my experience, xbmc is much better with on demand streams, english stuff.
live tv... yes, you can get a lot in navi-x from azerbaijan to greece to iran to nz, but they kinda come n go, not stable, not well organised.
then u can build yr own live tv streams xml if u know how. e.g. local tv1-9 not difficult, some indon ones too.
check out xbmc thread, can pose question there, see if anything new n useful recently.

imo, if u r looking for live hk canto drama, stop looking at xbmc.
xbmc in general is poor for asian stuff, not much.
u r better off checking some iptv apps, but are payable.

suggest u read the first few pages as yr questions are the usual ones to any new user...

assuming u hv a decent broadband, choice of box will primarily depend on yr preference for type of videos.

most if not all of these boxes can playback media.

can search in this or other forums for these "known" brands, read what users say:

.. vigica
.. miniand
.. mx
.. himedia
.. minix
.. mele
.. modeo
.. xiaomi mibox
.. techgear
.. CS918/928
.. tronsmart

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Oct 9 2014, 11:53 AM

good questions! u r definitely thinking about the most valid issues.

i m <1 yr using androidtv boxes, but i'll comment as best as i can...

... no, not all boxes are built the same alto they may have same specs. manufacturer's firmware makes quite a difference as typically, it bundles with their inhouse apps which can't be used on others. e.g. some have certain chinese tv app which can't be copied onto a diff box. another example will be say xbmc - some boxes are custom built around it, other boxes may require additional settings. may not run as smooth. usually, you can't have it all but given some learning, trials and hours of testing and tweaking, you can get a lot.

... android mini-pc... u mean those sticks? typically, small handy units are limited in many ways, e.g. can't pass through hd audio or resolution max 720p. unlike full boxes, they may not have features like ethernet, digital audio, multiple usb ports, gaming, remote controls/keyboards. take note androidtv boxes typically come with usb playback media player, hd video and audio capable. some can now handle 3d and 4k.

yr handphone, yes, u can install xbmc, it will work becos these android apps were built for handphones. i have not tried on phone->TV but hv tried ipad->mirrorTV. i will say there is a difference - the box will deliver better video and audio probably due to better hardware, firmware and upscaling.

if the question is "why buy a box if a small stick or hnadphone can do it", i 'll say...
.. if light user, not big movie/tv fan, can do
.. if mid-heavy user, the box serve a great purpose

hope this is useful. others, pls comment!

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Oct 13 2014, 01:07 PM

english stuff, plenty. xbmc alone give you more than u can watch. and xbmc works on most boxes.

mandarin stuff - plenty, many apps work quite well for live tv, vod movies and tv series. some require membership/paid to get all of it, some u get all but may not last long due to changing regulations.

canto stuff... this is harder... there are some canto stuff tied with the mandarin apps but most are dubbed. eng subs, rare. but, you probably can find a lot more canto vod in paid iptv. these, i cant help as i dun use them.

canto stuff or yr parents, i doubt it will work well with free apps - not much available; some are way too old; some work only with browser -cumbersome navigation. having said that, i am not much into canto stuff, best others who have those goodies share with you the details.

as for brands/models, there are dozens... i hv no idea about most of them but will suggest u check out these threads, may be useful for you. all the best.
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3201002/+260
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3276304/+80

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Oct 13 2014, 02:24 PM

cs player should work, but only for 7-8 days trial, after which some donation needed to revive it - i din go for it, so now no more.
try popcorn time - while being "shut down" now, the android version still works. pc version is dead.

if 4mb streamyx, try not to expect too much.
some apps dun work very well even with 10mbps.
then again, it's not only about broadband speed.
there are issues of geoblocks, ip, dns, proxies, vpn - which i dun know very well.
well... once you acquire a box, u will dive deep into these blackholes!

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Oct 13 2014, 04:58 PM

1. yes, with androidtv box, no need smart tv. connect android to tv, an idiotic tv will become very smart!

2. no. androidtv box can't and wont replace pc. android apps are like phone apps, actually meant for mobile so they r usually smaller and less detailed. bad idea to use for documenting editing and other detailed pc tasks. copying, deleting files, ok.

3. wireless mouse, yes. some may work better than others. i hv a logitec wireless mouse - works perfectly. keyboards... less sure.

nas, cabled network, avr, tv, hdrips, no online streaming....
this, most current media and android players can do, i believe.
current androids will be an overkill as they r primarily built to stream online, stream wireless, incl hd/3d.
best u search or ask in nas threads for best suggestions.

yr question is lacking, u need to search n read more about androids.
there is no software required to install apk.
unlock int'l channel...this is a nonsensical question, i'm afraid.
u hv a lot of reading to do on what androids can and cannot do.

not sure if it did something wrong...
i did not see any "watching".
when I clicked the movie, it gave "server error".

did that... still "server error"...

hope somebody else can try it and comment...

nothing wrong with my installation...

i found out the problem after googling and reading the same problem others had..."server error". one guy made a video of those errors!

this showbox must be geoblocked by many places. u can only getting thru with vpn. with vpn, can get thru but the loading time is too long...5min for 480p mp4 tv show, 10 min for a movie.... and the vpn gotta be strong to stream nicely.

popcorn time for movies is much better. only thing is popcorn needs memory, 16gb androids with 6-8gb available to stream 1080p, 8gb may get some 1080p, lower ones wll get 720p only.

tv series, 720p with xbmctorrent is my choice.

thanks for the intro n info, was educational for me.

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Dec 6 2014, 12:48 AM

yo! got it working, incl opensubs!

i did everything correct as per susa's instructions, incl use of version 3.7. din work a first; tried vpn and it worked but clumsily, not very smooth - probably these free vpn's are crap anyway.

at yr tip, i changed dns, toggled ethernet-wifi, and i found:

.. open dns like 8.8.8.8 ethernet works fine.
.. other dns like the 2 i use (great for many other sites) do not work on ethernet but work very well on wifi - a matter of "friendliness", i guess.
.. archos player, mx player, kodi player - all of then work, no problem.

showbox is indeed a good app - pretty fast, easy to use, lotta suff there n up-to-date. the only things not so good is max 720p mp4 and need to select subs for every show like in kodi.

in contrast, popcorn time comes with 1080p and the right subs if it displays its availability. but popcorn works better for movies, much less so for tv shows. u tried popcorn time? if u haven't, try it.

with a combination of showbox and popcorn time, i will need kodi's genesis, xbmctorrent and phoenix even less now!


thanks susa and voncrane for sharing yet another great android app!

now u got popcorn time, try it!yes, xbmc/kodi is not for everyone, esp not for astro fans!

showbox and popcorntime are much more user friendly.

interesting read:


i hv tried popcorn time, xbmctorrent, zona and showbox.

popcorn time and showbox are best - uptodate, easy to use, stable, malware free (so far), subs.
xbmctorrent is ok but takes more steps, may not work well on some androids.
zona is not english user friendly as it is russian based.
looking forward to pulsar which is from the developer of xbmctorrent.

if anyone had tried others, pls comment, share!

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Dec 7 2014, 12:50 PM

pudding is one of the best china ones u can get for free. if pudding doesnt work well, u can forget youku, vst, togic, etc.

yes, dns makes a diff. google, u will find some sites that give tested ones good for china.

note such dns tends to go bad after a while with many users n many parties trying to geoblock, etc.

also, it depends on yr broadband speed n stability. hd/super hd streams require 300-500kBps, which is at least 4mbps nominal as it is never max n stable.

last resort - try vpn's. there r some offering free trial periods for a month or more. i tried one, not reliable...

This post has been edited by AVFAN: Dec 20 2014, 07:18 PM

do you mean online streaming or usb playback?

online streaming - tricky, many factors, unwiase to say this box can, that one cannot.

usb playback - what brand/model you know have subs not in sync with audio? i have used 2 brands/5 models, all w/o such a problem.

good read:

to my knowledge there r at least 3 types of apks for androids:

1. proprietory - will only work on that brand/model; include legit movie/tv packages that manufacturer paid license.

2. apps found in playstore - some payable, some free; common utility apps found here.

3. other apps not found in playstore, get from website or other users - this is where some the best apps are!


whether an app that works on one device can work on another may depend on the specs and memory of the device - there is no guarantee.

This post has been edited by AVFAN: May 23 2015, 12:58 AM

you shud hv asked this question before u buy the box!
becos all good apks can be pre-installed by seller, with continuous updates and support.
but if u can't get that from yr seller, it is difficult.
specifically about chinese stuff, tvb n other hk/canto stuff is hard to get unless u subscribe/pay for iptv.
mandarin and english stuff, plenty.
try these (assume u read chinese):
http://down.znds.com/
http://down.znds.com/apk/tool/2014/0806/956.html
a last tip - try to check if any of yr friends or neighbors are using androids.
u can copy their apks and try them. some may not work on diff brands/models but the generic apks will.

astro is astro, do you know what u paid for is legal or not?
if illegal pirate iptv, no one can help you other than the person u paid.

legitimate apps like hypptv everywhere, astro-on-the-go, kodi/xbmc, youtube, etc. - lots of people can comment/help.

This post has been edited by AVFAN: May 25 2015, 02:32 AM

rm150... tough.

you will not get a decent android box for that price.

but possibly can get a low end media player - one that does playback only (mkv included), no dwnlding, no or very basic connection to internet.

visit the it stores - u will see a variety of all kinds of players.