventually get Kodi directly on the Amazon store (as well as Google Play, etc). No rooting, no jailbreaking, just 100% supported installation methods that even Amazon approves of.

Would be great, but chances of this happening? I don't understand why Plex was available from the get-go; why would Amazon treat it differently?

We simply have not even tried submitted it.

[teki4u]

exactly, because SPMC custom xbmc "gotham" build can be downloaded from google play no problem

[Roby77]

so amazon fire tv is closed an unrooted hardware

instead rockchip 3288 that doesn't release xbmc source violating gpl and for now doesn't want to support linux it's open hardware

yes it's a gag....

[AU Jim]

I think Willem55's view on this is actually spot on and sound advice. Further, wasn't he merely expressing an opinion (like so many posts in these and other forums); and in my view, a constructive one

what's wrong with that ?

[luksol]

I think Willem55's view on this is actually spot on and sound advice. Further, wasn't he merely expressing an opinion (like so many posts in these and other forums); and in my view, a constructive one

what's wrong with that ?

+1

[Ned Scott]

I think Willem55's view on this is actually spot on and sound advice. Further, wasn't he merely expressing an opinion (like so many posts in these and other forums); and in my view, a constructive one

what's wrong with that ?

He expressed something that is factually incorrect. There is no "lock-in" on the player regarding media. Rather, it's the reverse, in that you are only locked in if you buy the media itself from iTunes or Amazon, and only for video content (both sell DRM-free music). Even then, it's entirely pointless to bring that up since no one was talking about buying media from either iTunes or Amazon. Neither Apple or Amazon prevent people from playing files that are obtained outside of their stores. In Amazon's case, they advertise it as a feature.

So saying that OP is trading iTunes lock-in for Amazon lock-in (OP isn't even using iTunes media in the first place, he's using XBMC/Kodi), is nothing more than spreading fear, uncertainly, and doubt. At least with the Apple TV there's somewhat of a point, since you can't install 3rd party software on it, but that's not at all true for the Fire TV. There's simply no truth in what he said. And no, just because USB storage isn't enabled in the default firmware doesn't make it "locked down". It's far more likely just an issue of support than trying to prevent users from installing things, since Amazon specifically enables the ability to install things through other methods.

It's a different thing to say that such and such company should be avoided because you dislike their business practices, or they don't support open source, whatever. That would be an opinion.

EDIT: you know what, forget it. I shouldn't get so worked up about it, but it's a pet peeve of mine when people talk about a company's "ecosystem" and "lock-in" and they describe something that isn't even close. But whatever, I'm done talking about it.

[AU Jim]

Fair enough - thanks Ned

I think we can all move on, nothing to see here ,

[User 231261]

I said in post #5: I would avoid any box that tries to lock you in a vendor controlled content distribution coop... but feel free to swap iTunes lockin for Amazon lockin.
That statement is about relative lockin and not the absolute lockin you assumed.

Right... like I said 10 posts up Let's forget about it... no hard feelings

[AU Jim]

like most things....... there's degrees of lockin

[teki4u]

Amazon Fire TV reminds me of my first Nook Tablet 1gb and i'ts locked bootloader and limited PROPRIETARY firmware (no google play store,etc) we also had to sideload apps and so on. That was back on 2011 and it took months until we got out first gingerbread beta build, after that was way more fun.
Devs always found the way to root the thing in all 3 firware upgrades.

The advantage certanily is the amount of end users and enthusiast developers that create a community. As of 2014 i found it dumb to go thru the same thing, unless i do it purely for fun. Been there done that.

I can have a more powerful device starting with pure android, like the latest true open chinese boxes. Unfortunately the wait until development get better and bugs get fixed is relatively the same, MONTHS, a year+. BUT once the fire tv get stable cyanogenmod, the game will change as development will be in a higher level and more doors will open.

Again by the time they get somewhere new android versions and new featured boxes will come in. I just wish the Fire TV had better future proof specs.

So far i'm happy with my tronsmart vega s89, will wait until Google launches Android TV and read, watch reviews.

[AU Jim]

Hi Veronica - agree with your observations.

I've been through so many boxes over the years - TVIX/DVICO, xtreamer, etc. and decided in terms of hardware and firmware support/understanding or lack of it, most a just rubbish. So I've now gone name brand box (Intel NUC) overspecced the crap out of it, tweaked everything from the BIOS up, installed a generic 64 bit OpenELEC and it seems rock solid, hopefully reliable and somewhat future-proofed.

I currently live in HK , heading over to Shenzhen /China tomorrow was going to buy my mother a box - any you'd recommend?

Anyone else - was thinking about picking up the MINIX NEO X6

Jim